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This “Hall of Shame” photo shows a careless joist hangar installation. The builder installed the joist hangars after the joists were toe nailed to the ledger, yet the ledger bolts were installed after the joist hangars. The installation voids the Simpson Strong Tie warranty on the bracket if left as it is, but the builder was able to install shims to fill the gaps at the hangar seat after this was pointed out to him. The large ½” gaps were the initial red flag to overall careless deck building workmanship, yet the city building officials in Draper, Utah had just approved the new construction installation just as you see it below... What a shame!
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 The following information was shared in the September 17, 2007 edition of the Monday Morning Messenger online newsletter for home inspectors. To subcribe to the MMM please click on the MMM logo. |
The nail through the side of the deck joist really is not going to properly support it and the joist hanger is not going to do its job either with the space between it and the deck joist.
I can't tell for sure but I don't think there is a ledger board or any flashing present. Marc Gibson - Oregon City, OR
The joist was fastened in place with a nail gun by a carpenter during framing. The joist hanger was added later, most likely by a laborer or apprentice at a lower wage scale than the framing carpenter. This is a common practice. The bottom of the joist does not rest on the bottom of the hanger. This happens to virtually all green lumber joists as they dry and shrink. It has been going on for decades with no significant negative effects. It may squeak later. I would not likely report anything unless there is something else going on here I can not see. We can't see if the top of the ledger is flashed from this picture. Jon Gudnason - Placerville, CA
Rest assured Jon, there is no flashing as this was thrown onto the condo after the exteriors were completed. Why this is deemed okay is beyond me. Since it was brand new construction I identified the hanger flaws to further illustrate the shoddy workmanship. Since it was an out of state client I have become an advocate as the build has stretched to the 2 year point and they are finally going to close next week. Michael Leavitt - Orem, Utah
So is the installation wrong? Should it be corrected? Will the city building officials point out the poor installation and require repairs? Unfortunately the answers are yes, yes, and no. The Certificate of Occupancy was issued last Friday and the home is closing this coming Friday. There is no flashing and the joist hangars are incorrectly installed.
Let’s take a look at the Simpson Strong Ties installation guidelines. Remember, they are the ones who engineered the hangars and they dictate the load values associated with the bracket. It is a logical assumption that when they put this device through the formal testing that they did not have the joist a half inch up off the bottom of the seat.
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General Instructions for the Installer
 These general instructions for the installer are provided to ensure proper selection and installation of Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc. products and must be followed carefully. These general instructions are in addition to the specific installation instructions and notes provided for each particular product, all of which should be consulted prior to and during installation of Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc. products.
- All specified fasteners must be installed according to the instructions in this catalog. Incorrect fastener quantity, size, type, material, or finish may cause the connection to fail.
- 16d fasteners are common nails (0.162" dia. x 3 1/2" long) and cannot be replaced with 16d sinkers (0.148" dia. x 3 1/4" long) for full load value unless otherwise specified.
- Screws may not be used to replace nails in connectors.
- When using stainless steel connectors, use stainless steel fasteners. When using ZMAX®/HDG galvanized connectors, use fasteners galvanized per ASTM A153.
- Fill all fastener holes as specified in the installation instructions for that product. Refer to Simpson’s Fastener Guide for the requirements of the various shaped fastener holes.
- Do not overdrive nails. Overdriven nails reduce shear capacity.
- Use the materials specified in the installation instructions. Substitution of or failure to use specified materials may cause the connection to fail.
- Do not add fastener holes or otherwise modify Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc. products. The performance of modified products may be substantially weakened. Simpson will not warrant or guarantee the performance of such modified products.
- Install products in the position specified in the catalog.
- Do not alter installation procedures from those set forth in this catalog.
- The proper use of certain products requires that the product be bent. For those products, installers must not bend the product more than one time (one full cycle).
- Bolt holes shall be at least a minimum of 1/32" and no more than a maximum of 1/16" larger than the bolt diameter (per the 2001 NDS, section 11.1.2. and AISI NASPEC, section E3a if applicable).
- Install all specified fasteners before loading the connection.
- Some hardened fasteners may have premature failure if exposed to moisture. The fasteners are recommended to be used in dry interior applications.
- Use proper safety equipment.
- Welding galvanized steel may produce harmful fumes; follow proper welding procedures and safety precautions. Welding should be in accordance with A.W.S. (American Welding Society) standards. Unless otherwise noted Simpson connectors cannot be welded.
- Pneumatic or powder-actuated fasteners may deflect and injure the operator or others. Pneumatic nail tools may be used to install connectors, provided the correct quantity and type of nails (length and diameter) are properly installed in the nail holes. Tools with nail hole-locating mechanisms should be used. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and use the appropriate safety equipment. Overdriving nails may reduce allowable loads. Contact Simpson. Powder-actuated fasteners should not be used to install connectors.
 Joist shall bear completely on the connector seat, and the gap between the joist end and the header shall not exceed 1/8” per ICC-ES AC261 and ASTM D1761 test standards.
- For holdowns, anchor bolt nuts should be finger-tight plus 1/3 to 1/2 turn with a hand wrench, with consideration given to possible future wood shrinkage. Care should be taken to not over-torque the nut. Impact wrenches should not be used as they may preload the holdown.
- Holdowns and HTT tension ties may be raised off the sill when specified by the designer. They may also be raised as dictated by field conditions to accommodate a mislocated anchor bolt provided that: 1) the holdown is not raised more than 18" from the top of the concrete, 2) the anchor bolt is offset no more than 1 1/2" from the centerline of the holdown, and 3) the holdown is raised at least 3" for each 1/4" that the bolt is offset from the centerline of the holdown (anchor bolt slope shall be no greater than 1:12). Some products have increased deflection or load reductions when raised off of the sill (see tables and footnotes of Holdown products for applicability) and if so the Designer should be contacted for approval.
- Strong-Drive Screws are permitted to be installed through metal truss plates as approved by the Truss Designer, provided the retirements of ANSI/TPI 1-2002 Section 8.10 are met (pre-drilling required).
- For cold-formed steel applications to the beginning of, all screws shall be installed in accordance with the screw manufacturer’s recommendations. All screws shall penetrate and protrude through the joined materials a minimum of 3 full exposed threads per AISI Standard for Cold Formed Steel Framing - General Provisions, section D1.3, if applicable.
- Do not weld products listed in this catalog unless this publication specifically identifies a product as acceptable for welding, or unless specific approval for welding is provided in writing by Simpson. Some steels have poor weldability and a tendency to crack when welded. Cracked steel will not carry load and must be replaced. See Simpson's Hanger Options Matrix and Hanger Option General Notes for hangers that may be welded.
http://www.strongtie.com/productuse/installer.html
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This “Hall of Shame” photo and information was compiled by Michael Leavitt.  Michael is the owner of Michael Leavitt & Co Inspections, Inc. in Orem, Utah. Michael is the current Chairman, Past-President, and Master Inspector certified by the American Institute of Inspectors, a national trade association for inspectors. Michael can be reached at Michael@TheHomeInspector.com.
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