Protecting my hardwood floor from the feet of my MASSIVE incoming fridge

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Protecting my hardwood floor from the feet of my MASSIV... - 4/9/2021 1:20:08 PM

Rossodio

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I have a Wine Enthusiast classic XL 300 bottle wine cellar incoming in the next couple of weeks. I will be setting it on top of original 100 year old hardwood flooring. I have professional remodelers going under the house to look at the joists and ensuring that the floor can hold the 1100 pounds of weight that the unit will bear when full, so the underside of the floor will be fine.

I am concerned about the four 2.5cm leveling feet that will contact the ground under the unit. It will be going in my dining room and as you might expect will be a showpiece as well. I want to protect my flooring from getting dented or otherwise damaged as the wine fridge sits there over time without resorting to something that would look unsightly or tacky.

The generic plastic cups that furniture sits on I would be afraid may not bear that much weight and might look bad, but not sure? Any other thoughts on this? I am open to suggestions...

< Message edited by Rossodio -- 4/9/2021 1:30:55 PM >

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RE: Protecting my hardwood floor from the feet of my MA... - 4/9/2021 1:44:57 PM

Hollowine

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I've done something like this before to protect a floor;

Consider getting two pieces of wood that either closely match or are same as your flooring (oak, hickory, whatever) that are about 1/2" to 3/4" thick, and as wide as your fridge. Get Flat Blade or Forstner drill bit (slightly bigger diameter than the bottom of the feet) and drill two holes 1/16" to 1/8" deep in the top of the wood strip, exactly the distance apart of the left-front & right-front leveling feet. Do the same for the rear piece of wood.

Move the fridge into position and remove packing. Rock it back and slide the front board under the front feet, and the rock it forward and slide the rear board under the back feet. They should sit in the indents enough to not slide out easily, but not so much you are prohibited from using to level. You should then be able to slide back into the opening, as long as the added wood pieces don't raise it too high for your opening.

The wood will distribute the load and protect the underlying floor, and if you finish the wood with a similar stain it should barely be noticeable. I personally wouldn't lacquer or finish the boards, just stain them, because sometimes lacquer on lacquer friction can potentially cause sticking.

< Message edited by Hollowine -- 4/9/2021 1:46:39 PM >

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RE: Protecting my hardwood floor from the feet of my MA... - 4/9/2021 2:10:36 PM

Rossodio

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Hollowine

I've done something like this before to protect a floor;

Consider getting two pieces of wood that either closely match or are same as your flooring (oak, hickory, whatever) that are about 1/2" to 3/4" thick, and as wide as your fridge. Get Flat Blade or Forstner drill bit (slightly bigger diameter than the bottom of the feet) and drill two holes 1/16" to 1/8" deep in the top of the wood strip, exactly the distance apart of the left-front & right-front leveling feet. Do the same for the rear piece of wood.

Move the fridge into position and remove packing. Rock it back and slide the front board under the front feet, and the rock it forward and slide the rear board under the back feet. They should sit in the indents enough to not slide out easily, but not so much you are prohibited from using to level. You should then be able to slide back into the opening, as long as the added wood pieces don't raise it too high for your opening.

The wood will distribute the load and protect the underlying floor, and if you finish the wood with a similar stain it should barely be noticeable. I personally wouldn't lacquer or finish the boards, just stain them, because sometimes lacquer on lacquer friction can potentially cause sticking.

Wondering if I could have these wood boards made with felt covering the entirety of the bottom of both of them to make sliding the fridge any easier.

Also wondering - so these would be boards that are, say, 3/4" thick, 32" wide (as the fridge is), and maybe 3" deep? Or maybe match the depth of the existing boards, I don't know... In the end, there would be one strip under the front of the fridge and another on the back. Maybe it would make more sense to buy boards that run the depth of the fridge instead of the width? Any opinion on that? I suppose it might look odd to have a gap underneath the front middle of the fridge...

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RE: Protecting my hardwood floor from the feet of my MA... - 4/9/2021 2:29:36 PM

Blue Shorts

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quote:

Wondering if I could have these wood boards made with felt covering the entirety of the bottom of both of them to make sliding the fridge any easier.

