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What are joist hangers called?

Joist hangers are some of the most useful and essential building and roofing tools, also commonly referred to as jiffy hangers. As the name suggests, they are designed to hold timber joists in place. These are great for anchoring decking, floors and ceilings. Most hangers wrap around three sides of a wooden beam.

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What are joist hangers? It may be a simple question, but you would be surprised at the number of people that don't use or consider them for smaller jobs. The main issue is that joist hangers are well worth using for even the smallest jobs given their cost-effectiveness. If you’re looking to learn more or are wondering what type is the best for your job, then read on! We have put together a short guide to help make the process easier.

What are Joist Hangers?

Joist hangers are some of the most useful and essential building and roofing tools, also commonly referred to as jiffy hangers. As the name suggests, they are designed to hold timber joists in place. These are great for anchoring decking, floors and ceilings. Most hangers wrap around three sides of a wooden beam. Nails or screws are put into the holes to keep it in place. There is a connecting plate on the jiffy hanger that is fastened to the surrounding frame.

What Are The Benefits Of Joist Hangers?

Joist hangers are versatile and are much stronger than using nails or screws alone. They are also easier to fit and are relatively cheap given the length of time they will last. Provided all the holes have nails or screws inserted, these offer excellent stability. If needed, they can also be welded and attached to masonry as well as timber. Upon proper installation, jiffy hangers will keep decks and floors strong as wood dries, twists, shrinks and ages.

Types of Jiffy Hangers

Joist hangers come in many shapes and sizes to fit different beams and framing configurations. Some units have a heavy-duty design to support larger loads or heavier beams. Most come in a U-shape, which allows them to fit around three sides of a joist. Others may have a T-shaped plate to provide a more secure connection to the wall framing. Certain types have sloped plates or connecting arms, whereas others are designed to accommodate double beams in a single hanger. Most manufacturers recommend using the largest size hanger that will fit your joists. It’s important to note, hangers should not be adapted, cut, or modified, and never reused. All pre-cut or pre-drilled nails holes in each hanger must have the correct nails or screws inserted to maintain the integrity of the joist.

Choosing the right material

At Tradefix Direct we stock a variety of hangers, including galvanised and A2 stainless steel options. When working with outdoor applications, such as decking, look for galvanized units. These can withstand rust and corrosion over time. You should also use the correct galvanised nails or galvanised screws for outdoors or proper decking screws.

Which Do You Need?

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Our joist hanger range at Tradefix Direct, includes everything from mini hangers to long leg jiffy hangers. We have plenty of options for you. But what are the key differences between the products?

Mini hangers

Mini joist hangers support short-span joists, as well as trap hatches and in-fill timbers. Ours in particular come in 38mm and 50mm sizes. These could be considered as both economical and ideal for light-duty applications.

Standard leg

When it comes to standard length sizes, we have plenty! From 38mm all the way to 150mm, you'll find our joists in either 0.9 pre galvanised mild steel or 1.2 pre galvanised mild steel. Because you can adjust the leg length, these can accommodate various standard timber sections. Another key point is that these joists are made of light gauge material. This eliminates the need for notching.

Long leg

For deeper timber to timber applications, our long leg hangers are a suitable choice. Ideal applications include use in loft conversions and supporting deeper floor joists. They are also great for purlin connections and dropped or underslung floor support. All of our long leg jiffy hangers are quick and easy to use, and come in a range of sizes.

Extended leg

Whilst our long leg hangers are 450mm, our extended leg jiffy hangers are 600mm. This means they are a quick and simple solution for deeper timber to timber applications. Again, this might involve use in loft conversions and supporting deeper floor joists. As such, these particular hangers are popular with building contractors.

Timber to masonry joist hangers

Timber to masonry joist hangers are ideal for supporting timber joists. They are also widely used for structural composite timber from masonry walls. In order to comply with fire regulations in party wall applications, straddle these types of joist hangers. To avoid defects and edge corrosion, they are robotically welded through BS6178 galvanised standard.

Multi truss hangers

If you need to support multiple trusses from the primary girder, look at our multi truss hanger. It is used for joining timber to timber, masonry or concrete. They are also great for supporting purlin to beam connections and main trimmer joists. All our multi truss joist hangers are available at all standard timber widths. Ideal for a higher overall load performance.

Buy quality joist hangers at Tradefix Direct

At Tradefix Direct we stock a great variety of joist hangers. Browse our selection online and order today with free delivery on orders over £60. Get large discounts on bulk orders and receive points, rewards as well as vouchers by registering with us today!

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