Would You Use… Wood?
J&J Custom Homes recently had a project where we used a very special type of wood for the exterior as well as an interior accent wall. This extremely beautiful wood is called IPE (pronounced “ee-pay”) and to some extent can be compared to Mahogany.
Never heard of it? Most haven’t! It’s a South American, rich brown stunning exotic wood with red and amber hues and the color varies considerably from board to board. It’s very dense and up to five times harder than most woods. Guess what else? It is naturally resistant to weather, rotting, abrasions, and insects. A wonderful selection for durability as well as beauty!
What about actual mahogany? It’s famous for its coloring and durability with high-quality furniture, but did you know that it’s also perfect for decking? It doesn’t rot, shrink, or warp due to weathering and it tends to have a lifespan of 20 years with little to no maintenance. Mahogany wood polishes well so, with proper maintenance, the lifespan of a mahogany deck can last even 40-50 years! The possibilities with mahogany seem to be almost endless for both interior and exterior spaces.
Lastly, we wanted to showcase a type of wood that is notorious for its benefits, cedar! It’s commonly known for its unique scent and the fact that it deters pesky moths, but what else? Due to its durability and resilience to rot, it is an excellent wood that can be used for exterior areas including shingles or alongside decking. Cedar is also an excellent selection inside your home for your ceiling or cladding. With all its advantages, please be aware that it does require maintenance, may be susceptible to scratches and has the potential to be flammable.
We’ve only scratched the surface of the many types of unique and beautiful wood selections that can bring a great aesthetic as well as a physical benefit to your home! Selecting the right type of wood for your custom home is important and we encourage homeowners to do additional research to find the type of wood that meets their specific needs and budget.
We hope that we have inspired you, and that you can now answer our question “Would you use….wood?”