Stand question - adding support to a cabinet?

[Leanan]

I'm curious whether or not it would be doable (or advisable) to turn an IKEA cabinet into a tank stand, maybe by adding a sheet of plywood to the back and adding some metal L brackets on the inside? The cabinet is similar to this one: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S69207828/

And the inside looks like this, with a support in the middle: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90294512/

The tank is only 20 gallons, so I'm hoping it isn't too crazy of an idea.

Thoughts? Thanks so much in advance!

 

[Sacohen]

That is certainly doable, but I don't even know if it's needed.
A 20 gallon tank is going to be about 200lbs.
Check how much weight the cabinet is rated for and then think about it.

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[mcgyvr]

Sure its entirely possible to reinforce or use as is a "non-aquarium" stand.. See where its weak and build it up..

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

One thing that may be a challenge is waterproofing. Most knockdown furniture has unfinished edges on panels that don't show, and is made from press board. It's a great way to make cheap furniture but its also not going to be very durable in an environment that gets wet.

 

[JTL]

^ agree. I would seal every joint with silicone and be sure to paint the bottom with some waterproof sealer or primer.

 

[prsnlty]

One thing that may be a challenge is waterproofing. Most knockdown furniture has unfinished edges on panels that don't show, and is made from press board. It's a great way to make cheap furniture but its also not going to be very durable in an environment that gets wet.

^ agree. I would seal every joint with silicone and be sure to paint the bottom with some waterproof sealer or primer.

+1 It's definitely doable but you must seal any locations that could allow water to get to the pressboard surface that includes any screw locations. I would also put a 4-6" strip of plywood screwed across the top and the bottom back to give it some extra strength and to be sure to keep it square. Make sure that they also are screwed into the top and bottom shelf along with the sides.



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[Leanan]

Ok great! Thanks so much for the replies.

The TV version of this cabinet is rated for 110 pounds, and I can't find a rating for our actual cabinet so I figured I would go with that; so for a 200 pound tank, it looks like I will need to reinforce it.

Any specific suggestions for how to reinforce it, other than plywood across the back? Should I do anything inside? I'm trying to leave the maximum amount of open space inside the cabinet itself, otherwise I'd just load it up with some 2x4s for peace of mind.

We're actually using the cabinet for board games, and the tank is going to be an all in one tank on top, so there won't be any plumbing or anything inside the cabinet/stand. I will definitely seal it up to prevent water from damaging the stand or our stuff inside.

 

[prsnlty]

If you want some extra piece of mind and still keep it roomy inside, you can screw in some knee joints basically those are wood triangles that will go below and help support the upper shelf. You would screw one end into the shelf and the other corner into the side wall. Do this in all 4 corners. You could also use L brackets instead of wood. I think it would be fine otherwise because your interior already has a center support.

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[der_wille_zur_macht]

I think before we can suggest anything, you should let us know what tools you have and/or what materials or approaches you are comfortable with. Also might want to show us a few close up pics of the actual unit so we can see the current structure. Otherwise we are taking shots in the dark that might not be feasible.