Suggestions needed for flooring

[elfloyd]

When I up-size my 90g this summer I want to replace the carpet in my home office where the new tank will sit.

Home is built on a slab... the flooring through out most of the house is laminated wood, but I want to use something more acceptable to the occasional splash of water on the floor where the tank sits.

Possible solutions:

<ul>
<li>ceramic tile - probably a good solution but I don\'t believe it will complement the wood flooring in the rest of the house.</li>
<li>laminated wood - good match for the rest of the house, but will warp if it gets wet.</li>
<li>interlocking foam mats - comes in a variety of colors (including wood grain), and water proof.</li>
<li>carpet - not water resistant... prone to mildew when wet.</li>
<li>Combination - perhaps use tile under the stand with another material for the rest of the room.</li>
<li>ARC member suggestions.</li>
</ul>
I would like to hear your ideas on the best material to use:

<ul>
<li>Must not be damaged by the weight of the tank.</li>
<li>Good looks... must go well with flooring in the rest of the house.</li>
<li>Must be water resistant.</li>
</ul>
Thoughts appreciated!

 

[lilrobb]

Check my build thread Larry,
I used engineered bamboo planks - glued to the floor, fulfills all my requirements and can withstand even a short flood (KNOCK ON WOOD)

 

[miami dolfan]

I had tile in my Florida home and with time, you start to get salt creep in the grout and it's a job to remove. I used those linoleum looking tiles at Home Depot and don't look too bad and great for 30 gallon spills!

 

[elfloyd]

LilRobb... I checked out your "Tank room build started" thread. You used bamboo planks? Looks like laminated wood.

 

[lilrobb]

It does,
but it actually is solid bamboo - waterproof up to a few hours, pretty scratch proof and easy to clean.

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

I would suggest a quartz tile. Not the solid quartz you think off. There are new quartz tiles on the market that are made from 80% quartz sand, 10% vinyl for color and 10% binding material. It's considered a "green" product because they are 100% recylceable. The best news about quartz is that it can withstand 3000 psi withou marring...is very difficult to scratch, and resists all chemicals including most acids. What a product huh!? Cost wise....it's about in line with vinyl tiles. It comes in a couple different sizes but the 24" x 24" square seems most popular. It glues down with regular vinyl tile glue and requires little to no upkeep.

Ceramic would be a no-no because of the grout lines but also because they tend to crack when just about anything is dropped on them.

Regular hardwood could work. I've got thin Bruce hardwood (3/8" thick instead of the 3/4" standard) glued to my slap throughout the downstairs which is on slab. It's prefinished. About $4 a square foot. It's been very good with respect to scratch resistance but what surprised me the most was when I had a defroster stick on my frig and put about 3 or 4 gallons of water on the floor and not a single board warped. You can get limited colors at Home Depot but there are other places that carry more colors.

 

[elfloyd]

Hey Jeff... do you have a product name for the new quartz tiles? I am doing a Google search but only come up with the solid tiles.

 

[jonathan]

Have you seen the new vinyl planks? They look like wood and are waterproof.

 

[mojo]

Also check out the tiles that look like wood floor.

 

[johnr2604]

Nobody has said cork :thumbs:

 

[ralph atl]

travertine stone. looks great, and is permanent. It'll be around longer than the house.

 

[mockery]

What about acid washed concrete? Since your on a slab. A few neighbors have it it is really cool.

 

[gmpolan]

I went with hardwoods while rennovating my house...and after two major leaks, im def seeing some wear and tear, alittle upset about it honestly. I have to keep polishing them with oil to keep them looking good