The Ipe discount sale at Advantage Trim & Lumber Company is going on right now. For a limited time, we are dropping the price of ipe decking!

Right now is the time to take advantage of these ipe decking discounts.

Check out our holiday decking sale info!

Why buy ipe from Advantage Trim & Lumber?

• We are the leading ipe supplier in the United States
  • Even the big hardware stores & online lumber stores can’t compete, why?
• We directly import from the best lumber mills in Brazil
  • We personally inspect each mill to ensure eco-friendly standards are met
• We sell the highest grade of ipe, period!
  • You won’t get green material from us unless requested!
• We offer convenient office hours
• We own our own truck fleet & mills in the U.S.
• Extremely fast and straightforward order process & shipping times

Oh, and don’t forget…we are also offering decking discounts on other exotic hardwood:

• Tigerwood decking
• Cumaru decking
• Brazilian Walnut flooring

What are you waiting for? Contact Advantage today to buy ipe at discount prices!

Deck Design of the Week

Duval House by The Mark Odom Studio

I recently had the privilege of speaking directly to head designer behind this week’s Deck Design of the Week, Mark Odom. The Mark Odom Studio is an architect firm out of Austin, Texas who creates unique homes for discerning homeowners who want a contemporary, yet warm environment to live in.

As a well-established designer in the Austin, Texas area, I am thankful and honored to have pried him away from his innovative projects to talk to him about one of his most recent homes, The Duval House. This contemporary home has features that incorporate ipe decking.

The Mark Odom Studio an Austin Architect & Designer Firm Created this Highly Functional Deck Design (check out the fence and bench made from ipe decking!)

Why did you chose ipe for this project?

“Due to the density of IPE, it presents an opportunity to have natural grade lumber in wet or weathered areas that won’t deflect, bow, or lose its original state.  This allows us to use natural wood throughout interior and exterior while maintaining a slender tolerance between edges; clean non-compromising lines are important in modern work.”

Have you chosen ipe for any other projects/applications?

“We’ve used ipe on wood fencing, rain-screens, floors & walls in wet areas and visual screens between spaces.  Again, the density of wood and sharp edges allows us to achieve these moves without having to use steel.”

What was it like to install?

“Ipe is fairly easy to install.  There’s really no special skill needed beyond deck construction other than a high level of precision and eye for detail.”

Thanks for sharing this info, Mark! I really appreciate your time!

As you can see from the pic above, this modest deck is ideal for outdoor gatherings. I can’t thank the Mark Odom Studio enough for sharing allowing us to feature their design. If you’re looking for an interior designer in Austin, be sure to add the Mark Odom Studio to your short list.

And, if your goal is to incorporate ipe decking into your home renovation project, look no further than Advantage Trim & Lumber Company. Now that we’re running two great decking sales (Ipe Decking Sale & Exotic Hardwood Sale), you can buy ipe and other exotic hardwood options at prices not available anywhere else!

Central Park is a New York City landmark unlike any other. Since I grew up in New York City, I can tell you that when you walk through the park for just a few minutes, you’ll forget that you’re in a city of over 8 million people. There are so many hidden treasures and features that go under appreciated. One of the main things that goes unnoticed are the park benches.

If you can imagine, when you have literally thousands of people sitting on a bench on a given day, it’s important to use a material that will:

• Stand the test of time
• Withstand bitter cold winters along with hot and humid summers
• Be resilient in the face of heavy use

Is it any wonder that the City of New York chose ipe wood for their park benches? more…

At Advantage Trim & Lumber we carry Tigerwood, Cumaru, Garapa, and Ipe deck boards up to a length of 20 feet!

What is the advantage of buying 20 foot deck boards?

We carry this length of deck board so that extremely large decks, or decks that are designed diagonally can be installed without having to worry about cupping. Also, for more high-end decks, the lack of seams is also a major reason why people buy 20 ft decking.

We offer varying lengths of exotic wood deck boards in the following profiles:

• E4E S4S (Eased 4 Edges Surface 4 Sides)
• Pre-grooved decking
• Tongue & Groove decking

Contact Advantage Trim & Lumber for all your wood decking needs. Even if you just need some 1x4x10 ipe, you can rest easy knowing that you’re buying premium grade decking at prices that can’t be beat.

Our inventory of cocobolo is available to anyone who wants to tackle turning this beautiful exotic hardwood.

World renowned by wood turners for its striking beauty, this species of Mexican hardwood is noted for the contrasts of red, black, and sometimes even purple. It’s no surprise to find cocobolo being used in a whole range of high end products.

Because Advantage Lumber has committed ourselves to responsible forestry, you can buy cocobolo knowing that it has been harvested without clear-cutting or other deforestation methods. As you can see below, we were even lucky enough to stumble upon some of this unique wood while literally roaming through the Mexican highlands.

A hardwood expert inspecting a pile of cocobolo lumber.

You can buy cocobolo even for hardwood flooring. Contact Advantage today!

If you’re just starting to think about building an ipe deck, Advantage Trim & Lumber has a very handy “How To Install Ipe Decking” guide. This guide is simple, easy to follow, and will make your ipe deck installation a smooth and successful one.

If you’ve done your research, you may have come across some true horror stories. I’ve even received emails from people who had many problems after their deck was finished. The unfortunate thing is, that many people, in an effort to save money, don’t use the very best and most reputable deck builders, or they don’t do enough homework. At Advantage, we want to make sure that if you’re going to spend your hard earned money on this kind of home improvement project that it gets done right the first time! After all, building a deck is serious business. It can add thousands to your property value and also gives you and your friends and family a new way to enjoy the outdoors.

Now that winter is arriving, now may be the best time to build. Why? Think about it. After winter, wouldn’t you want a place to rest, relax and enjoy the weather right away? If you wait until Spring, you’ll waste those beautiful cool nights that could be spent outdoors (BEFORE the mosquitoes or other insects come around!).

If you’re shopping around for the best ipe decking prices, look no further than the ipe decking sale at Advantage Trim & Lumber! We are running some great deals on PREMIUM grade ipe as well as Tigerwood and Cumaru. Now is the time to take advantage of hardwood prices that are this low!

Introducing the best deck oil available, Ipe Oil!

Recently, the Ipe Clip® Company unveiled a new deck finish product called Ipe Oil™. This premium decking oil, finished hardwood decks made from durable, and some would say stubborn, hardwoods like ipe. Ipe Oil™ offers deck builders and homeowners who are installing an ipe deck with:

• Superior protection from both:
  • U.V. rays
  • Water
• A low VOC deck finish
• Coverage of approx. 300 sq. ft.
• Over 40% solids content
• A low odor decking oil
• Reduces the chances of deck boards cracking and warping
• Aids in keeping the hardwoods like ipe looking new

If you want to finish your hardwood deck using the best deck oil, contact us today to order. That’s right, Ipe Oil works with all exotic hardwoods  including Cumaru, Tigerwood, Garapa, Meranti, Brazilian Cherry, Massaranduba, Bangkirai, Red Balau, and many more!

UPDATE 6/27/2011: As you can see below, we are getting a lot of questions about Ipe Oil™. We’re happy to answer any question you might have. Tell us how this product has helped. We’d love to see BEFORE and AFTER pictures! Upload your newly oiled hardwood deck pictures here! The best pictures will be featured in our newsletter as well as our Featured Deck Projects section!