bathtub load question

thesmackdown

I have a room that has 2x8 floor joists 16" o/c built in the 20s. Want to convert the room back into a bathroom and was wondering if generally that can handle a cast iron clawfoot tub and water load?

Thanks!

Evan

Willie T

Anything or anyone you care about directly under it?

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"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is."
François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Willie T

thesmackdown

Kitchen, and most likey wife, either in the kitchen or in the tub

Willie T

Then I would check out all the joists if you can get to them to be sure they are solid. Poking them with an ice pick is a good test. They should be hard.

Also how thick is the flooring and sub flooring? Is it all in good shape?

Your problem in this installation is the tub's individual feet. All the weight is going to be concentrated in only four small areas rather than spread out across the floor.

The span of those 2x8's is also a consideration. The longer the span the less load they should be carrying. You'll have to check out a span chart for this kind of information... if not an engineer.

__________________
"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is."
François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Willie T

thesmackdown

Subfloor can be anything I want. I am going to remove it when I do the remodel.

Willie T

Can you predetermine the exact location of the tub feet in the future? If so, just double up the joists where the feet will be sitting. Full length, of course.

__________________
"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is."
François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Willie T

Willie T

The weight of the tub, itself, plus the water in it (figure 50 gallons, (about 375 pounds) although it's usually closer to 40 when displaced with a human body)... and the weight of the person using the tub (If you're kinky, you'll have to figure for BOTH your weight and hers.) have to be calculated to find your load.

It gets a bit more complicated than that since you have only four directed load points, but the basic calcs should give you something to work with when you look at the charts... or preferably, talk to the engineer.

__________________
"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is."
François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Willie T

Tizzer

In finding the location for the double joists, consider the drain. You don't want a joist right under the drain and you really don't want to bore holes in 2X8 joists.

Bud Cline

Probably should also double-up on the subfloor material since this is a "point-load-issue" and deflection between the floor joists could be troublesome.