water tank closet unlevel floor

[lore]

I have an 80cmX70cm closet in which I need to put a new 250litre hot water tank. The trouble is, the floor (tongue and groove) slopes nearly 3/4inch over the 80cm span (along the floorboards). I would like to build a floor over the floor to level it. I was thinking of laying batons directly over and along the joists and then floorboards. Or is it better given the weight of the tank to shim batons perpindicular to the joists?

Or anyone have a better idea?

 

[JohnD]

If you mean a cylinder, it's usual to put a couple of bits of joist or other thick timbers down for it to stand on. Preferably these should be across the joists so that they span the weight across two without relying on the flooring (especially if it's chipboard)

You don't need to lay an additional floor.

You might need to use a bit of packing or planing to get them level.

Personally I also like to spread some Cuprinol Green around in case of future leaks, but that's because I have nothing better to do with my time.

If the old floor slopes as much as that, I'd be worried there's something wrong with it. Have a look underneath before you put a heavy cylinder there.

 

[lore]

That was a quick reply!

What would I use for packing? Is hardboard ok? There would be alot of it!

 

[JohnD]

Not hardboard! It's just paper! Pieces of hardwood perhaps. And you don't need a lot. You're making a pad between the bearer and the joist below. That's where the weight will be transmitted. You don't need to pack the whole floor.


p.s. if you have a severly sloping floor under an old airing cupboard, then I'd suspect a leak in the past has encouraged the old joist end to rot and give way. Have a look.

 

[lore]

thanks for that. So I just need to pack over the joists. OK.

I was thinking the floor over the floor for cosmetic reasons, but it IS a closet after all.

Another question - are 2x4's sufficiently strong enough to bear the weight?

no evidence of past leaks. I think it was lazy builders, there is not a thing remotely straight/level in the whole house!

 

[JohnD]

If they span over two joists, yes. They'll be so short that they'll just be passing the weight down to the joists. And they'll accomodate the spot-loading of the rim of the cylinder.

 

[lore]

again thanks!

BUT - what is "spotloading the rim? I'm always ready to learn.....

 

[JohnD]

The bottom of a cylinder is domed upward. so the cylinder stands on its rim (like Christine Aguiliera, it doesn't have a flat bottom).

By "spot-loading" I mean that the weight is not distributed over a wide area, it is concentrated in four small areas where the rim meets your bearers. The bearers then transmit and spread the weight. they are solid enough to do this without breaking or bending. the rim might make a slight indentation in the top of the bearers, but that's fine.

 

[lore]

many many thanks. Tune in tomorrow for more dumb questions.