Connecting joists to beams

[dabaldie]

I've just built a big deck outside with 4x2 C24 treated timber, (asked for C16 but hey not complaining).
Anyway i did all the calcs and checked spacings. Max span of beam (1.2m) Max span of joist 1.2m. Spacing of joists 600mm (approx).
Anyway, my question is what should i have used to connect the joists? I've used hangers wher i cant get to the back of the wall plate, and the rest i've screwed through with 3 m8 screws at each end. Is that enough?.. what are the ramifications of a small gap between the joist ends and the side of the beam? (just enough so you can see the screws?)

 

[petewood]

I'm not an expert at this but I would have thought it would be better to use hangers all round. Screwing into end-grain is not ideal, and also if a joint is pulled up tight you are counting on the friction between the surfaces to reduce the chance of the screws shearing. Although I doubt whether M8's would shear very easily, surely it would be better to use hangers at about 60p each.