Sanding Ipe decking with RO 150 and DX 93

  • Thread starter Thread starter ericbuggeln
  • Start date Start date
Just so people know I have 2 parts to my deck. Top is 22ft x 12 ft and bottom section is 14ft x 12ft. Procedure to oil is: brush on penofin oil on 3 runs full length, wait 20 mins to absorb and wipe off excess oil with old soft rag. Aprox time to do once a year is top section 2.5 to 3hrs. Bottom approx 2 hrs. Brings back the full colors of wood and stops the natural greying.
thx
Lambeater
 
WarnerConstCo. said:
Survey says:  Applying a finish on Ipe= waste of time and money. 

Not if you dislike the graying. I'm in that boat myself, if I have an Ipe deck I'd oil it.
 
Brice Burrell said:
WarnerConstCo. said:
Survey says:  Applying a finish on Ipe= waste of time and money. 

Not if you dislike the graying. I'm in that boat myself, if I have an Ipe deck I'd oil it.

Oil would be fine but not a stain or the like that was mentioned before.
 
There are other products made by Kinloch that are nano-particle based, zero VOC compounds that are not just stains or sealers but that produce a molecular level bond.

They are relatively new to the market but have some good reports. There are still some kinks to work out with the clear formulation but it is very promising. They apparently hold up for many years.

The colored formulation is designed to restore an old deck so it looks new again as well as protect it. I haven't used this stuff myself except in small scale experiments but I have some customers that have. So far, they're very happy with it. We'll see how they feel in a couple of years.

Tom
 
As pertains to an exterior deck using Ipe I propose Oiling is NOT staining - really it is not even sealing. I do not believe the oil seals the Ipe any better then natural oil  in the wood does, but it does make the deck look like new wood a bit longer than doing nothing at all.

Applying oil is a fast way to get an initial nice look, but 18 months down the line it will gray. So it should be a yearly thing. For the Teak boats we would have to sand and re oil every winter. We would flip flop areas so every two years the entire boat was re-oiled.

Again, applying oil is simple and much preferable to staining every year. I still find that after a year the deck needs to be cleaned to apply the oil because there is still a bit of weathering. Possibly sanding will be needed if original color is what you are after.

To the original question I would still rent a floor sander(or hire a helper to do the low work).
 
I built a screwless IPE deck around my hot tub and have a few comments:

1) Sanding.  I sanded to 80 grit which made walking on the deck with bare feet very comfortable.  
2) Removal of old stain.  I would try a good pressure washer first.  I was able to remove a thin layer of wood (the gray part) with my pressure washer & rotary nozzle.  A quick 80 grit sanding to knock off the burrs (once dried) and I was done.
3) Ipe absolutely turns silver / gray in color.  It is not subtle... if you want the rich brown color of fresh wood then you will need some form of UV blocker on the wood.  Most finishing products do NOT work well with Ipe!
4) I used Messmers Ipe Oil and have been pleased with the results.  Application is a simple wipe on / soak / wipe off procedure.  Reapply every 1-2 years.

Have you looked at large floor sanders (1ft-2ft wide disc, etc.)?  For a large flat area like a deck it might work out well (and then use the Festool equipment to get into the nooks and crannies).  Dust collection would not be as good as the Festool option.  My deck was fairly small and I had a helper sanding while I installed the boards.
 
Seems like we're making some good progress here.  Eric owns his own painting company so I'm pretty sure he knows what is involved in terms of the labor and the tools to use on this project.  Although the floor sander is an interesting idea.  I don't think I'd go that rout.
 
Thanks for all the responses.  The only product ever considered was the Penofin Hardwood Formula, but I have heard good things about Messmers.  We are going to sand off the stain not re-apply.  I have heard of guys using floor sanders, but I have never used one before and don't want to practice on a clients home.  I have a few "maintenance decks that I do every couple of years and that keeps me constantly on the mind of the HO, which leads to jobs which may have not otherwise happened.  Also keeps my sign in all the nice neighborhoods that I try to dominate.

I am probably going to go the route I initially planned on, but I am glad I posted this bc i learned a lot.  Will post during and after pics, Eric
 
so 80 grit and then oil is sufficient?  what about swirls?  i'm doing a job like this now.
 
The Ipe tables I posted in Member Projects are sanded to 100 with a Rotex in gear mode then oiled.

Tom
 
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