Hardwood (Ipe) Deck
Hardwood deck is the tropical-hardwood construction path — Ipe (Brazilian Walnut), Cumaru, Garapa, or Tigerwood boards on a pressure-treated 2x joist frame, the densest commercial decking material available (Ipe has a Janka hardness of 3,510 — almost three times harder than oak), naturally Class A fire-rated, and structurally sound unfinished for 25 to 40 years in Pacific Northwest exposure. Boards arrive kiln-dried, sit on site under cover for 1 to 2 weeks to acclimate to PNW humidity before installation, every board gets pre-drilled at the fastener locations (Ipe is too dense to drive a stainless screw without pre-drilling — a
Service
How the Hardwood Deck Build Works
Six sequential phases from FSC sourcing and acclimation to oil-or-silver decision at hand-off — the actual working sequence we run on every Ipe, Cumaru, Garapa, or Tigerwood deck.
Site Assessment, FSC Source Order, Permit Decision
Estimate visit measures the footprint and the elevation, photographs the ledger zone, hand-augers a soil probe at the new footing positions, and tells you whether Seattle DCI requires a permit. We confirm the species (Ipe, Cumaru, Garapa, Tigerwood) and the source (FSC-certified is the right answer where supply allows; Ipe in particular benefits from FSC because the species is heavily harvested), order at contract signing because the lead time on FSC hardwood is 2 to 4 weeks from the PNW distributor. Permit is pulled by Handis as general contractor; engineering passes through.
Demo, Footings, Frame Up in PT 2x — Boards Arrive and Acclimate
Existing deck demoed, rim joist exposed and any rotted section replaced, helical piles or concrete piers installed per the engineer's drawings (hardwood is heavier per square foot than cedar so the load schedule is real). Ledger through-bolted with continuous metal flashing. Joists in PT 2x10 at 12-inch OC for the hidden-fastener hardwood span. Boards arrive during framing and stage on site under a tarp with stickers between rows; the moisture content equalizes to ambient PNW (14 to 20 percent) over 1 to 2 weeks before any board goes down.
Pre-Drill Every Fastener Location, Install on Stainless Hidden Clips
Pin moisture meter confirms the boards have equalized to within 2 points of ambient. Every board gets pre-drilled at every fastener location (a
Color-Matched Hardwood Fascia, Stair Nosing, Custom Railing if Specified
Perimeter and stair risers wrap in matched hardwood fascia (5/4 by 8-inch Ipe ripped to width), bullnose-routed at every visible edge so no end-grain shows at the perimeter. Stair nosing is a one-piece Ipe bullnose for every tread. Custom Ipe railings (top rail with cable infill, or full Ipe rails with Ipe balusters) install if specified. Built-in Ipe bench frames inside the joist plane during framing so the bench top sits flush with the field boards.
Code-Compliant Railing + Low-Voltage Lighting if Specified
Code-compliant railing at the 36-inch minimum height with no spheres greater than 4 inches through balusters — stainless cable rail on aluminum posts is the most common pairing with Ipe, the cleanest sight lines, and the longest-lived (no painted finish to redo). Powder-coated aluminum panel rail is the second choice. Low-voltage post-cap and stair-riser lights run from a transformer at a switched outdoor outlet — Handis carpentry; the licensed Washington L&I electrician handles any new line-voltage circuit.
Oil-or-Silver Decision, Final Walk + Permit Sign-Off
At hand-off the deck finishes one of two documented ways — a Penofin Hardwood Oil application to hold the golden tone (annual re-application required), or no finish at all and the deck silvers to driftwood grey over 6 to 18 months (lower maintenance, architecturally cleaner on a contemporary home). We document your decision on the project file so the maintenance plan matches. Final Seattle DCI inspection scheduled by Handis as permit holder; we walk the deck with you and hand off the permit copy and the FSC source documentation.
