Oiling the Ipe

In the crush of getting the house ready for occupancy last year, putting the finishing touches on the porch flooring was the least of our worries.  The ipe flooring has been installed for over a year now (see previous post about the ipe installation) and it was long overdue for its staining/oil/finish seal.  The sun had really faded the wood to grey over the past 12 months and we had various stains and waterspots due to continuing construction - one of the many frustrations of renovation.  Ipe oil, formulated specifically for ipe outdoor flooring, stains, oils and seals the wood in one step.  Rob was confident that the finish coat would remove all traces of staining and restore the wood's beauty; I had my doubts.  Nonetheless, I gamely cleared the porch of the many things we'd been storing there and then scrubbed all traces of dirt from the entire porch.  Here's the clean, un-oiled porch:

Although there are quicker ways to oil a floor surface, I wanted complete control over the coat as it was going on so I did the entire porch with a single brush on my hands and knees.

The results were phenomenal and all in a single coat.  The oil dried beautifully and uniformly, every stain and water mark was gone, and the porch looks amazing. 

I had similar results on the small side porch, see the before and after:

Oiling the ipe will now be an annual event.  It was a bonus that I actually enjoyed the process - fresh air, sunshine, and a great finished project.