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What is the Best IPE Deck Stain? This is an excellent question, as few deck stains or sealers work well for IPE or other exotic hardwoods. IPE is a Brazilian hardwood that is very difficult to penetrate. Many wood and deck stains will not correctly penetrate this wood type, resulting in premature fading of the finish. This article will look at what makes an excellent and long-lasting IPE finish.
Use a Stain or Finish that is Designed for Exotic Hardwood
IPE is a costly and beautiful wood. The problem is that many stains are not able to penetrate well. When researching your IPE stain, look for a brand designed explicitly for exotic woods. Usually, you will see unique formulas by major brands. Words to look for in the name are Hardwood, Exotic, IPE, etc.
Ease of Reapplication when Faded
IPE and other exotic woods require more maintenance and recoating than other softwoods such as cedar and pine. Since you will be re-coating your IPE deck annually (or sooner), choosing stains that do not peel or darken in color is best. This makes a light cleaning and reapplication of the stains substantially easier.
Color of Pigment
Lighter-pigmented stains will fade faster than darker stains. Make sure to choose an IPE finish with a lot of pigment. In addition, “red” pigments will prevent UV fading longer than other pigments. For Example, Messmers UV Plus for Hardwoods in Red Mahogany will last longer than their Natural tint.
Here are our most popular IPE Stains:
Restore-A-Deck Stain in Light Walnut
Armstrong Clark Hardwood Stains
Hello, I have a 2 year old ipe deck. I live in Florida. it was sealed with IPE oil at the time. we just had it pressure washed and cleaned. Do you have a preference for which product to use? Is IPE oil the best or should I change to one of the ones above. I do prefer the more amber look of the natural wood rather than the red tone that IPE oil gives. Thank you for your help.
Use Armstrong Clark in Amber color. Better option.
https://www.opwdecks.com/ipe-stain-1-gallon.htm
Is there a good product to stain Ipe black? Does anyone have experience with this? Customer wants black. I would like to use Ipe for its durability.
You cannot make it black but you can make it a very dark brown with Armstrong Clark in Black Walnut: https://www.opwdecks.com/ipe-stain-1-gallon.htm
My deck is 2 years old. Last summer it was stained. I had asked for messmers -but my painter (who works with Brazilian woods often) insisted that TWP pro was best. I have lots of markings now. He is going to redo it and I want to make sure I use the best stain to fix my issue. Any advice is welcome.
Try the Armstrong Clark Hardwood stain: https://www.opwdecks.com/ipe-stain-1-gallon.htm
Hello,
I have used the RAD prep products followed by ipe oil several consecutive times. I believe I do it all correctly. But lately, the result has not been as satisfying and the oil just doesn’t seem to last. I live near Memphis so I know the sun plays a part. I am interested in trying something different regarding the oil/stain. What would you recommend?
Armstrong in one of there 3 hardwood colors: https://www.opwdecks.com/armstrong-clark-stain.htm
I am installing a New Epi deck in NY in November. Should I try to coat the wood now, ASAP, or wait until the spring?
Wait until Spring.
Also, the roughly 6-in cut edges of the boards have started to turn white. Was the builder supposed to treat them with something?
Strip off the IPE Oil and try Defy Hardwood Stain. It will not have runoff:
https://www.opwdecks.com/defyhardwood.htm
How hard is it to strip off? What do you use to strip it? Do you sand it?
Use this to strip it: https://www.opwdecks.com/restore-a-deck-stain-stripper.htm
It is not that hard.
About 18 months ago, my husband and I had our homebuilder install an ipe deck that was stained with Ipe Oil by DeckWise. The deck is on the second floor of our home so you see the top and the bottom of the ipe wood. Now, every time it rains we have ipe stain running below the deck and down the steel deck framing. It looks like a mess and has to be scrubbed off of the framing with a brush and soapy water. It is soooo difficult to clean up the running stain, we have not reapplied the oil and the deck is starting to grey. We paid a ton of $$ for an elegant ipe deck. What did we do wrong and can we fix it so we can get the ipe back to looking like a hardwood floor? We are just too old to be spending hours and hours scrubbing stain off steel beams and the tile/grout laid on the floor below the ipe deck.
Try the Defy Hardwood Stain or the Armstrong Clark in the amber color. Both will not blacken. Best to not spray stain on IPE. Use a stain pad like these:
http://www.opwdecks.com/padco-pad-applicators.htm
I have been using Penofin on my IPE deck for years. It looks stunning once the old is stripped and new is applied. After 5-6 months though the finish starts to blacken. What causes this? There is sun from 11:00 AM until sunset. Also I have always applied with a brush. Can I use a Low pressure hi volume spray gun to apply? Also, is there another product that will give me the same freshly applied look without the blackening?
Yes you should clean first before staining. No need to apply to all four side. Just exposed wood.
I will be installing a new ipe deck soon and plan to use either Ipe Oil or Messmers UV for hardwoods. I have two questions regarding the prep of the ipe wood:
* Do I need to clean the new wood prior to applying either product?
* May I apply either product to all four surfaces? This will be my only opportunity to apply to the underneath surface.