can someone explain this

[Dave1993]

what are 2x8 and 2x12 joists i have looked online but i don't understand what they mean can someone explain this in very simple terms of what 2x8 and 2x12 joists are

 

[Rennurdoar]

Joists are the boards running along your floor Here's a picture to help. 2x8 means 2" by 8" and 2x12 means 2" by 12"

 

[Dave1993]

2 inches spaced 12 inches apart ect?

 

[Dave1993]

i'm trying to figure out if i could put 1359 lbs of weight running parallel to the joists on the ground floor

 

[Enderg60]

thats the size of the wood. 2"x12"(actual size 1.5"x11.5" because they hate us)

You will want to figure out the weight/area. so say you have a 180(guessing based on weight) its 2 foot x 6 foot so thats 12 square feed. So thats 115ish lbs per square foot. Most floors can handle that just fine.

 

[Rennurdoar]

2 inches spaced 12 inches apart ect?

Nope sorry, it means the board is 2" thick, and 12" wide, usually 8 or 10 feet long or longer

 

[Rennurdoar]

If possible, you always want to run perpendicular to your joists, so your weight is spread across more of them evenly. If you run parallel, you will have all the weight on only one or two joists. I'm not a structural engineer, so I can't comment on how much weight each joist will hold. It would also help if we knew the measurements of the room. Someone smarter than me in construction would be able to give a better estimate.

It really depends on how it was constructed and how long your joists are.

 

[Dave1993]

If possible, you always want to run perpendicular to your joists, so your weight is spread across more of them evenly. If you run parallel, you will have all the weight on only one or two joists. I'm not a structural engineer, so I can't comment on how much weight each joist will hold. It would also help if we knew the measurements of the room. Someone smarter than me in construction would be able to give a better estimate.

It really depends on how it was constructed and how long your joists are.

i have current tank runnning perpendicular to joists and 4foot is max i can have in that spot only other place to put a bigger 1 if parallel

 

[Dave1993]

my house was built pre ww2 so the joists are stong and not built with crappy wood the wood is rock solid and they are huge bits of wood surly if the crappy cabinets the tank sit on can hold the weight a floor can?