Answers

Not a difficult job at all. Depending on the details it can be done in a half a day. More details - more time.

Ask Your Wife First!!! Happy Wife Happy Life... and Hire a professional Do Not attempt this under taking witht he amout of recon and intel You have provided here.

here are a few industry terms

  Deck Building Terms

Here are some of the terms you'll need to know to complete this project:

Beam: A horizontal support member (Also see post.)

Decking: The material installed over the supporting framing members to which the roofing material is applied

Edge: Either of the two longer sides of a board, perpendicular to the face

Face: Either of the two wide surfaces of a board

Footing: The base on which a masonry wall or other support rests. It spreads out the load to prevent settling

Joists: Horizontal framing members that support a floor or ceiling.

Pilot Hole: A small-diameter hole that guides a nail or screw

Post: Any vertical support member

Rim Joist: The outermost joist in a structure's floor framing

Rise: The vertical distance from one point to another above it; a measurement you need in planning a stairway or ramp (Also see run.)

Run: The horizontal distance a ramp or stairway traverses (Also see rise.)

Screed: Leveling concrete, sand or other material by pulling a board pipe or other straightedge across it in a sawing motion

Three-Four-Five Triangle: An easy, mathematical way to check whether a large angle is square. Measure 3 feet along one side, 4 feet along the other. if the corner is square, the diagonal distance between those two points will equal 5 feet.

Toenail: To drive nails at an angle.

The difficulty depends on many things.

I would say PT post is the way to go, but install it over a post standoff past so water doesnt get trapped between the bottom of the post and whatever it is sitting on causing premature rot.

Yes, we almost use Thermory exclusively now. The product is amazing and I really cant think of any negatives as opposed to Ipe that shrinks and is super heavy. We just used Thermory on our own home.

- Sean Sullivan, Living Stone Construction

You can try clear plexi-glass type panels, if your trying to keept their heads from getting stuck between the balusters.

Are you trying to keep the dog on the deck or off?  How big of dog are you talking about?

WE concur with Jeff and Jason although as a company we LOVE none wood decorative posts or engineered productrs. We are in the SOUTH.