What are joist hangers?
Joist hangers are designed to anchor wooden beams or joists in order to strengthen and secure a load-bearing connection. In addition to providing extra support and stability to timber joists, joist hangers also prevent damp penetration to the ends of timber joists.
According to NHBC standards, “Joist hangers shall provide a suitable bearing on the supporting structure and be of an adequate size, strength and durability.” NHBC also states that both joist hangers and restraint straps may be required to tie walls and upper floors together or when external walls are stabilised by a connection to the floor.
Are joist hangers required?
Part L of the Buildings Regulations requires limiting air leakage from the inside of buildings. One way to improve air leakage is to seal the gaps around floor joists where these bear into the external walls. This can be done with joist hangers. It is important to note that only proprietary joist hangers that comply with BS 6178 Part 1 1999 or BS EN 845-1 can be used.
Are joist hangers stronger than screws?
Joist hangers wrap over or under the edge of wooden beams, covering three sides of a joist. This strong connection to wooden beams makes joist hangers much stronger than using screws or nails alone.
Where to install joist hangers?
Joist hangers are most commonly used on decking, floors, roofs and ceilings. These were developed as an economical, quick and effective way to fasten joists, allowing decking, floor joists, ceilings and roofs to be laid quicker.
Types of joist hangers.
Face fixed joist hangers.
As the name suggests, face mount joist hangers are designed to be fitted to the “face” of the wall. Face fix joist hangers connect wooden joists to concrete structures, timber joists to timber members and wooden joists to steel members. They are generally fixed using bolts, masonry anchors or resin anchors.
Wrap over joist hangers.
Wrap over joist hangers are available in different lengths: standard, long or extra long. They are also known as jiffy hangers. These are useful when floors are being constructed at different levels. The legs of the hangers can be bent over to accommodate different lengths, allowing underslung joists to be fixed, for example.
Related: How to choose joist hangers.
Masonry joist hangers.
Masonry joist hangers are designed to support beams, timber joists and trussed rafters on masonry walls. These can be placed on top of a wall to hang directly down in order to carry the joist or can be built into a joint in the masonry wall. Our masonry hangers are made of pre-galvanised mild steel and feature a thickness of 2mm.
Where to buy joist hangers?
Joist hangers can be purchased online at Speedy Fixings. We stock a vast range of joist hangers in various sizes to meet different requirements. Some of our joist hangers include 91mm x 455mm Long Leg Wrap Over Hanger, 150mm x 175mm Face Fix Joist Hanger and 47mm x 100mm Built-in Masonry Hanger. Truss clips are also available. These are designed to connect trusses, girders and rafters to wall plates. Explore our full selection of joist hangers and truss clips today. Alternatively, get in touch to find out more about our products.