Building A Deck

Hi Tim:

Thanks for all you past help. I have read your articles about decks and can't find the answer to my question.
Different contractors are telling me
different things. Which way do the boards on a deck go? Should the cupped
lines at the end of the board point up
or down?
I just had to replace a three-year old
deck and was told that part of the reason was that the boards were upside down. Now the current contractor is telling me the new boards are upside down! They are currently cupped down.
Which way is correct?
Thanks so much!

Tim, I'm working on building a deck and I would like to know if I can bolt a 2x on the outside of my post and set my joists between the ledger board and the 2x on the post. I wanted be able to drop an eight foot 2x between the two. Would this work and if so what would be the best way to attach the joist to the 2x

Hi Tim:
I've got an "upper deck" that's supported by a ledger that's bolted into the sill box and a triple beam rests atop my 6x6 posts (12' away from the house), so I think I'm heeding your words of caution in resting my beam directly ON the posts but... now I'm building a lower ground-level deck directly beneath it and, while I have bolted a ledger into the slab at the "house end", I would really like to take advantage of the posts that are already in place to support the "away from house end" that will sit no higher than 2'. I was going to straddle the posts (using fasteners) with two 2x10s but, reading your article, I'm sure you wouldn't approve. My town bldg dept advised me to notch the posts front and back and set my front/back beams inside the notches...but I'm very nervous about removing about 3 inches from the now-sturdy 6x6s that support my 14'x14' upper deck that's overbuilt with joists 12" on center. What do YOU think about removing that much material from the bottom (18" high) of my posts that stand about 13' tall in all and support that upper deck? Thanks.
Brian