Q.The carpenter that built my deck used joist hangers to hold up the joists along the house and at the end of the deck. Are these steel joist hangers approved, and will they stand the test of time?

Chris Neurath sent this long note that is important enough to run in the Handyman's column: "You may have given bad advice that leads to safety issues when you said not to worry about deck joist ...

Chris Neurath sent this long note that is important enough to run in the Handyman”s column: “You may have given bad advice to Arthur from your chat room that leads to safety issues when you said not ...

Q. Chris Neurath sent this long note that is important enough to run in the Handyman’s column: “You may have given bad advice that leads to safety issues when you said not to worry about deck joist ...

One of my newsletter subscribers, Robert, does handyman work on the weekends for friends and other homeowners. Eleven years ago, he wanted to learn how to frame a large shed, including common roof ...

Q. Tim, I’ve never worked with metal joist hangers. How long have joist hangers been around? When I hold one in my hand, I question whether it’s actually strong enough to support all the weight that ...

How to look for (and fix) improper joist hanger nails on your deck Back in 2010, I wrote a blog post detailing one of the most common deck defects that I find, which is improper joist hanger nails.

“Your suggestion to only worry if the deck starts shaking or sagging does not seem very safe. Catastrophic deck collapses have occurred, typically happening when there is a party with a lot of people ...

Q: I’ve never worked with metal joist hangers. When I hold one in my hand, I question whether it’s actually strong enough to support all the weight that will be resting on it. Are they safe? Are there ...