I am building a front portico and planned to deck it with Ipe.
But then a couple of local lumber yards started pushing Cambera.
The porch floor will be 5×6, the roof 6×10, the joists 12″ oc, the climate is Acton, MA, a Boston burb.
Ipe was used on the TOH in Carlisle. It’s VERY dense, VERY heavy, VERY durable, and very hard on blades and drills.
Cambera is supposedly similar, but not as intense as Ipe in the above categories. And it costs 40% less and is easier to get.
Any experience with Cambera? Ipe? Any suggestions?
Thanks, Doug
Replies
It is similar in appearance but less dense and not as strong. The price diff I get is only about 10-12%
I can't testify to longevity. I did talk to a wood scientist before using it on a job. He told me that the pores in the wood are somewhat more open and while it is s rot resistant tropical wood, those open pores mean that it will absorb more moisture.
In a freezing climate, that is a concern. If water in the pores freezes, it micro-fractures the wood, letting it absorb more water the following year. And so on and so on...
So that means you would end up wanting to re-oil the surface every year in your climate.
For such a small size area, I can't imagine that the cost difference will bankrupt you, but it is easier to work with too, tho it still needs predrilling for the screws.
With either Ipe` or Canberra, you want to seal the endgrain cuts as soon as you make them and install it.
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' 12" oc'
you planning on parking a car on that deck? 16"oc is fine. You could even get away w/ 18"oc when using tropical hardwood decking.
IPE` can span the black diamonds but canberra cannot.
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