Who has their tank on hardwood floors and ..
- Thread starter Uel
- Start date
sfsuphysics
Active member
don't spill saltwater on them! Or if you do, make sure you do it as infrequently as possible, and quickly clean up, then rinse down with freshwater. A good sealed floor will help tremendously though, if it's allowed to seep between the boards doesn't matter how good the top finish is though.
I had poorly sealed (not at all) floors, and did some decent damage with my tanks *sigh*.
I had poorly sealed (not at all) floors, and did some decent damage with my tanks *sigh*.
pennyguy23
Premium Member
Mine is really screwing it up and its only the 65gl not the 300gl
Yeah pennyguy, I hear you. It's the little drips that you wipe up but still eat a little of the finish everytime. I was hoping someone would come up with a workable solution. People keep asking about something like a washing machine liner/tub, but I can't come up with a good way to make something like that work. I'm thinking of getting some kind of rubber mat with a lip to put down when I'm messing with the tank.
I have antique wide plank pine floors and they are now trashed.
Biggest regret I have is that I did not take the time to varnish/caulk the inside of my stand. Outer leaks are easy to wipe up, its the sump/stand leaks that drip under and never get wiped up that kill ya.
Already refinished once, and will have to do again some day. Meanwhile thank g*d for rugs.
Biggest regret I have is that I did not take the time to varnish/caulk the inside of my stand. Outer leaks are easy to wipe up, its the sump/stand leaks that drip under and never get wiped up that kill ya.
Already refinished once, and will have to do again some day. Meanwhile thank g*d for rugs.
well, the best solution I can think of then, is to tile the floor under the tank. make it like an alcove, and extend it out from the stand by a foot or so. a nice ceramic tile floor, use the bathroom style silicone grout, itll be fine with spills.
of course this might not really be in your plans... it does require cutting up your wood floor in that section... but as far as while the tank is running, you wont have any damaged wood.
of course this might not really be in your plans... it does require cutting up your wood floor in that section... but as far as while the tank is running, you wont have any damaged wood.
Dizzyswimmer
In Memoriam
I think this is the best Idea !
phlipper84
New member
I have tile and under my tank and pergo laminate throughout the rest of the house. I had a pump blow all of it's seals and pump 200 gallons out in roughly 20 minutes max. Luckily I got home right after it happened and started the cleanup. The Pergo fared amazingly well. The insurance company did replace it but it probably was only buckled in 3 or 4 places. And that is with 3-4" of water on it. Your floor guy might be right, however, if you used a smaller tile instead of 10" squares it might give you better weight dispersal. the subflooring already holds up the tank and you can always add additional bracing in the crawlspace. Or, you may be able to get a very close match to your hardwood with the pergo. The stuff is great for fast spills.
clkwrk
Active member
Sorry Uel I didn't get to the other thread.
I currently have lots of tanks on my wood floor but it is a laminate floor and deals with moisture best .
Anyways if you want hardwood then go with on site sand and finish . This will give you great protection as with sand and finish the entire floor including seams are sealed not allowing moisture to penetrate it .
Also you can make sure you seal the inside of your stand so it is water proof and not allow water to leak out . This can be done with oilbased kills and caulking .
Also one the tank is reinstalled over the floor you can take a colormatched caulking and run around the the bottom of the stand . The caulking will not hurt the floor and will come of if the tank is moved at a latter date.
Also keep in mind the wood darkens with age and the area under the stand will not change as much with out sunlight . So saying 5 yrs from now .....heck even a year from now you could move the tank and see the color difference.
In the end laminates are also a good choice and there have been some really nice laminates that have hit the market in the last 3 years and I am not talking about stuff found at home depot or pergo .
Although the older glue together laminates offered the ultimate in water protection. Most are now click together with wax in the seams to help repell water.
HTH
I currently have lots of tanks on my wood floor but it is a laminate floor and deals with moisture best .
Anyways if you want hardwood then go with on site sand and finish . This will give you great protection as with sand and finish the entire floor including seams are sealed not allowing moisture to penetrate it .
Also you can make sure you seal the inside of your stand so it is water proof and not allow water to leak out . This can be done with oilbased kills and caulking .
Also one the tank is reinstalled over the floor you can take a colormatched caulking and run around the the bottom of the stand . The caulking will not hurt the floor and will come of if the tank is moved at a latter date.
Also keep in mind the wood darkens with age and the area under the stand will not change as much with out sunlight . So saying 5 yrs from now .....heck even a year from now you could move the tank and see the color difference.
In the end laminates are also a good choice and there have been some really nice laminates that have hit the market in the last 3 years and I am not talking about stuff found at home depot or pergo .
Although the older glue together laminates offered the ultimate in water protection. Most are now click together with wax in the seams to help repell water.
HTH
Thanks guys. I think (my wife could change her mind
) we've decieded to go with hardwood again, but with a complete sand and refinish. My question is what kind or brand of sealant will work best? It has been suggested to use an industrial/commercial poly sealant and put down 3 coats. Is that a good recommendation?
) we've decieded to go with hardwood again, but with a complete sand and refinish. My question is what kind or brand of sealant will work best? It has been suggested to use an industrial/commercial poly sealant and put down 3 coats. Is that a good recommendation?michaelm2431
New member
I use Min-Wax,gloss poly. Not the water based type. The oil based type. 3 to 5 coats gives it a deep glass finish. Holds up to anything. If you have any gaps between the boards on the existing floor, fill them.
Similar threads
