You've been given some very good advice here. One thing I want to stress to EVERYONE here is that you have to figure into the factor in what ELSE is applying weight/load to your floor system and how this is being abated into the foundation. Yes those 2x10's will usually carry more load than you'd put onto them just in a floor system. But you have to also factor into the equation what's above this floor and how that load is being transferred into the foundation. Is there another floor above? I assume there's a roof system? Is the roof loading the floor system? Has it created a "point load" that we can't add to? The questions and information that are needed to figure this will seem over whelming but they are pretty easy to figure and calculate if you know what's going on. There was a time when a contractor would look at it, squint, rubs his hands together and say "Yeah that will work." Those days are LONG gone! You need someone who is licensed and trained to make these decisions and don't do any guessing. Better safe than sorry!
On a side note..... many moons ago I wanted a hot-tub. Had a contractor come inspect my deck to make sure it would work (Mistake #1). He said that hand railing needed to be replaced but other than that you could drive a CEMENT truck on the deck. So I paid him to replace the handrail (Mistake #2 over paid to be exact) and then ordered the Hot-tub. Mind you it was ONLY a 90g "Soft-tub" (which is a VERY light weight economical system) and when they delivered it I started filling it up right away! After about 15 minutes I noticed that the hot-tub was NOT level. I thought that's strange.. the deck LOOKED level!! I let it keep filling (Mistake #3) and went back into the house. About 20 minutes later I heard someone yelling for me from outside. It was my neighbor! She wanted to know why my deck looked so funny and what's all the water running into her driveway about! The deck had given way slowly and was now pouring gallons of water over the edge of the half full hot-tub down my yard and over the neighbors drive way. What happened was the deck LOOKED structurally sound from ABOVE!! [B]In fact it was anything BUT![/B] The wood was water logged (rental house and it had NOT gutters so all rain water was running onto deck) and the nails that attached the joists to the ledger board was so algae and mildew covered that they simply pulled out releasing the joists!! This happened gradually over several minutes so there wasn't any noises, cracks and BANGS to alert me. We had to drain the tub, replace the majority of the deck and then 2 weeks later filled the hot-tub for a summer I will take a LONG time for forget!! *Grins*
Just because it "looks" structurally sound by NO way means it is! Lucky this deck was only 18" off the ground but every one here can see where this COULD have been a terrible story!!
So always err on the side of safety and you'll never regret it!!
Sincerely,
Allen
On a side note..... many moons ago I wanted a hot-tub. Had a contractor come inspect my deck to make sure it would work (Mistake #1). He said that hand railing needed to be replaced but other than that you could drive a CEMENT truck on the deck. So I paid him to replace the handrail (Mistake #2 over paid to be exact) and then ordered the Hot-tub. Mind you it was ONLY a 90g "Soft-tub" (which is a VERY light weight economical system) and when they delivered it I started filling it up right away! After about 15 minutes I noticed that the hot-tub was NOT level. I thought that's strange.. the deck LOOKED level!! I let it keep filling (Mistake #3) and went back into the house. About 20 minutes later I heard someone yelling for me from outside. It was my neighbor! She wanted to know why my deck looked so funny and what's all the water running into her driveway about! The deck had given way slowly and was now pouring gallons of water over the edge of the half full hot-tub down my yard and over the neighbors drive way. What happened was the deck LOOKED structurally sound from ABOVE!! [B]In fact it was anything BUT![/B] The wood was water logged (rental house and it had NOT gutters so all rain water was running onto deck) and the nails that attached the joists to the ledger board was so algae and mildew covered that they simply pulled out releasing the joists!! This happened gradually over several minutes so there wasn't any noises, cracks and BANGS to alert me. We had to drain the tub, replace the majority of the deck and then 2 weeks later filled the hot-tub for a summer I will take a LONG time for forget!! *Grins*
Just because it "looks" structurally sound by NO way means it is! Lucky this deck was only 18" off the ground but every one here can see where this COULD have been a terrible story!!
So always err on the side of safety and you'll never regret it!!
Sincerely,
Allen
