We opted to go with concrete. I didn't stamp it since most other decks/patios I've seen that were stamped collect and hold dirt in the grooves. We also didn't stain it since that option tends to need to be repeated once traffic areas wear through. You also have to keep the surface of the concrete clean from spills and stains during the build. Everywhere something spills is a spot where the stain may not adhere. Instead of all of that we worked with the concrete company and had our concrete colored. They added color dye to the entire batch of concrete and when it was poured it had a nice mellow brown tone. This blended in nicely with the house. Almost all of the synthetic wood decks I've seen have their issues. Some can be simply keeping them cleaned and free from mold, others I've seen suffered from sagging and swelling. All of them require some type of maintenance. We're going on two years and I've done absolutely nothing to our suspended concrete deck, patio, or covered concrete patio below. They are solid and sound. Not sure if you can utilize concrete or not, but look into seeing if your concrete company will add dye, maybe another option for you. FWIW - I would never install a wood deck - way too much maintenance.

i much prefer real wood blinds... at one point i had purchased white faux wood blinds for one of my children's bed and bathroom and i just didn't like the look as much, even though they were white- maybe different brands make a difference... i have a shade on his bedroom window and real wood blinds on his bathroom window now- i swapped out a blind from our bedroom and had to adjust the ht, so i do have extra slats in case of warping, but after 2 years in the bathroom, the slats are holding up well... looks so much better imo than the fake wood...(like the color better too-it's cream colored instead of white...)

My guess is that it's real wood, but not structural. That's a super long span, for any location, with or without snow loading. Another clue is that one of the trusses lands on top of a window, which glass tends to not be structurally load bearing. However, those trusses could be load bearing, and there could be a steel header over the windows, but my guess is that's not the case. Derek Hurd Gravitas, Inc. 112 E 33rd St. Garden City, ID 83714 208.367.1184 www.gravitaslc.com

How much sun do the garage windows get? A friend did faux wood blinds in her garage non Low-e windows in Memphis. They got a lot of sun and the blinds bowed because they heated up. Not sure of the material you will be using for faux blinds, but make sure the warmth of the sun in an uncooled space doesn't affect them. I agree with @WoW Washington, someone would likely have to have their face against your window to discern a difference and if that's the case you've got bigger problems than mismatched colors. :-)