Has anyone used a strongback to reinforce a floor joist that supports your tank?

Hal · 08/04/2016, 01:49 PM

Title says it. I'm curious how well it worked for you, the length of span which you installed it on, and the size/weight of the tank on the joist.

mcgyvr · 08/04/2016, 04:04 PM

You can it will increase the allowable load.. but a vertical post is much better..

ccasa004 · 08/05/2016, 04:12 AM

I recommend that you hire an Architect or Engeneer to design the reinforcement of your floor. There are a lot of factors to consider in the design including the more obvious, size, weight, and location of your tank, but also the no so obvious, age of the floor, what type of flooring do you have, what is the construction of the walls that support the floors.

Hal · 08/05/2016, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

You can it will increase the allowable load.. but a vertical post is much better..

Agreed, but I'm planning on finishing my basement and an extra post will limit the usable space. I will likely end up using a post anyway because it is clearly the best support solution.

In the meantime, I'm curious if anyone else has successfully used a strongback?

Hal · 08/05/2016, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ccasa004

I recommend that you hire an Architect or Engeneer to design the reinforcement of your floor. There are a lot of factors to consider in the design including the more obvious, size, weight, and location of your tank, but also the no so obvious, age of the floor, what type of flooring do you have, what is the construction of the walls that support the floors.

Agree for most. I'm an engineer, as is my father. I'm also friends with the local building inspector. Between the three of us we should be good.

mcgyvr · 08/05/2016, 12:00 PM

If its still open ceiling you could double up on the floor joists in that area too..
Personally I'd do that if you were concerned.. Then nothing would be in the way.. nothing would be hanging down at all.. All could be drywalled right over or whatever ceiling treatment if any you are doing..

Hal · 08/05/2016, 03:53 PM

Sadly, the bays in the joists are being used as an HVAC return, so I cannot double up on them.

WerezMiePie · 08/07/2016, 03:53 PM

I got a 2x2 stand with a 65 gallon a to tank on it just ran 2 4x4s to distribute the weight

Reefstarter2 · 08/07/2016, 03:57 PM

if you transfer the load directly down to the ground it will hold a lot . a 2x10 spanned 6 feet will carry almost 2 tons . ( personally I double them up just to be sure lol. it all depends on the weight going to the ground . longer spans need bigger wood

sleepydoc · 08/07/2016, 05:52 PM

The OP was trying to avoid a vertical post/support because it would restrict use of the room underneath.

His/her options are really limited - doesn't want to use a vertical support, can't use a 2nd joist sistered to the original. The only other option I could think of would be to buy/construct a truss that would allow the duct work to pass through. I'm sure a strong back would help some, but couldn't say how much - depends on too many other variables

ca1ore · 08/08/2016, 07:59 AM

FWIW, I have 'scabbed' the 2x10 joists under my tank with lengths of double laminated 3/4" plywood screwed to the joist face. Cannot say for certain how much of a difference it makes, but prior to installing the tank, the area of the floor certainly had less 'bounce' to it.

Bent · 08/08/2016, 09:03 AM

I'm not an engineer but I have built a couple homes. Personally I can't see this working without being able to somehow transfer to load to the ground, Strongback or not. Of course it would all depend on how much weight you are wanting to support here.

Eud · 08/08/2016, 12:05 PM

On my basement ceiling I put a sheet of 3/4" plywood on the bottoms of my joists under the tank to form kind of a box. Glued and screwed it to the bottoms of the joists. It makes it so that the joists can't stretch along the bottom surfaces, which they need to do in order to sag and firms up the whole floor.

It only lowered the ceiling by a little bit once we got around to drywalling, and some 1x3 furring strips were needed on the rest of the joist bottoms to hang the rest of the drywall, but it all worked out.

Hal · 08/10/2016, 12:57 PM

Well, good news in that the HVAC supply line is actually just a vent from my furnace room to the outside. I'm less worried about messing things up with that than I would with a normal HVAC supply. I may just temporarily pull it out, install the extra joists, and reinstall it.

