So I'm going to use 6X6 beams to support both floors of my deck, and they will be bolted to the brackets I have in the top of my concrete columns. My question is how best to secure the 1st floor. My thought was that the 6x6's should run all the way up for best strength, but I don't want to notch my 6x6 uprights nor my 4x10 horizontal beam. Then one contractor told me you don't want to thru bolt it either. So I thought about using a 2-3 foot piece of vertical 6x6 on each post and then using a Strong Tie CC5 1/4-6 (or CC66) and setting the 4x10 right on top of the short 6x6's. Then use another Strong tie bracket to secure the 6x6 that goes between floors to the lower deck. But another contractor said I lose too much strength by not running the 6x6 as one piece all the way from the concrete pillar to the 2nd floor deck. Shall I fabricate some heavy duty brackets to bolt onto the 6x6 and have the 4x10 sit on them (and bolted)?