Roof Nails On Deck Joists

Start driving a nail near the top end of the joist then bend it over.

Roof nails on deck joists.

Treat all sides of the reinforcing joist with a clear sealer and let it dry. Roofing nails are not made to withstand the structural forces that are required for joist hanger connectors. True the joists sit on the beam on the outside on the deck. Some manufacturers sell special decking nails with a head size in between the two.

The use of roofing nails as structural attachments for joist hangers is not uncommon however it should be avoided. For double shear single hangers photo 4 fasten the hanger to the joist s with longer 8d or 10d nails. This can cause the joist to rot from the inside out. The 16d nails will fasten your hanger to the wall ledger while the 10d nails will be nailed through the side flange of the hanger into the joists.

For 5 4 decking use a 10d 3 inch nail. Roofing nails just can t handle the shear stress. It can even cause damaging expansion and contraction if water penetrates these holes and freezes. But they usually hang from the ledger that is bolted to the house on the inside.

This type of hanger requires fewer but longer nails for the side flanges. Indoors or out for standard type single joist hangers use only 1 1 2 in. For standard joists you will use the 1 1 2 inch galvanized hanger nails to attach the joists using standard joist hangers. For thicker decking use a 16d 3 1 2 nail.

Joist hanger nails for nailing into the side of the joist photo 5. What s more chances are high that the use of these nails would fail a building inspection. Using a 3 inch galvanized nail and nailing it flush will pull the boards tighter versus sinking through the. The long nails and screws that are driven into each joist provide dozens of entrance holes to that untreated core.

Now you can slip the joist into the hanger and drive the nails that go into the joist. Hang the joist with a bent over nail. This part of your deck construction is labor intensive. I believe simpson strong tie calls for 3 1 2 16d hot dipped galvanized nails to be double shear nailed through their joist hangers filling every hole.

Screwing deck boards also creates large holes for water to soak into and rot much faster. Deck joist beam sizing tables a quick rule of thumb for sizing joists. For double hangers use 8d or 10d nails.