I'm pretty close to pulling the trigger on some 5/4 x 6 massaranduba. Any opinions out there?

Thank you for the responses. A strong 1/8th sounds just about right. Giving me 1/16th of swell per board, per side, for a total of an 1/8th across the face, while still leaving a slight gap for water to pass, leaves and dirt aren't an issue with these decks. John, The reason I plan to seal 4 sides is because while on the first floor deck you are directly below the overhanging second floor deck, same goes with the lower patio and the first floor deck. Hence the bottom sides of the decking are clearly visible overhead and I wanted to achieve a continuity in color/look, as well as avoid the inherent mold problems (using a sealer with a strong mildewcide) I deal with here by the beach annually. Personally I am used to finishing all exposed sides in my woodworking, but I realize it isn't necessary for decks. If their is something I am missing in regards to sealing 4S that will cause problems later on please let me know. Thank you.

1. galv. screws should be ok since it's old tp framing 2. you all ready answered yourself 3. no gap bad idea, I would suggest 1/8" 4. titebond111 5. sharp chisle 6. 60 grit should be all you need

It'll be another 6 weeks or so before serious cold weather hits here (I hope, because I still have a painting project to complete). From my experience, the longer you wait to assemble the deck, the better. Just store the wood in the vicinity of where you plan to do the building, cover it with a tarp, and wait until you can get round to the project. A couple of years ago I made a mistake when building a porch using pressure-treated framing and IPE T-G decking. I purchased the pressure treated stuff and put the framing together right away. Then I purchased some kiln-dried T-G IPE and within a couple of weeks laid the deck. I should have let the wood acclimate for a few weeks first. To make matters worse, we were having some unseasonably beautiful, clear, low humidity weather even for October. It is normally very humid here in the summer months, with low humidity in October, and lots of drizzle during the winter, so the wood is going to be constantly expanding and contracting throughout the year. The project went together beautifully, but after a few weeks, rains season set in. By then, the pressure treated framing had shrunk due to the low humidity. But with the rain, the IPE expanded just enough not buckle, but the end pieces now curl down at an angle. To repair it, I would have to take the posts down, take up he whole deck, and re-install it using new screw holes. It didn't get any worse over the course of a year, so I don't plan to re-do it. Most people don't even notice it, but every time I look at it, the uneven end boards stick out like a sore thumb. The decking boards expanded near the edge where water drips off the porch roof, but in the middle of the deck where it gets less wet, the spaces between boards have visibly opened up. If I do a similar project again, I'll know to pile all the wood on location and let it sit there for a couple of months before beginning assembly, and with T-G use something like automotive shim stock and maintain about 1/40" spacing between each board, to allow for expansion and contraction without buckling or curling. Don