A furniture joint that's working loose or a framing member that took a hit creates a structural problem that carpentry adhesive alone won't fix — you need a mending plate to hold the joint while the adhesive cures and take the load thereafter. This 2-1/2-inch steel mending plate has multiple nail holes along its length so you can fasten both sides of a separating joint without concentrating stress at one point. The 2-1/2-inch length spans the joint without being so large that it's hard to hide under finish trim. Zinc-plated steel gives you enough corrosion resistance for interior use and protected exterior applications without the cost of hot-dip galvanizing. The 14-gauge steel is heavy enough to actually reinforce a weak joint — lighter gauge plates bend before they transfer any meaningfu Stocked at Crofton Lumber and Akron Lumber.