While putting felt under the board or boards, that will go between the unit and your hardwood floor, may help to protect the hardwood floor, I wouldn't even consider attempting to "slide" a fully-loaded, 1100 pound unit....at all. The risk of damaging the fridge wouldn't be worth it.

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RE: Protecting my hardwood floor from the feet of my MA... - 4/9/2021 2:35:39 PM

Rossodio

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Blue Shorts

quote:

Wondering if I could have these wood boards made with felt covering the entirety of the bottom of both of them to make sliding the fridge any easier.

While putting felt under the board or boards, that will go between the unit and your hardwood floor, may help to protect the hardwood floor, I wouldn't even consider attempting to "slide" a fully-loaded, 1100 pound unit....at all. The risk of damaging the fridge wouldn't be worth it.

Wouldn't try to move a fully loaded unit, that would be insane! Thinking more along the lines of making it easier to position when it is empty and a mere 350 pounds at time of initial placement/install... Wouldn't be moving more than probably 6 inches at that time.

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RE: Protecting my hardwood floor from the feet of my MA... - 4/9/2021 3:23:31 PM

Rossodio

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https://www.steelsupplylp.com/ornamental-iron/store/steel-cutouts/cut-circles/8738

What about something like this? Would seem to distribute the weight over a 3.5" diameter circle and the steel is 10 gauge, or a little over 1/8" thick. Since it is steel I would think it would distribute the weight reasonably, but would I need thicker than 10 gauge? I could go larger diameter as well if needed. Could cover bottom of the plate with felt and I would think that it wouldn't damage the floor. Thoughts?

< Message edited by Rossodio -- 4/9/2021 3:24:54 PM >

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RE: Protecting my hardwood floor from the feet of my MA... - 4/9/2021 3:35:46 PM

Rossodio

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Just had a genius moment (maybe?)... any gun owners/target shooters in here who could vouch for the ability of something like one of these steel targets to continually hold and distribute the weight of the fridge? Would cover with felt on the bottom... Even if these are 4 inches in length I can offset them to not stick out from under the footprint of the fridge.

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/champion-targets-center-mass-ar500-steel-target

< Message edited by Rossodio -- 4/9/2021 3:40:47 PM >

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RE: Protecting my hardwood floor from the feet of my MA... - 4/9/2021 3:39:59 PM

Blue Shorts

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quote:

Wouldn't try to move a fully loaded unit, that would be insane!

LOL.. Then the felt idea should work well. I apologize for even mentioning that. Just make sure to push from the bottom of the cabinet when you do move it..

You mention leveling feet. Only 4? I have a wine cabinet that holds about 350-375 bottles and it has at least 6 feet (maybe 9)..it's been a long time since I had to check/adjust.

< Message edited by Blue Shorts -- 4/9/2021 3:46:19 PM >

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RE: Protecting my hardwood floor from the feet of my MA... - 4/9/2021 3:43:42 PM

Rossodio

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Blue Shorts

quote:

Wouldn't try to move a fully loaded unit, that would be insane!

LOL.. Then the felt idea should work well. I apologize for even mentioning that. Just make sure to push from the bottom of the cabinet when you do move it..

You mention leveling feet. Only 4? I have a wine cabinet that holds about 350-375 bottles and it has 6 feet (maybe 9...it's been a long time since I had to check/adjust.

Yes, it is the biggest complaint that I have about the fridge - 4 feet sounds as if it is underdoing it a bit, but as a fridge that has a charcoal filter, is pretty highly rated, and advertises 300 bottle capacity (ofc will be ~250 probably), and I found on a 1 day sale new through Costco for right at $2,000 after sales tax, I had to bite. Hopefully will serve me well for at least a few years.

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RE: Protecting my hardwood floor from the feet of my MA... - 4/9/2021 6:29:53 PM

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Eurocave has 4 feet.
Works great

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RE: Protecting my hardwood floor from the feet of my MA... - 4/10/2021 2:52:49 AM

Echinosum

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If you are using steel, you need to make sure it is of suitable grade and thickness. And bare steel would need a suitable coating or it would go rusty.

