Ipe Out Nature

Merbau decking is the standard for Australian alfresco areas and it costs both money and a weekend of oiling every year. Ipe Out Nature holds a similar nutmeg brown and asks for nothing beyond sweeping and hosing. It carries an outdoor rating, so it can go on a patio, a verandah or around a pool, and the deep matt texture gives the best grip of any surface in this range with no glare in sun. Three random faces is low, so mix cartons before laying. These glazed ceramic planks measure 150 x 900 mm, 8 fill a box, coverage is 1.08 m2 and the box weighs 22 kg.

• How is Ipe Out Nature packed?

  Each carton holds 8 planks of 15 x 90 cm and covers 1.08 m², at about 22 kg. Ipe Out Nature is a timber look tile with a matte textured face.

• How many cartons of Ipe Out Nature for a 28 m² open plan kitchen and dining area?

  Add 10 percent to 28 m² for cuts and breakage, which gives 30.8 m². At 1.08 m² a carton that is 29 cartons.

• Can Ipe Out Nature go in an alfresco area?

  Yes. Ipe Out Nature is rated for outdoor use, so a covered alfresco, verandah or balcony can have a timber deck look that never needs oiling or re-staining.

• What grout joint should Ipe Out Nature be laid with?

  Ipe Out Nature is a curve-edge plank rather than a rectified one, so lay it with a 3 to 5 mm joint. That spacing takes up the small natural variation along the plank and reads like the gap between real boards.