Replacing Hardwood Floor

[TCoach]

So, got distracted during my ATO top off and ended up with ~15-20 gallons of RODI on the hardwood floors (engineered). Unfortunately, they bucked pretty bad, and this is the third area to get water damager (2x my fault, once refrigerator water line leak).

It looks like we have 2 options.

1. Use ceramic tile we already have and have the floor laid with it. It is the plank type tile that looks like wood.

2. Buy LVP flooring and have it professionally installed. I know I can lay it, but given the water history, I think a pro would do a better job and make sure all the locking is correct.

Is there a third option?

In the living room we have my 92 corner reef, 40 breeder frag tank and a 90 gallon + sump freshwater angelfish tank.

I'm conflicted as the tile is probably the best choice, but that's several days of having the tanks tore down while the tile is laid. However, once laid, it would be 100% waterproof/resistent. However, the flooring covers the main entrance and exits, so we'll be stuck using the in law suite doors for egress until the floor is walkable. So big inconvenience.

The LVP gives a quick easy floor that should be laid in < 1 day so the tanks are down an absolute minimum. However, while the LVP is waterproof/resistant, it is not at the level of the tile.

Since I already own the tile, the cost for the job is about even.

Thoughts/recommendations?

 

[DeniseAndy]

With everything today that can look like anything else (tile look like wood, wood look like tile, fabricated look like anything), Go with what your favorite is.

Because you are in the south more, I would vote tile. Mainly because it is more safe with our tanks, but also cooler on the feet and house.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Can you use the opportunity of having to move your tank(s) as a good excuse for a giant Spring Cleaning / tank “reset”, right down to the rocks and sand? I know that it’s small by comparison, but we are getting ready for a living room remodel and my 20 gallon AIO has to be moved. I’m going to look at it as a good thing; to get back to ‘squeaky clean.’

 

[AlexKintner]

We recently tore up our engineered hardwood and replaced it with AquaGuard (Floor&Decor product).

It's not as bomb-proof as tile, but looks natural and is much more forgiving than hardwood.

 

[AquaBen]

After my reef DT overflowed or spilled several times I replaced my floor with tile that looks like wood. Not the real thing but just as pretty and far easier to keep. I used the excuse to upgrade my tank. The installation took longer than promised and I lost some tank mates when the tank was moved to allow for the new floor. I used professionals for the floor and I should have used professionals to move the tank. Lesson learned. Tile has proven to be an excellent choice.

 

[Bucs20fan]

I have lvp flooring where my tanks are and it is wonderful. Ive had some spills of 3-4 gallons and nothing happened. If professionally installed correctly it is water proof. and is very very resistant stuff.

 

[DeniseAndy]

My floors went through a 50g flood twice in a month and many before. We are looking at flooring also at some point soon. :rolleyes::face-with-hand-over-mouth::loudly-crying-face:

 

[Freenow54]

So, got distracted during my ATO top off and ended up with ~15-20 gallons of RODI on the hardwood floors (engineered). Unfortunately, they bucked pretty bad, and this is the third area to get water damager (2x my fault, once refrigerator water line leak).

It looks like we have 2 options.

1. Use ceramic tile we already have and have the floor laid with it. It is the plank type tile that looks like wood.

2. Buy LVP flooring and have it professionally installed. I know I can lay it, but given the water history, I think a pro would do a better job and make sure all the locking is correct.

Is there a third option?

In the living room we have my 92 corner reef, 40 breeder frag tank and a 90 gallon + sump freshwater angelfish tank.

I'm conflicted as the tile is probably the best choice, but that's several days of having the tanks tore down while the tile is laid. However, once laid, it would be 100% waterproof/resistent. However, the flooring covers the main entrance and exits, so we'll be stuck using the in law suite doors for egress until the floor is walkable. So big inconvenience.

The LVP gives a quick easy floor that should be laid in < 1 day so the tanks are down an absolute minimum. However, while the LVP is waterproof/resistant, it is not at the level of the tile.

Since I already own the tile, the cost for the job is about even.

Thoughts/recommendations?

I had a flood and had to have floor replaced myself. Don't know what base you have ceramic good but grout would be my concern. My floor is laminate know with a waterproof glue down first. Things have come a long way. Mine is not wood composite all vinyl almost quarter inch thick. My installer so impressed is going to use it in his home

 

[DHill6]

Get what you like, nothing is bulletproof with water. I had 6 month old bamboo hardwood which was wrecked by plumber and his flood. Huge mess, flooring company had to get a ripper in here to get it out. That flooring installed by big box company. Next flooring was installed by flooring company, hickory hardwood. Wood and water don’t mix. At least plumbing is covered under house ins. I don’t wish to do that mess again.

 

[BryanM]

Given the history of the damage it seems that you should not rule out another water event, and as such I would vote tile.

 

[UncommonSense]

I’ll just add that not all tiles are created equal, from a load-bearing perspective!

— natural stone tile: porous, typically has voids and other defects which make it more prone to cracking when bearing point load (such as stand leveling feet).

— man-made tiles: non-porous, no voids, has listed performance and material data.

 

[BriDroid]

I HATE our engineered wood floors! The builder told us they were wonderful, they are not! Our dogs have scratched them all up and they look horrible. We were also told that they could be sanded at least once and refinished. NOPE! The top layer is so thin that there is no way you can sand them! Our neighbors went with the wood look tiles and they are way nicer. If I had to do it again, and I will soon from the look of these floors, I will do the tile!

 

[UncommonSense]

engineered wood

“Engineered wood” sounds a lot more appealing than “sawdust floor scrapings we glued together into a block”…

It has its place; but not for flooring, and especially not around water!

 

[RobertK]

Here's what my wood floor looked like when I removed the aquarium, which had been there 21 years. I'm replacing it with porcelain tiles and epoxy grout, which are more durable and water resistant than ceramic tile and cement grout. (The blue tape is where the new tank is going, and the wall is also getting repaired!)