Great START!!!!

Trust me on this - remember these words: "It's only a deck" I had to remind myself 100 times and ignored myself most of the time
look at the site in the link on how to build stairs. I used it and it worked perfectly. It's easy, they have a calculator that does all the work

As for plugging, you deck is not large so it's doable BUT it will take more time(LOTS) and you will have to sand the entire deck after to make everything look right.

I will say, I made an IPE rail and I am still happy with it. I am still having issues with stain sticking to my deck but believe (hope) its due to the weather and my ability to be there when the weather is nice (its a vacation house)

Here is a link that might be useful: ipe deck info

Rather than using a second drill bit to enlarge the hole, use a countersink with pilot bit. The Headcote Smartbit has received good reviews, or since you already bought the 1/8" drill bits you might try the countersink from McFeelys linked below. I used this one on my deck and it worked pretty well.

Here is a link that might be useful: McFeely's Trim Head Countersink

I agree with Salmon, while plugging is doable, it is much more work. Peronally, I have installed many decks using Ipe Clip Extreme fasteners so I can hide the screws for my customers and they love them, and I have had no complaints either. You may be too far along to look at that option now, but just figured Id put it out there.

Also, for your posts, I have used PT then made a sleeve out of Ipe to case them in. It should hold up fine, and if you are not interested in doing it yourself, I know the lumber yard you mentioned, Advantage Lumber, sells them premade.

I'm a lazy forum dweller who'd rather not copy/paste your link into a new window to see your pics. Consider this a vote that you paste your photos into your thread here. I promise I'll ooh and aah.

Here's the link. Hard to believe you're that lazy after all that effort and hard work on your beautiful deck and home, Weedy! :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: jj95

Flattery will get you nowhere, sierra. But thanks for making the link. ;-p

Ok, I clicked the link, though I still prefer photos posted in the thread. My two cents on your questions:

Personally I like the plugging. Not the doing necessarily, but the finished product. It's beautiful to have a smooth surface. Easy to do, but tedious and time-consuming. Only you can decide whether it's worth it.

On the steps, do you want them going the full length of the deck on the patio side? If so, I think the simplest thing to do would be to make a box step. Here's how I did one set of my steps. There's sufficient ventilation from behind on the larger set, and the smaller one-step has 1/8" spacers underneath to allow for some air flow.

The other option is a bunch of short stringers (shorter than in the photo below, of course), but I think that's more work getting them all lined up. And as you know by now, I'm pretty lazy. :-)

hi weedy,
just curious, how did you trim out the sides of your box steps? Did you just wrap a 1x8 of garapa around each step, or did you fill in the space under?

I just used 1x6 deck boards, ripped to the width needed, glued and nailed into the franing.

Not sure what you mean by "fill in the space under."

weedy,
sorry, i made a mistake, went to look at your pic again. we have done our steps somewhat similar, except ours are 'floating' meaning there's open space underneath. I see now that yours go back all the way to the deck.

Allison I am thinking its still you and not Jack.

Looking at all those little plugs sticking up is what I am seeing now. I love the install and the look if only it would stop raining!!!!!!!!!!!

I havent been on the Scooter for weeks.

JJ for the money and the labor pluging is the only way to go just be sure and order the plugs at twelve cents per no way would I grind them out on the drill press. J.

First I'd like to thank everyone for the info on this site. Second this is an update to my Ipe deck project. I finished the back deck, except for the step, and am working on the front deck now (pics of that someday).

Check the link below to see my photos. Weedy, how exactly do you post the photos directly in this message? I don't see any obvious way to do it. I guess you have to write some (fairly simple) html?

This project is taking me forever, being a weekend warrior, having 3 young kids, and 2 unfinished bathrooms inside the house. So the staining will have to wait until next year. Should be ok, right?

So right now I am having some concerns with the quality of the Ipe I got. Seems ok, but who knows, this is the one-and-only Ipe deck I have ever built. Some pieces are real dark, some are real light. Some are really really hard (dark boards), some are softer (light boards). Some are clear, some have a tiger-like grain to them. Some seem a bit rough when you run your hand up one way, then smooth if you rub the other way. 3 or 4 boards have lots and lots of checks, almost the whole 15 foot length of board. Most of the boards have no checks. I have one board that looks like it will destroy your foot if you walk on it. I think I'll have to replace that board, I don't know how I did not notice it, when I put that board down. It looks like the grain is sort of lifted, and could cause nasty splinters in your foot (See pictures 10 and 11). 3 or 4 few boards seem fine, but have knots in them (pics 13 and 15). Will these spots worsen over time?

