Preparing joists/girders/etc under home for weight of a wine fridge...

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Preparing joists/girders/etc under home for weight of a... - 4/12/2021 12:26:03 PM

Rossodio

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From: USA
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Hi all -

I posted a couple months ago about potentially getting a new wine fridge in the future and now have one on order and being ready to set up delivery in the next couple weeks.

I was hoping someone here could fill me in on whether an estimate I received from a local foundation specialist who is a remodeler seems reasonable or if the guy is trying to take me for a ride and rip me off. The crawl space you have to get to by going down to the basement; it is about 18-24" of height to maneuver in. Here is the estimate I got; I cut out some of the unnecessary words talking about the layout of the house which is irrelevant, etc. -

Beam: The addition of potentially 1200 (to 2400, for two fridges)... could potentially cause a dip in the flooring in this area. There is sufficient pier support of the main girder running front to rear, but an additional beam is recommended. The beam will be constructed of two 2x10 boards and supported by adjustable steel post jacks approximately 2' off the girder. $856.80

Sister: The 2x10 joists in this area should be sistered from one load point to the next... $816.00

Total $1,672.80

I am willing to pay if it sounds reasonable... I also have the option of putting the fridge in the basement where it will sit on a concrete slab set on plain ol' earth which could save me this money but mean no display piece in the dining room and a lot more trips to the basement to hunt for vino. For what it is worth, the foundation specialist seemed to tell me that the floor could support the fridge without sistering etc., but that it would probably lead to a noticeable dip in the flooring in that area.

You guys have any thoughts on this pricing?

< Message edited by Rossodio -- 4/12/2021 12:31:58 PM >

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RE: Preparing joists/girders/etc under home for weight ... - 4/12/2021 2:47:05 PM

Blue Shorts

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From: Santa Cruz
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Did the specialist provide you with an estimate of the time that it will take (labor) and the cost of materials?

Knowing those two items will help you to determine if you are being overcharged. Getting a second estimate will also help......a lot.

(in reply to Rossodio)

Post #: 2

RE: Preparing joists/girders/etc under home for weight ... - 4/12/2021 2:58:58 PM

DoubleD1969

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From: New Jersey
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Sorry, I can't directly answer your question. I am just wondering what fridge are you putting in your house where you need to reinforce your joists?

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RE: Preparing joists/girders/etc under home for weight ... - 4/12/2021 3:32:00 PM

pbilling

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Joined: 1/17/2012
From: Southwest Michigan
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Probably not crazy out of line given that it's happening in a crawlspace, which makes it MUCH harder. As far a whether you need it or not? If its near an exterior wall or a bearing beam and post in the crawlspace maybe not. Otherwise, if in doubt, reinforce. It's a lot cheaper and easier to reinforce than it is to repair. That's a much higher point load than a refrigerator or a full bathtub. I was a builder and remodeler before I retired, if it were me, I'd spend the money. Well, I'd get a buddy and do it myself, but there would be much sweat and swearing involved, crawlspaces, even nice ones, are no fun to work in.

Paul

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RE: Preparing joists/girders/etc under home for weight ... - 4/12/2021 3:35:31 PM

pbilling

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From: Southwest Michigan
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It ain't the fridge that's the problem its the wine. a 300 bottle fridge holds around a 1000 lbs of wine. Plus the fridge itself, that's 1200 -1300 lbs net.

Paul

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RE: Preparing joists/girders/etc under home for weight ... - 4/12/2021 4:05:28 PM

Blue Shorts

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quote:

Plus the fridge itself, that's 1200 -1300 lbs net.

And, if I remember correctly, the fridge only has 4 feet, which would put a lot of weight on a little surface area.

Quite frankly, most floors could easily hold the weight, but there may be some sag over time.

(in reply to pbilling)

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RE: Preparing joists/girders/etc under home for weight ... - 4/12/2021 11:55:09 PM

grafstrb

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Can you possibly have the wine fridge straddle a joist? Seems to me that might eliminate the need for additional support.

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RE: Preparing joists/girders/etc under home for weight ... - 4/13/2021 11:26:18 AM

Ximenez

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From: Long Island, NY
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Rossodio, I am not sure what they are charging you for labor but the basement floor jacks should not be more than $100 each. As far as the two 2" x 10" sister beams ask the contractor if he is quoting you engineered lumber (aka laminated strand lumber) or plain pine for the boards. Engineered lumber is stronger, denser, straighter, harder to nail but pricey compared to pine.

(in reply to grafstrb)

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RE: Preparing joists/girders/etc under home for weight ... - 4/13/2021 5:01:53 PM

racerchris

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I'm sure there are cheaper ways that are just as effective at spreading the load, but I bet his quote is fair and will take care of the potential issue before it ever arises.

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RE: Preparing joists/girders/etc under home for weight ... - 4/13/2021 5:30:19 PM

bretrooks

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Semi-cross-posting from the WB forum, and elaborating a little, just to share with the group here:

You have to think of it as 300 pounds on each of four 2"x2" feet (or whatever the case may be), which could mean considering the ability of your floor to withstand crushing, your subfloor to span if the load comes down between joists, the ability of a single joist to potentially carry half the load of the fridge, etc. Lots of factors to consider when dealing with things like this, and the structural configuration in the area definitely comes into play.

For something like this, the materials are always going to be less of a cost driver than the labor, which depends on a lot of factors too - How is access for getting materials down there and doing the installation? Are there plumbing lines or ducts which complicate things?

Intuitively, I'm a little surprised that the cost for the sistering of 2x10 joists is almost as much as the jacks (even with the increase in lumber prices recently, it's just 2x10s and nails). If you're working with a quality contractor, you should be able to ask what's driving the cost there, and they should be able to give you a good answer.

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RE: Preparing joists/girders/etc under home for weight ... - 4/13/2021 8:38:25 PM

grafstrb

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To piggy-back on racerchris's post: also consider how much time you might spend questioning this quote, debating it, and potentially getting another quote, which may or may not come in lower than the quote you already have. Don't spend too much time on this.

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RE: Preparing joists/girders/etc under home for weight ... - 4/13/2021 9:22:15 PM

MrSkimo

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From: Anchorage, AK
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^^^ This ^^^

Maybe get another quote just to make sure...don't spend too much time on it. I'd just do it now. Different issue, but I had a double garage with a single door. The header was undersized and dipped almost 6 inches in the middle. I had to jack up the second story of the house, cut out the header, replace it with a bigger one, and put in support. I spent about $3,000 and a bunch of sweat equity with many friends involved. I shudder to think what it would have cost me to hire someone to do it for me.

(in reply to grafstrb)

Post #: 12