When using joist hangers, you must use the correct nail for the joist hanger. Joist hangers requires specific fasteners to provide structural integrity for the joist hangers. Joist hangers are metal brackets that holds wooden joists in place.
The size of the nail must match the size of the holes in the joist hanger. Using a nail that is too large for the hole in the joist hanger may crack the wooden header. Using a nail that is too small for the hole in the joist hanger will cause the nail to wobble and not adequate provide structural integrity for the joist.
Use the Right Nails for Joist Hangers
The engineering specifications for the joist hanger will tell you the proper nail size to use for the joist hanger. Depending on the type of joist hanger, you will need different size of nails for the wooden joists. For light duty joist hangers that hold 2×4 and 2×6 joists, use 8d nails.
These nails are slim enough to fit in the small hole in the joist hanger. For face-mount joist hangers that hold 2×8 and 2×12 joists, use 10d nails that provide more grip for the larger joists. For heavy duty beam hangers that can hold very large loads, use 16d nails that have a thicker diameter to fully fill the oversized hole in the beam hangers.
Using the correct size nails will allow them to bear fully against the metal of the joist hanger. This contact point will allow the joist hanger to distribute the load that the wooden joist will bear. Another option is to use structural screws instead of nails.
Structural screws have a higher shear strength per screw then nails. The advantage of using structural screws is that they are easier to remove if you need to adjust the wooden joists. The downside to using structural screws is that they are more expensive than nails.
Nails can be added faster using a framing gun. You must not use drywall screws in joist hangers. Drywall screws are not structural fasteners.
They dont have a structural rating. Any fastener that is not specifically rated for structural use will create a structure that isnt safe for the load that the wooden joists will bear. The type of wood that you use for your wooden joists will affect the type of coating that you need to use on the nails and screws.
For wooden joists that are used outdoors, the wood will be pressure treated. Pressure treated lumber contains chemical that will cause corrosion in standard zinc-coated nails and screws. For pressure-treated lumber, use galvanized nails or stainless steel screws that will resist the chemicals in the treated lumber.
Using standard nails for pressure-treated lumber will cause the nails to corrode, which will reduce the structural integrity of the joist hanger connection. For joist hangers, you must fill every hole with the appropriate number of nails as specified in the manufacturer’s load table. The load table will indicate that some joist hangers require eight nails for wooden joists.
Other heavy duty beam hangers may require twenty-six nails. Under-nailing a joist hanger will reduce the structural integrity of the joist hanger. The nails must be driven perpendicular to the wooden joists, not at an angle.
Driving nails at an angle will also reduce the structural integrity of the joist hanger. Following the manufacturer’s load tables and using the correct size nails for your joists will ensure that your joist hangers provide the structural integrity that your structure require.
