Material Education
Natural Defects
Lumber Defects 101
Checks and Splits
Peck
Rot and Decay
Heart Pith
Ring Shake
Stains
Wormholes
Pitch, Gum, and Sap
Wane
Shelling
Knots
Material Education
Wood Deck Materials
Manufacturing Defects
Wet and Dry Wood
How to Read Grade Stamping
Plane Sawn and Quarter Sawn Cuts
Bark Side Up vs. Best Side Up
How to organize your materials for use
Warping
Crook or Crown
Bow
Cup
Twist
Deck Builders
Watch the first of our deck design video series. Here are the three products in the video. Enjoy!
Gossen PVC Decking
BigFoot Systems
EBTY Hidden Fasteners

Bark Side Up vs. Best Side Up

Usually the best policy to use for surfacing an attractive wood floor is to always expose the best side of the board. If your deck boards are wet some carpenters prefer to install them bark side up to prevent cupping. This technique will orientate the visible growth rings in a downward arc like a dome to eliminate any protruding corners and allowing water to run off the boards. Another reason to install the decking bark side up is because the pith side is prone to shelling (link to shelling) especially in trees that have dense latewood growth rings like southern pine. As a general rule the drier the decking the less problems you will have no matter how you install it. Also consider that there is more sapwood on the bark side of a board, and sapwood more easily accepts stains than heartwood. We recommend you consult with your lumber supplier for a recommendation based on the species of wood and the climate in your region.