Ipe: Brazilian Walnut Wood Flooring
Colour: light red to dark brown
Strength: very strong
Texture: fine
Hardness: extremely hard (Brinell Score of 10.6)
Durability: excellent
Stability: very stable
Sustainability: wood from sustainable sources is widely available.
Brazilian Walnut (or Ipe as it is also known) is one of the toughest, most durable and dense woods from the rainforests of South America. The trees can reach a whopping 40 metres in height and nearly 2 metres in diameter.
Ipe is used mainly for high end furniture, wood flooring, and because it is so durable it is also now popular for decking. Note that Brazillian Walnut has nothing to do with the American Walnut family, which is a much softer wood species.
It can vary in colour quite dramatically from light reddish tones, to dark brown tones, and has a much simpler and less interesting grain pattern than American Walnut. This is a difficult wood to work with, and can blunt and damage blades and tools quite quickly. It is not a wood that is used widely in the UK, and is probably best purchased pre-finished. Take care to cover wood paintwork when cutting this wood, as it produces a yellow tanning acid which can stain.
