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Building Homes or Extensions/load-bearing capapcity, fir joists, big aquarium

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Expert: - 3/20/2010


Question
I am installing a large aquarium (165 gallons including tank and sump)on my main floor. Its total weight, should be about 2,000 pounds including 120 pounds of sand, a hundred pounds of rock, and the stand, with a footprint of roughly 8.5 square feet (it will be five feet long and 20 inches deep). I will position it so it spans four joists and it will be against the exterior/load-bearing wall of the house.
Will the floor hold?

Answer
Dear Judy,

That's more additional weight on those joists and their attachments than joists are normally designed for. If you have lots of people moving around, plus furniture on that floor, you would be pushing it. Without going under the floor and looking at what kind of attachment they have, I couldn't be certain. I recommend adding additional support, such as a sister wall,  if those joists are resting in standard joist hangers. If they are sitting atop the wall plate, then they should be fine.

Daniel

Building Homes or Extensions

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Daniel Humphrey

Expertise

I can answer questions about designing and building homes and outbuildings, especially for colder climates. I am expert in timber framing, but of course I also know about other kinds of residential construction techniques and materials. Because of my emphasis on using local materials and organic alternatives, I know quite about about Green Building and am willing to do the research to find out more.

Experience

I've been a timber framer for 20 years, working as a general contractor who designs and builds custom timberframe homes, working as much as possible with local organic materials, from foundation to finish. I also have expertise in designing, building, and setting up pre-fab remote camp facilities on terra firma or temperate glaciers for research and expeditions, using helicopters for support.

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B.A., M.F.A.

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