deckjoists
I am building 12'x14' detached deck in backyard and away from the house. Frame will be of pressure treated wood sitting on gravel pad. Essentially a rectangle build of 4×6 with one 4×6 in the middle and 8 2×6 joists spaced 16" OC.
Since I have solid support under the entire frame, do I still need joist hangers or is it ok to just use nails at the angle from inside (toe-nail)?
If so, what is recommended nail size? Ideally, I would like to use nail gun to quickly attach those joists.
I guess I'm curious why you wouldn't simplify the layout like this:
Yellow = deck joists
Green = support beams
Your decking would run diagonally over the joists. If you use 2x boards for decking, that should be fine if the joists are 16" on center. If you want to use 5/4 decking, you should probably put the joists 12" on center so that the diagonal run is closer to 16".
It shouldn't be too difficult to pull that bow out, and the screws should hold it in place. I'd use a rope with a cinch loop or a ratchet strap to pull it all together, then run your screws in.
Seeing as you're pulling from end-grain you may have a hard time doing it with just screws. They might strip.
Best Answer
You don't need joist hangers. Joist hangers are for use in spots where you're unable to put the nails directly through the frame into the joist already.
I built a shed with much the same construction, only my base frame sits on 2 6xx treated railroad ties embedded in the gravel bed, and I haven't had any problems.