The building code requires the residential floor to be able to support a 40 psf (pounds per square feet) live load. For your safe that weighs 300lbs, it requires a footprint that covers an area of 300/40 = 7.5 SF (square feet).
A few definitions now and we can move on:
Safety factor is a measurement with which your floor was designed to support loads without collapsing. Most homes have a safety factor of 40 PSF (pounds per square foot).
High-quality vinyl or linoleum floors are very durable. However, lesser quality materials can rip or tear very easily or show indentations from heavy objects, like a gun safe. You may want to consider anchoring your safe on a base or a rubber mat to protect your flooring.
Generally speaking, your floor should have no problem supporting a gun safe as long as you are mindful of how the floor is supported (e.g., the arrangement of joists in a raised floor) and where you place the safe. With careful planning, you can even put a gun safe on the second floor of your home.
A good, heavy-duty gun safe can weigh more than 1,000 pounds. That's a lot of weight on your second-story floor. You don't want a safe falling through your ceiling. If you want your safe on the second floor, make sure to have the floor and ceiling below it evaluated for support strength.
Hands down, one of the most common questions we get is, “Can I install a safe on the second floor of my home?” The short answer is yes. It's your choice where your safe is installed.
And most of the time it shouldn't be a problem. It would help to know something about the dimensions of the safe (particularly the dimensions of the base), and the construction of the house. If your sub-floor is 3/4" plywood, and your floor joists are on 16" centers, you shouldn't have a problem.
Floors are usually designed for a nominal 30psf to 40 psf live load. Example: a 10x10′ room designed for 30 psf can handle 3,000 pounds of people, evenly distributed across it.
Most building codes are based on the International Residential Code (IRC). Following these specifications, all floors in those non-sleeping rooms have a minimal live floor load of 40 pounds per square foot. Any sleeping rooms must be able to support a live load of 30 pounds per square foot.
In other words, the average floor in a room can carry a total of about 4,000 pounds. The second important factor is that floors are much more sturdy near the bearing end point of the joists (beams) under the floor than it is in the middle of the span.
For residential floors, the live load is usually considered to be 30 to 40 pounds per square foot (psf), although this varies depending on the location within the home. First-floor live loads have higher requirements than second-floor live loads (40 pounds per square foot vs. 30 psf).
With a heavy safe on top of your flooring, you may not even notice the moisture accumulating. This is why we recommend installing your safe on a rubber mat. This will keep the bottom dry, and prevent moisture damage.
You should always anchor your safe to the floor. Anchoring helps prevent damage to your home and accidents that could result in injury or even death to a loved one if your safe tips over. If putting bolts into your floor has you saying, “No way,” consider the damage a 1,000-pound safe can do if it tips over.
The load capacity of a second floor in a home is regulated at 40 lbs. per square foot. For bedrooms, the capacity is 30 lbs. per square foot.
How well built is your floor? If you have a strong structural foundation and no defects in the framing, you can likely put up to a 125-gallon tank upstairs with no problems! Anything larger such as a 200- or 300-gallon tank should never be placed on an upper level without extra bracing or reinforcing the floor first.
Burglars or home invaders won't even bother tampering or trying to remove them. They also are not as common, so most won't even know where to begin looking for them. Each floor safe location is also entirely unique to the home depending on its foundation. This, again, deters theft.
Conclusion. Aquariums up to 55 gallons can be placed almost anywhere without much worry at all. Many tanks larger than 55 gallons and no more than 125 gallons will be okay, if they are placed in a good structural location and your floor framing is free from significant defects.
Floor joists are designed to be load-bearing. They act as the support for upper levels, often transferring weight to vertical supports within a foundation. With upper levels, floor joists support the walls.
Your scale is on the wrong surface.
“If a scale is on carpet, uneven tile, or wood it can also appear to be calibrated poorly,” says Kantor. A flat, hard surface is ideal for proper read-outs.
Excessive Weight on a Floor
For example, a floor of an office building is generally designed to hold a lot more weight than a floor in a residential home. However, if load-bearing supports are not installed properly, this can cause a floor to collapse.
If the house is designed and framed properly, i.e. in accordance with a building code, the only pieces of "furniture" heavy enough to worry about in terms of floor loading are bathtubs/spas full of water and stone or masonry fireplaces.
On average, a two-person crew can lay 800 to 1,000 square feet of flooring per day. Depending on the size of the planks and size of the room, the project can take one to three days to complete. However, you need to account for removal as well as any prep work that may be needed.
Firstly, a “good” safe is defined as a safe that will withstand its indicated level of security and protection, when it matters most. These types of safes typically range from 100 lbs (45 kg) to 240 lbs (110 kg), with the average being around 185 lbs (85 kg).
Dollies Can Be Used for Bringing Heavy Items Upstairs
Dollies are great for moving heavy objects, but they can also be used for bringing items upstairs. Just be sure to secure the item onto the dolly so that it doesn't fall off and hurt someone.
Mid-range safes weigh between 600 and 1,000 pounds. High-end weigh in between 1,000 to 1,600. And commercial-grade safes can weigh anywhere from 2,000 all the way up to 5,000 pounds. But what goes into them that gives them so much heft?