cement question

[Rhodophyta]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11507859#post11507859 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kreeger1
If the house is large enough, the moisture added will be unimportant. It will just mean that the humidifier on the furnace uses less water.

Not true, and most heaters don't come with the upgrade of having a humidifier.

Moisture will affect any size house I agree, but this is more correctly humidity, which is a different form of moisture. Moisture around a leaking pipe or fixture will damage that area no matter how big the rest of the dwelling. Humidity goes into the volume of air in the entire house, even if it has heating/cooling zones or entirely separate furnaces and air conditioners for different parts. If you dump a gallon a day of humidity into house A and house B and house B is twice as large, it will have half the humidity of the other.

I think the thread was on the topic of stabilizing a stand for a large tank on a suspect floor. Humidity was not the topic and they don't have to worry about it since they don't own the house anyway. :rollface: Renters can just leave a window open. (Just funning with you renters! With the mortgage crisis we all may be renting in a few years!)

 

[oldreefer76]

Humidity is an issue whether renting or owning, if an enclosed space is to humid, it will cause the growth of mold and mildew in areas that do not get adequate air circulation, such as basements, bathrooms, kitchens and areas such as base boards and corners on the interior of a home that faces the exterior.

Renter also just can not leave a window open! most renters pay for there heat!

 

[scottfarcuz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11507802#post11507802 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefWidowed


Another option I (thanks to Scott's idea) was considering was making a platform with screw levelers to put under the stand it came with and with enough torque I could even make small adjustments to keep everyrhing in level.

This could work. Id be tempted to make the platform from steel, but I tend to overdo things. I would use at least 6 high quality screw adjusters for leveling. And put large steel pads down under each one. You may want to leave enough room under the platform for a jack. I've seen screw type house posts get enough weight on them that adjusting them up is nearly impossible. Id also avoid regular steel adjusters, and look for stainless. Steel threads will corrode pretty fast next to a damp concrete floor.

This floor is likely moving more than you think. I don't know the tanks dimensions but its got to be rimless, and 200g. I would keep a close eye on it....

You should make room for it upstairs then just do a lot of bracing

You don't really NEED a couch in the living room do you?

 

[Kreeger1]

If you do need help leveling the stand or making something to level it, give me a call I've got all the tools needed to do something or to reinforce the floor
Erik

 

[Rhodophyta]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11508454#post11508454 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by oldreefer76
Humidity is an issue whether renting or owning, if an enclosed space is to humid, it will cause the growth of mold and mildew in areas that do not get adequate air circulation, such as basements, bathrooms, kitchens and areas such as base boards and corners on the interior of a home that faces the exterior.

Renter also just can not leave a window open! most renters pay for there heat!

Of course excessive humidity is a bad thing, as is excessively dry air which we aquarium keepers would not know about. It still is a hijack of the thread which was how to deal with the cracked concrete floor. Adding a second dehumidfier if the original one already runs a lot seems like it should close this side discussion.

The wink faces around the "Leave the window open" were supposed to ID it as a jolly. Sadly I do see some rental properties with a window open or broken all winter. Those are probably ones where our Uncle Sam is paying the heating bill. And yes I know where he gets the money. But you can explain it anyway in case someone doesn't know.

 

[Rhodophyta]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11508633#post11508633 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kreeger1
If you do need help leveling the stand or making something to level it, give me a call I've got all the tools needed to do something or to reinforce the floor
Erik

This is a good idea, to have a professional look at the floor problem and fix it correctly.

 

[Akronviper]

I would pour a small 4-6" concrete slab on the existing floor and then build your stand around it using the slab to support the weight and skirting incorporated into your stand to hide the slab. Use plastic in between the existing floor and new slab to act as a bond breaker so the new slab will not be permenent. You just have to pry it off and break it up to remove it.

Allmost all basement floors have cracks in them. If its just expansion cracks its nothing to worry about. If the floor hieght varies on both sides of the cracks those may be of concern. Most basements are 4" thick with at the very least 2000 psi concrete. Even with cracks concrete is very strong you just have to make sure the cracks are level. If not it means there is some sort of uneven settling or frost heaving (ussally by the footer). With that much money and water involved you cant take a chance that the movement has stopped. The new slab will help evenly distribute any movement but frost heave is very strong and not worth the chance.

Best have someone take a look to be safe. (wow a long post just to say what every one else said)

 

[CleveYank]

IF the area in question is being built behind a wall I would think that a really heavy duty floating floor made out of 2 by 4 screwed together with 12 inch on center supports. With the 3 1/2 high side of the 2 by 4 being vertical or the tallest width of the board. And I would put 3/4 plywood on both sides making a box shape and I would lay this on the area and I would spread the load as far as I could. You would only raise your stand around the area of 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 inches high with this and yet you could depend upon nice weight distribution. This rasied platform would probably be enough. Once I had this decided I would get some plastic sheeting, something on a heavy mil that I could lay on the existing floor. I would then get dap or some other floor leveling compound that had poly vynul acetate or buterol in it and I would mix it up and spread it out and let gravity fill in the slopes. Then as it was beginning to set I would put another sheet of the heavy duty plastic down and then lay the platform of 2 by 4 and double sided 3/4 plywood on top and then I would use some free weight plates and put them in the center and use a 4 to 8 foot bubble level and check the whole peice for level. Front to back and diagonals and work it down with the wieght of the wall and the weights and a rubber mallet until I got it better than 1st line or "carpenter's" center. Basically I'd have it dead center in every direction. This way you could spread the load beyond the dimensions of the tank and make something that you could lift up and unscrew apart when you move away. The leveling compound would be able to be lifted with a shovel and thrown away. If I could not redo the floor and pour dedicated footers under it, then some kind of flat larger than the tank/stand footprint platform that I could take apart and move or dispose of when I moved away would be how I would do it.