Ipe vs. Pine

It is not a rare occurrence for Pine decking to experience a short life span as a result of exposure to the elements. OHC has a great example to demonstrate how treated Southern Yellow Pine and Ipe decking withstand the elements. Here at Weeks Bay National Refuge in South Alabama, the Fish River boat launch docks were built following Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina using both treated Southern Yellow Pine and Ipe decking.

The docks were intermittently built since 2004 or 2005 with Ipe locally supplied by OHC, and treated Southern Yellow Pine. OHC’s Ipe decking covers the South Western portion of the launch and a small walkway section on the South Eastern section of the launch. The Southern Yellow Pine was used in between both boat ramps and a large portion of the Eastern walkway. These pictures depict how the two species withstood the harsh sun and wet environment. Though both the pine and Ipe show natural color changes due to the sun’s UV rays, their structure and soundness differ very much.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pine on left – Ipe on right

Pine on left, Ipe on right. With this splintering, the pine creates the risk of splinters for boaters’ bare feet whereas the sound Ipe decking is safe for the feet.

This photo demonstrates how our Ipe is much more resistant to moss, mold, insects and weathering because of its dense fiber composition. The photo was taken of the West facing side of each board.

Pine after exposure to the sun and water