All that said, joist hangers will help ensure that your joists are firmly held in place, even if they’re not hanging. Depending on your location, they may be required even if the whole thing is sitting on the ground. If this is permitted work, a call to your inspector (department) may be in order.

Do I have to use joist hangers on a deck?

Are Joist Hangers Necessary? No, joist hangers are not necessary.

Do you need joist hangers for blocking?





The use of joist hangers is acceptable for attaching blocking between joists and is even mentioned as an option in my local code; however, their use is uncommon when installing blocking.

Can you build a deck on deck blocks?

Additionally, blocks also remove the complexity of deck construction, with rudimentary carpentry skills, one can successfully construct a deck as a DIY project. Deck blocks are great options for building a grade-level deck that requires no permits.

Can you build a deck without hangers?

Alternatives to using metal joist hangers are ledger strips, sliding dovetails or mortising and dowels. The methods vary depending on whether it is an exterior deck or an interior platform. When it comes to outdoor decks, the only plausible do-it-yourself technique would be to use a ledger strip to support the joists.

Is it better to screw or nail joist hangers?

Screws are Better for Angle Joist Hanger Fasteners



Makes an unbeatable combination. Making the best deck joist hanger connection for strength is #10 1-1/2 x 0.148″ Hot Dip Galvanized nails for the hanger face connection to the ledger or beam and SD CONNECTOR Screw #10 x 2-1/2″ for the angle connections.

Do I need joist hangers for a freestanding deck?





Re: Joist hangers on Freestanding deck



Joist hangers are not really necessary when the joists are being supported from below with a beam and not hung from a wall. But there are some reasons to still use them if you want to.

When should you block deck joists?

According to National Design Specifications (NDS) blocking is required on any deck joist over 8ft long on 2″x 10″ and 2″ x 12″ material. We would recommend blocking on any deck joists greater than 2″ x 6″.

How far apart should blocking be?

Blocking must be equally spaced in rows, maximum of 4 to 6 feet apart. WHY IS BLOCKING NEEDED? Solid wood blocking will help reduce up or down movement and/or twisting of joists.

Where should deck joists be blocked?

Step 5: Install Your Blocking

  1. Space. Solid wood blocking should be equally spaced in rows, with a maximum of 4′ to 6′ apart.
  2. Place. Blocking should be installed edge to edge to allow for fastening of the interior blocking.
  3. Fasten. Use exterior-grade fasteners to fasten through the outside of the joist.



Do you need joist hangers on rim joist?

When a beam supports the joists from below, securing the rim joist to the field joists with through screws will save time over using hangers. Also, in this situation hangers are redundant because the rim joist carries little weight. The main function of the rim joist here is to keep the joists aligned.

Do joists go on top of beams?

You typically need to hang a joist if the top of it needs to be in the same plane as the beam that supports it. There are all sorts of reasons and conditions on jobs where this is necessary.

What did they do before joist hangers?



Before joist hangers became widely available, ledger strips were commonly used to help support toe-nailed joists, whether the joists were hung from an interior rim joist or flush beam or from an exterior deck ledger.

Can you screw joist hangers?

Never use deck screws or drywall screws to install joist hangers. Dont reuse joist hangers. Dont modify them by cutting them shorter. A joist or a truss must lie fully on the bearing.

Are joist hangers load bearing?

Joist hangers can be used anywhere you need to strengthen a load bearing connection. Joist hangers use face mount attachments to fasten joists to ledger boards and beams. You can buy joist hangers for different sized lumber.

Are joist hangers strong?

Therefore, Joist hangers are versatile and are much stronger than using traditional nails or screws alone. They are also easier to fit and relatively cheap given the length of time they will last. Provided all the holes have nails or screws inserted, they provide excellent stability.

Can you use 2×6 joist hangers on 2×8?



Usually, the hanger size is the same as the joist size, but you can use a hanger that is one dimensional size less than the joist depth—a 2×6 hanger can be used with a 2×8 joist, for instance. Keep in mind that the load capacity of the smaller hanger needs to be adequate to support the load on the joist.

Can you bend joist hangers?

Don’t reuse joist hangers, and don’t modify them by cutting them shorter or bending their outside flanges (such as around the edge of the wall ledger and nailing into its end grain). Installing reused or modified joist hangers reduce their load capacity.

Can joist hangers be used for floor joists?

Joist hangers not only simplify the framing process but also strengthen the deck or floor you are building. When hanging floor joists, use joist hangers to make building a floor deck simpler. Place hangers every 16 inches on center. Position each hanger using the tab to hold it in place.

How do you hang deck joists?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: Use corner brackets to attach any joists that make a 90 degree angle. Next. Pull a level chalk line from each into the rim joists. This will mark each board joint to the exact.

How do you reinforce with joist hangers?



Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: If space is too tight to swing a hammer a pneumatic Paul nailer can be used finally nail into the joist through the pre-drilled holes. Again all the holes on both sides of the hanger.