A beautiful Brazillian species, well known for it distinctive purple color. Over time, this wood darkens to a rich brown and will turn a darker silver color if allowed to weather in exterior applications.
Purple Heart has long been sought after for its unique color for decorative use in flooring and furniture inlays. What many people don’t know is that Purple Heart, while appearing exotic, is actually one of the worlds most naturally durable and highly stable wood species. If left to weather, it becomes fairly indistinguishable from species like Ipe and Garapa. This is important to recognize for commercial applications like boardwalks and truck decking or in exterior residential applications where the wood will be left to weather to a silver grey patina.
Unfortunately, some people in the residential market have a difficult time accepting a purple installation on their homes, even temporarily. It is important to remember though that it is only temporary, as Purpleheart is an outstanding, naturally durable-performer and should be strongly considered.
The heartwood of this species is naturally and highly durable in resistance to decay fungi. Purple Heart is very resistant to dry wood termites, but has little resistance to marine borers, making it better for non-marine projects.
| Purple Heart | CCA-Treated Pine | Composite Decking | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Hardwood | Softwood | Plastic Wood |
| Maintenance | Low | High | Low |
| Decay Resistance | High | Varies | Varies |
| Strength | High | Medium | Low |
| Movement in Service | Low | High | High |
| Fire Rating Class | High | Varies | Low |
| Weight per cu. ft. | 58lbs. | 35lbs. | 60 to 64lbs. |
| Bending Strength | 19,200 | 9,900 to 14,500 | 1,423 to 4,500 |
| E-modulus | 2,270,000 | 1,170,000 to 1,510,000 | 175,000 to 480,000 |
| Shear Strength | 2,220 | 1,370 | 561 to 1,010 |
| Hardness | 1,860 | 690 | 940 to 1,390 |
While specially hardened cutters are suggested to deal with this wood's strength, it turns beautifully, is easy to glue and takes finishes well. Purple Heart is a great choice for turnery, marquetry, cabinets, fine furniture, parquet flooring, tool handles and billiard cues. This wood also works well for chemical vats, heavy construction, ship building, truck flooring and sill plates. This wood also does great for both commercial and residential decking.
Iron Woods® Purple Heart is available in a full range of decking profiles and dimensional lumber sizes to meet your design needs with lengths up to 26′ after millwork. Iron Woods® Purple Herat is also available rough sawn and at custom sizes for architectural millwork.
Trim – 1/2x2, 1/2x3, 1/2x4, 1/2x6, 1/2x8, 1x2, 1x3, 1x4, 1x6, 1x8, 5/4x2, 5/4x3, 5/4x4, 5/4x6, 5/4x8,, 5/4x10, 5/4x12
Decking – 1x4, 1x6, 5/4x4, 5/4x6, 2x4, 2x6, 2x8, 2x10, 2x12
Hand Rail – 2x3, 2x4, 2x6
Ballisters – 2x2
Posts – 3x3, 4x4, 6x6
Timbers – 3x4, 3x6, 3x8, 3x10, 3x12, 4x6, 4x8, 4x10, 4x12
Special Timbers, subject to availability – 8x8 and 6x12
Special Order Timbers up to – 12x12, heart in
Lumber Rough – 4x4, 6x4, 8x4, 4x12, 16x4
Custom Milling to any dimension or profile; Length to 20′ typical
Purple Heart is a low-maintenance decking. It naturally weathers into light silvery gray tones - there's no need to apply annual sealers. To enjoy its warm golden-brown hues, a simple application of an outdoor finish can be periodically be applied to maintain its beauty. Consult our installation guide, available at your dealer, for more outdoor finishes and hints on working with Purple Heart.
Iron Woods® Purple Heart decking is supplied as kiln dried lumber and is for outdoor use only. Store the wood out of direct sunlight and be sure to keep it dry and off the ground. Allow the wood to acclimate and stabilize to the installation area's humidity before installing.
Purple Heart will naturally, slightly darken on exposure. Due to this, there may be lighter colored areas underneath banding. These will darken and blend in witht the rest of the board after exposure.
We recommend carbide-tipped saw blades and high-quality drills for smooth cuts.
These spans are are designed for Purple Heart to allow for minimal deflection of the deck surface. For maximum spans and engineering data, you can contact us.
| Load Size | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board Size | 100psf | ||
| 1x4 | 16″ | ||
| 1x6 | 16″ | ||
| 5/4x6 | 24″ | ||
Allow a 3/16" gap between 6" wide deck boards and a 1/8" gap between 4" wide deck boards for drainage, airflow and expansion. Kiln dried decking may expand 1/8" on 6" wide boards during times of high moisture. Expect some shrinkage in width in hot or dry areas.
Adequate ventilation of the deck is essential for long-term stability and to minimize cupping. Proper air ventilation allows air to flow in from outside the deck area, under the joists and up through the gaps between the deck boards.
For screws, we recommend a high-quality, stainless steel trim head screw. Though coated or galvanized screws may also be used, they generally cause black staining and have a shorter service life. To install Iron Woods® Purple Heart, you must pre-drill a pilot hole and countersink to avoid splitting and then fasten with the stainless steel screws, which are available at Iron Woods® dealers.
Seal Iron Woods® Purple Heart immediately after installation to reduce the potential for surface checking. If installing over a prolonged period or during hot weather sealing after each phase is recommended. Be sure to seal all ends immediately after cutting with Anchorseal clear wax end sealer (available from your Iron Woods® dealer) in order to reduce end checking.
To maintain a golden brown color, use a transparent, penetrating oil-based sealer with UV inhibitors in a trans-oxide pigmented tint and reapply annually or as needed.
If you prefer a natural, silvery-gray appearance, use a clear oil-based sealer for the first coat and then simply let the wood weather to its natural gray color. If you want to return silver-gray wood to the original color, use a "wood brightener." Careful power washing and/or sanding can help to remove the grayed wood.
Download a printer-friendly PDF of this Installation & Maintenance guide. Click the link to open/download the PDF in most browsers. You can also right-click and choose to Save Link As.
For further details on the installation of Iron Woods® Purple Heart, you can contact us at any time.
Contact Timber Holdings
Phone: 414-445-8989
Fax: 414-445-9155
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