I am planning to building a deck using ipe; should I space the boards 1/8″ apart, and how well do stainless trim screws work with this?
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You must be a new guy...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
What a minute. First you write with a fat boy marker and then you have a client who is upgrading to Ipe and you want to face screw it with SS. Have you lost your mind twice in one day? Seriously Slow down, stop yelling and make sure they really want face screws and then all will be fine. In my climate , Mn. a 1/8 inch gap would be to small but who is to say where you live that 1/8 wouldn't be fine . Good luck mike
hi tony.
spacing of 1/8" is pretty small...great opportunity for dirt, tree seeds/leaves, pieces of 4th of July BBQ, etc. to get stuck in. try a little larger gap, say about 3/16" - 1/4". I use the thickness of my square carpenter's pencil as a spacer/guide when setting the boards.
If you plan to use SS screws, be sure to get the small-head square-drive screws. They've got a mighty thread and IMHO, they are a nice clean finish, especially if you take the time to snap a line to keep the heads aligned throughout the deck. Be sure to drive the heads just flush with the surface, or no more than 1/32" - 1/16" recessed. Ipe is strong and stable, and the screws won't move. Finish ipe with a good oil-based UV-resistant sealer/topcoat such as Penofin or Cetol (Sikkens).
hope it helps, and have fun!
charlie
I use the connecters that are let into the Ipe with a biscuit cutter. The connectors automatically space them an eight of an inch. I only screw through the starting boards and the end boards and use plugs to cover them. If you use plugs, be real careful to have the grain of the plug go with the grain of the board.
If you sprung for the cost of Ipe, stainless steel goes without saying. Unless you say it of course :-)
Oh yeah, wear a dust mask. The dust packs a punch.