Hardwood (Ipe) Deck Pricing
Final pricing depends on species (Ipe is the most expensive; Cumaru and Garapa run 10 to 20 percent less per board), square footage, elevation above grade (which triggers permit and engineering), FSC sourcing premium (typically 10 to 15 percent over non-certified stock), railing system, and integrated lighting scope. Building permit fee and structural engineering pass through as named line items on the quote, not as surprise add-ons. The licensed Washington L&I electrician's portion (for any new line-voltage circuit) is also named line by line. Request a free in-home estimate for an accurate quote.
Tell us the species you are considering (Ipe, Cumaru, Garapa, Tigerwood), the rough square footage, and whether you want the oil-and-hold-the-tone path or the silver-naturally path — we will quote the build including FSC sourcing, permit, and engineering pass-through.
Why Seattle Homeowners Book Handis for Hardwood Decks
A hardwood deck is the longest-lived decking material we install and the one that punishes shortcuts the most. The shortcuts we see on failed hardwood decks all share the same root cause — the builder treated Ipe like cedar. Cedar tolerates a
Estimate
Tell us the back-yard layout (single level or multi-level, attached to the house or freestanding), the rough square footage, the elevation above grade at the highest point, the hardwood species you are leaning toward (Ipe / Brazilian Walnut, Cumaru, Garapa, Tigerwood), whether you want FSC-sourced stock (we recommend yes), and whether you plan to oil the deck annually for the golden tone or let it silver naturally. We send back a clear estimate with the permit and engineering pass-through named line by line and a project timeline that includes the 1 to 2-week board acclimation period.
Customer Reviews
Hardwood deck construction reviews from real Seattle-area Handis customers.
1962 Mercer Island contemporary, the original cedar deck off the kitchen had silvered to driftwood grey and rotted at the ledger over 60 years. We wanted Ipe to last us our second 30 years in the house. Handis sourced FSC-certified Ipe from the PNW distributor (the source was named on the quote with the certificate number), staged the boards under a tarp in the garage for 12 days while the framing went up, and pre-drilled every single fastener location across 380 square feet. Six working weeks of build, exactly as quoted. The annual oil takes one Saturday a year and the deck has stayed golden through three summers.
We chose Cumaru over Ipe because the supply chain was more reliable on FSC stock and Cumaru runs about 15 percent less per board. 420 square feet over a Capitol Hill view lot with stainless cable rail on aluminum posts. Handis pre-drilled every fastener (I watched them do a half-dozen boards — every single hole, no shortcuts), end-grain wax on every cut. We chose to let it silver naturally for the lower maintenance; 14 months later it is the most beautiful driftwood grey, no maintenance ever required. Seven working weeks.
Top-end custom Ipe build on a 1928 Washington Park colonial. Two levels, 540 square feet total, full custom Ipe railing on both levels with stainless cable infill, a built-in Ipe bench around the lower-level perimeter that doubled as the railing transition to the upper level. The engineering took 4 weeks before construction started (the licensed PE was specific about the higher dead load on hardwood vs cedar and re-sized two beams). Eight working weeks on site once we broke ground. Annual Penofin oil. Three years in and it looks identical to install day.
Garapa deck on the south-facing yard of a Wallingford bungalow. We wanted the warm-honey tone Garapa starts with and were OK with it silvering. Handis was upfront on the estimate visit that Garapa is slightly less dense than Ipe (Janka 1,540 vs Ipe 3,510) but still 4 to 5 times harder than oak and structurally equivalent for residential use. 320 square feet. Five working weeks. The cost came in 20 percent below the Ipe quote we got from another contractor and we got an FSC-sourced hardwood deck for $42,000 instead of $52,000.
Tigerwood deck for the visual variation (the stripe figure that gives the species its name). 380 square feet on a Madrona view lot. Handis named the source (FSC-certified from the Pacific Northwest distributor) on the quote. They did the 1.5-week acclimation under cover before any board went down. Pre-drilled and stainless throughout. The visual figure on Tigerwood is the reason we chose it — every board has a slightly different stripe pattern and Handis sorted the boards before install so the most-figured pieces landed at the most visible positions. Six working weeks. Worth it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about tropical hardwood deck construction — pricing, species, FSC sourcing, acclimation, fasteners, and what to expect on a Handis Ipe build.