What to do with the deck?

Ahhh the backyard deck. Who can live without one from May-September in New England? I'll admit, I was the first to idolize the backyard deck when we were looking for a house. Lounging in the sun, grilling, decorating with lanterns and flower baskets. 

What I never realized is how quickly these majestic wooden structures can go downhill. So while I was managing an infant last summer, my darling deck was baking in the sun. Hard. Like Magda from There's Something About Mary baking in the sun. 

The deck in all of its sun-weathered glory

Who Wore It Best?

But it wasn't just the sun. It was also the water. Somehow this poor plank caught the brunt of the water damage. Maybe it wasn't treated properly because all of the boards around it were much better off than this one. Anyway, this board really needed to go, but the rest of the deck wasn't looking too pretty either.

Since we're planning to sell our house in the near future, we decided the deck must be dealt with. But how? Knock it down and start new? Keep the structure but replace the deck planks and railings (since this horizontal design is a code no-no)? Replace just a few deck planks, update the railings and cover with Deck Restore from Rustoleum? Well.... currently the last option is our plan.

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