On the other hand, I'm warming up to putting an extra support column in my basement.

My tank is 6 ft long, and runs parallel with the joists. On the plus side, I have a steel support beam running under the tank, perpendicular to the tank, about 1.5 feet from one edge of the tank. This means I have about 4.5 ft of tank extending over the other side of the steel beam. One column about 4 ft from the beam would solve many worries.

If I add a column, I need to think about where it would go re: front to back in the tank since my joists run parallel with the tank. If I put it under a foot that is farthest from the steel beam, but that would leave the other foot unsupported. If I put it in the middle of where the two feet are then the joists that bear most of the weight of the feet is unsupported.

Lsufan · 08/10/2016, 04:22 PM

I may of missed it but are your floor joist 2 by 8 or 2 by 10? & is the tank a 125or 180? I live in the south so I don't know much about basements but it seems like it would be 2 by 10. If so, with the tank sitting on the metal beam it seams like u could double up the other joist & if your worried triple up the ones the tank is actually sitting on. With the tank running the same way as the joists does the tank actually sit on 2 joist or does it sit inbetween the joists? If u double up the joists use some wood glue inbetween the floor joists. U might need to add some blocking inbetween the joist going from joist to joist too depending how the tank sits compared to the joists.

If u decide to go ahead & put a post u would really need to put a small beam running perpendicular with the joist & have a post on each end of the beam.

08/04/2016, 01:49 PM	#1
Hal Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Longmont, CO Posts: 1,889	Has anyone used a strongback to reinforce a floor joist that supports your tank? Title says it. I'm curious how well it worked for you, the length of span which you installed it on, and the size/weight of the tank on the joist. __________________ Some days it's not even worth chewing through the restraints. Current Tank Info: 250g starphire: 72x28x30, BeanAnimal drain with an oversized non-durso emergency drain, 4 inch DSB, 3x Reefbreeders Value LED fixtures, SWC/MSX 300A skimmer, Geo kalk reactor, 3 Vortechs w/bb, carbon reactor, and a RKL

08/04/2016, 04:04 PM	#2
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	You can it will increase the allowable load.. but a vertical post is much better.. __________________ Who me?

08/05/2016, 12:00 PM	#6
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	If its still open ceiling you could double up on the floor joists in that area too.. Personally I'd do that if you were concerned.. Then nothing would be in the way.. nothing would be hanging down at all.. All could be drywalled right over or whatever ceiling treatment if any you are doing.. __________________ Who me?

08/05/2016, 03:53 PM	#7
Hal Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Longmont, CO Posts: 1,889	Sadly, the bays in the joists are being used as an HVAC return, so I cannot double up on them. __________________ Some days it's not even worth chewing through the restraints. Current Tank Info: 250g starphire: 72x28x30, BeanAnimal drain with an oversized non-durso emergency drain, 4 inch DSB, 3x Reefbreeders Value LED fixtures, SWC/MSX 300A skimmer, Geo kalk reactor, 3 Vortechs w/bb, carbon reactor, and a RKL

08/07/2016, 05:52 PM	#10
sleepydoc Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 3,907	The OP was trying to avoid a vertical post/support because it would restrict use of the room underneath. His/her options are really limited - doesn't want to use a vertical support, can't use a 2nd joist sistered to the original. The only other option I could think of would be to buy/construct a truss that would allow the duct work to pass through. I'm sure a strong back would help some, but couldn't say how much - depends on too many other variables __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 120 gallon, coast to coast overflow w/beananimal overflow. Waveline DC 10000 II return pump, 40 gal sump, Octopus XS200 skimmer, T5 lighting

08/05/2016, 04:12 AM	#3
ccasa004 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Miami Posts: 58	I recommend that you hire an Architect or Engeneer to design the reinforcement of your floor. There are a lot of factors to consider in the design including the more obvious, size, weight, and location of your tank, but also the no so obvious, age of the floor, what type of flooring do you have, what is the construction of the walls that support the floors.

