Sounds like some good information there on decks.

Just a thought, based on having built several decks and patios in various new homes: I would vote for a patio every time. Our favourites have been done with a variety of paving stones, usually using some interesting patterns. The manufacturers all have web sites with design ideas. Being able to walk right from the patio into the garden has advantages. You can build the BBQ in if you like, and bring the planting right to the edge to create rooms. A deck can have all of that, but if it is up in the air it is harder to integrate it into the rest of the yard. We built a small deck in one house, as a staged transition down to the patio, which was made of cobblestone circles overlapping each other. We spent all our time on the patio, and none on the deck.

Sample link here for project ideas:
http://www.mutualmaterials.com/homeo...id=31&pc_id=23

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