Exterior Walls & Weight Question

Josh24 · #1 10-22-2006, 11:58 PM

I'm currently in the process of building a new home and thought it would be cool to build an aquarium into the cantilever (sp) of the dining room. For those of you who don't know these are the box outs seen on the outside of homes that extend beyond the foundation walls.

My conern is that the tank will be exposed to an exterior wall on the back & sides. Is this something I should be concerned about. Heat in the summer & cold in the winter?

Will the weight of a 6 foot tank cause any problems? I would imagine a portion of the weight would fall directly on the foundation wall while a portion would fall on the i-joists on the outside of the wall.

I'm just looking for some feedback from more experienced reefers then I.

Thanks

Tangman · #2 10-23-2006, 01:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josh24

I'm currently in the process of building a new home and thought it would be cool to build an aquarium into the cantilever (sp) of the dining room. For those of you who don't know these are the box outs seen on the outside of homes that extend beyond the foundation walls.

My concern is that the tank will be exposed to an exterior wall on the back & sides. Is this something I should be concerned about. Heat in the summer & cold in the winter?

Will the weight of a 6 foot tank cause any problems? I would imagine a portion of the weight would fall directly on the foundation wall while a portion would fall on the i-joists on the outside of the wall.

I'm just looking for some feedback from more experienced reefers then I.

Thanks

Sorry, but the cantilever is build for a china cabinet, and is not build to handle the weight of a 6' tank. But if you are just building the house there is no reason the builder couldn't reinforce the cantilever for your purpose

Josh24 · #3 10-23-2006, 01:41 AM

What suggestions would you have to increase the strength?
The I-joists have to cross the foundation at 90 degrees. I doubt there is anything they could do to increase the strength. After all I-josits are already enginered.

Do you work in the industry Tangman? What are you basing your opinion on?

I guess the real question is would it be any different then having the tank located somewhere else within the house as it would only be supported by i-joists unless you located it over a beam or reinforced the i-joist from below.

What do you suggest

Thanks

Chin_Lee · #4 10-23-2006, 02:58 AM

I joists are quite strong already and the front of the tank (which will be over the foundation) will be pretty strong. Its the back half of the tank that would be of some concern. If i were you, I would get a couple of 12" radius cement tubes and pour a 2-3' column of cement at each outisde corners of the cantilever. set in the 4x4 or 6x6 post holders before the cement dries, and then support the corners with 4x4 or 6x6 posts.
BTW - that would be an ideal location to build a fish room in the basement underneath your dining room where you can plumb the upstairs tank into a sump in the basement. If this is something you want to consider, i suggest pulling through a couple 1.5" and one or two 1" spa flex pvc tubes through the joists now. Or plumb regular PVC through the space between your exterior wall and gyproc and into the basement.

Tangman · #5 10-23-2006, 04:18 AM

What suggestions would you have to increase the strength?
The I-joists have to cross the foundation at 90 degrees. I doubt there is anything they could do to increase the strength. After all I-josits are already enginered.
Yes, they are engineered, but not for point loading ,ie:having all the weight in one spot

Do you work in the industry Tangman? YES What are you basing your opinion on?

I guess the real question is would it be any different then having the tank located somewhere else within the house as it would only be supported by i-joists unless you located it over a beam or reinforced the i-joist from below. First off, the cantilever is free slung out side the house with no support underneath, other than the I-joists. this is why Chin_Lee suggested the supporting the out side edge of the cantilever. Also as I already said I-joist are not engineered for point loading , squash blocks ( 2X10's) must be used beside I-joists between squash points ( bearing walls)

What do you suggest

Thanks

mr_alberta · #6 10-23-2006, 04:30 AM

Can you get the builder to double up the joists in that location? How much of a cantilever are we talking about?

Tarolisol · #7 10-23-2006, 04:38 AM

I have a rather heavy piano in my cantilever, as im sure many others have as well. And its been there for years, im sure it weighs as much as a tank.

Farrmanchu · #8 10-23-2006, 05:12 AM

Check with Chemaster, I think his tank sits partially outside the foundation, and he had some beefing up done before putting the tank in.

Dale · #9 10-23-2006, 07:08 AM

I've had a 6', 140G. tank sitting in my cantilever for a year now without a problem. Consider that it will weigh in at just over 1000lb's - or the weight of five big guys. Will the cantilever collapse if five big guys stand in it? As suggested the tank sits on a load bearing wall and if your tank is say, 20" wide only 16" actually protrude beyond the wall itself. That 16" is cantilevered which means it is supported by the load bearing wall.
here's a pic:

________
Kawasaki KR350

Josh24 · #10 10-24-2006, 12:02 AM

Thanks Dale I doubt my tank would exceed 140 gallons.
Have you noticed an increase in bounce in your floors?