Diagonal metal straps run across the joist tops and back to the house resist lateral sway better than knee bracing alone — and routing them into shallow recesses lets the decking lie flat over them.
Lumber heights vary, so hangers set to a common bottom leave the tops wavy. A scrap-2x4 fence with pre-set screws lets you pull each joist flush to the beam top first — then the hanger locks in whatever the top needs.
A 2×4 spacer on the back of the stringer — screwed through into every stud with structural screws — holds the stringer off the wall, so drywall or a skirt board slips into the gap later instead of being scribed around the stairs.
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