[RPetry]

Ken,

Yes, its over dirt. Kind of sandy and on a slight slope, but still dirt and still NJ. The cresote on the bottom of the boards seems like a good idea.

Short of pouring a sloped concrete pad for drainage, I'm not sure if any wood can stand up for long, stain or not. At minimum, even low concrete footings would seem necessary. Aside from the deck boards, what about the, I would guess, 2 x 4 joists?

Seems like plastic would be the way to go but have no idea.