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.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?

It's acceptable to use these shorter nails to fasten the joist hanger directly into the ledgerboard, but most joist hangers also require nails to be driven at a 45-degree angle through the joist and ...

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 ...

The Most Common Problem With Joist Hangers Many years ago I took a class put on by one of the largest manufacturers of metal brackets, Simpson Strong-Tie. That class was a real eye opener - I realized ...

Q: I need joist hangers for my first floor joists in the basement. The joists in my house, built in 1850, are between 2 and 21/2 inches wide. The only joist hangers I’m seeing are built to accommodate ...

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 ...