Choosing between steel water tank stands & timber water tank stands

In many cases, water tanks will need to be raised above ground level in order to increase water pressure.

Here are some points to consider when choosing between steel tank stands and timber tank stands.

• Timber tank stands will usually be the cheaper option than steel tank stands but this should not be the deciding factor
• Steel tank stands, professionally designed and manufactured by structural engineers, will have safety margins built-in and the load factors can be precisely calculated making steel tank stands inherently safer than wood stands. Wood can have variable strength attributes and can never be as consistent as high quality steel
• Body  corporate are more likely to accept a steel tank stand than a timber tank stand for the above reason
• Properly coated steel structures will outlast timber structures by a big margin. This makes the possible initial savings of choosing a timber tank stand irrelevant in the medium and long term
• Steel tank stands can be ordered in kit form, specifically designed for a certain type and capacity of water tank while timber tank stands will need to be designed, manufactured on a custom basis. Finding a person or business that is willing to certify and guarantee a timber stand will be difficult
• Timber tank stands are susceptible to damage and destruction by fires whereas steel  water tank stand structures will resist heat from fire for much longer
• In general, steel tank stands will be far better at resisting other kinds of environmental factors such as flooding, wind, drought and the associated degradation that these events may bring (for timber tank stands this could be wet rot, dry rot, termite and other infestations)
• Aesthetics – while some may prefer the look of timber tank stands, they are very bulky and noticeable. Steel tank stands are generally neater and less conspicuous

Steel tank stands, with the price of steel these days, are a significant investment. Before deciding on the brand of steel tank stand, request the engineer’s certificate and technical design and have these checked out by your builder or contractor.

JoJo steel tank stands are available for 5000 litre water tanks and 10000 litre in the following heights: 1.5m, 3m, 4.5m, 6m & 9m. JoJo tank stands of each height are properly designed by a registered South African structural engineer (engineer’s certificates available on request). Click on the links below to view the wide range of JoJo Tanks products available in South Africa.

JoJo Tanks South Africa offer a wide range of products such as plastic water tanks and chemical tanks to suit every household, business or agricultural need, including silo tanks and silo tank stands as well as other high quality JoJo Tanks products.  See JoJo Tanks’ VERTICAL TANKS, HORIZONTAL TANKS (transporter tanks), STEEL TANK STANDS and OTHER JOJO PRODUCTS and see JoJo Tanks’ NEW 6000 LITRE UNDERGROUND TANKS. Also see our FAQ and WATER TANK PRICES.