A practical look at installing deck joists and hangers to achieve strength and alignment. What details matter most for a long ...

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’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 ...

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 ...

Are you about to build a deck by yourself? Perhaps you’re going to hire a professional. My guess is you don’t know as much about the process as you should know. Add to the mix the cable TV shows that ...

This is the year of the deck at my home. I've scheduled the time off and I'm ready to build. However, I need your help on several things. How do I connect the deck posts to the deck? How do the posts ...

You wouldn’t pick yourself up a hot caramel macchiato coffee in the drive-through, take one sip, and dump it curbside. Nor would you wear a pair of socks for one day, then toss them into the trash; or ...

Many years ago I wrote a blog post detailing one of the most common deck defects that I find: improper joist hanger nails. The issue detailed in that blog post was the use of 1-½" nails in places ...