I bought 1725 linear feet of boards. There are probably six 15-footers that I probably should toss in the dumpster. Maybe six others that are usable but not the greatest. Not really sure about the rest, if it is so-so, good, great, top quality or not. Of course I was assured that the Ipe was top quality, all heart wood clear Ipe, blah blah blah. Would anyone expert here want me to mail them some scrap cuts to examine? Or even better, stop by and look at my deck? Just kidding…

The railings. I chickened out on the Ipe railings. No way I get the project done this year. So I did the shiny PVC rail, and put an Ipe rail on top of it. I like it, I think the front deck I will do the same.

The pics in that gallery are hi-res, so you can view full screen, or better yet download them and zoom in real close to see the detail.

Any info appreciated, Jim.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ipe deck gallery

Jim,

There was a recent thread of messages here at the forum about getting bad Ipe boards. I don't know why you would dredge up this old message instead of starting a new one.
I looked at your pics, and I have to agree with you that your boards look like the ones that I usually reject.
You bought your wood online to save some money, and this is what you got. I see a lot of Ipe of this quality, but since I take the time to pick out my boards, I usually get better boards. Sometimes I pick a bad board or 3 because I'm in a hurry, but I can exchange them at my local yard. If I just called them up and asked for a delivery...I would get some real sh1t.
Anyway, it's a moot point now, as you screwed them down.

Go out and enjoy your deck.

steve

Mabey I have been puting down South American Lumber too long.

Or mabey my background in trim / cabinet making has something to do with it.

Or something else Anyway I dont expect Any load of lumber to be prefect.With the given that open knot is a little much same with the grain flip none of that cannot be worked with. There are ways to fix any of that for Me anyway.
My outfit sands the whole deck before finish and uses tightbond 111 / ipe sawdust to fix any imperfection in the lumber before the finish goes on.

As Steve was saying with imperfections as glaring as a big open knot its possible you went shoping and bought the cost effective material but none of it qualifies to be placed in the trash I respect the material way more than that. Steve also has a sweetass deal with his lumber yard that was earned by years of dealing with them same with me and my supplier.

But You are not a novice beginer, the work / tools / cuts show that so I dont understand the wholebitch you have going on you must have delt with this before. Also cuting around the posts could have been a lot less tolerent because your using post wraps Anyway.

Al together Nice Project Dude. Leave it alone until the Spring and get with the Lone Star / grilled hot dogs.

JohnMon www.deckmastersllc.com

Thanks for the opinions. I was trying to get a sanity check, to see what a pro thought of the ipe i got. Didn't really mean to come off as beetching, just curious since it is the one-and-only batch of ipe i'll ever see. As you said, nothing I can do now but enjoy it. Tons of other projects to move on to. John you are right i ran into the same issue when i did my kitchen cabinets, putting together some ready-to-assemble inexpensive stuff. I'll try to fix up the boards like you said with the sawdust and glue. In the end, I'll be very happy if the kids don't get any splinter barefoot, and people think that a actual decking guy did the work, not a computer programmer/weekend warrior. And I considered starting a new thread, but thought people would prefer continuing the old thread, could see the history.

Weedy, one completely off-topic question about your house, I was surfing your google site, and I saw the same situation I'm trying to solve now. In your powder room, a real nice vanity in the corner of the room. It looks like it is off the wall a few inches? How far? I guess I was wondering, for a vanity like that, you can't just put it against the corner, because that side wont look right? If you had cabinet that was more like a kitchen cabinet, you could put a space there? Do you know what I'm trying to say? I'm trying to figure which type of cabinet to buy, and where/how to place it...

I deal with it all the time so I might be more tolerent I am thinking with others like you with some Skils but new to the Material.

If you work with those rough spots using the glue/sawdust thing even those will get back to normal limits. The trick is using the random orbit sander/ 60 grit pads put on the tightbond pat some sawdust in to the area hit it with the sander right away. This will gum up the pads quickley but will put a layer of fine dust down. It will take a couple of passes but You will get the hang of it.

With the open knot press a cut off down in it a little below the surface then go at it with the glue filler. That tightbond 111 is some tuff stuff if you work at it the outcome will be good. Most of the time the grain flip only happens one time so when you get it down it stays that way with South American lumber.

Again nice Project.

Mrs Weed, hows the bike runing ?? J.

I've been looking at ipe posts here as I prepare my questions to contractor/installer (no DIY for me). I'm in zone 6. I'm looking at using T&g ipe on a mostly covered porch floor.

Do u get snow? It's been a few years since ur install - How does the stain hold up?

Thanks

Mags