Build stove on second floor?

My husband and I are currently doing research and plan on building one next summer.

We live in a bi-level, and we do all of our living on the second floor (short of my basement office).

It seems to me that the best place to build this is on the floor where you want the heat. Our concern is the weight of the stove on the floor. Has anyone put these on anything other than the base floor of the house? Or can you build this on a different floor than you are living on, does it still work well?

I appreciate any thoughts or advice.

Thanks!
Julia

Will the floor hold a bathtub full of water? I know that stoves are heavy, but so is a cast iron tub filled with water.

One thing that you can do is to use some sort of slab to distribute the weight more evenly. It is possible, but until you have a design and some numbers, it's hard to give an engineering answer.

Julia Franke : You can also substitute a waterbed for the weight load characteristics ! Bracing a floor is not a problem, bracing two floors calls for a visit with a local contractor,
who should be prepared to walk you thru the steps and give you an estimate. I am a great deal more concerned about your exposures, your wooden walls and floors, this is a
medium difficult build for a first time build .Here is were I ask if you have been to rocketstoves.com to get your own PDF Copy $15.oo of Jackson's and Evans'
Great Book. "Rocket Mass Heaters", with over 100,000 rocket Mass Heaters R.M.H.s built world-wide, most of them have been built 'from The Book' and 95% of all the 1st
builds(that Worked) were built from this book. There is STILL No other book in any language with as much Rocket Mass Heater Family information! (and I don't make a
dime !)

A happy home owner is one who gives their rocket Pride of Place, it should be where you are spending the longest period of continuous occupancy so that its frequent feedings
are accomplished as its owner moves through the house something that you learn to do by keeping an ear to the Deep throaty sounds of your R.M.H. and your own Personal
House Dragon! If it is tucked 'out of the way' or always seems to be on another floor than the one you are on, ( I doubt you will find anyone recommending placing it in the
basement ) living with a rocket stove can develop into a chore rather than a blessing, though I have seen the pattern of a whole house change and the rocket stove become the
new heart of the home ! I hope this helps you in your quest ! For the Good of the Craft!

Think like fire, flow like a gas, Don't be the Marshmallow ! As always your comments and questions are solicited and welcome ! PYRO - Logically BIG AL !