Refinishing hardwood floor in tank room? Advice?

[siskiou]

We are thinking we really need to refinish our old hardwood floor in the living room, where my two saltwater tanks are set up.

I won't be able to move them, so they would have to stay in the living room while we do the sanding and finishing (water-based urethane).

 

What can I do to protect the tanks and prevent any disasters?

Turn off the skimmers and cover the tanks for that day (or two)?

LIghts out, so they don't overheat under the cover?

 

I can't think of anything else, but maybe you can?

[spectra]

Well after reading other horror storys about people using chemicals near the tank I think you should turn off the skimmer and defiantely cover the tank. When sanding a wood floor the dust is going to get everywhere. I would cover and probaly get a big fan by a doorway to help vent the room of dust and things. Just my 2 cents.

[Lowman]

Maybe you can borrow a rubbermaid tub (on of those big ones) and put you stuff in it in another part of the house. Then you could move the tanks and refinish the floors. I would not use the urethane with your livestock in the same room.

[siskiou]

So, no urethane with livestock in the same room?

 

In that case, I think we'll live with the scratched and stained old floor for a while longer.

It would just be too hard to rip apart the two tanks.

 

Would it be possible to handsand the floor bit by bit and apply urethane in small amounts (with door and windows open) or would it look worse than the old floor?

[Lowman]

That may work, I'm really leary of using any chemicals in close proximity to the tank. If you are going to do it that way, get a BIG fan and blow as many fumes away from the tank as possible.

[dsoz]

So, no urethane with livestock in the same room?

 

Would it be possible to handsand the floor bit by bit and apply urethane in small amounts (with door and windows open) or would it look worse than the old floor?

 

Don't do it this way.

 

Sanding the floor is a big enough pain as it is when you do the whole room at a time. Keeping grit progression consistent, and the floor level are major concerns.

 

Another one of the big issues is the dust. It gets everywhere!!! Put a damp towel in all your ducts to keep the dust from going throughout your house (and into your furnace). Cover the tanks with several layers of heavy plastic to keep the dust out.

 

If you do, get some sort of canister or power-filter and run a LARGE amount of carbon/charcoal to help absorb the organic. and create a little water movement.

 

When I redid my floors three years ago (before tank set-up). I used the water based urethane. I don't remember a huge odor or fumes from it. I sanded and finished my whole main floor at the same time (about 800 sq ft) so if there was going to be a bunch of toxic fumes, I think I would have noticed it. Putting paint on the walls had a lot more fumes/odor than refinishing the floor.

 

This summer I put some rubber water-proofing material on the concrete in my basement (where my tank was set up). I just covered the tanks, and kept about a pound of carbon in the water. I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. Then a 25% water change when every thing settled down. Everything came out alright in the end. There were no losses at that time.

 

dsoz