Any structual engineers out there? I am wanting to put a 125 gallon tank on the second level. Tank weighs 250 pounds plus about 9 pounds per gallon of water. Just wondering if anyone knows what a typical floor on that level can hold? There also is a 75 gallon tank around the corner right now, so please take that into consideration. Thanks.
Will the floor hold...
- Thread starter born2lovefish
- Start date
If its a newer house and the tank is placed perpendicular to the floor joists you shouldn't have any problems.
Keeper
Keeper
to be 100% correct even a engineer cant give you a correct answer if they cant see what the joists look like.....
do you rent?
do you have renters insurance?
if you answer yes to both do it
do you own?
have good homeowners insurance?
yes to both = do it
do you have renters insurance?
if you answer yes to both do it
do you own?
have good homeowners insurance?
yes to both = do it
Nic;1877282; said:
I'm a mechanical engineering major and I do realize that. When we moved into the house 3 years ago, we added more insulation ourselves. My dad says he remembers the joists are running perpendicular in the place I want to put it. He is worried because the treadmill is about 15 feet across the room and is afraid when someone runs on it that is might stress the other side of the room too much. The house is about 10 years old, but is a decent built house. It would be sitting close to an outside wall also. I think it will be fine. I think my dad is trying to come up with a way so I can not put it up there........
My 300 gallon is on the second floor of our school (right above the lunchroom). It's been there since September and the floor hasn't caved in yet!
The real danger with big tanks on the second floor isn't that you will have catostrophic failure but rather leaks. A hundred gallons of water leaking onto an upstairs floor is going to ruin the upstairs flooring, the drywall ceiling downstairs, ruin the downstairs flooring, mildew the insulation, and could even get really dangerous if it got into your wiring. Double all that for saltwater.
The real danger with big tanks on the second floor isn't that you will have catostrophic failure but rather leaks. A hundred gallons of water leaking onto an upstairs floor is going to ruin the upstairs flooring, the drywall ceiling downstairs, ruin the downstairs flooring, mildew the insulation, and could even get really dangerous if it got into your wiring. Double all that for saltwater.
The only way to know is to just give it a shot. If you come home from work the next day and the tank is on the 1st floor instead of the 2nd then you will know that it prolly wasn't a great idea...........Just kidding, I am not an engineer so I am of no true help to you. 
Dan Feller;1877672; said:
Your school has a concrete floor and steel beams, so it can handle the weight.