Hi, I am trying to put a 3’x10’x3’ water tank in a 2nd floor apartment. The apartment was built in 1947 in New York City, see floor plan attached. My unit is E.
The tank will have about 600 gallon water. I am worried the floor won’t be able to support the weight. Any input? Thanks!
That's about 6000 pounds weight, not a live load the floor was probably designed to handle along with everything else. Go way smaller... or preferably don't do it, like Poet said.
Nobody can answer this definitively from the information you've provided - and we'd be practicing illegally if we tried. You'd need to hire an architect or structural engineer to investigate the condition and capacity of the existing floor assembly and its supporting structural elements. Expect some spot-demolition to be necessary in order to analyze that. But, before you incur any expenses or investigation-related damage, I'd suggest checking with your insurer and with building ownership or management as to whether this would be allowed under any circumstance. Even things like installing a walk-in tub or an aquarium of any size can void your insurance and violate policies of many apartment complexes.
The Village Voice did a piece once on fish hatcheries operated out of Manhattan apartments, mostly to stock the stands in Chinatown. Apparently it can be lucrative enough to pay the rent and then some. I wouldn't want to be the unsuspecting tenant in the apartment below.
I could tell you everything you needed to know just by the address, but that will cost you!
The RSF in your graphic means either you're a realtor or someone who thinks realtors know anything more than math and bullshit.
How many times have I had to put my license on the line for a hook-up from a realtor, who has no liability at sales time to take a rough code guess on my part, then sells the place and goes POET - now deliver.
an aside:
[for the record, you can get just about anything approved in prior to 1968 buildings if you use the older codes wisely, just an issue of navigation and making the cranky people at the building department happy...just pay a lot of fees (it's not a bribe, its legal - you fill out forms and stuff)]
________we return to the story:
I premised the entire scenario REALTOR with lots of CYA - POET
I said, given the Certificate of Occupancy (CO) and Housing and Preservation Department (HPD) documents, it's quite possible that you don't have to do that! But it's not a fucking fact man! - POET
Well I sold it, made $300k in commissions, on you buddy - REALTOR
you need to get certified building designer richard w.c. balkans on the case, OP. he specializes in aquaponic weight load calculations within mid 20th century highrises
I figured the 3 x 10 x 3 "water tank" is a lap pool. Those have bigger problems in apartment buildings, beyond their weight, such as noise and vibrations from their motors, mold and other damage to floors, walls, and ceilings, caused by humidity and condensation, chlorine fumes, etc.
haha i love that, it's like an aquatic hamster wheel
May 10, 20 10:18 am ·
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Fivescore
Yes, that's pretty much exactly what I was envisioning. I have a friend who has one in a condo - but it's a town-house type unit, not one where the pool is above somebody else's condo.
As a NYC architect, I can tell you that beyond the weight issues, your problem is going to be getting the condo or coop board to approve this. Many buildings have a "wet over wet" rule, where they won't allow you to move a kitchen or bathroom to a new location, the (flawed, in my opinion) logic being that a leak would damage areas with more durable finishes, rather than a bedroom or living room. Even in a building w/out that rule, the board will likely just say no.
May 10, 20 9:32 am ·
·
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3’ x 10’ x 3’ water tank in 1947 apartment, safe?
Hi, I am trying to put a 3’x10’x3’ water tank in a 2nd floor apartment. The apartment was built in 1947 in New York City, see floor plan attached. My unit is E.
The tank will have about 600 gallon water. I am worried the floor won’t be able to support the weight. Any input? Thanks!
They used to do that shit back in the day in places like the El Dorado (NYC)...
The answer is NO or pay about $100k+ in fees to get anything considered...building management review, structural engineering, etc., etc...
Also, you'll probably get like 5 solicitations on this post.
- Poet
That's about 6000 pounds weight, not a live load the floor was probably designed to handle along with everything else. Go way smaller... or preferably don't do it, like Poet said.
Nobody can answer this definitively from the information you've provided - and we'd be practicing illegally if we tried. You'd need to hire an architect or structural engineer to investigate the condition and capacity of the existing floor assembly and its supporting structural elements. Expect some spot-demolition to be necessary in order to analyze that. But, before you incur any expenses or investigation-related damage, I'd suggest checking with your insurer and with building ownership or management as to whether this would be allowed under any circumstance. Even things like installing a walk-in tub or an aquarium of any size can void your insurance and violate policies of many apartment complexes.
A dog will be cheaper.
Does NYC not have running water these days, or are you trying to make a meth house?
The Village Voice did a piece once on fish hatcheries operated out of Manhattan apartments, mostly to stock the stands in Chinatown. Apparently it can be lucrative enough to pay the rent and then some. I wouldn't want to be the unsuspecting tenant in the apartment below.
I could tell you everything you needed to know just by the address, but that will cost you!
The RSF in your graphic means either you're a realtor or someone who thinks realtors know anything more than math and bullshit.
How many times have I had to put my license on the line for a hook-up from a realtor, who has no liability at sales time to take a rough code guess on my part, then sells the place and goes POET - now deliver.
an aside:
[for the record, you can get just about anything approved in prior to 1968 buildings if you use the older codes wisely, just an issue of navigation and making the cranky people at the building department happy...just pay a lot of fees (it's not a bribe, its legal - you fill out forms and stuff)]
________we return to the story:
I premised the entire scenario REALTOR with lots of CYA - POET
I said, given the Certificate of Occupancy (CO) and Housing and Preservation Department (HPD) documents, it's quite possible that you don't have to do that! But it's not a fucking fact man! - POET
Well I sold it, made $300k in commissions, on you buddy - REALTOR
POET - die.
you need to get certified building designer richard w.c. balkans on the case, OP. he specializes in aquaponic weight load calculations within mid 20th century highrises
Is the OP Dr. Evil trying to put sharks with frickin lasers on their heads in their apartment?
I figured the 3 x 10 x 3 "water tank" is a lap pool. Those have bigger problems in apartment buildings, beyond their weight, such as noise and vibrations from their motors, mold and other damage to floors, walls, and ceilings, caused by humidity and condensation, chlorine fumes, etc.
a 3x10 foot lap pool?
I don't see any quite that small, but these are pretty tiny: https://www.endlesspools.com/endless-pool.php
haha i love that, it's like an aquatic hamster wheel
Yes, that's pretty much exactly what I was envisioning. I have a friend who has one in a condo - but it's a town-house type unit, not one where the pool is above somebody else's condo.
something like this might be more appropriate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEXrbtsM_9Q
As a NYC architect, I can tell you that beyond the weight issues, your problem is going to be getting the condo or coop board to approve this. Many buildings have a "wet over wet" rule, where they won't allow you to move a kitchen or bathroom to a new location, the (flawed, in my opinion) logic being that a leak would damage areas with more durable finishes, rather than a bedroom or living room. Even in a building w/out that rule, the board will likely just say no.
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