Advantages of Ipe Wood Structural Tiles for Roof Decks

When paired with adjustable pedestal supports, structural Ipe wood decking tiles can create highly stable, versatile, and long-lasting elevated deck systems for both commercial and residential applications.

While traditional Ipe plank decks using wood or steel joist supports are still very commonly specified when designing wood decks for rooftops, Ipe wood structural tiles mounted on adjustable height pedestals nevertheless offer a number of distinct advantages.

Ease of Installation: Unlike traditional structural wood decking boards that need to be individually laid and secured on a substantial support structure with nails, screws or other fixings, structural Ipe tile decking requires no additional support other than the pedestal support system.  The tiles can thus be installed much faster, reducing installation time and labor costs significantly.

Easier to Transport on Site: If retrofitting a deck on a rooftop, the 24×24 Ipe wood decking tiles and the support pedestals can be simply transported in a goods elevator, normally on 48″ x 48″ pallets, but can also be easily hand carried. – no cranes or heavy lifting equipment required.

Less Weight Loading on Rooftop: Since 24×24 Ipe wood decking tiles weigh only 23lb approx., a structural wood tile deck exerts much less weight on a rooftop than a conventional Ipe plank deck supported by wood or steel joists.

No Penetration of Structural Elements: The adjustable heigh plastic supports are simply laid over the roof membrane, typically at 24″ spacing, their wide circular base spreading the load and avoiding damage to any waterproofing.

Aesthetics: Ipe tile decking offers the same natural beauty and elegance as traditional decking, with clean lines and consistent appearance. The tile laying pattern creates a polished, professional look that can enhance the overall look of the roof environment. See our Ipe tile gallery pages for example of installations on raised decks.

No Visible Fixings: No screws or nails are required for installation, preserving the natural beauty of the wood. All screws used in construction of the tiles are only visible from the underside of the tiles.

Adaptable: Structural wood tiles can be cut to fit particular shapes or sizes and can be integrated with other materials such as porcelain pavers and vegetated green roof trays.

Simple Replacement: Should any tile become damaged or suffer excessive staining, replacement is simple matter of lifting up the damaged tile and replacing with a new one. While there will initially be a color difference if the existing tiles have weathered to a light grey color, typically this color difference will be minimized in a few months depending on the exposure to direct sunlight.

Advantages of Using a Pedestal Support System

Ease of Installation: The pedestals can be easily adjusted in height to ensure a perfectly level deck surface, irrespective of the slope of the substrate

Good Water Drainage: The gap between the Ipe wood tiles and the roof surface allows rainwater to flow freely, preventing any water from pooling underneath the deck.

Easy Access for Maintenance: Since individual tiles can be simply lifted up, it is much easier to inspect and perform any maintenance on the roof membrane without having to pull up and re-install multiple wood planks.

Ipe Deck Tile Installation Guidelines

Archatrak structural Ipe wood pavers only need to be supported at each corner with our ‘Prime’ adjustable height deck supports. See our Ipe tile decking installation page for details on the installation method on adjustable height pedestals.

For low height applications (less than 1 1/2″ clearance under the tiles), the wood tiles can be supported with our fixed height rubber support pads to sufficiently elevate the tiles off the surface so that water can drain away freely. Make sure no water is pooling or is in contact with the underside of the tiles.

Precautions for Windy Locations

Since Ipe wood tiles are relatively light compared to wood planks – 24 x 24 Ipe decking tiles weigh approx. 23 lb. while 24 x 48 Ipe decking tiles weigh approx. 46 lb.- a hold down assembly can be installed to lock the tiles in a fixed array. A washer is inserted in a precut slot in each corner of the tiles and a stainless-steel screw is then inserted through the washer into the head of pedestals, locking the corners of the four tiles meeting on a pedestal head tightly to the pedestal.

Our Commitment to Sustainable Forestry Practices

Our standard structural wood decking tiles are constructed from responsibly harvested Forest Stewardship Council® Certified Ipe wood (FSC® C113128). FSC certification assures wood products are backed by a reputable system of verification, have positive environmental attributes, and may contribute to LEED points and SITES criteria. Archatrak FSC certified Ipe wood pavers are available in two sizes – 24” x 24” and 24” x 48” (nom.). Non FSC Ipe wood pavers and special size pavers can be supplied on request, subject to minimum order sizes and lead times.