Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - 16' X 20' Deck

Hello, I am recently a new homeowner in the Lockport IL area, and am concerned about my deck. The deck needs some work to it. First of all there are nail heads sticking out of planks, due to wood expansion during the winter months. I'm afraid someone is going to cut their foot open on it. Also I know the deck is filthy, and would like to clean it, but I don't really know the first thing about how to get started on doing this. What is the best cleaner out there?. And also it needs to be waterproofed. Another thing which is deck related is the front porch, which I believe the prior owner started building, then stopped. There are supports for a roof, but no roof, no siding around the wooden porch. I was thinking of trying something with the porch roof, which I saw some time ago, a fiberglass roof that is corugated I believe?, but again I'm not sure. Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Chris, let's take them in order.

First, replace the nails with screws. Use 3", galvanized deck screws, with a square drive head (rather than a phillips). Put those in the old nail holes. If you need more holding power, add additional screws. If you are adding a new screw at the end of a board, predrill the hole to prevent splitting.

Clean the deck by pressure washing it. Just go easy on it so you don't destroy the deck boards.

After it has dried for several warm days, seal it with a quality sealer like Super Deck. Be prepared to pay $20 to $25 a gallon.

Porch roof can be done with corragated fiberglass, PVC, or any one of a number of metal roofs. Find one you like the looks of. After all, you are after a covered porch, not an eyesore!!