Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"John" wrote in message
So now I have a deck that's easy and safe to walk on barefoot. The
project
took about a week.

I do, however, wonder why so many people have decks to begin with. Where I
live hardly anyone ever uses the deck regardless of the sun or
temperature.

Have decks become decorative like shutters?

You sure did a lot of work there' but looks good. If the nails start to pop
again, use deck screws and they will hold much better.

As for using them, from about mid May to mid September, we use ours most
every day. Shaded in the afternoon, we cook out there and relax after
dinner. Here in New England, the summers are generally moderate. If the
structure is sound, over time you may want to consider replacing just the
top deck with better materials.



Yep, I used to live in northern New England. Nice summers, awful winters.
Here in the deep south (y'all), it's impossible to use decks most days from
June to August. Today, however, it's in the 70's (late November) and it's
great being outdoors. Decks in the south are great in spring and fall and
sometimes in the winter too.

One other point: I used a Black & Decker "Dragster" (what an awful, stupid
name) for a narrow wedge shaped sander designed to go underneath deck
railings. The only problem is the sandpaper is on the right which is great
for sanding to the left side of posts. When I couldn't reach the posts from
the opposite side of the deck, I had to scrape and hand sand. Not a lot of
fun. The "Dragster" is also greatly underpowered and does an awful job of
dust pickup. I brought it back.