My first thought was that if it is moveable, to move it (or part of it) to a spot in the yard with afternoon shade where it will provide an alternative seating area. My second thought was to step back, and that before doing anything with the deck, make a list of what you want in your yard and how you want to use it, ignoring what is currently there and not there. Are you a gardener and want to grow ornamentals or vegetables? Do you have kids or pets, and if so what are their needs? What is the traffic flow in your yard? Do you like to entertain, and for what size groups? Do you like sitting out in your yard? Do you need to have any storage (trash cans, compost, lawn mower, etc.)? What issues and problems (besides lack of an afternoon shaded seating area and the deck) are there, such as views you want to hide, privacy needs, etc.? A good book on home landscaping will probably have more of these questions to answer. Once you have thought through and answered some of these questions, you will then know if there is any point in keeping the deck. (You can also price out materials and evaluate its condition to see if it would be cheaper/easier/more in keeping with your taste to just replace it.) Sketch out ideas, look at other folks' yards, look at other yards and gardens on the web or in books from the library. This is now your yard, and just because the previous owner had this deck doesn't mean that you will want to keep it.

Satellite dishes should be more plentiful, now that the small dishes are in fashion. We finally got our big ol' dish taken down and I'm waiting for DH to get around to it. I've saved photos of the neatest ones I saw, and we have a difference of opinion as to how it should look and how many posts should support it -- he thinks between 1 and 4, and I'm holding out for 5 or 6. The Harbor Freight Greenhouse has taken most of his project time lately. There are pastures to burn and more tree limbs to trim and then he needs to finish the 'new' generator setup before Hurricane Season starts again. Meanwhile, I have the Stick House Stick House Right click to open in a new window or tab. and the Greenhouse to 'decorate' HF Greenhouse Right click to open in a new window. Nell

Good points, all! I agree, the price is too high for anyone who can sew a straight seam. I, at least, can do that much. Great idea abut finding a good price online, Bodica. Thanks! Your idea about using velcro is a good one, too, Threegrad! That stuff is a godsend to people like me who love to design, but hate to sew. ROFLMAO Carole! But, you make a good point about trying to sew that stuff. I still have nightmares about sewing a chenille pillow for my DD! Squirrelheaven: thank you :~) Good point about obscuring the view with netting. Hmmmmm Jen, I've always wondered what it would be like sleeping with mosquito netting on beds. I hadn't even considered air circulation! My walled garden can get pretty hot during the summer. This is something I really need to think about. Thanks for mentioning it. Polly & Cooperbailey, yikes . . . those mosquitos sound horrid! I feel for you both. I don't get bitten very often when we're vacationing in Michigan, but my DH and kids get big welts from them. Well, again, thanks for all your thoughts on this thing. You've given me a lot to think about. If I do decide to try one, I'll be making my own. I'm too frugal to spend that much for one myself. Lynn

MyClementine, We have both and for different reasons, different times of year, I love them both equally! We just added a third......a new simple Shed-type roof/awning/porch out our kitchen back door.....exactly what ThreeDgrad describes in her post. When figuring cost and saving pennies, think of it this way..... The gazebo will cost an average of $400-$500 and that's Not factoring in how you want to secure it. Throw in your furnishings, planters,plants, etc and you are pushing it (I've already got everything from other areas of our yard...plants, furnishings, etc. I just need the motivation to paint some of the stuff and pretty other stuff up). DIY-- What we just did: total cost $377 and that included the bags of cement for the slab (over the course of several paychecks). That cost also included a 12 ft. engineered beam off of Craigs List (average beam cost $200+. CL cost $35). We had to pour our own cement slab....so you are already ahead of the game with your slab already there! I was running out of steam with our new porch/overhang project but seeing AuntJen's and ThreeDgrads porches really inspired me to keep going. If you need motivation to get started or motivation to start saving the pennies, go take a look at AuntJen's and ThreeDgrad's porch decor posts...very inspiring! But you have to keep us updated on what you decide and then keep us updated with pics. I don't know about anyone else but I need all the motivation and inspiration I can get! *smile* Everything has been scrubbed, puttied, caulked and primed using tinted primer. Roofing paper is up. Next payday....shingles! *smile* Here is a link that might be useful: Progression of New Porch/Patio area