We had to rebuild our house after it burnt down a year and a half ago. We've been back in it about a year now and there are only a few things that still need to be done, one of which is a deck on the back of the house. I wasn't thinking we were going to be able to afford it for a couple more years, but we came across a seemingly good deal and I would like to get some opinions on it.

I know a guy that has a cedar deck that he has close to $20k into. The deck is about 5 years old and is in pretty good shape. He started to strip the old finish off late last year, but never finished and never put a coat of sealer back on so it weathered all winter long. He nailed the decking with nails that have a small head like a finish nail, the twist at the bottom and some sort of galvanized coating or something on them. I can't remember what they're called right now. I read somewhere that you aren't supposed to use them with cedar, but they do allow the board to pop right up without killing yourself which would make dissassembly easier. The decking is 5/4" x 6" and there is somewhere around 1200-1400 sq.ft. of it.

He now has other plans for the deck area and told me I could have any part of the deck I can haul away for $1000. Is this as good a deal as it sounds? I know I'll have to put some more money into the structure to fit my house, but it seems like too good a deal to pass up. I'm also concerned about warping.

Assuming I do get the deck, I have another question. Obviously, I would like the wood to look as good as possible. My uncles friend recommended running each individual board through a planer before installation to get a fresh start on them. Is that a good idea, or should I wait until it is all installed and just sand or power wash everything? Also, should I install the decking with the old side down? I'm sure that'll depend on what it looks like.

I'm sure I'll have more questions, but I'll leave it there for now. Thanks for any input.