Carpenter help please
 

I'm having a new deck installed and the carpenter has some of the boards placed with the end grain smiling and others with the end grain frowning. Shouldn't they all be the same to avoid cupping?

Yup... ask him if he knows what he's doing. :D

whcih way should they be? smiling or frowning?

Frowning. And make sure he is using stainless decking nails...
http://fasteners.hardwarestore.com/18-67-nails-bulk-specialty/stainless-decking-nails-102303.aspx

What is his method for spacing? There are different schools of thought on that. Not touching, but closer than the thickness of one of the nails is best, IMO... because the space gets larger with time, and if you start too large, you get mosquitos coming up from below unless you screen it in below deck.

There is and always will be debate on this. One theory says that the "smile" is up because the annular rings will tend to straighten out, or create a crown. Another says that the grain will lift more with the smile up. The prevailing weather will have a lot to do with it. In the desert, I might place the smile down as a frown. The wood will cup anyway. I tend to put the best side up regardless.

Sealing the lumber top, bottom and ends after it has seasoned a short time will have many benefits.

Vertical grain, quartersawn and composite decking are all better solutions.

thanks guys. this is pressure treated 5/4 decking so is sealing still necessary?

Yeah, but sealing it before it is nailed down is best... which is what Milt said.

People put out buttloads of money for Thompson's Water Seal and stuff like that... I prefer a moderately priced, basic, oil-based semi-transparent stain.

I'd seal it. And, you don't have to wait on PT. It's already dry. Wood that is properly attached won't cup as much either. I recommended a couple of blind faster systems to Wayne when he built his deck over his pool and he loved them. One system holds both edges, nothing thru the face of the lumber. It can't lift w/o pulling the screws.

OK, I say smiling, as the rings will straighten.

And with PT wood these days, read the tag on the end. There are a few different types, and wrong fasteners will corrode. Also, no aluminum flashing against the house, needs to be copper.

+1.

Unless you get an exceptionally nice lumber package, almost every board will have one side much prettier than the other. Keep the pretty side up, or the deck will look bad from day one.

It really doesn't matter, best side up. PT really doesn't matter. like Milt said VG, 1/4 sawn lumber is the best, so you don't have problem cupping. IPE is my favorite. We built 3 decks in the past 2 years including my own with it. also, I really like penofin. The best sealer by far, not cheap about 70 bucks for a gal.