Hi Group,
I want to install a 6Ft fish tank in a dowstairs room (total weight about
800KG). I live in a 1930's semi and the floor joists are 2" x 4" and with a
span of 16" the tank will be supported by 3 joists over a total length of
8Ft. I do not know the grade of joist.

Here is the question.....will the floor support the load ?


Thanks for any help

Regards

Kevin.

Kevin wrote:

> Hi Group,
> I want to install a 6Ft fish tank in a dowstairs room (total weight
> about 800KG). I live in a 1930's semi and the floor joists are 2" x
> 4" and with a span of 16" the tank will be supported by 3 joists over
> a total length of 8Ft. I do not know the grade of joist.
>
> Here is the question.....will the floor support the load ?
>
>
> Thanks for any help
>
> Regards
>
> Kevin.


Kevin,

Are you really sure about the joist sizes and 'span' that you have given?

Unless the 'joists' are laying on - or bedded into a concrete sub-base -
then at 4" x 2" they are not strong enough to take any serious weight - that
includes the furniture etc that you already have in the room - and you
should *not* put that tank in.

With regards to the 'span', are you refering to the distance *between* the
joists as they lay side-by-side as this measurement is normally 16" centre
to centre?

The normal size ground floor joists for a 1930's dwelling would be around 8"
x 2" and supported on dwarf brick walls with spans roughly  around 12 or
more feet and at 16" centres, with either herring bone or solid strutting to
prevent them twisting.

If the above is the case, then I would suggest that providing you place the
tank close to ends of the joists or over a dwarf wall the floor *may* carry
the weight of the tank.  But, at around 3/4 of an imperial ton, you may well
be really pushing your luck, and a I would advise that you put a smaller
tank in if you really want to watch the fish swimming around.

The alternative is to spend a bit of hard cash and get the floor reinforced
under the tank!

Brian G

Thanks Brian,
Any chance of sending you a drawing, this will clarify things with regard to
sizes / spans etc. (email me off group and then I can pick up your address).

The joist ends are suppoted on brick supports under the floor but I'm not
sure about the sizes or length of the longest joists. The sizes quoted are
in a recess where a fire place used to be.

Thanks for your input.

Regards

Kevin


"Brian G"  wrote in message
news:3dnmkmF6r9u7uU1@individual.net...

> Kevin wrote:
> > Hi Group,
> > I want to install a 6Ft fish tank in a dowstairs room (total weight
> > about 800KG). I live in a 1930's semi and the floor joists are 2" x
> > 4" and with a span of 16" the tank will be supported by 3 joists over
> > a total length of 8Ft. I do not know the grade of joist.
> >
> > Here is the question.....will the floor support the load ?
> >
> >
> > Thanks for any help
> >
> > Regards
> >
> > Kevin.
>
> Kevin,
>
> Are you really sure about the joist sizes and 'span' that you have given?
>
> Unless the 'joists' are laying on - or bedded into a concrete sub-base -
> then at 4" x 2" they are not strong enough to take any serious weight -
that
> includes the furniture etc that you already have in the room - and you
> should *not* put that tank in.
>
> With regards to the 'span', are you refering to the distance *between* the
> joists as they lay side-by-side as this measurement is normally 16" centre
> to centre?
>
> The normal size ground floor joists for a 1930's dwelling would be around
8"
> x 2" and supported on dwarf brick walls with spans roughly  around 12 or
> more feet and at 16" centres, with either herring bone or solid strutting
to
> prevent them twisting.
>
> If the above is the case, then I would suggest that providing you place
the
> tank close to ends of the joists or over a dwarf wall the floor *may*
carry
> the weight of the tank.  But, at around 3/4 of an imperial ton, you may
well
> be really pushing your luck, and a I would advise that you put a smaller
> tank in if you really want to watch the fish swimming around.
>
> The alternative is to spend a bit of hard cash and get the floor
reinforced
> under the tank!
>
> Brian G
>
>
>
>
>

Kevin wrote:

> Thanks Brian,
> Any chance of sending you a drawing, this will clarify things with
> regard to sizes / spans etc. (email me off group and then I can pick
> up your address).
>
> The joist ends are suppoted on brick supports under the floor but I'm
> not sure about the sizes or length of the longest joists. The sizes
> quoted are in a recess where a fire place used to be.
>
> Thanks for your input.
>
> Regards
>
> Kevin
>
>
> "Brian G"  wrote in message
> news:3dnmkmF6r9u7uU1@individual.net...


Snipped.

Kevin,

There is an e-mail on its way to you with four attachments with drawings
showing a basic timber ground floor.  It is from a Yahoo address and from
briangrayuk.

If they lack the info that you want, please let me know via the group and
I'll try and help.

Brian G