Yeah, I think your idea for redoing the back deck makes sense. We went with cedar last year and it held up really well through the winter. Just make sure you seal it properly before the rainy season starts. I found that waiting at least two weeks after installation gives the wood time to adjust to the weather. For the railing, we used simple metal balusters instead of wood spindles and it opened up the view a lot more than I expected. Definitely measure twice before cutting any of the support beams because we had to redo one section after miscalculating the angle. Let me know if you want me to swing by next Saturday to help with the framing.

I can bring my miter saw and a nail gun if that helps. We made a lot of mistakes on our first deck build so I learned what to watch out for. The key is making sure the posts are perfectly plumb before pouring concrete. We used quick-set concrete and it worked great for a weekend project.