Thin sheets of steel would not tend to spread the load as effectively as (thicker bits of) wood, because the steel could bend around the feet and so concentrate the load at the bend. It may also with time deform permanently into that shape, concentrating the load even further.

It depends on the kind of steel. If you were using the kind of steel sheeting that white goods are made of, it would be barely effective at all.

Mild steel deforms easily. Whereas cast iron is much more resistant to bending. There's a lot in between with various properties.

The cut-outs mentioned are 10Ga which is 3.25mm, which would be thick enough certainly if the steel wasn't very mild, maybe even regardless of the kind of steel. But if very mild you might have to be careful not to cause an impact on it as you lowered the freezer onto it, which might deform it. The supplier is not very clear about the material - "forged steel".

The 3/8" thick targets would be plenty thick enough whatever kind of steel it was.

I'm wondering if this is a way to get cheap pizza steels. Becauase pizza steel providers charge serious money for cheap pieces of metal, that you still have to season yourself.

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RE: Protecting my hardwood floor from the feet of my MA... - 4/10/2021 8:47:09 AM

Hollowine

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Rossodio

Just had a genius moment (maybe?)... any gun owners/target shooters in here who could vouch for the ability of something like one of these steel targets to continually hold and distribute the weight of the fridge? Would cover with felt on the bottom... Even if these are 4 inches in length I can offset them to not stick out from under the footprint of the fridge.

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/champion-targets-center-mass-ar500-steel-target

While thick enough, the problem with these steel targets is you need to get them under the feet. If you have access to the back feet while it is in final position, great, but if you are sliding it into an opening you have almost no leverage to get the targets under the feet. Plus the entire unit becomes a "dead load" that you need to figure out how to lift 4 times for the 4 targets, not easily done if you can't tip the unit with leverage at the top.

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RE: Protecting my hardwood floor from the feet of my MA... - 4/10/2021 8:49:51 AM

Hollowine

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Rossodio

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hollowine

I've done something like this before to protect a floor;

Consider getting two pieces of wood that either closely match or are same as your flooring (oak, hickory, whatever) that are about 1/2" to 3/4" thick, and as wide as your fridge. Get Flat Blade or Forstner drill bit (slightly bigger diameter than the bottom of the feet) and drill two holes 1/16" to 1/8" deep in the top of the wood strip, exactly the distance apart of the left-front & right-front leveling feet. Do the same for the rear piece of wood.

Move the fridge into position and remove packing. Rock it back and slide the front board under the front feet, and the rock it forward and slide the rear board under the back feet. They should sit in the indents enough to not slide out easily, but not so much you are prohibited from using to level. You should then be able to slide back into the opening, as long as the added wood pieces don't raise it too high for your opening.

The wood will distribute the load and protect the underlying floor, and if you finish the wood with a similar stain it should barely be noticeable. I personally wouldn't lacquer or finish the boards, just stain them, because sometimes lacquer on lacquer friction can potentially cause sticking.

Wondering if I could have these wood boards made with felt covering the entirety of the bottom of both of them to make sliding the fridge any easier.

Also wondering - so these would be boards that are, say, 3/4" thick, 32" wide (as the fridge is), and maybe 3" deep? Or maybe match the depth of the existing boards, I don't know... In the end, there would be one strip under the front of the fridge and another on the back. Maybe it would make more sense to buy boards that run the depth of the fridge instead of the width? Any opinion on that? I suppose it might look odd to have a gap underneath the front middle of the fridge...

I think it's personal preference whether you have the boards front-back or side-side.

I see no issue using felt, but make sure it is a natural felt (cotton) instead of a synthetic. You will create friction in sliding and don't want the synthetic starting to melt if the friction is at that level.

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RE: Protecting my hardwood floor from the feet of my MA... - 4/10/2021 4:29:17 PM

wine247365

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I have a 330 bottle Vinotheque unit that I've maxed out at around 365 bottles. They advised me that the unit weighed about 500 lbs and adding 350 bottles at 2-1/2 to 3 lbs each means that area could be supporting closer to a ton of weight. I also have a raised foundation. I had them add two legs to the four it came with. To help distribute the weight, I used 3 - 1" x 6" hardwood boards running front to back that I was able to sand/stain a color very close to my existing floor so that unless you looked down, it's hard to notice them.

