On Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:10:25 -0400, Norminn
wrote:

I don't know about your construction technique. What does come to mind
is, first, do you need permission
of HOA to expand the basement

Probably. And a couple of them are on the warpath now, so now is
not the best time to get one.

and/or deck?

Yes, but they'll soon be begging or insisting that I do so. My new
size is the same as all the other new ones, so they're not going to
have a problem with that.

If you do, indeed, expand
the basement and put the deck over
it, I would surely have some hinged panels to alloc access to the
basement roof (sloped roof, of course). And
if you are planning to stay there a long time, why on earth do you want
to be able to dismantle the deck and
take it with you?

Not take it with me. Move it to the side so that I can build the room
under where the deck will be. No time or energy to get the permit and
build it now.

Like I said, I'm probably never going to build the room, but if it
only takes a few hours to disassemble the deck, then building the deck
first won't interfere much with building the room later.

Originally I started thinking about tearing the deck apart and
wondered if I could then renail in the same holes. Maybe if I spent
enough time at it, but noow I think screws would go a lot faster and
be a lot better.

Thanks Smitty. The thing about the footings is just the sort of thing
I wanted to be reminded of.

And thanks Bub. I guess I thought stainless would look pretty, and
galvanized would look so-so.