Replies

1. 
   BOBABEUI | Oct 07, 2009 07:38pm | #1

   Splinter,

   If I am not mistaken the boardwalk in Atlantic City NJ is IPE (along with lot's of other boardwalks). Most of these applications of IPE don't look to be treated with a finish, they are weathered gray..

   If you want to finish IPE, Penofin makes a Oil especially for finishing IPE as does Messemers. I have personally used the Penofin product and it looks fantastic on IPE, but I caution you that keeping the dark brown color is not a low maintenance type of project..

   Whatever oil product you use is going to have to have some kind of fungicide in it, otherwise you will have tons of mold and mildew feasting on the oil..

1. 
   splinters007 | Oct 07, 2009 08:49pm | #4

   Thank you for the quick response. Heavily favoring letting it weather to a gray, but I am looking into Messners UV.
   Thanks you again!

2. 
   forestgirl | Oct 07, 2009 07:46pm | #2

   Our Ipe deck is about a year old now, and we left it unfinished.  The idea  of having to maintain a finish, even in the relatively mild weather of the Pacific Northwest, kept me from lobbying for any kind of finish on it.  Ipe is super-durable, I'd think it would weather fine near the ocean. 

   The only reservation I have now, having made that decision, is that if anything sits in one place for very long, there's a silhouette there when it's moved.  I don't know if this will occur once the deck is well-weathered, but it did occur when we left an item or two on the newly-finished deck.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

   
   

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   Edited 10/7/2009 12:50 pm by forestgirl

1. 
   splinters007 | Oct 07, 2009 08:04pm | #3

   Thank you for the quick response. I have been leaning towards the no finish option considering all the work I have had to do regarding my sailboats Teak trim. Thank you for the insight.