Matt,
Ipe' is a whole new ballgame. For staining, aside from teak, and other closely related exotic hardwoods, there is nothing like it.
You stated:
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Clients are pretty serious about making sure that whatever I seal their IPE with, will still be looking good after one year. I told them to expect a maintenance every 2 years on this deck.
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I do not know the typical stain performance in Ca., but here on the East Coast people are doing well to get a full year of stain life on an ipe' deck before a maintenance is due. You
may get 2 yrs. on the fence, but I would not guarantee it.
Through experience with my own ipe' deck and those of customers, I am convinced of one thing. The best thing an owner can do with an ipe' deck is to strip, brighten, and just let it weather for a full year. Once the natural extractives near the surface of the wood are leached out by precipitation, and/or burned out by the sun's UV, a good stain has a chance of lasting a year before maintenance. Same thing with teak furniture.
I've got two brushed in apps of RS med. red on my ipe' now that was applied in April of 2007. It is getting spotty and definitely needs a maintenance. But this was done after a year of weathering. Otherwise, there would be no way my ipe' could ever take two apps. of RS. It is extremely dense, naturally oily wood.
Just wait 'till you strip it. The rinse water looks like blood.