Floor + weight = ?

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muffywrx

muffywrx

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 15, 2011
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lincoln, NE
Here is a pic of the underside of my floor ...

IMG_5548 by muffywrx, on Flickr

And here is what is on top.

IMG_5546 by muffywrx, on Flickr

The tank on the right is full already and is a 60 gal and is against a foundation wall. The 125 on the back wall is also against a foundation wall. The 75 on the left is half full and on a wall, but not a supporting wall.

Have never heard of tanks falling through the floor, and the boards seem sturdy, but just want everyone's two cents. Don't really want to build up my floor if I don't have to.
 
You don't state what size your floor joists are or what the span is between them.

Also, in the 1st pic, the floor joist next to the heat register ductwork is missing a large chunk near the foundation wall. That can't be good no matter how many tanks you have in that room.
 
That's because I'm not a construction person, and I'm female. I don't know anything about this stuff. I did notice the chunk missing, but am unsure about it. How can I reinforce it?
 
So far I have 2 tanks full. A 60 and a 75. Waiting to fill the 125 until further notice, but it is pretty stable thus far. Now I'm just scared to fill the 125 where it goes paralell with the floor beams instead of perpendicular. But it is against the foundation wall. So I dont know. That's why I am asking for advice.Look like 2X4s to me I guess, and they are about maybe 16-18" apart just by looking at them, but then again I'm just guessing and I can't find my tape measure.
 
I know how it is, I can never find my big tape measure and I've got 4 of them.

BTW, I am also female but do have a general knowledge of construction.

I would measure the width (thin part) & height (top to bottom) of the joists. They don't look like 2x4's in the picture but if they are, I wouldn't recommend filling any more tanks with water. Of course, this is only with the info you have already supplied us.

I would definitely sister another joist from the foundation wall to the beam. That just means that you would purchase another joist long enough to reach the top of the foundation wall and the top of the beam AND then use adhesive and lag bolts (big screws with a hex shaped head) to secure the new joist to the old joist. The new joist should be the same size (2x6 or 2x8,etc) as the old joist.

Also, are there any kind of vertical supports under the main beam in your crawlspace or basement? Is it a dirt floor, gravel or concrete?
 
You might be able to fill the 125 after the repair to the damaged joist is done properly even though the tank will be sitting parallel to the floor joists. A lot depends on the existing spacing between the joists and whether they are large enough for the weight of all your tanks.

Why not wait to take accurate measurements of your existing floor structure and also for anyone else that may see something that I have missed. I'd rather you be safe than sorry. I don't know when your house was built or if this room was part of the original structure or was converted from a porch or was built with sub standard joist sizes.

Sorry I can't be more helpful with the current info I've got.
 
Yeah if those are only 2x4s I would be worried. Especially with the 125 full, as it would be parallel to the joists. I actually almost scrapped the idea of a 125 upstairs in my house, and that was perpendicular to the joists, and my floor joists are at least 2x10 and are closer together.

I would have a professional look into this. There's only so much people on the internet can do to help you.
 
Okay, moved the 125 to the new addon "laundry room" that I use as an office and has a quick drain pipe right behind it for easy water changing :D Fill ups not so sure as I would need a dual piped thingy to attach and then I'd have to make sure the temp of the hot and cold mixing was proper. But anyway, Here is a pic!

IMG_5549.JPG
 
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