sfsuphysics
Active member
So I'm going to install a tank. A large tank. And I need to redo the floor and was hoping to get some ideas for the type of floor. I'm looking towards inexpensive materials, i.e. no really nice stone or tiles.
Background:
Existing floor is a floating a good foot above a concrete slab. House built in the 50s, used to be an in-law place on the first floor connected to the garage. If I had to make a guess this was an addition after the house was made as it has that feel of "hey I have wood I can build off the concrete slab and make a room. There's considerable bounce in the floor, even within a few feet of the wall which makes me thinks the beams span much too long of an area and need beefing up under them, the subfloor is your typical 1" T&G pine boards that they used to use back in the day before plywood became widely used. There's a vent under the floor where the door to the outside which I'm guessing is to keep air between the floors so that things don't get funky there, just a guess on that part.
Plan:
Rip old stuff out, block up existing beams to blocks on concrete pad with pressure treated stock, rip up old subfloor (yeah I'm worried about the asbestos factor of the vinyl floor that's there), replace with 3/4" (or 23/32") T&G. Then whatever additional steps for other flooring. Also I'm going to pull a new box for a couple dedicated circuits just for the tank, insulation/vapor between the beams so that the humidity due to tank doesn't cause condensation on the flooring (or worse under the flooring) due to a cold floor, I'd like to run drain, but I'm not sure I can get the slope I want to tie into existing sewage lines. (also obviously not in this order
)
Idea #1 - Tile
Inexpensive ceramic tile can be gotten for $.60 sq.ft although the cost doesn't include building up a proper floor with hardiebacker (no Ditra or Kerdi in this part of the country), along with thinset, grout, etc... I've done tile before for a bathroom but I remember the hours spent on my knees, measuring, cutting, fitting, wiggling, waiting, etc. I am a tad worried about the weight of the tank+system (probably looking somewhere in the 500g range for everything) cracking the tile. Also a bit worried if there's a water spill it'll hit the grout lines, hit the backer board and hit the subfloor and stick there since the backer board isn't a waterproof product (these are times I wish we had Ditra or Kerdi products out here).
Idea #2 - Vinyl floor.
Much easier to install, a bit more expensive on the surface than inexpensive tiles but probably less overall cost of additional installation. Also double nice that a large size of continuous piece essentially will prevent water from reaching the subfloor in the case of spills/accidents since I think it comes in 12' wide pieces. Concerns however are durability, the weight the stand might compress the hell out of it, possibly ripping through the stuff compromising the whole water resistance aspect. My wife seems to think that I'll tear the hell out of it too by moving stuff around.
Idea #3 - Straight to the concrete.
Building the stand straight to the concrete after I rip the floor up. Then floor around it. Upside is I won't have to worry about the weight of the tank and everything. Downside I still need floor around it which could make it a bit difficult to cut around the stand's legs. Plus I still need to insulate around the tank as part of this project is to complete enclose the tank area for heat retaining aspects (less electricity needed to heat it), foam board for stand walls, etc. And since it goes directly to the concrete water issues still have to be taken into account.
So any other ideas? I know a lot (most?) people put their tank on existing floor. So I'm basically asking what you would do different if you were starting from the ground up. The room will have a couch and be a relaxation room so does need to remain comfortable. I thought about a bamboo floor, but quickly dismissed it due to water/moisture concerns.
Background:
Existing floor is a floating a good foot above a concrete slab. House built in the 50s, used to be an in-law place on the first floor connected to the garage. If I had to make a guess this was an addition after the house was made as it has that feel of "hey I have wood I can build off the concrete slab and make a room. There's considerable bounce in the floor, even within a few feet of the wall which makes me thinks the beams span much too long of an area and need beefing up under them, the subfloor is your typical 1" T&G pine boards that they used to use back in the day before plywood became widely used. There's a vent under the floor where the door to the outside which I'm guessing is to keep air between the floors so that things don't get funky there, just a guess on that part.
Plan:
Rip old stuff out, block up existing beams to blocks on concrete pad with pressure treated stock, rip up old subfloor (yeah I'm worried about the asbestos factor of the vinyl floor that's there), replace with 3/4" (or 23/32") T&G. Then whatever additional steps for other flooring. Also I'm going to pull a new box for a couple dedicated circuits just for the tank, insulation/vapor between the beams so that the humidity due to tank doesn't cause condensation on the flooring (or worse under the flooring) due to a cold floor, I'd like to run drain, but I'm not sure I can get the slope I want to tie into existing sewage lines. (also obviously not in this order
)Idea #1 - Tile
Inexpensive ceramic tile can be gotten for $.60 sq.ft although the cost doesn't include building up a proper floor with hardiebacker (no Ditra or Kerdi in this part of the country), along with thinset, grout, etc... I've done tile before for a bathroom but I remember the hours spent on my knees, measuring, cutting, fitting, wiggling, waiting, etc. I am a tad worried about the weight of the tank+system (probably looking somewhere in the 500g range for everything) cracking the tile. Also a bit worried if there's a water spill it'll hit the grout lines, hit the backer board and hit the subfloor and stick there since the backer board isn't a waterproof product (these are times I wish we had Ditra or Kerdi products out here).
Idea #2 - Vinyl floor.
Much easier to install, a bit more expensive on the surface than inexpensive tiles but probably less overall cost of additional installation. Also double nice that a large size of continuous piece essentially will prevent water from reaching the subfloor in the case of spills/accidents since I think it comes in 12' wide pieces. Concerns however are durability, the weight the stand might compress the hell out of it, possibly ripping through the stuff compromising the whole water resistance aspect. My wife seems to think that I'll tear the hell out of it too by moving stuff around.
Idea #3 - Straight to the concrete.
Building the stand straight to the concrete after I rip the floor up. Then floor around it. Upside is I won't have to worry about the weight of the tank and everything. Downside I still need floor around it which could make it a bit difficult to cut around the stand's legs. Plus I still need to insulate around the tank as part of this project is to complete enclose the tank area for heat retaining aspects (less electricity needed to heat it), foam board for stand walls, etc. And since it goes directly to the concrete water issues still have to be taken into account.
So any other ideas? I know a lot (most?) people put their tank on existing floor. So I'm basically asking what you would do different if you were starting from the ground up. The room will have a couch and be a relaxation room so does need to remain comfortable. I thought about a bamboo floor, but quickly dismissed it due to water/moisture concerns.
