Help with existing deck
Greetings,
I could use some help on figuring out what to do with a deck that came with our house. It looks like the previous owner painted over it not once, but twice. Also, some of the boards have gaps in them.
I'd love to keep things under $5,000 and I'm not sure if I should just try and strip these boards down and repaint things, or replace them.
If I replace them, I'm likely to consider those trex boards as I think they'd be best for the long haul, but I'm not sure if wood is worth considering.
My primary considerations:
- I'm in the midwest, so lots of heat, rain, and snow.
- I don't want it to be so hot that we can't walk on it
- I'm pretty lazy so if it's gonna require staining or sealing (or any other type of yearly maintenance) it's probably a bad idea.
I'm fairly handy and know how to measure and cut with a saw (measure once cut twice - right?) so if I do go with something like Trex can this be something I replace board by board as time allows? It looks like my existing boards are 5.5" and trex boards are also 5.5" so I'm hoping I can just swap out one board at a time (more or less) instead of ripping out all of the boards at once and leaving my deck unusable for a few weeks until I complete the work.
While I do consider myself handy, I know very little about deck building. I'd love to hear any advice on what I can do to help bring some new life back to this deck and keep it safe for my kids.