I've been a carpenter and builder all my life, third generation. For the last dozen or so years, I've been primarily building decks (well duh!) and garden structures. I could bore you all to death for hours telling you of the horror stories I've seen with out of level/square decks. Some homemade jobby doos so dangerous I won't even step on them. I've always said that just about anyone can build level, true, plumb and square. But it takes a real craftsman to correct someone elses mistakes and go on from there. And, by the way, the best putty and taper I ever knew was a woman, and I gave her her first lesson. Within two months she was far better than I. CHEERS, Bob(deckman)Nelson