cuda;644935; said:
Well I meant 2nd floor as in main floor with basement.........Either way if your adding plenty of additional support then you could try it. GoodLuck.......
How big is too big!! (floor)
- Thread starter cuda
- Start date
Well I meant 2nd floor as in main floor with basement.........Either way if your adding plenty of additional support then you could try it. GoodLuck.......
Be carefull, with a 180, I believe that is around 250-300 lbs, going to be extremely tuff moving that downstairs. Hopefully you will find a walkout basement!
I think unless your house was built 20-30 years ago, you'd be fine with your average 180g. Think about it. For the sake of argument lets say the tank will weigh 1lb per gallon when filled, which works out to 1800lbs divided over 1728 square inches, or about 1.04lbs per square inch. Let's say you're an average man weighing in at 200lbs with a size 12 shoe, for the sake or argument. Go ahead and stand on one foot. You've just exerted more force per square inch of space than that 180g.
Tainted Glory;645047; said:
While that is true, that 200lbs. man is not going to stand there on one foot for months and years. All my larger tanks have floor jacks reinforcing the floor joists under them. Just to relieve that extra weight on them. When I resell my house, I don't want to risk the possibility of trying to sell a home with sagging floors.
There is some really weird math going on here, and the physics of water has changed too. It looks like it is time to rewrite all those text books.
Water USE TO weigh 8.33 pounds per gallon. That would make 180 gallons of water 1500 pounds. If on a 2x8 foot print, that breaks down to 93.75 lb/ft^2, or .65 lb/in^2. A wood stand will keep the weight within acceptable loading. An iron stand will not.
Also,
There are 144 in^2 in a square foot
There are 1728 in^3 in a cubic foot
Water USE TO weigh 8.33 pounds per gallon. That would make 180 gallons of water 1500 pounds. If on a 2x8 foot print, that breaks down to 93.75 lb/ft^2, or .65 lb/in^2. A wood stand will keep the weight within acceptable loading. An iron stand will not.
Also,
There are 144 in^2 in a square foot
There are 1728 in^3 in a cubic foot
boisblancboy;644078; said:
I think you are underestimating the supporting strength of a slab. The standard thickness is four inches, the same as a driveway. If you can park a truck on a driveway, you can park a truck on a slab. Most monster tanks will have no issues on a slab, especially anything most of us can afford.
Btw, the parking garage that I normally park in has three inch decks. Slabs are evenly supported by the ground too (just food for thought).
I never said anything about a slab and its strength. Of course a slab of concrete would support more, doesnt mean you cant use something else to do the supporting. If you have a monster tank, you DONT need a slab.
I agree that it depends a lot on the footprint of the tank and stand. The more joists you can cross the better. My dad's house is almost 100 years old, and he had a waterbed on the second floor for at least 10 years with no problem. Waterbeds are more spread out, though. If you build a stand that is larger then the footprint of the tank, and make it decorative so it doesn't look like crap (like my 75 on my 220 stand) the house will have an easier time supporting the weight. And, if you have a crawlspace, like me, spend the $8 on cinder block and support the floor
boisblancboy;645439; said:
Now you are confusing me. What did you mean with post #5? I am not reading it the way you meant to say it. Reguardless, we are both in agreement that you don't have to have a slab.
