When looking for wood furniture, most people commonly compare pine, teak and mahogany right off the bat. They look for style, sturdiness, color and price. They, however, are missing a major option to consider and that is an all-together different wood type: Ipe. Ipe is a next to perfect, high performance wood. It grows abundantly in South-Central America and has a natural resiliency like no other wood on the commercial market.
Also known as Ironwood, Brazilian Walnut or Lapacho, Ipe wood has a teak-like appearance, ranging from rich browns to light amber hues. It is remarkably hard and dense which makes for high dent resistance. Ipe wood can hold 3600 lbs compared to the 690 lbs of pressure treated pine and it is 368 % harder than teak. In simple terms, this means furniture made from Ipe is going to have considerable weight to it, be extremely durable and wear incredibly well. In a 22 year study, the US forest lab in Madison, Wisconsin found the life expectancy of Ipe wood to be greater than 30 years.
Commercial contractors have known about and preferred Ipe for years. It’s their top choice for decking material. Why would that be? Well, aside from the durability of this wood in high traffic areas, it also requires low to no maintenance. Regular stain treatments are completely unnecessary unlike other woods typically used in construction. In fact, Ipe is so naturally dense that it doesn’t take preservatives well. Also, even in an untreated state, Ipe wood is quite fire resistant. Ipe is naturally resistant to rot as well as insect and fungal infestations. Splintering, warping and shrinkage are rare problems even with untreated Ipe. Fasteners do not loosen, pull out or pop up. The factors that make Ipe a favorite in decking also make it a superior choice for wood furniture.
Aside from the physical characteristics as a product, choosing to use Ipe is a more environmentally friendly option. The Ipe tree is not an endangered species and it may grow up to 140 feet tall with a diameter of 6 feet. It is one of the tallest trees in the Amazon region and, therefore, results in more planks of wood compared other trees. Ipe trees also grow in numerous environments from marshes to ridge tops. The trees come from either sustainable forest management projects or agricultural conversion of forest land which is strictly regulated.
Whichever way you look at it, wood exudes an aura that just can’t be replicated by other materials like metal or even stone. This is the reason wood fireplace designs are a top choice among homeowners and home developers. Perhaps its raw beauty is due to the fact that it is a product of nature-it’s like having a piece of nature inside your home. But don’t take this material lightly. Wood is not used furniture and construction for their aesthetic values alone. Because as much as they are elegant, they are also strong and durable. These are high-performance materials which can be designed to perfection.
Realizing these unique characteristics, manufacturers come up with wood fireplace designs that will surely be a centerpiece to every home. Wood is a good insulation both from heat and cold, making it a perfect material on which to build a fireplace from. And because of its light weight, handling, transport and installation of wood furniture is much easier. So don’t be surprised to see a lot of stand alone fireplaces made out of wood.
The good thing about these stand alone models is that they are portable. You can take the unit just about anywhere anytime you want. You can put it from one corner to another or move it from one room to the next. Most of these fireplace designs are made of high-grade wood like pine, oak and mahogany. The best part is that you do not need a chimney for these units because most of them have flames that are clean-burning. You don’t have to use logs for fuel as there are alcohol gels that keep the flames lit. There is no smoke, no fumes-just warmth and homey feeling.
You may see oak logs (that are actually made from a ceramic material) at the steel firebox but this is just an aesthetic addition to the set if only to mimic the scene of a burning wood from a regular fireplace. It is actually the gel canisters that do the flame trick. Environmentalist groups even promote these kinds of products because they do not cause pollution nor do they contribute to global warming.
Most of these units needed to be assembled first before you can use them. But because it doesn’t burn gas or wood, there’s no need for installation and you can assemble them by using just a screwdriver.
Wood blends well with your home’s interior. After all, a part of your house is made from this ever reliable material. So when you put a stand alone fireplace in your living room, some people might actually think that it has always been a part of it. Depending on the wood fireplace design or the model, you may even achieve that in-wall fireplace look-deceiving anyone who dares take a closer peek.
Wood provides a classic appeal to any modern design. And builders use the wood’s versatility to merge the contemporary with the conventional style.