Ipe Lapacho
Handroanthus serratifolius
Also known as lapacho, Brazilian walnut, ironwood, ipê, lapachoholz · Botanical Handroanthus spp., Tabebuia spp.
Revision history
- — Data re-verified in site-wide audit (formulas, sources, durability classes)
- — Working properties and comparable-species data cross-checked against listed sources
About Ipe Lapacho
Ipe Lapacho (Handroanthus serratifolius) is one of the hardest timbers in commercial use, extremely wear-resistant and hard on tooling, with a Janka hardness of 3,680 lbf (16,369 N) and a density of about 0.92 g/cm³. It grows in South America.
Radial 6.6% against tangential 8.0% is an unusually even T/R ratio of 1.21 — Ipe Lapacho shrinks close to uniformly, which is why it holds a flat panel in exterior joinery and cladding. Its fibre saturation point is near 25%. Below it this timber moves a great deal — 8.0% tangential — but evenly, at a T/R ratio of 1.21. Wide boards need genuine expansion room; they are less likely to cup than to simply change width. — wide boards need real expansion room, not a token gap.
At 920 kg/m³ a cubic metre of Ipe Lapacho weighs about 920 kg air-dry — that figure, the 8.0% tangential and 6.6% radial movement and the 3,680 lbf hardness are the three inputs the calculators below actually consume. Select Ipe Lapacho in any of them to get species-specific results for weight, moisture, shrinkage and hardness.
Working properties
How Ipe Lapacho behaves at the bench and on the machine, drawn from the CIRAD Tropix tropical-wood database and international decking-timber technical data.
Durability & use classification
Ipe is rated very durable (EN 350 Class 1), with excellent resistance to decay, insects and termites, and dense tropical hardwoods of this type are commonly reported at Class A flame spread (ASTM E84) — though see the fire note above: that is indicative, and a Class A rating properly belongs to a specific tested product, not to a species. Left bare, an ipe deck can serve 40 years or more; oiled and maintained, far longer. Some material can be susceptible to marine borers.
Typical applications & suitability
Indoor Outdoor — A true exterior hardwood — the premium choice for decks, boardwalks and structures that must survive decades of weather and traffic. It also makes an exceptionally hard-wearing interior floor.
Documented end-uses: decking and boardwalks, piers, docks and marine structures, exterior furniture and siding, walkways and pool surrounds, heavy-duty and high-traffic flooring, stairs and handrails, veneer, tool handles and turned objects.
Comparable species
Species closest to Ipe Lapacho by density, hardness, stiffness and bending strength, computed directly from the Vriksai species dataset rather than hand-picked.
Trade alternatives. Where ipe's cost or weight is prohibitive, the trade turns to other very durable American hardwoods such as Cumaru and Massaranduba, or to Merbau from South-East Asia. Note ipe is now CITES Appendix II listed, so source it legally and traceably.
Alternatives to Ipe Lapacho
Ipe Lapacho measures 3,680 lbf Janka at 0.92 g/cm³, EN 350 durability Class 1, movement rated Excellent. Anything replacing Ipe Lapacho outdoors has to hold Class 1 durability and carry the load — so nothing below that class appears here, however well it matches on hardness. Read the numbers against the Janka scale and EN 350 durability classes.
For decking, marine work and structural exposure where the surface takes impact as well as weather. Expect slower machining, faster tool wear and more weight to handle on site.
Lighter sections, easier fixing and lower freight per m³ — while holding the exterior durability class. Useful where the spec is over-engineered for the actual load.
Exterior sections move most, and a dense timber that moves takes fixings and joints with it. These hold their dimension better in the same durability class. Size the gaps with the shrinkage predictor and EMC calculator.
If Ipe Lapacho is unavailable and the specification cannot change, these are the nearest substitutes across hardness, density, movement, stiffness, bending strength and durability class together — not on any single property. Lower distance means a closer match.
Computed from measured properties only — hardness, density, movement, stiffness, bending strength and EN 350 class. Price, availability and appearance are never inputs. Figures are representative values, not consignment absolutes: two species within a few percent are equivalent until verified on the material. Full method and the rules the engine cannot break.
Substituting outdoors is a match on durability class and movement first. Colour and grain can be matched later; a wrong durability class shows up as a callback in three monsoons. Where two candidates are close, compare them directly before specifying.
Compare Ipe Lapacho side by side
The pairings below are the ones that actually come up in exterior and structural tendering. Every pairing shows the measured figures side by side; full matrix in the comparison index.
Calculators relevant to Ipe Lapacho
Sized for exterior and load-bearing work in Ipe Lapacho — spans, fixings, weathering gaps and freight weight. Full set in the tool index.
Understand the figures
Janka hardness scale — how the lbf figure is measured · Wood density reference — oven-dry vs air-dry basis · Moisture content — EMC, FSP and service conditions · Strength properties — MOR, MOE and what they govern.
Further reading. Wood moisture content explained · How to calculate board feet.
Common questions about Ipe Lapacho
unverified no published source for this figure · FPL USDA FPL Wood Handbook GTR-190 · WD The Wood Database (Eric Meier) · calc derived from the figures above