rdoust I built a 1100 sf Ipe deck last fall, and finished it this spring. depending on condition of the wood, ie sticker, construction marks etc a light sanding may be in order. I chose to lightly sand with 60 grit sand paper with orbital sander. then I cleaned, with rad cleaner system, and finished with woodzotic. unfortunate that rad and woodzotic no longer available. Check out the woodrichbrand.com site they have a product, that is supposed to be the same as woodzotic. the woodzotic really worked well I will try the woodrich stain next year. I dont know about power washing, it takes some skill in not damaging the wood. there have been some horror stories on this site about badly marked wood from too much pressure,or too close.I did all the prep, cleaning and staining myself over 4 days with a couple of days in between the cleanning part. I would question experiance with Ipe, the number of guys. back and knees were sore, but I saved a grand or so. It is not hard to do yourself, saves cash, depends on how much time you have. Bob

Ken mon man!!! are you a chemist or did you stay at a holiday inn express last night!! LOL...(just some kind ribbin)...being a chemist and having 4+ years of pulp and paper science under my belt just wanted to clarify the acetone will indeed dissolve not emulsify the natural wood resins which are lipophilic (fat loving) extractives composed mainly of fatty acids, resin acids, sterols, steryl esters and triglycerides. So most of the surface resins will be completely removed with your rag,towel, or mop and what remains on the surface (acetone and residual resin) will have the acetone evaporate well before you get back to that area to coat with TWP or the like....thus the resins will return to their initial solid or semi-solid state....I think I know what you were trying to say but a little off in the actual chemistry...The other thing that will happen is that if a copious amount of acetone is used the resins will be solublized and penetrate further into the wood....effectively allowing more exposed "raw" wood for the coating to bind to. Acetone WILL dry out the wood as it is miscible(mixes) with water and will allow water to evaporate (azeotrope) at a lower temperature...it is often used in wood preservation where the wood is soaked 3+ times in acetone to remove ALL water and then dipped in a acetone/rosin mix.....then the acetone evaporates and leaves a rosin caoting protecting the wood.... Acetone is also frequently used in the pulp and paper mills to extract these types of wood resins to improve the strength of the paper products we use... so I don't think it matters about sealing immediately after acetone wash....but it may help to do the acetone rinse last to help with the drying process you require after the RAD treatment (1-2 day of warm/hot weather to get back to 12%?? moisture)...the acetones removal of water will be immediate and may speed the drying process as well as removing any residual oxalic acid

There is a lot of information here. I hope maybe I can give a few insights into what I know about the subject of ipe and other Amazonian hardwoods. Ipe is not really that good for ground contact. It will rot with direct contact with the soil in our climate here in Amazonia. It is has not been used much as a choice for fence posts for this reason. But, if it is not in contact with the soil it will pretty much last forever. At least longer than most of us will be on the planet. The prime woods used here for fence posts are Itauba, angelim vermelho, pequia, and a few other lesser known species. Massaranduba also known as Brazilian redwood is a very good wood for outdoor non ground contact uses as well. By not being good for ground contact I mean it will not last much more than 10 years. While some of the above may be fine for 50 years. Ipe has been one of the prime flooring woods used for probably 300 years or more in Brazil. It is the equivalent to oak in flooring applications in Southern Brazil. The big advantage to ipe is the stability when air dried. There are few species that move as little as ipe. It also does not surface check very much. About 20 years ago or so they used to make prefab country homes for use in Southern Brazil out of ipe to a large degree. As the cost increased they switched to garapa and other cheaper and more abundant woods. In the area I work we have a lot of Massaranduba and Europe is the major consumer. The Europeans use the antislip profile on boards which hides defects somewhat. And, they do not use wood finishes much from what I understand. In addition the climate in Northern Europe is more humid and stable than most of the USA which is better for Massaranduba. If Massaranduba is properly dried it is fine in any climate. Ipe has gotten very expensive in Brazil and I think it is time for the USA market to look seriously at other wood species for decking. Which has been happening. This is also better for sustainable forest management as it uses the resource better and helps preserve the standing forest. Here are a few pictures of Massaranduba being sawn into deck blanks which were shipped to Holland to be milled into decking there. Hopefully some will find it interesting to see where the material comes from. Massaranduba logs on the sawmill line. Massaranduba being sawn. A massaranduba log. You can see the red color. The tree has a high latex content and is mixed into natural rubber in some places to enhance quality of the mixture. The white streaks is the latex from the bark of the tree. The boards which are 32 MM X 155 MM are cut to length. For Europe that is every foot from 7 feet up to 20 feet. Being packed for shipment. Here is an order of rough sawn ipe going to the USA.

Ok..you guys are great & I finally had to register rather than just lurk! My ironwood w/cable deck was just completed & I'm trying to make a gameplan for keeping it dark. Oiling it often is ok for me...stripping is not. Do you recommend leaving the wood exposed for a month if you just plan to oil it too (penofin)? My contractor keeps telling me it should be done immediately so I've done the posts & rails but not the decking. My rails came beautifully beveled from the lumber yard with a lovely surface. However, my contractor sanded down the plugs in various places so the oil is absorbing unevenly. (I obviously found this website one day too late!) Is it best to keep oiling it, let it rest for a month or have my contractor sand the full length so it will all have the same absorbtion rate? I've searched the site but can't find a clear answer to this. Thanks!