Ipe help

sweetwater

New member
Cleaning a new beachfront home for builder. Has ipe decking that was never sealed and is fairly sunbleached, As it has taken 12 months to build this home. Other areas of the ipe have just been installed and are new and fresh looking. Also, painter was pretty sloppy and dripped a lot of white paint on the unsealed ipe. What is the best way to clean? Can I get the old ipe looking like the new ipe?I've never worked with this stuff before, I'm used to good old PT. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
You are fortunate because of the durability of ipe. Washing the entire area and then brightening will restore the look of the wood to a uniform appearance. If you use bleach in your cleaner, you will take some color out. If you use a mild cleaner (a percarb or a diluted sodium hydroxide stripper) you will retain all color. The paint should be dealt with first. I suggest a solvent with a stiff brush and/or steel wool to get rid of it. Good luck!
 
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