Although standard deck screws aren t designed to provide the type of strength required by joist hangers there are several nails and screw like fasteners perfectly suited for the job.
What size screws for decking joists.
Decking railings and stairs most decking screws are 8 gauge and while 2 1 2 inches is the minimum length needed to hold decking boards to the joists 3 inch screws are commonly used to provide extra holding power.
For example a 2x8 joist hanger is about 6 5 8 inches tall.
With a cordless drill driver you can drive them about as fast as nails.
Lateral joists are often hung from the rim joist by means of joist hangers.
6 gauge 1 inch screws are suitable for attaching these.
Remember nails bend but won t break like screws.
Toenail decking joists into position along the wall ledger using a galvanized 16d nail.
For deck framing structural wood screws such as simpson sds 1 5 screws work with joist and stringer hangers as well as post beam brackets.
Screws come in an astonishing array of styles.
Decking screws are coated for corrosion resistance are sharp tapered and self sinking.
Railing posts require diameter galvanized or stainless steel through bolts while railings will need 3 5 coated deck screws for balusters and rails.
Joist hangers are sized by joist depth and run about 1 2 inch shorter than the nominal size of the joist you can size deck joists by referring to table r507 6 in the 2018 irc which lists spans for deck joists sized from 2x6 to 2x12.
A good all around choice is 10 decking screws generally in 2 1 2 to 3 1 2 inch lengths.
Then use spacers at each joist to keep the gap between boards consistent and to keep the boards running straight.
As with your joists stair stringers are supporting a load which is why you want to use nails instead of screws to attach them to your deck.
Note that the most reliable way to determine the right fastener for a particular product is to consult the manufacturer s guidelines.
Joist spacing o c 12 16 24 species.
Make sure the top of the joist is even with the top of the flashing on the wall ledger so that decking will go on evenly.
Toenail joists to the ledger.
Align the first row with the chalk line and nail or screw the boards to the joists.
Sixteen penny nails are about the right size for spacing between deck boards.
As with the deck boards that make up the floor of your deck you need to use the same 3 1 2 inch deck screws to attach the stair treads to the stringers.
For indoors use common not sinker type nails.
