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 ...

ASK THE BUILDER | It’s important to realize you’re dealing with people’s lives, and death and serious injury can result when you install joist hangers, beams and support columns the wrong way.

Joist hangers require specific nails, and for ACQ lumber they need to meet the current corrosion-resistance standards. Unwitting builders, probably even now, might not have bothered to use nails ...

The joist hanger on the left was from a home 13 miles from Chesapeake Bay in Baltimore. Imagine what it might have looked like had the house been built a few hundred feet from an ocean beach.

Robert even sent some of the rusted joist hanger nails. A few of them had lost well over 60% of the steel! The bottom of several hangers had holes in them, and the remaining metal was paper thin.

Corrosion can be prevented by using stainless steel joist hangers, fasteners, etc. Stainless steel is available in different grades, like many things. The best is 316 stainless steel.