Hardwood Floors

[Jiddy]

My tank will be here in two days and will be placed in my living room. I have hard wood floors and wanted to know if i should lay something down for the tank to sit on it. Would be mostly a tank border and "water catcher" just wondering your thoughts....

 

[Scooterman]

Awe man, those poor floors LOL!
I spill/drip & splash & don't know how I could ever go without & I try hard not to LOL

 

[Jiddy]

Once again, this is me asking a wife question so lay off Scooty, lol.... i knew I shouldve of said anything, lol

 

[tike]

Yes, lay down something. I neglected to do that and now I fight the salt creep (and the wife naggin!).

 

[burning2nd]

10'x10' water holding containor.... LOl

no doubt scooter.... those poor floors

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Before I put my tank in, I pulled up the carpet in that corner and put down laminate from Ikea. Smartest thing I've ever done.

I'll be different and say just put the tank on the hardwood - you have a nice solid base to start with.

Oh... and clean up your spills promptly!

 

[Kensn]

I have a rug under my 90 gal. Glad I did... leaves about 3" of carpet sticking out all the way around...

 

[Scooterman]

What I did on my stand was caulk all the way around the bottom of the stand, so no water can go under it, then used moldings to cover that. Caulk is easily removed If you ever need to, water under a stand isn't & will ruin the finish. Inside the sump & caulked the sump to the floor of the stand to prevent water from ever going under it, again a life saver.

P.S.
I always keep about 4 or 5 old towels around the tank just to soak up spills fast.

 

[Boomer]

It had better be more than just a rug. If that rug gets wet and the water bleeds through to te floor it will turn the wood black in time and you will never get it out. I would go with either Kurt's or Scoot's advice.

 

[MarineDreamer]

I always keep about 4 or 5 old towels around the tank just to soak up spills fast.

Only 4 or 5? My laundry room is five steps away with a cabinet full of old towels, and the shop-vac is always on stand-by!:lol:

I've got laminate flooring and so far I’ve not had a problem. But like previously stated; mop all spills quickly. If I know that my hands are going into the tank, I just go ahead lay down a bunch of towels because I know that I am going to at least drip water and the floor.

I like the idea of chalking under the stand.

 

[jeffnewt]

Best thing I found, is the rugs you can buy at home depot or lowes, that are on a huge roll, so you cut them to fit, and the bottom is solid rubber. Sort of an indoor/outdoor rug, but perfect for a tank. low profile too.

 

[burning2nd]

bad idea.... when the water gets thur it after you spill it will not be able to be soaked up.

 

[jeffnewt]

well...if its big enough around the tank it wont get under.

 

[Scooterman]

That would ruin that hardwood floors unless it can hold the water on top of it?

 

[DonW]

Foam / rubber gasket material works best for hard woods that you dont want damaged. Puttung a simple gasket between the floor and stand will prevent water from going under the stand.

Don

 

[DonW]

it will turn the wood black in time and you will never get it out.

Sure you will just a little oxalic will have it looking new.

Don

 

[Puffer Princess]

Can you show me a picture or link of what this material looks and where i can buy it.

 

[Boomer]

Don will that work if the color is deep into the oak wood ?

edit

Let me exxpand on that The floor is from 1948 and since 1960 has had full carpet over it. Salt water has spilled and many gallons of it. And the tanks where there for 30 years

 

[DonW]

Don will that work if the color is deep into the oak wood ?

edit

Let me exxpand on that The floor is from 1948 and since 1960 has had full carpet over it. Salt water has spilled and many gallons of it. And the tanks where there for 30 years

It does a good job. I just finished doing a load of 150+ year old white oak reclaimed rail car dunnage that will become my new morris chair. This stuff was nearly all black, all the way through the 8" beams and now is nice quarter sawn oak.

Don

 

[DonW]

Can you show me a picture or link of what this material looks and where i can buy it.

You can get it at lowes or home depot. Its just self adhesive rubber weather stripping. Stick it to the bottom of the stand and it will create a gasket, just like the valve cover on a car. You could also use cork and that to can be had at the home stores.

Don