Gameroom construction/building code? - Page 2

> We just bought a newer foreclosure earlier this year in the DFW TX area..
> Home is only 4 years old and has a designated gameroom. It is located
> upstairs and I want to move a small coin-op pool table up there.How can I=

> certain that the room is capable of this weight?
> I contacted some pool table movers and they told me that if the room was
> coded for a gameroom, it should be fine. So how can I be absolutely sure
> these floor beams are ready for 750 lbs of pool table? I do have access t=
> the original plans that were submitted to the HOA. I would also like to m=

> a jukebox (400lbs) and a pinball machine up there as well (300lbs)
> Thanks in advance
> Mike

> > We just bought a newer foreclosure earlier this year in the DFW TX area=
> > Home is only 4 years old and has a designated gameroom. It is located
> > upstairs and I want to move a small coin-op pool table up there.How can=

> > certain that the room is capable of this weight?
> > I contacted some pool table movers and they told me that if the room wa=
> > coded for a gameroom, it should be fine. So how can I be absolutely sur=
> > these floor beams are ready for 750 lbs of pool table? I do have access=

> > the original plans that were submitted to the HOA. I would also like to=

> > a jukebox (400lbs) and a pinball machine up there as well (300lbs)
> > Thanks in advance
> > Mike
> As has been suggested, it's the point loads of =A0the feet that are the
> problem. =A0The plywood in between joists are not a good place for legs
> that carry that much load.
> To distribute the load better, place the legs on plates (thick
> plywood, solid wood, steel, whatever that's really stiff) and make the
> plates either really big (like 12-18 inches square) or even better,
> rectangular so they rest across 2 or more joists.
> I wouldn't be concerned with the overall weight either.
> keep in mind that if you place the jukebox on one side, then the pool
> table, then the pinball machine on the other side, and they all rest
> on the same 4-6 joists, this would not be good.
> James

> We just bought a newer foreclosure earlier this year in the DFW TX area..
> Home is only 4 years old and has a designated gameroom. It is located
> upstairs and I want to move a small coin-op pool table up there.How can I be
> certain that the room is capable of this weight?
> I contacted some pool table movers and they told me that if the room was
> coded for a gameroom, it should be fine. So how can I be absolutely sure
> these floor beams are ready for 750 lbs of pool table? I do have access to
> the original plans that were submitted to the HOA. I would also like to move
> a jukebox (400lbs) and a pinball machine up there as well (300lbs)

>Coded for a game room? I've never heard of such an animal, though I
>suppose your local codes might have such a category.
>It's a house, residential sleeping second floor is often designed with
>a live load of 30 pounds per square foot. Some people use 40. In all
>instances in such a calculations you want to choose the conservative
>value.
>Let's take a worst case scenario, I mean really worst case. ;) You
>could have several people standing around watching your amazing cue
>ball jump shot into a glass holding your dentures. Your friends are
>awed, clustered around your small billiard box (4'x7' SWAG). You've
>got five fat-assed friends that are pulling 250+ and you at a trim
>185, figure 1500 on the hoof, plus the table and you're north of a ton
>spread over the area - roughly 6'x9' or 54 SF and that puts you in
>excess of 40 PSF.

>But how dismal of a situation is it really? It's unlikely your
>friends will take root and become fixtures,
See my above comment. Maybe you would *want* them to take root? <bg>
> and there's a lot of
>required elbow room with no additional load. If you take 4' as the
>absolute minimum to stroke a cue stick the area balloons up to
>~12'x15' with pretty much the same load, which is way down around an
>average load of 10 to 15 PSF. In other words a well populated
>cocktail party would put a more severe but more short term load on
>your floor.
>If you want to be positive you'll need to have someone determine the
>actual loads and location, structural member size, species and grade
>(if they're TrusJoists (or approved equal) it'll be a lot easier to
>determine the acceptable load) and run some calculations.
>R

> On Mon, 8 Sep 2008 20:00:10 -0700 (PDT), RicodJour
>>Coded for a game room? I've never heard of such an animal, though I
>>suppose your local codes might have such a category.
>>It's a house, residential sleeping second floor is often designed with
>>a live load of 30 pounds per square foot. Some people use 40. In all
>>instances in such a calculations you want to choose the conservative
>>value.
>>Let's take a worst case scenario, I mean really worst case. ;) You
>>could have several people standing around watching your amazing cue
>>ball jump shot into a glass holding your dentures. Your friends are
>>awed, clustered around your small billiard box (4'x7' SWAG). You've
>>got five fat-assed friends that are pulling 250+ and you at a trim
>>185, figure 1500 on the hoof, plus the table and you're north of a ton
>>spread over the area - roughly 6'x9' or 54 SF and that puts you in
>>excess of 40 PSF.
> Oh god, I was thinking the same basic thing, but didn't want to say
> it... Now, the real question is: what happens when the four fat-assed
> friends start jumping up and down cheering because you sank that que
> ball and broke your dentures? Jumping in unison? Up and down. As only
> beer swilling buddies will do?
>>But how dismal of a situation is it really? It's unlikely your
>>friends will take root and become fixtures,
>> and there's a lot of
>>required elbow room with no additional load. If you take 4' as the
>>absolute minimum to stroke a cue stick the area balloons up to
>>~12'x15' with pretty much the same load, which is way down around an
>>average load of 10 to 15 PSF. In other words a well populated
>>cocktail party would put a more severe but more short term load on
>>your floor.
>>If you want to be positive you'll need to have someone determine the
>>actual loads and location, structural member size, species and grade
>>(if they're TrusJoists (or approved equal) it'll be a lot easier to
>>determine the acceptable load) and run some calculations.
>>R
> All great advice, and a good post... Thanks for the smile, Ricod!