How to Choose the Best Type of Joist Hanger

Planning a deck build? One common piece of hardware you'll need is a joist hanger. Joist hangers come in a variety of options and are usually the best solution for creating a solid load-bearing connection or strengthening existing connections.

No build should be at risk of having loose roof joists or ledger boards — that's why choosing the right joist hanger is essential. Read on to ensure you are using the correct joist hanger for your deck project.

What is a Joist Hanger?

Joist hangers are metal connectors that attach one piece of building material to another (for example, ledger joists to ledger boards and beams on a deck). Deck joist hangers shore up these connections to make sure your deck can hold up to bad weather, big gatherings, and years of use.

Joist hangers are versatile and usually the strongest and safest option. These essential pieces of building equipment come in various styles, with options for anything from smaller lightweight jobs to framing in industrial or commercial buildings. In general, joist hangers are designed for timber-to-timber, timber-to-steel, or timber-to-masonry connections. In fact, joist hangers are required by code when building a deck in many parts of the country.

Different Types of Joist Hangers

In order to choose the right type of joist hanger for your job, it's essential to understand your options. To decide on the hanger you need, consider:

• The materials you’re building with
• How strong connections need to be given local weather and expected loads
• Building codes
• Difficulty of installation
• If you need joist hanger sets specifically designed to support joints at an angle

If it's your first time working with a joist hanger, you might find the options available overwhelming. Read on to discover six of the most common and useful joist hangers:

Concealed Joist Hanger

As the name implies, concealed joist hangers are hidden within the joint they're strengthening. This means they provide the same robust structural support as other joist hangers while maintaining a clean look.

45-Degree Angled Joist Hangers

Designed for diagonal connections, these angled joist hangers offer stability in angled framing applications. They allow you to build decks with unique shapes or fit your deck to an awkward space while maintaining joint strength. 45-degree angled joist hangers are available angled left and angled right, so buying them as sets is essential.

Wood Joist Hangers

Also known as wood beam hangers, these joist hangers are often used to attach wood to wood. The coating of the hanger will determine what type of wood it is designed for. This type of joist hanger is often used to fix beams to joists in a deck substructure, with stainless steel or zinc-coated options best for use outdoors. They can be corner joist hangers, as they're often designed to hold lumber at a specific angle.

I-Joist Hangers

Engineered to accommodate I-joists, these hangers enhance this type of joists' performance and durability. I-joists can span longer distances than other types of joists and they’re a specific shape — resembling a capital ‘I’. This means joist hangers have to be specially shaped to fit them and help support the floors they’re designed to hold up.

Mini Joist Hangers

Compact designs make mini joist hangers perfect for smaller scale projects and tight spaces. In most cases, they can be used for widths of 78mm and depths up to 100mm. These small joist hangers are useful when you’re using smaller timbers, and are often a component in deck building.

Saddle Joist Hangers

Saddle joist hangers are essentially two hangers attached to a flat plate. This allows them to cradle a joist, ensuring the two hangers are perfectly aligned and the weight is distributed evenly, reducing stress on the beam.

Tips for Choosing Fasteners for Your Joist Hangers

While your choice of joist hanger is important, choosing the right fasteners is, too. Joist fastener screws and nails have specific strength requirements and your choice of fastener, the amount you need, and the installation process you decide on will all determine your project's success.

Consider these tips when making your selection and starting your installation:

• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when choosing a fastening system for your joist hangers. That means using the exact size and type of connector identified in the guidelines. These will usually be nails or screws made from carbon steel or stainless steel.
• Use the correct number of fasteners for each of your joist hangers. This is the only way hangers will achieve the load-bearing capacity advertised; using any other fasteners or the wrong number of fasteners will result in a weak and potentially dangerous connection.
• Make sure your fasteners haven't enlarged any of the premade holes in your joist hanger.
• Ensure the steel of your joist hanger hasn't been shredded, torn, warped, or damaged.
• Check the head of your fastener is flush with your joist.

Confirm your nails or screws have an appropriate coating if they are being used in an exterior application.

Where to Buy Joist Hangers

Joist hangers can be bought at hardware stores, lumber yards, or online. If you know exactly what you need, buying online is the easiest option. However, if you want advice about your building project or assistance choosing the right joist hangers it may be a better idea to go to a local store or lumber yard.

Whichever option works for you, you should be able to purchase all the hardware you need to install the hangers and create strong, long-lasting connections in one place. Once you've chosen your hardware, you can install deck frame beams and posts to create the foundation of your new deck.