Found that wet-brushing joist hangers before nailing actually saves time

I build decks in Austin and always fought with those joist hanger nails bending sideways or not seating right. Old timer at the lumber yard told me to dip the brush in water and hit the nailing holes before driving them. Figured he was full of it but tried it on a 14x20 deck last Tuesday. Nails went in clean every time, no more cussing and prying out bent nails. Anyone else use this trick or got a better method?

3 comments

3 Comments

gonzalez.vera7d ago

Does the wet brush trick mess with the wood's moisture content enough to cause issues later?

ivanjones7d ago

Yeah I used to be one of those guys that thought water and wood don't mix on the job site. But after fighting with a batch of those nails last spring I figured what the hell and tried it. Been doing it ever since and haven't had a bent nail problem since.

morgan.charlie7d ago

@ivanjones is right, the wet brush trick works great. It won't cause rot if you aren't soaking the whole joist.