Wood Floors Under Tank?
- Thread starter forddna
- Start date
buildinboats
Premium Member
Oak flooring under the tank looks fine after 20+ years, numerous spills and skimmer overflows. The sheetrock behind the tank is not doing so well however.
D
Deleted member 336650
I lined the inside of my stand with pond liner & ran it up the sides about 6 inches or so. The sump & ATO container keep the sides in place.
i lined my stand with rubber so small spills would be contained.
however id have a couple issues and 10-15 gal have ended up on my floor, and my tank was in plae when I floored so its still sitting on the old carpet and water def got under the flooring but no warping or bubbling. id be worried if the towels didnt dry they would mold and stink? whenever I had a little flood Id leave the fireplace on and get the room cooking hot to dry it out
however id have a couple issues and 10-15 gal have ended up on my floor, and my tank was in plae when I floored so its still sitting on the old carpet and water def got under the flooring but no warping or bubbling. id be worried if the towels didnt dry they would mold and stink? whenever I had a little flood Id leave the fireplace on and get the room cooking hot to dry it out
Dmorty217
Saltwater Addict
Are we talking actual hardwood floors, or the engineered stuff? The engineered wood floor will not hold up well to water spillage or a tank overflow, real word however will. I would get a thick plastic liner of some sort to try and make a trough in the bottom of the sump to catch the water if a overflow occurs
dkeller_nc
New member
As a woodworker, I'd suggest to you that putting anything under your tank that can potentially hold moisture in contact with wood products (either solid wood or laminate) is an exceedingly bad idea. That includes towels, carpet remnants or anything else absorbent.
What Dennis (d2mini) pictured and folks that have built boxes lined with pond liners would be OK, so long as no water can get under them. If, however, you have a leak or a tank overflow that allows water get under a tray or pond liner, you will have to disassemble the sump and remove it to allow the wood underneath to dry. Otherwise, there's little doubt that the floor underneath will be ruined.
One thought is to place some 1/4" thick narrow wooden or composite shims underneath a plastic/acrylic tray that holds your sump. If you do have a flood, all you then need to do is mop up any excess liquid, and direct a fan under the sump for a day or so to ensure that any excess moisture dries.
What Dennis (d2mini) pictured and folks that have built boxes lined with pond liners would be OK, so long as no water can get under them. If, however, you have a leak or a tank overflow that allows water get under a tray or pond liner, you will have to disassemble the sump and remove it to allow the wood underneath to dry. Otherwise, there's little doubt that the floor underneath will be ruined.
One thought is to place some 1/4" thick narrow wooden or composite shims underneath a plastic/acrylic tray that holds your sump. If you do have a flood, all you then need to do is mop up any excess liquid, and direct a fan under the sump for a day or so to ensure that any excess moisture dries.
This!!! I keep my stands propped up on plastic furniture leg coasters that allow me to slide a thin rag or paper towels under the stand to soak up any spillage. Placing plastic under the stand would be a very bad idea. I do build my cabinets water proof on the inside to catch any small spills so the water does not seep down through the cabinet onto the floors.
