[78-L] Record storage & 2nd floor weight limits

[Steven C. Barr]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ken Matheson" <kenmath at yahoo.com>
> The most important thing about record storage in homes
> is being overlooked here. There are older homes out there
> that were built without building permits, and also newer and
> older homes that have been remodeled without permits, or
> plans, buy amateurs. I have seen, and worked on homes that
> bearing walls have been removed without added support. I
> have seen 2X6 and 2X4 floor jousts used on 2 foot centers.
> The floors, and ceilings will sag a little over the years, but
> people will get used to it, and not pay attention to it.
> Everything looks OK until extra weight is placed on them.
> You get a heavy snow, fill the waterbed, have a party, or
> store too much in them you will need to remodel your
> house. You will need big hydraulic jacks, steel beams,
> plenty of help, and good drywallers. It would be good to
> have it checked out by a professional contractor before
> storing excess weight there.
>
Well, the only "remuddling" that has been done in my 1869 house was that 
some
<insert obscenities of your choice here!!> removed the original stair 
railing, and
replaced it with a "cheap lumberyard special" which probably "looked enough
like the original" to satisfy him/her/it...?! Other than that, NO structural 
alterations
have been made (for which I am VERY grateful!). It is one of the VERY few
houses here in Oshawa, Ont'o., Canada that hasn't been "remuddled" to bring
it up to "current suburban style!"

The sills are more-or-less 4x10's...they are actually pine-tree trunks, cut 
flat on
tops and bottoms but not even "de-barked" on the sides! The house is an odd
combination of "balloon frame" and "post and beam"...the studs (honest 
2x4's!)
are mortised into the sills, not nailed to them. So far, my 50,000+ 78's 
don't
seem to have created any problems (as I said, about 2/3 live in the 
basement)...!

Steven C. Barr