Tank weight help!!!!

[jcck1]

you could build a small(2x4) frame and cover it with 3/4 plywood and let it help spread your load or even 2 -3/4 sheets of plywood the same dimensions of your stand and you will be fine

I have been a carpenter for 35 years and I hope this helps

Jim

 

[JCURRY@WESKETCH]

Mott this situation is really bad even without the weight of the tank. A joist or beam should NEVER be notched below the middle of the beam. It's true you that you can notch beams and drill holes in them without effecting their strength. But there are limitations to where and how much you can safely notch joists and beams.
My suggestion would be to first temporarily remove the existing copper pipe. Then sister a new joist of the same size next to each of the existing ones and nail them together. Then reinstall the copper pipe by drilling through the center of each joist with the smallest possible hole necessary. It's the cheapest way to do it and doesn't take a lot of skill. The hardest part will be soldering the new joints on the pipe.

A little tip when sistering joists: Since the new joist will be slightly taller than the original when you tilt it up into place cut about 1/4" off the top corner of the new joist at a 45 degree angle. It doesn't affect the strength of the joist and makes it easier to install.

 

[JCURRY@WESKETCH]

Oh and an added note on floor structure, houses built after 1950 are required to have floors that can support 40 lbs / sq. ft. and 30 lbs / sq. ft. for bedrooms. So a 150G tank weighing 1600 lbs would be 133 lbs / sq. ft. Over 3x the allowable loading for a residential floor built to code. So I would suggest that people look into reinforcing their floors for large tanks. There are lots of different ways to doing it depending on the situation. So consult a professional architect or engineer if your contemplating an upgrade.

For houses built before 1950 anything is game so never assume the floor will hold.

Also the "building code" (here in NJ it's the 2000 IRC) is he bare minimum requirements for construction. So in other words....If the house was built any worse it would be illegal.

 

[dugg]

You put more pressure on those joist when you walk across the floor then the tank will put on them. You have to figure in the pounds per square inch. You will be fine with what you have. How do you think you can put a waterbed in an upstairs room? A waterbed is far more than 150 gallons. If you can't help but worry about it, and you shouldn't, bolt 2x6's to the existing joist, right up against the floor running with the existing boards. This will stiffen them considerably.

I have done tons of constuction, and trust me, if that floor won't hold the tank, your house should be condemned before someone falls through it walking through the room. I would worry far more about a tank flood running down on the pool table then the floor giving.

 

[smorrow5773]

I am a contractor and assuming your 2x10 joists are spaced at 16" centers, I would have no problems putting it in my house (except that 1 joist in your pic that has the big knot at the notch!! ) To be even safer follow the other advice and slap a 2x6 next to the joists that are directly under the tank. When calculating the weight of your tank, don't forget that sand/ rock etc replace the water so don't figure all the water. A 150g tank probably only holds 135g of actual water and sump won't be full.

 

[mott768]

If I can get someone to put a couple of 2X6's in place how should it be done? install towards the top of the existing joist or the bottom?

 

[smorrow5773]

The reason I recomend 2x6 is so that you don't have to notch them, so put them at the top

 

[trpigg]

You must have bad luck to worry that much!! But good luck with what you decide. IMO i beleive the platform would work the best.. distributing the weight to every inch of that plywood. Sounds better that sistering boards or 2x6's.

 

[mott768]

It's always best to be safe than sorry if you think it's all a matter of luck well one day luck will run out.