Installing Joist Hangers

Installing Joist Hangers

How to install joist hangers for sturdy decks and floors.
by Bruce Clark
From The Family Handyman

Simple Steps For Building Decks And Floors That'll Last A Lifetime.

The next time you hold a square dance or weight-lifting contest on your deck, you’ll rest easier knowing you used joist hangers and installed them the right way. For it’s these diminutive little powerhouses that keep your decks and other floors strong as wood dries, shrinks, twists and ages.

Joist hangers are metal connectors designed to solidly anchor the joists in floors, decks or ceilings to beams and other framing members throughout your home. Properly installed, they make a joint far stronger than nails would alone.

Selecting the correct joist hangers and hanging (or “setting”) them is pretty straightforward. We’ll show you a four-step method for installing joist hangers that will ensure that your floor or deck stays flat and strong-and meets the requirements of your building inspector and the joist hanger manufacturer.

Selecting The Right Joist Hanger For The Job
Joist hangers come in many sizes to support different dimensional sizes of lumber and I-joists. The hangers you’ll find at home centers typically have a galvanized coating and will work indoors and out. Most homeowners will use the common face-mounting type (Fig. A), but specialized ...

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