The Easy Way to Perfectly Aligned Joists
I remember well my first experience with joist hangers: variations in lumber width cost me hours of extra work. I learned my lesson, but frankly, getting the joist tops aligned can still be a lot of work, especially if you are working alone.

Now there is a better way. Clamp the heavy-duty Joist Jaw to the top edge of a joist at either end, then rest the protruding finger on top of the rim joist, beam, or ledger strip. The finger will support the joist at exactly the right position, allowing you to achieve the desired alignment before fastening the joist in position using hangers. When finished, unclamp the Joist Jaw, and repeat the process on the next joist. Very fast, very easy, and very slick! Clamp capacity: maximum joist size is 1-1/2".

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