# Best floor for a "fish room"



## Malawi Mac (Aug 20, 2004)

I'm not really sure where in the forum this question belongs. Hope this is close enough.

I have most of my aquariums in a single room in our house. On our most recent family vacation, our cat took exception to being confined to the house while we were away, and expresses his displeasure by urinating all over the carpeting in my "fish room."

So we are going to yank up the carpeting and replace it with a new floor.

Does anybody have any recommendations for flooring to utilize in a room full of aquariums? I'm concerned not only with weight issues but the possibility of water damage to the floor if an aquarium would start leaking.

My wife wants a woody appearance, so we're probably leaning towards hardwood or laminate flooring. Is there any reason we should pick one or the other? Would one be more apt to absorb water (and thus warp) than the other?


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## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

This thread would be of interest:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... &&start=15
I would suggest moving the cat out, but she rules us all!


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## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

ridley25 said:


> This thread would be of interest:
> http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... &&start=15
> I would suggest moving the cat out, but I know how they can be!


kevin


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## smitty (May 7, 2004)

Well I guess it depends where the room is located. My fish room is located in the basement. I recently took up the carpet and will be putting down a ceramic floor. Maybe you can try lanoleum.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

The worst choice would be laminate. All the directions on it warn against water soaking. It is a thin layer on top of a man-made material something like MDF. Very prone to water damage. Wood flooring is terribly expensive for a fish room and prone to damage. The next best for a wood look might be sheet goods of some type. Not really too good for wood look but certain to be much more liveable. With a certain amount of extra effort and expense one could lay cement board underlayment and a tile floor. Long lasting and durable around water but not the wood look.


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## mithesaint (Oct 31, 2006)

The tile floor should hold up pretty well, but be very very careful what type of time you pick. The ceramic in my kitchen looks good, but is horribly slippery when we. Not the ideal thing to have underfoot when water is involved.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Glossy vinyl flooring can also be extremely slippery when wet.

What kind of subfloor do you have, concrete or wood?


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## SupeDM (Jan 26, 2009)

In my experience the best flooring is bare concrete. If its not on a level in the home with a concrete floor then I would overlay the subfloor with marine grade plywood and paint it with a good sealant. I wouldnt put in carpet or lanolium as its too easily damaged by water. Wood is also out because of moisture damage.


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## pistolpete (Dec 28, 2009)

I install flooring for a living. I can't really give you definitive advice without knowing more about the subfloors, other flooring in the house, etc. But definitely rule out laminate, it's very moisture sensitive unless you get a very good commercial grade like Aqualock. That will cost far more than even hardwood. Lino is practical and esentially water proof, except for at the walls. Ceramic tile is good, but requires a reinforced subfloor. PM me with more details if you want more advice.


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## Malawi Mac (Aug 20, 2004)

As far as the cat goes, I've never really been fond of him, but he does seem to have a special talent for killing moles. So he does earn his keep, and unlike other cats we've owned in the past, this one has never shown any interst in my fish.

The house is a 1 1/2 story brick bungalow built in the 1920's. The carpeting in this room is the only carpeting remaining in the house that was there when we purchased it in 1989. Thus, I've never actually seen the subfloor. The room is on the main floor of a house with a basement, so I'm reasonably sure that there's no concrete involved.

The part of the basement underneath the fish room is unfinished. Looking upward from the basement, I see 2 X 10's spaced 16" apart running E-W. The horitontal boards above the support beams also appear to be 2 X 10's. They run at a 45 degree angle (NE-SW) to the support beams as opposed to perpendicular.

Thanks to all who have responded.


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## pistolpete (Dec 28, 2009)

What you are looking at is most likely shiplap subfloor. With the addition of 1/2" exterior fir plywood or a tile specific underlayment like Halex, you could go with ceramic tile. The clear span of the joists also plays into it when calculating the deflection rating of the floor for ceramic or stone tiles. Basically stone needs a much stiffer floor.

Personally, if I were building a fish room I'd do a Schluter Ditra underlay and porcelain tile. With a band of water proofing about 2 inches up the wall and a four inch tile baseboard you'd end up with a waterproof floor. Waterproofing is not quite as important if you don't plan on finishing your basement, because water would not cause as much damage it it were to soak through your floor.


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## lloyd (Aug 24, 2005)

IMO, the cheap and easy option is linoleum. do it in one piece to avoid seems, and choose your baseboard carefully, as water will ruin most all but solid wood options in a single soaking. i would also consider to silicone the floor/baseboard contact area to restrict seepage towards wall plates. 
if you have many aquarium, and are truly concerned with water damage: inspect the floor joists with a level, to identify any bowed area, and cut a drain into the new flooring where most appropriate to collect heavy spills. then plumb this drain, with a p trap, into any existing basement 'abs' drains that run near to it. this also makes a convenient option for draining away water changes.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

The two posts above don't mention it but I think you may be slightly wrong on the subfloor being 2X. It is more common for it to be 1X10 or 12 laid at a diagonal to the floor joists. Hard to tell the difference looking from below unless you happen to spot a knothole, etc. to see the thickness better. They made much better floors, using more wood than newer houses you find now. After this subfloor was laid diagonally, it was common to find hardwood flooring laid so that it runs parallel to the walls above. You may be able to guess what is under the carpeting in that room by looking at the doorway. If there is wooden flooring in the hall outside this room, there is quite likely wood flooring under the carpeting in the room. That age house in that area, it is a pretty sure bet. With wooden flooring over 1X subflooring on 2X10 joists, I should think you have a number of options. One is pull the carpeting, look at the wooden floor to see how it might look just refinished. You may find it totaled. Too many water marks, holes, etc. On the other hand many floors were covered with carpeting just because it was considered an upgrade. The floor might not need much to use as a fishroom. I would consider drilling a hole through to drain major disaster flooding through to the unfinished area below. Normal water spills will not bother this floor much if cleaned up in reasonable time. You have better flooring than most houses since 1960. For better appearance, if you choose, most any additional floor cover would work except laminate. Sheet vinyl would add some water protection. Adding cement board for tile over it would be worth risking for me. There is some danger of joints cracking as the floor isn't truly firm but I've gotten by with it a number of times. If you are of the DIY mind, this can be a real good deal. 
Suggest when you are ready to pull the carpet, you have a contractor come take a look and get their suggestion. They may tell you no on the tile but they have a vested interest in their reputation over the long term. :thumb:


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## thevein (May 10, 2006)

bare floor is my vote, anything nice will be destroyed and anything cheap will make you slip and herniate a disk in your back. i did the fishroom in our house with outdoor water proof paint directly on the concrete. after cleaning/scrubbing and allowing it to dry. it looks great and you can use several dif colors


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## aspen (Jun 15, 2004)

wood isn't a good choice. it'll look nice till a tank leaks, then you'll both be real sorry. i'd go with lino or ceramic or porcelain if you've got the money. there are tile floors that won't look too bad done yourself with a bit of practice (like do a square for under the washing machines first), and some research.

here's a good tiling forum:

http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/for ... ?forumid=1

i'd try and arrange some kind of a floor drain too. it doesn't have to be fancy, just to let the water through the floor to the basement if (when) a tank lets go. i've had 2 90's go. 1 was not in the basement. it wasn't pretty. you need to plan for it.

rick


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