Help with Floor reinforcement

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
if the floor is soft dirt, put a piece of ply wood under the bracing. the pole jack isn't a bad idea. but it will be more expensive than just wood bracing.

parallel or perpendicular is really the big question (tank to the floor joists)

has the tank been set up for a while?
 
If it's a crawl space I would go with cinder block personally. You can get them cheep and if you add them to everyother joist it's going to be strong as hell.
 
Chelydra Serpentina;2648059; said:
if the floor is soft dirt, put a piece of ply wood under the bracing. the pole jack isn't a bad idea. but it will be more expensive than just wood bracing.

parallel or perpendicular is really the big question (tank to the floor joists)

has the tank been set up for a while?
Click to expand...

perpendicular to the stand. This way your your stand is distributing the weight more evenly throughout the whole stand onto lots of joists, instead of just 2 or 3.

don't forget to pack the dirt and bring your levels :)
 
Do not place jacks on plywood or any other type of wood. They will rot over time and fail. Either dig it up and pour a footing (best method) or use a good thick concrete paver or a specially made concrete deck block. Do not use a regular concrete block, they are not designed to carry this type of load and may fail.

A floor jack will fit right down in this block:

DSCF1339.JPG


You should also not use 2x4s or 4x4s for beams. They just don't have the lateral strength to withstand the test of time.

Sandwich two 2x6s or two 2x8s together to make a beam for a tank that size if you feel it is needed. You can also go the extra mile and sandwich a 3/4" piece of OSB or Plywood in the middle which is commonly done in headers above doors, windows and garage doors.

mkh987.jpg
 
Bud8Fan, couldn't have said it better.....

The plywood is absolutely a bad idea... moisture, critters and weight will cause it to fail over time. Cinder blocks, Concrete footings and/or concrete pad/paver will be your best option. If you can't afford the jacks, use a 4x4 or 4x6 (pressure treated would be better but costs a bit more). Then rip a 4x4 into separate wedges (shims)... when you go underneath the house, stand the supports on end (on the pad) and use a couple of mallets to lightly knock the wedges in opposing directions til they (wedges) fill up the gap and tighten/secure the upright in place. You can take some 3" galvanized screws to secure them in place. Depends how paranoid you are, you can do this every joist and a couple of feet apart on each joist.

*** watch out for spiders! *** I hate spiders that's why I haven't done my own house! :eek: ***
 
Pole jacks run about $20-$25 bux here. I just used a solid landscaping brick under my pole jack and like mentioned earlier an 8 by 8, or like mentioned above sandwich 2x6s or 2x8s.

I supported my floor for well under $50.

Now I just have to get people to agree with me that if properly supported there's no reason I can't have a 750 gallon in my living room..........LOL
 
Hey you guys...

So in my house is 4x6 joists that are about 4.5 feet apart and my fish tank sits just in the middle of the 2 joists.
What I've done is I have built a Polymer Reinforcement about 3 feet away from the wall because the tank sits right next to the wall.
Tell me what you guys think of this? This should be just ok i hope.
 
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