So, I bought a film/paper dryer today. I bought it because I'm downsizing my DR. It's actually taller than the one I have now. It's 85" tall. The bottom of the joists in my basement are 85" tall. It would fit if I could stand it up but, I need more than 85" clearance to do that.
My question is, how much of my joists can I notch out before I reduce the structural integrity of them???
Arggghhh.
You don't take notches out of joists, ever. Not without formal engineering analysis from a structural engineer who has professional indemnity insurance. The notch focuses the stress and makes it a weak point, much worse than if your beams were merely thinner.
ex-Pic-A-Day (slowed after 2 years)
on flickr
Analogue Photo and Film FAQ (for APUG)
Open Source F/Stop Timer
Crap. So how to I stand it up?Originally Posted by polyglot
Who can solve physics problems here???
take it apart and reassemble ?
notch codes ? I only use one film...
Hmmm. Yes. There is a dust cover at the top of the unit which is about three inches tall. I've examined it because removing it would be the perfect solution. Unfortunately, it is attached permanently somehow. I'm thinking I may have to just force it up and damage the dust cover. Maybe try to bend it back into shape so I can insert the air filters in it.
FWIW, you can see the dust cover HERE.
Have checked the the height of the joists in a number of different spots? Floors and ceilings are rarely flat, maybe there's an area of the base where you have a little more clearance. Also just out of curiosity what is the width and depth of the film dryer?
Roger
What's the ceiling made of ?
Cut out drywall or remove ceiling tiles between the joists till you can stand it up.
Roger, take a look at the dimensions via the link I posted in post #5.
The dryer is a rectangle. So, I realize that standing in up in one direction will require less clearance than standing it up in the alternate direction. If that makes any sense.
Unfortunately, I have exposed beams. No drop ceiling at the moment.
Cut out a piece of cardboard the exact shape of the profile of the dryer from the front. Take that down into the basement and play around with different ways to tilt it up using the free space between the floor joist. You may have enough wriggle room to make it work.
If that doesn't work, what are the dimension of the floor joist, how long a span do the joists make in the area you want the drier to stand, and are they 16 inches or 24 inches apart? Despite the advice of Polyglot, it's not so cut and dry. Floor joists handle a lot of different loads and forces. A lot depends on when the house was built and the materials used. A 2x8 joist from the 1920s is probably as strong as a 2x10 from the past 30 years. Back then 2 inches was nearly 2 inches not 1 1/2 in today's dimensional lumber. And the old growth had more winter wood to add strength. Since you would only need to notch one joist out of a floor whole system there are ways to do it. It depends on what is directly above the area you want to notch. If it is supporting a load bearing wall, don't do it. If it is supporting heavy kitchen appliances, or a piano, or a big jetted tub don't do it. But if it is near the end of the joist and not in the middle, and there is minimal load on that joist, you can probably notch a couple of inches (you have to do it right). To be secure you can screw and glue two 4 foot pieces of 3/4 inch structural plywood one on each side of the remaining joist. Your house is not going to fall down. You need a competent carpenter, not a structural engineer.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks