@MDA1775 or @Racer have either of you done anything with Ipe? I’m not going to clean it myself. I’m going to subcontract it to a wood restoration company when I find one, but these two decks are on a 1.5 million dollar house we’ll be cleaning the stucco and removing rust stains. Should I prep these decks in any particular manner to protect it from the SH? There are two decks that it will be unavoidable to get stucco wash on unless we cover them completely. Any thoughts? Suggestions from everyone experienced in Ipe is welcome.
I have a client I do every year that has an ipe deck, absolutely gorgeous wood. It glows like none other when stained. 2 years ago I cleaned his roof and siding and covered up with a tarp but did get a goodly amount of diluted bleach on it. I rinsed it off pretty quickly (within 3-4 minutes) and it didn’t change the color.
It’s a really dense wood from what I can tell. I cover it up just because I know how obnoxiously expensive the planks are.
Don’t sub that Brodie. It cleans up pretty easily and Dayton is right, it’s gorgeous when done. Get a quote from restoration company and then do it yourself for few dollars less.
Do all the other crap first. Just keep it wet and you’ll be fine. I usually always start at the top and work down. It’s really dense and hard.
I do a lot of houses at the shore with Ipe or Mahogany decks. If you keep it wet you’ll be fine. One drop of your mix on it dry and it will lighten instantly.
Andrew with @timetoshinepowerwash in Mass texted me essentially the same thing you’re saying here except I read his texts with a Boston accent and yours with a southern drawl.
All joking aside, I’m going to give it a shot. The first bid I got was at 2.80/sq ft which actually seemed reasonable considering the sq. footage. I’ll probably just roll with that. I’ve got Andrew on speed dial for this project and if you send me your number I’ll put you and @Dayton and @Clean_Blue on a group phone call titled “These people will help you avoid an insurance claim.”
I recently did a similar “bunk bed” ipe deck at a country club and cleaned with low pressure and water only, no bleach. No tarps, no worries and it turned out great. Wasn’t going to take a chance on a $30,00 (my guess) deck. Test a few boards before using anything that you can’t undo or discolor it. Too much on the line to sub it out, good or bad. Do it right, take your pictures and wait for their referrals. Reduce your $p/sq/ft by about .20 or so and show them new estimate. Your time and material costs are substantially reduced now and it’s a win-win for you both. Good luck.
