6x2x2 safe to be on basement floor ? 180 Gallon

[Podzy]

Hey ,

So i live in a sub basement apartment of a 4 storey apartment building. I recently purchased a 180 gallon tank. My apartment is technically below
ground just the windows are ground level. I am a bit nervous regarding the floor because I don't know exactly what is underneath it.

It's wooden tiling and the building appears to have been build in the 50's i would say. Is there anything i should be worried about regarding the floor in the basement ?

 

[Podzy]

Just to be clear , the tank will be on a stand. Not directly on the floor.

 

[Podzy]

Just to be clear , the tank will be on a stand. Not directly on the floor.

 

[lardieleftover]

I would try and find out if concrete below you. Never go wrong making floor stronger

 

[Drstrangelove]

You are in what is called a partial basement. Do you have any steel poles or thick columns in your apartment? Can you see any I-beams in the ceiling?

My guess is your walls and floor are reinforced concrete as the alternatives would be unlikely in a partial basement of a 4-story. (Probably cinder blocks with rebar and poured concrete for walls and a reinforced concrete slab for a floor. I'd think maybe some support columns with I-beams to support the top 3 floors.)

There are 4-story buildings that have crawl spaces (a space of 2-3 feet between the building and the ground, so in that case it means the bottom floor is not a slab.) Especially useful in areas that have a high water table or very hard ground to dig in, but the building still rests on concrete and steel footings that are driven into bedrock or deep into the ground. In some seismic areas they use large pylons underneath the structures as well. It's not a cleared foundation however----the dirt is still there and the building is just built above it. In your case, they dug out a foundation (if only down 5 feet) and put a floor and walls there.

The main problem with the floor being wood is that below ground wood in direct contact with soil suffers from rot and termites. Wood works fine a few feet above ground or with concrete between it and the ground. But for 40-60 years against the ground it's not so good. It's possible but really not a way to build a foundation that I can make sense out of.

 

[Podzy]

You are in what is called a partial basement. Do you have any steel poles or thick columns in your apartment? Can you see any I-beams in the ceiling?

My guess is your walls and floor are reinforced concrete as the alternatives would be unlikely in a partial basement of a 4-story. (Probably cinder blocks with rebar and poured concrete for walls and a reinforced concrete slab for a floor.) There are 4-story buildings that have crawl spaces (meaning the bottom floor is not a slab), especially in areas that have a high water table, but the building rests on concrete and steel footings that are driven into bedrock or deep into the ground. In some seismic areas they use large pylons underneath the structures as well.

The main problem with wood below ground is wood rot and termites. Wood works fine a few feet above ground or with concrete between it and the ground. But for 40-60 years against the ground it's not so good. It's possible but really not a way to build a foundation that I can make sense out of.

It's a completely finished apartment , I can't tell exactly what beams have been used in it. So what you are saying is that it is highly unlikely anything other then concrete and steel have been used ? I managed to pull up one of the wooden tiles and it appears to be some sort of cement or concrete , however it does crush quite easily almost grinds into a fine powder almost grey in color.

 

[Drstrangelove]

It's a completely finished apartment , I can't tell exactly what beams have been used in it. So what you are saying is that it is highly unlikely anything other then concrete and steel have been used ? I managed to pull up one of the wooden tiles and it appears to be some sort of cement or concrete , however it does crush quite easily almost grinds into a fine powder almost grey in color.

That sounds like the mortar used to adhere the tiles to the concrete. Cured concrete does not grind into a fine powder unless you are using a machine to do it. If you take a bat and lightly pound the floor (where the tile was) it should sound similar to pounding a cement sidewalk or a driveway. (It's not scientific, but I think you get my drift.) A wooden mallet could be used, but avoid a hammer for safety reasons.

 

[Podzy]

I don't have a bat handy but i got about a cm through the mortar and have gotten to a point i can not get any further.
I might be over paranoid , but based on what you have heard so far does it sound safe enough to place my 180 gallon and stand on ?
if all else fails I do have renters insurance. lol

 

[Drstrangelove]

I don't have a bat handy but i got about a cm through the mortar and have gotten to a point i can not get any further.
I might be over paranoid , but based on what you have heard so far does it sound safe enough to place my 180 gallon and stand on ?
if all else fails I do have renters insurance. lol

http://home-building.wonderhowto.co...ic-tile-concrete-using-thinset-mortar-285228/

This is what the mortar looks like when it's applied. No one can say sight unseen with certainty, but I'd assume it's a slab. If the 180 gallon is on a stand and the stand will hold the 180, the slab will hold them both. Just be sure the wood tiles are protected if the table has small metal footings.

 

[Podzy]

You've been a great help , Much appreciated . Its a wooden stand , brand new came with the tank . I am thinking to place a plywood sheet under it to distribute the weight load evenly across the floor.