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 ...

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 ...

The best things to use to attach the joist hangers to the beam are structural screws or bolts. Never use roofing nails. (Tim Carter/TNS) Perspective by Tim Carter Q: Tim, I’ve never worked with metal ...

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?

Q: I have an older home with a crawlspace foundation. My problem is the floors sag in the living room to the point where it's hard to keep a lamp steady on the end tables. My other problem is there is ...

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 ...

Dear Pat: I am having a new house built, and the builder is recommending I-joists instead of standard floor joists. I remember reading about some fire problems with them. Are I-joists as strong? -- ...

INDIANAPOLIS — If your deck feels a little bouncy underfoot, it might not be the top boards at all — it could be the joists underneath that are starting to rot. I ran into that exact problem on my ...