When properly installed, joist hangers can keep your floors and decks secure and in good condition. While structural nails are typically used to fasten joist hangers, you may be wondering if screws can be used instead. You can use screws explicitly made for joist hangers. …

While standard bricks are generally solid in form, you may come across bricks from time to time that have holes in them. It’s important to understand why some bricks have holes and how that might affect any sort of structure they are expected to uphold. …

There are a few kinds of joints that are incorporated in concrete slabs. Two of the most common are control joints and construction joints. They sound similar, but are they the same? What is the difference between control joints and construction joints?  Control joints are …

Have you ever heard the term brick veneer and wondered what the difference is between it and regular brick? Is brick veneer made from a different type of brick, or perhaps a thinner or hollow brick? In reality, the terms “brick” and “brick veneer have …

Typically, information on anchor bolt spacing will be contained within your construction drawing set. If you don’t have a set of drawings to work from, you’ll want to reference your local building code for information. According to the International Building Code (IBC), the maximum spacing …

Floor area and lot area are two terms commonly used in zoning analysis. While often used in combination to determine other areas or ratios – such as Floor Area Ratio (FAR), for example – the two have distinct differences and are defined differently by code. …