thehip wrote:
I have a home built around 1930-35. it has 2x10 floor joists
spaced 16" on center. They are 12 feet from foundation wall to center
support beam running length of the house. The center beam sits atop 3 lally
columns. My question is how much weight can this type of construction
support? I am planning on getting a new dining room table and china cabinet
and I need to know if the floor will support it. Dining room measures 12' x
16'
Thanks for any info


Doesn't sound like a problem. A structural
standard for floor joists is 10 pounds per square
foot dead load (means the house itself) and 40
pounds per square foot of live load (means the
stuff you put in the house, not necessarily living
things).
Almost any wood of the dimension you stated would
meet or exceed that standard. Don't know the size
of your center beam but I would suspect that if
the joists meet the regular standard, the beam
would also. A dining room table and a china
cabinet are rather light loads, compared to other
furniture, e.g., 800 pound piano, 500 pounds of
books in a 3 shelf, 4 foot long bookcase.
Realize that the live load of that room could be
7700 pounds nearly 4 tons.

Don't worry.