Ipe vs cedar vs ? For high humidity application.

[Andrew Nemeth]

I'm considering installing wood paneling on the ceiling in a small bathroom (5'x7') with a shower. I will also be building a few shelves and possibly a very small vanity to match. The ceiling is a 12/2 pitch with the low side at 8' above the shower floor. I'm torn between what to install in this application becuase of the high humidity it will encounter. The least expensive option would be to use 3/8" pine t&g, stain and pre-finish all sides, and glue it up. The other options would be to source cedar or ipe at considerably more cost at which point I don't know if it would be best to leave it unfinished or to finish it. I'd like to keep the cost to between $1.50 and $2 a sq/ft which ipe and cedar will defiantly push. I'm also not opposed to milling or resawing stock for such a small project. Any ideas or thoughts?

Thanks,
Andrew

[Erik Christensen]

ipe is not cheap and is very heavy but it almost indestructible. I have built a few projects with it - even harder to cut than hard maple but machines well. If you wanted a material that would not be impacted by water that is the best I have worked with. I made a small stool for the master shower - gets wet several times a day and no impact after 2 years.

[Larry Edgerton]

I have done several bathroom ceilings with steam showers out of Versatex beadboard. Use a good adhesive primer and topcoat with a good paint. I use Grahams Ceramic paints as they are easy to clean. http://www.versatex.com/beadboard-products.php

Ipe is tough, but its ugly as well as a pain in the nether regions. If you don't have a steam shower I would not worry about cedar, I have had it in my own bathroom ceiling for ten years with no issues, two coats of WB clear on both sides. Douglas fir is another nice option for a lot less money than Ipe.

Larry

[Mel Fulks]

Ipe is real dark . Natural wood ceiling is going to have to be bathed (or showered) in light to avoid the coal mine look. Consider something like pickled pine,with appropriate finish,or paint.

[David Hawkins]

You might want to consider Hemlock. It is relatively cheap, handles moisture well (often used for docks and decking) It has a really strong grain that stains nicely. It's only disadvantage is that it is somewhat brittle and needs to be pre-bored for screws to avoid splitting.

I bought 5,000 feet green for $2,000 and dried it for a year for board and batten siding for my house and have no regrets at all. For a high humidity application such as you described Air Dried Hemlock should be fine say dried to the 10% to 14% range and well sealed. It should come in well within your budget.

[Ted Calver]

For that small an area I'd look for some cypress. It will take the moisture.

[Mel Fulks]

I would start with paper color samples thumb tacked to the ceiling . If you don't you will easily end up with something too dark. No air dried wood should be used ,and that's another strike against ipe.

[Andrew Nemeth]

After looking around at what I can easily get locally for a reasonable rate, I think it is now between cedar and d.fir. Now the question is finish. I do envision that it will frequently have condensation, I do get a few raindrops of water from the current drywalled ceiling. Do a leave it natural? Spar varnish? Poly? Epoxy? I plan to precut and seal all sides including ends before install.

Mel- great idea on pinning up samples. I will give it a try.

[Erik Loza]

The sauna in our gym is lined with cedar planks. Been there for years and still looks fine. Does not appear to be finished, to my eyes. I think "humidity" is probably a lot less destructive than "standing water".

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Peter Quinn]

Ipe is expensive and heavy, hard to nail down, and not particularly stable unless vertical grain, which is hard to source and costs even more. I'd look to ipe if it will take heavy foot traffic or direct horizontal exterior exposure. Otherwise it's a waste of your time and effort. Cedar is lighter, cheaper in most areas, and far more stable. You could resaw 5/4 decking to to make 3/8" ceiling bead, it saws like butter. If its kd make sure to build it so its gapped, I'd check the moisture. I think you have a lot more options in terms of wood than the two you listed, this is not a direct moisture contact or exterior situation so you don't need bug resistance or strong uV resistance. Any properly dried and gapped at instalation hard or soft wood should suffice, and extruded PVc is also a good choice if it will be painted.

[Jim Matthews]

I've worked with IPE and won't again.

There are more pleasant species that won't set off allergic reactions,
dull my tools or splinter unpredictably. Not my favorite stuff.

I made much of my outdoor bench with it, and it's holding up well.
It would not be my first choice for an overhead application, but as flooring it's nearly indestructible.

[Fred Chan]

Look around for 3/8 T&G cedar panelling. Had that in the bathroom of my last house and never noticed any deterioration over the years. Stuff was unvarnished.

[Ole Anderson]

If you are getting so much moisture that it is a concern, you really need to look at proper ventilation. Then your choice of wood is strictly cosmetic and cost related.

[Andrew Nemeth]

Good point Ole. I will most likely change out the vent fan anyway, I should probably spring for a bigger CFM model and ensure a clear run of vent as the current setup appears to be jammed in there as an afterthought.

Thanks to everyone who replied, I'll post a few pictures when I'm done.

-Andrew

[Dan Rude]

I installed Panasonic fans in my baths, they are the quietest ones I know of. They are well worth the extra cost. The http://www.bathroomfanexperts.com/ are where I got advice and purchased mine. I installed a Dewstop switches to turn them on automatically and it turns them off when the dew point drops. Dan