To the bottom of those, I went to HD and got the largest felt pads and put a bunch of them under the bottoms of the boards. I may have doubled 'em up, but can't remember. I figure that with that much weight, they'll flatted to almost nothing anyway. Key point though is that you'll need to position it while empty cause once you finish loading it, it ain't moving. I haven't tried to budge mine in 9+ years and the floor seems to be doing fine. They advised me to keep at least 6" between the walls and unit. Good luck!

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RE: Protecting my hardwood floor from the feet of my MA... - 4/10/2021 6:58:50 PM

RedLoverJim

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Those steel targets (3/8" thick AR500 plate) would handle the load fine. AR500 is a hardened alloy steel plate (nominal hardness of 500 Brinell to get technical). The description doesn't say, but the targets look to have a coating, maybe a black powder coating, which would protect it from rust, and you could always spray paint it a color close to your floor. Some felt or cork glued to the underside to prevent floor damage and you're finished, as long as you can get it in place without having to move the fridge while on it like others have mentioned.

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RE: Protecting my hardwood floor from the feet of my MA... - 4/12/2021 8:55:45 AM

pbilling

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The Steel Target plates would be plenty thick enough, in fact overkill. 4" square pieces of 1/4" cold rolled would more than do it, but they would be ugly. I would agree with Hollowines suggestion of using wood, which is more than adequate loaded in compression. I would use felt under it to protect the wood but forget about moving it, that's just not going to happen once it's loaded.

Paul

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RE: Protecting my hardwood floor from the feet of my MA... - 4/12/2021 10:13:59 AM

Ximenez

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Rossodio, I think that the wood planks across the legs of the fridge would distribute the concentrated load of 1,100# well as long as you are straddling at least two joists under the floor. Since you have pros looking under the floor to ascertain that the floor can stand up to the load, I would ask them if placing lally columns (basement floor jack posts) under each affected joist would help to not only secure the load and not allow for vertical movement of your floor as you walk by the fridge.

Enjoy that wine fridge!

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RE: Protecting my hardwood floor from the feet of my MA... - 4/12/2021 1:30:45 PM

Rossodio

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I posted this question also on another wine forum. Someone there mentioned piano caster cups; I found some that can hold between 3 of them a 2000+ pound grand piano that won't be too expensive, and they are beautiful. Could tuck them away under the sides of the wine fridge and they would look like extra large feet for it - will get them in a non-polished ebony finish which is approximately the same finish/color as the wine fridge. This way I'm not going overkill/overengineering, they should dampen vibrations a bit, and they will do the job I need them to do.

Also - yes, this is a cross post, but hoping that since everyone who has weighed in here may also have some perspective to give on this as well, I got a quote from the foundation specialist/remodeler:
"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 1:35:25 PM >

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RE: Protecting my hardwood floor from the feet of my MA... - 4/13/2021 12:16:05 PM

mclancy10006

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Rossodio

I posted this question also on another wine forum. Someone there mentioned piano caster cups; I found some that can hold between 3 of them a 2000+ pound grand piano that won't be too expensive, and they are beautiful. Could tuck them away under the sides of the wine fridge and they would look like extra large feet for it - will get them in a non-polished ebony finish which is approximately the same finish/color as the wine fridge. This way I'm not going overkill/overengineering, they should dampen vibrations a bit, and they will do the job I need them to do.

Also - yes, this is a cross post, but hoping that since everyone who has weighed in here may also have some perspective to give on this as well, I got a quote from the foundation specialist/remodeler:
"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?"

That seems reasonable price wise given the state of materials costs right now.

-Mark

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RE: Protecting my hardwood floor from the feet of my MA... - 4/13/2021 5:28:23 PM

racerchris

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there are only two important factors from a home engineering standpoint.
What is the concentrated load and what is the distributed load?

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