They make the framing connections — joist to bearer, beam to post, member to member — with a rated steel connection instead of end-nailing or skew-screwing.

A skew-nailed joist relies on a few fasteners driven at an angle into end grain, which is the weakest way to fix timber. A hanger transfers the load properly into the supporting member.

• Joist Support — hot-dip galvanised joist hangers, the main deck framing connector.
• Joist Support 316 Stainless Steel — the same job in marine grade.
• Connectors — straps, grips and locks for the connections a hanger does not cover.
• Connectors 316 Stainless Steel.
• I Beam Hangers — face supports for engineered I-beam joists.

Yes, and you have to fill the holes the manufacturer specifies.

A hanger's rated capacity assumes every specified hole is filled with the specified fastener. A hanger with half its holes empty is not carrying its rated load, no matter how solid it looks. This is the most common installation shortcut and the one most likely to matter.

The hanger is sized to the joist it carries, written as depth × thickness.

Hot-dip galvanised covers joist thicknesses of 35, 38, 45 and 50mm, in depths of 90, 120, 140, 180 and 220mm — so 90×45, 140×45, 180×50 and so on.

316 stainless covers 35, 45 and 50mm thicknesses in depths of 90, 120, 140, 180 and 240mm.

Note the two ranges are not identical: 38mm is galvanised only, and 240mm deep is stainless only. If you need 38mm in stainless or 220mm in galvanised, check with us first.

Measure the actual joist, not the nominal size, and match both dimensions. A hanger that is too wide lets the joist move; one that is too narrow will not seat.

Match the thickness to your joist thickness and the depth to the joist depth. A 140×45 joist takes a 140×45 hanger — not a 140×50.

The galvanised joist hangers are available individually or in bulk, so you can buy three for a repair or a full deck's worth without over-ordering.

The 316 stainless hangers come in cartons of 10 and 20.

Coastal and marine sites, pool surrounds, and anywhere the frame will see salt spray or chlorine.

It is worth thinking about even on a covered deck near the water. The hangers are buried in the frame — replacing them later means pulling the deck up, so the upgrade is cheap relative to the cost of getting it wrong.

• Joist Strap — carton of 150.
• Mini Grip 57mm and Multi Grip 100mm — cartons of 100. General-purpose framing connectors for tying members together.
• Timber Lock 110×40×40×1mm angle — carton of 100.
• Triple Lock and Unities — supplied left-hand and right-hand, cartons of 100.

Also available in 316 stainless.

Because they are not symmetrical — the Triple Lock and Unities connectors are handed, so the one that fits the left side of a connection will not fit the right.

On a typical job you need both, usually in matching quantities. Ordering only one hand is an easy mistake and it stops you halfway along the frame. Work out how many of each before ordering.

Size, and therefore the load they suit. The Mini Grip is 57mm and the Multi Grip is 100mm.

The Multi Grip has more fastener holes and more contact area, so it suits the heavier connections; the Mini Grip is for lighter framing where the larger connector would be overkill. Both come in cartons of 100.

A hanger made for engineered I-beam joists rather than solid timber. An I-beam has a thin web with flanges top and bottom, so it needs a hanger that supports it correctly rather than a standard solid-timber hanger.

We stock face supports in depths of 200, 240, 300, 356, 360 and 400mm, in widths from 40mm to 90mm, in cartons of 25.

Match both the depth of the I-beam and the flange width. The widths are close together — 40, 44/45, 51/53, 58, 63, 70 and 90mm — because I-beam flanges vary between manufacturers and products.

Get the actual beam specification from your supplier or the engineering drawings rather than measuring by eye. A few millimetres out and the hanger will not seat properly.

No. Connectors have rated capacities, but the member sizes, spans, spacings, load paths and footings all have to be designed as a whole.

For structural work, take the connector specification from the design rather than picking one that looks about right for the timber.

Yes. Send us your joist size and depth, whether they are solid timber or engineered I-beams, how many connections you have, and whether the site is coastal. We will work out the hangers and connectors, and the quantities, with you.

We supply the structural timber and joists as well, so the frame and the connectors can come from one order. Browse the full Decking Wood QLD range of timber connectors, structural timber, decking and hardware.