Choose a flat connector plate long and wide enough to span the joint and place several fixings into solid timber on each side of the join. As a rule the plate should reach well past the joint line so the fixings are not crowded at the edge, and its width should suit the timber face without overhanging. Thicker plates carry more load, so step up for structural rather than light joints.

Galvanised flat connectors are suitable for outdoor and roofing use because the zinc coating protects the steel from rust in exposed and humid conditions. For permanent weather exposure, coastal air or ground contact, hot-dip galvanised or stainless steel plates give a longer service life. Dry indoor joints in furniture or interior framing can use standard galvanised or bright steel.

Fix flat mending plates with wood screws or connector nails through the pre-punched holes, placing fixings into both pieces of timber either side of the joint. For a joint that must resist bending or pulling apart, fit a matching plate on both faces so the timber is sandwiched and the load is shared. Fill enough holes on each side rather than only one or two.

A flat connector is not strong enough when the two pieces meet at an angle or the joint carries load out of the plane of the plate, because a flat plate only reinforces timbers lying in the same surface. Use an angle bracket for right-angle or corner joints and a beam shoe where one timber must be carried by another. GeZu Impex stocks flat plates, angle brackets and beam connectors together so you can match the connector to the joint.