"Rick Chamberlain" wrote in message
...
snippage

After reasearching on the net, I was leaning towards the Ipe. Some of
the websites make it looks absolutely stunning. After seeing the Ipe
deck, I didn't really think it looked much better than cedar, but if it
really is much longer lasting and much lower maintanance than cedar,
it's still in the picture.

Any advice?
If you live in the Northwest or any area where deck maintenance is a must,
Ipe is the only way to go. The Ipe will outlast the cedar hands down,
especially if you have to pressure wash every year or so.. Rick is right
about the penofin finish, it lightens, but keeps the Ipe looking really
nice. I built benches and a table out of Ipe, used the Penofin for exotic
woods and it looks like a million bucks.

Ed Angell