Did you brace your floor?

[joeyg4583]

If you braced your floor yourself how intensive was the process? Would you DIY again? Approximately how much were your materials? Were there any issues I should know about? If you contracted someone to brace it for you how much did you pay (if you don't mind telling) and how long did it take? If you had it to do over would you DIY or hire someone? I am considering buying a 300 gallon tank with a hundred gallon sump and putting it on the first floor (over a basement) of a two year old house. Its footprint is five feet x three feet. I have not done extensive investigation of our structure yet but I am pretty sure we will need to brace floor for piece of mind if nothing else. Thanks for any help you can give. I am kind of clueless in this subject.

Sherina

 

[MSU Fan]

I have heard that anything over 125g should be braced. There are a number of ways to do it, including putting in a post, or sistering the joists.

Make sure that the joists run perpendicular to the length of the tank. I would also sister all the joists in the area around it as well. Someone else will need to chime in on the need for stabilizing posts.

 

[bbrantley]

Re: Did you brace your floor?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11731765#post11731765 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by joeyg4583
If you braced your floor yourself how intensive was the process? Would you DIY again? Approximately how much were your materials? Were there any issues I should know about? If you contracted someone to brace it for you how much did you pay (if you don't mind telling) and how long did it take? If you had it to do over would you DIY or hire someone? I am considering buying a 300 gallon tank with a hundred gallon sump and putting it on the first floor (over a basement) of a two year old house. Its footprint is five feet x three feet. I have not done extensive investigation of our structure yet but I am pretty sure we will need to brace floor for piece of mind if nothing else. Thanks for any help you can give. I am kind of clueless in this subject.

Sherina

I braced my floor. It required a structural engineer, significant work in the (finished) basement including additional steel beams, and doubled-up joists in the tank room's floor. My house is also new like yours. I asked the engineer to design for 20,000 pounds of extra load.

You haven't really given us enough information to help you decide what to do, I'm afraid. Things I would want to know before deciding what to do:

1. The house is new. That's better than an old house, but what is the joist composition, span, and spacing?

2. Where will the tank be placed relative to the span? Near a load-bearing vertical component, or right in the middle?

3. How easy is it/comfortable are you with adding vertical supports, under the appropriate joists, in your basement? Is it even possible?

I will say that it's extremely unlikely that 400 gallons would cause an out-and-out failure. Your floor will easily handle much more than that. The greater risk is just deflection, which can cause all kinds of annoying problems with your floor and walls.

Tell us more.

Ben

 

[tylorarm]

I also hired a structural engineer although had a much easier job than bbrantley who did a first class job. Mine was for 1st floor with crawl space underneath. I got two quotes for plans from SE, one wanted $2000 the other $350, i went with the latter. The reinforcement was pretty simple but labor intensive. Two 2' cement cubes about 4ft apart with 6"x6" posts vertically that support triple microlam beem that runs horizontally supporting the 2"x12" joists (beam is perpendicular to joists).

 

[joeyg4583]

Thanks for the input so far. I will get more info and write again.

 

[Krazy]

I ran a 6x6x6 timber under my 210 with porta posts rated for 15000 a piece. (I have a crawlspace)

Everything is level and solid above.

Cost me about $200 for everything

 

[asm481]

AN ENGINEER! They scare the heck out of me. Always way overboard. With a basement a couple 2x4's and a couple porta posts and you are all set. The existing floor will do most of the work just shore it up to stop the shakes. Get the 2x4's perpendicular to the floor joists and you are good to go.

 

[woodycb]

2x4's shims and a 12 pack.

 

[Nuuze]

I asked the same thing here...
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1335215

Any info for DIY would be greatly apprecieated! Or should find someone that knows how to do it.

 

[hatfielj]

I reinforced my floor in pretty much the same manner as "Krazy" described above. I bought two steel adjustable floor jacks from homedepot for like 15 bucks each. THen I bought a 4X4 and ran it across the floor joists perpendicular. My floor was completely solid after that and I never worried once about reflection or bouncing when I walked by the tank. I think this method would work fine for most tanks under 300 or 400gals. If you want to go bigger than that I would consult an expert.

 

[Nuuze]

hatfielj,

Did you use anything under your jacks? My crawl space has dirt and it's a little muddy when I checked today.

 

[creep]

I am planning on using some auto jack stands rated at 3 tons with 2X4's running perpendicular to my floor joists. My 180 will be up against a load bearing wall. I too have a crawl space with dirt. I plan on getting some 1.5" or 2" thick Paver stones that are 1'X1' square to put under each jack. The whole thing should cost me around $100 and be able to hold up much more than I could ever make the tank weigh.

 

[Nuuze]

Just happen to be selling some frags to a local a couple hours ago that does contruction for a living.

He says the 2x4's or 2x6's running perpendicular too. But he recommends cement blocks instead of jacks. He said cement blocks will last longer than jacks. He also said if you want it even stronger build a frame of 2x4 or 2x6 and put 4 cement blocks. For a base with dirt since mine is muddy right now is to either pour 3-4 inches of cement or rocks to keep it steady around the blocks.

I may just have him to do it for me...

 

[zaireguy]

I used three 10,000 lbs jacks under mine

 

[Reefugee]

I would not use hydraulic jacks. Use the screw jacks (also called lolly jacks).

 

[carlso63]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11992961#post11992961 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nuuze
hatfielj,

Did you use anything under your jacks? My crawl space has dirt and it's a little muddy when I checked today.

I'm doing pretty much the same thing to brace the floor for my new 225 that Krazy and hatfielj are doing; for the dirt floor in the crawlspace go to HD and get those preformed concrete 4 X 4 bases they use to hold up an outdoor deck (they look like a pyramid with the top flattened). 1 for each floor jack, and they are like $5 each and work great!