Ipe tongue & groove deck

[ArtDeck-O]

Originally Posted by lavrans

It just seems like one of those ideas that ignores wood.

Even though Ipe is pretty stable and rot resistant, anything that's going to hold the moisture in is going to accelerate the demise of that decking. 1/16" is going to hold a lot of dirt, and the dirt is going to hold the moisture.

I'm not surprised that 10 years hasn't shown obvious signs, but I'm quite sure that the decking won't last as long as straight planks. A good Cedar deck can last quite a long time even with water traps.

My big question is why? What's the benefit that's being sought?

Another thing that I don't recommend is 1/16" as a deck spacing. I replace them on occasion, but around here that small a space cuts a deck's life in half.

I have to agree....3/16" is a better gap, that's what I use on all decking. Smaller gaps trap more dirt!