to get to my little truck. i try to park it at the other end when it rains, but when it rains during the night, i sometimes do not get it moved in time.
makes sense to me. your thinking is similar to mine in looking for a concrete base (which the deck and steps now have, but the old steps did not) and for sturdy construction. i considered the “lower 2″ x 4” concept but found that having the vertical railing posts (a) half-sit on the steps or deck surface and (b) fairly close together (less than a foot apart), it all came out surprisingly solid. but you can never 