Hey Houzi, I just saw your post. Thanks a lot, yes my trees seem to have survived. I'm starting to believe the Japanese Maples are much tougher trees than I thought earlier. This will be my 3rd summer with many of them and despite all the negative factors (deep planting, too much watering, hot weather etc... ) not even 1 died on me. I had little hope for many of them last fall as I had removed a major portion of their root system. Some of them I had even bare rooted and it looked as if it wouldn't survive with such a small root system. Now with better conditions hopefully, (hey at least they are planted closer to the "right way" this time with the visible root flare and raised bed) I have much higher hope than before that they will be present in my garden in the long term. The tree marked as Corralinum seems to be like a sango kaku although it is probably a seedling rather than a true type. I still enjoy it, with its shape and colour. The bark was much more pink in winter though. Here are a few before & after photos of only some of my trees which I had posted in this thread

Hi Dave, I'm a one-off deck builder like yourself. I think the Deck Pros are just having some fun with ya. Your back porch has ventilation. Your front porch seems pretty low to the ground, but maybe it is dry. Probably alot depends on soil. Looks sandy. I would test the front by putting some scrap IPE under it for a month or two. See what happens. If you have to get two deliveries of materials, so be it (they charge by weight anyway). Frankly, before you buy, ask for two scraps of Ipe from any supplier you are considering. They should provide free. East teak does. I used hidden clips on my deck (Tiger Claw G). A lot of hoots and hollers here about that. But, it's my deck. The clips work OK for me. If not that, I would just face screw it. Plugging and sanding is not for me. Construction adhesive is OK. Deck will squeak less. But it can be messy. How neat are you when you work? Brand name probably doesn't matter much. To use hidden clips you have to use 5/4" (actually 4/4 finish milled). But if you face screw it, and you have 16" centers, you can use 4/4 (3/4" milled). I think this is correct. I don't know about T&G for outside. Probably not good. Want drainage. If you get ice in the T&G joint, definite bad news. Not a concensus about waxing the end grain. I did. Can't hurt. Use a carbide blade, wide kerf. You could do it with a hand circular saw, but better is a chop saw, 10" or 12". Avoid breathing the sawdust. Some folks can get an alergic reaction. You have to lay the deck perpendicular to the floor joists. I can't tell from the pics which way that is. Cut all butt joints as you go, centered on the joists. Except for the first, against the house, let what hangs over the sides "run wild". When done, snap a chalk line on the perimeters, then trim with a hand circular saw. Straight lines. Good luck! My deck project from last year.

Steve's arbors and pergolas look really nice in the photographs. I would like to hear about the specific defects in the workmanship that Gorilla observed. Are we picking on architecture or craftmanship? I assume Gorilla is a very talanted architect who works as a general contractor and homebuilder. Steve is a master cabinetmaker and finish carpenter. Look at the joinery on the rail detail depicted on Steve's website. Anyone with more wits than the average housewife (Joyce) can appreciate the quality. As a finish carpenter who has worked in San Francisco, I can really identify with the space limitations encountered when working in densely populated urban areas. It is really the biggest challenge we face when working in The City. You have to plan every move based on the limited space available. When you have decades of experience in your trade, the workmanship comes second nature. There is no point in picking apart other poeple's fine work when you know it is quality. Style or architectural preference is unique to every person. If Gorilla has to attack Steve's work it shows a lack of confidence in his own craftmanship. You may be a "homebuilder" but how many homes have you built from start to finish single-handedly? You rely on skilled craft people like Steve and John to make your visions a reality. Lets see some pictures of stuff you actually made with your own two hands. With your eye for architectue and Steve's carpentry skill, you could produce really great work. Be supportive, if you have a disagreement about finishing Ipe, don't let the discussion unravel into personal attacks. By the way, it seems like Gorilla's experience with Ipe is limited. I have done 6 projects with Ipe over the past 4 years. (working solo), so my experience is also quite limited, but I have seen how this wood performs over time. 1. It won't hold a finish on the weather exposed side for long. 2. The acrylic (water) based stains specifically designed for Ipe are really just a paint that coats the surface. I tried Flood Pro supreme performance and it lasted about 2 years. The finish is starting to wear off in places and you can see the gray weathered Ipe shining through. The finish also detracted from the natural beauty of Ipe, the grain pattern is not as prominent, and it certainly does not have the "wet look" of new Ipe that is desired by most customers. I am going to strip the entire finish with Jasco paint and epoxy remover and then use the TDR system to clean and brighten the wood, before using the TWP penetrating oil recommended by John Hyatt. His decks finished with TWP have the desired "wet look" and he claims 3 or 4 year performance with the TWP. 3. The quality of Ipe wood on the market varies. The low quality stuff is often bowed, checked and is often much lighter in weight than the quality dense boards. You can pick through a stack and see and feel the differences. With good quality Ipe, the stack you pick through should be 90 or 95% "perfect boards" straight, heavy but not wet, and with no end checks. If you are putting aside many boards looking for the perfect ones, buy you wood somewhere else. 4. I don't know about anchorseal for the ends of boards. I see ones at the lumberyard end sealed that have huge checks. I have cut unchecked Ipe, and it instantly checked at the cut end. How fast could the anchorseal work? I have other very short cuts of Ipe that never check without putting anything on the ends. If the wood is going to check, it will do whatever it wants. Force a bowed board into straight position, and it will probably check in time. The point here is to but your Ipe from a reputable source and visually inspect each piece. That is my meager experience with this beautiful wood. If you are a carpenter with versed talent, give Ipe a shot. Do not waste your money on this stuff if you are a Home Depot DIY person. And listen to the people who work with this stuff ALL THE TIME. One or two projects completed in the last 12 months is not experience with Ipe. Do not ask sales people for advice, they have no idea what they are talking about when it comes to Ipe.

John, Joe, thanks for the replies. I was hoping I might be ready to start decking, but it looks like a have a little bit more framing to do. Its starting to get cold here in MA and I'd really like to have the decking down before winter. Although, I'd rather take my time and get it right than rush it and do it wrong. As for the forstner bit, is that something that can be done free hand with a drill? The countersink bit I have is very easy to place with the center bit. I would be worried about the bit walking on me. How does the Tightbond work as an end sealer? Do I just paint it on? Do I have to avoid the face for stains? I probably don't have the time to go over the joints and seal them with sawdust/glue, but I sure would like to have the time. When you guys plug, when do you put the plugs in? I only work on the weekends and I wasn't planning on plugging until the entire field was laid, but that could take a few weeks. How long do you think I have to install the plugs before the joists get affected by the pools of water? Thanks again. Peter PS - I almost used the Deckmaster system until I came here and you guys talked me out of it!