So our contractor came and he’s working up an estimate. He warned us that removing the existing decking material will require labor and two dumpsters. He also thinks we should leave the current planters, benches and steps as is. We’ll see what the estimate looks like and then decide what to do. (If anything.)
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Good luck and fingers crossed! Our deck rebuild was close to what we paid for our first house thirty years ago!
Oh yeah. The removal. Our guys ripped out all rotted stuff and propped the upper deck using a clever system of supports. The rotted stuff was taken to the dump, several loads of it! Better them than us doing that!
If your supports are in good shape, you should be able to keep them. Ours were - partially. We paid extra to have the beams covered with a waterproof barrier tape. Forgot what it was called.
You might want to take small piece of your current wood to a store that has all of the decking sample colors to see how closely you can match the current planters. Alternatively, you may have to find a stain for the planters that will closely match the new deck material.
It’s called joist tape.
Lots of debate on the Internet about whether a deck will last longer with it or without it.
There was a specific brand name for it. Was recommended to us by three non-decking contractors independently.
I have never been a bird person and I can’t believe I’m saying this 
but does anyone recommend a free bird call identifier app?
Since moving on the water there is so much wildlife I’d like to identify some of the sounds
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I uses the Merlin app. https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/
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While we haven’t tried it yet, Merlin was just recommended to us by one of my D’s professors.
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Both daughters use Merlin. I had a photo on my phone of a shorebird we saw on vacation. One of them whipped out her phone, scanned the image off my phone and POOF----greater yellowlegs!!!
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Merlin downloaded - thank you! Placed it right next to my plant identifier app!
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Should I have tipped this guy?
Oops - I may have made a faux pas… We bought new furniture and it was delivered several weeks ago. It had a small issue that the store sent someone to fix. The guy came today - it took him a very short period of time to put a very light stain on the discoloration. He was here maybe 10-15 minutes. I didn’t tip him, but now I’m thinking I should have…
Don’t feel bad about it. I wouldn’t.
We don’t tip professional tradespeople. A token of appreciation or providing food/drinks while they work, and that’s it.
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I wouldn’t have tipped. It was on the seller’s dime to fix the issue.
We usually offer a bottle of water or a snack for workers.
(Crosspost with @BunsenBurner)
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I have a tendency to tip more than I probably need to with repair people, etc. I just kind of figured they need it more than I do and I appreciate their work.
And I too offer a drink, especially to anybody working outside. Our long time “Handy Man” stop by today to take care of something and I gave him a New York bagel that we just brought home. 
he and I trade garden vegetables as well and I will often, if he’s going to be here, bring him fresh fruit or vegetables from the farmers market
I always offer workers bottled water — don’t want them getting dehydrated in our very hot sun.
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Do avocado silicone storage “keepers” really work?
Ish. They work better if you keep the pit with the remaining avocado but not more than 24 hours.
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I don’t bother with those. I keep the pit as mentioned above and tightly wrap the avocado in Saran. The key is to exclude as much air as possible and minimize air contact to prevent oxidation that leads to graying.
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I’ve had one like this for years and years. It will keep the avocado fresh for a couple days. You store the half avocado with the pit and bind to create an airtight seal. There is no top like I’ve seen on newer products. I sometime squeeze a little lime juice to prevent browning if I happen to have a sliced lime in the fridge.
Regardless of your method, keeping it sealed away from air and a little lime juice (if browning bothers you) is all you need.
This is such an old product I could only find it on Ebay! And for $21.99!!! I guarantee it did not cost that. I believe it was a stocking stuffer one year.
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I just keep the seed/pit in and cover tightly in a plastic bag or similar and eat it within 24 hours and don’t even have browning.
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