08/07/2016, 03:53 PM	#8
WerezMiePie Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Redmond OR Posts: 202	I got a 2x2 stand with a 65 gallon a to tank on it just ran 2 4x4s to distribute the weight

08/07/2016, 03:57 PM	#9
Reefstarter2 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 295	if you transfer the load directly down to the ground it will hold a lot . a 2x10 spanned 6 feet will carry almost 2 tons . ( personally I double them up just to be sure lol. it all depends on the weight going to the ground . longer spans need bigger wood

08/08/2016, 07:59 AM	#11
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	FWIW, I have 'scabbed' the 2x10 joists under my tank with lengths of double laminated 3/4" plywood screwed to the joist face. Cannot say for certain how much of a difference it makes, but prior to installing the tank, the area of the floor certainly had less 'bounce' to it. __________________ Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs

08/08/2016, 09:03 AM	#12
Bent I got nothin' Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: The anals Posts: 6,420	I'm not an engineer but I have built a couple homes. Personally I can't see this working without being able to somehow transfer to load to the ground, Strongback or not. Of course it would all depend on how much weight you are wanting to support here. __________________ Quitters never lose. [QUOTE=CStrickland]Who gets mad at a starfish?[/QUOTE] Current Tank Info: 75g DT, 30G refugium, 10g chaeto tank, 50g stock tank basement sump

08/08/2016, 12:05 PM	#13
Eud Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Maryland Posts: 414	On my basement ceiling I put a sheet of 3/4" plywood on the bottoms of my joists under the tank to form kind of a box. Glued and screwed it to the bottoms of the joists. It makes it so that the joists can't stretch along the bottom surfaces, which they need to do in order to sag and firms up the whole floor. It only lowered the ceiling by a little bit once we got around to drywalling, and some 1x3 furring strips were needed on the rest of the joist bottoms to hang the rest of the drywall, but it all worked out.

08/10/2016, 12:57 PM	#14
Hal Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Longmont, CO Posts: 1,889	Well, good news in that the HVAC supply line is actually just a vent from my furnace room to the outside. I'm less worried about messing things up with that than I would with a normal HVAC supply. I may just temporarily pull it out, install the extra joists, and reinstall it. On the other hand, I'm warming up to putting an extra support column in my basement. My tank is 6 ft long, and runs parallel with the joists. On the plus side, I have a steel support beam running under the tank, perpendicular to the tank, about 1.5 feet from one edge of the tank. This means I have about 4.5 ft of tank extending over the other side of the steel beam. One column about 4 ft from the beam would solve many worries. If I add a column, I need to think about where it would go re: front to back in the tank since my joists run parallel with the tank. If I put it under a foot that is farthest from the steel beam, but that would leave the other foot unsupported. If I put it in the middle of where the two feet are then the joists that bear most of the weight of the feet is unsupported. __________________ Some days it's not even worth chewing through the restraints. Current Tank Info: 250g starphire: 72x28x30, BeanAnimal drain with an oversized non-durso emergency drain, 4 inch DSB, 3x Reefbreeders Value LED fixtures, SWC/MSX 300A skimmer, Geo kalk reactor, 3 Vortechs w/bb, carbon reactor, and a RKL

08/10/2016, 04:22 PM	#15
Lsufan Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Baton Rouge Posts: 1,410	I may of missed it but are your floor joist 2 by 8 or 2 by 10? & is the tank a 125or 180? I live in the south so I don't know much about basements but it seems like it would be 2 by 10. If so, with the tank sitting on the metal beam it seams like u could double up the other joist & if your worried triple up the ones the tank is actually sitting on. With the tank running the same way as the joists does the tank actually sit on 2 joist or does it sit inbetween the joists? If u double up the joists use some wood glue inbetween the floor joists. U might need to add some blocking inbetween the joist going from joist to joist too depending how the tank sits compared to the joists. If u decide to go ahead & put a post u would really need to put a small beam running perpendicular with the joist & have a post on each end of the beam.