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-   -   Thoughts on leveling tank stand on tile floor (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2669764)

DesertReefT4r 03/05/2018 02:10 PM

Thoughts on leveling tank stand on tile floor
 
I need to come up with a good way to level out my stand. Problem is my floor is tile and the tiles are not level from one to the next. This causes the stand to tip from side to side like a teeter totter. I was thinking on using a padding as a base for the stand. Yoga mat seems to me like a good idea. Need some help and opinions.

billdogg 03/05/2018 03:13 PM

Shims, either traditional cedar or composite, are really the only options you have.

Shim as needed then trim them off even with the stand.

GoNoles 03/05/2018 03:14 PM

Maybe some interlocking exercise flooring...https://www.amazon.com/ProSource-Int...orkout+matting

Scrubber_steve 03/05/2018 03:25 PM

I would consider placing a styrofoam sheet on the tiles, then a plyboard on top of that, and then the tank stand on top of the plyboard.

RCS82 03/05/2018 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billdogg (Post 25381250)
Shims, either traditional cedar or composite, are really the only options you have.

Shim as needed then trim them off even with the stand.

This.
Shim around the perimeter of the stand as needed.

DesertReefT4r 03/05/2018 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoNoles (Post 25381253)
Maybe some interlocking exercise flooring...https://www.amazon.com/ProSource-Int...orkout+matting

Exactly the concept i was thinking. It would self level and provide a buffer between the stand and floor.

Lsufan 03/05/2018 07:53 PM

Imo placing any kind of foam or Matt under the stand will just make it harder to level. I would do as billdog suggested & just use shims. When u level a stand always get the 4 corners first until u get the stand level. Then once it’s level come back & place shims as far apart as needed. The tile not being level really shouldn’t affect leveling the stand.

lionfish300 03/05/2018 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billdogg (Post 25381250)
Shims, either traditional cedar or composite, are really the only options you have.

Shim as needed then trim them off even with the stand.

This is the only way

tkeracer619 03/05/2018 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billdogg (Post 25381250)
Shims, either traditional cedar or composite, are really the only options you have.

Shim as needed then trim them off even with the stand.

^ this.

DesertReefT4r 03/05/2018 08:39 PM

Ok shimming it is.

Scrubber_steve 03/05/2018 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lsufan (Post 25381499)
Imo placing any kind of foam or Matt under the stand will just make it harder to level.

Of course i would disagree.

On an uneven tiled floor, each individual tile may be unlevel, and at a different height to the others. The thin foam sheet will be pressure pushed into this uneveness of the tiles.
The plywood on top of the foam would evenly distribute the weight of the aquarium evenly over the entirity of the foam sheet.
The combination of the foam & plywood sheets would act as one large level flat tile

Scrubber_steve 03/05/2018 09:08 PM

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mako61 03/05/2018 09:46 PM

I used composite shims on my tile. Worked pretty good. I recommend filling your tank part way and retest. Mine changed a little. I used fresh water so I could refill as needed.

DesertReefT4r 03/06/2018 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twinfallz (Post 25381625)

That was my thoughts as well on how it woukd work.

Kevin Guthrie 03/06/2018 08:27 AM

Assuming your tile is laid on cement slab. But if the tile is laid on plywood then the plywood can easily bend, cracking the tile.

Smokey Stover 03/06/2018 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DesertReefT4r (Post 25381872)
That was my thoughts as well on how it woukd work.

The foam/plywood will smooth over the irregular bumps/dips in the tiles, But if the floor is not level then the stand and tank will still not be level. Go with the shims, Or pour a leveling concrete pad over the tiles and add trim around the base of the stand to hide it. JMO.

Lsufan 03/06/2018 07:10 PM

[QUOTE=DesertReefT4r;25381872]That was my thoughts as well on how it woukd work.[/QUOTE

U don’t need a flat surface to shim from. U have to find the high spot regardless & shim up to that. If u put a mat or plywood down under the stand u still have to shim to get it level. It just seems like a waist of time being u can just shim from the tile.

By placing something under the stand it can also give a little once u get the tank full. U may get the stand shimmed level but once u add all the wieght the matt & ply can compress & u end up out of level once it is full.

Scrubber_steve 03/06/2018 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lsufan (Post 25382539)
If u put a mat or plywood down under the stand u still have to shim to get it level. It just seems like a waist of time being u can just shim from the tile.

Not necessarily. A plywood board the appropiate size could be laid on the tiles & a check done with a spirit level to see if the floor level it is out, or not.

You're assuming the floor will be unlevel.

The best way to level the tank, on a floor with uneven tiling, may ultimately be determined by the stand footprint than anything else.
Does the stand have 4, or 6 small footprints touching the tiles.

If it has eight small footprints, that would be a nightmare to shim.
If it is a cabinet where the entire circumpherence is touching the floor then foam & ply is the way to go IMO.

DesertReefT4r 03/06/2018 09:29 PM

Floor is level, tile laid on concrete slab/foundation. Tiles are just not level to each other. I totall agree with were twinfallz is coming from. My thought process was exactly the same. I need to think it over more and decide what I will do. Stand is a Marineland cabinet style with the circumference contacting the floor.

davocean 03/07/2018 10:48 AM

Foam padding will not do much if anything, and agree, may make it harder, shims as Billdogg mentioned are best.

WVfishguy 03/07/2018 01:44 PM

When I had my service company, I always kept a supply of wood shims in my van. For a cabinet stand, you will need to place them wherever you find a gap between the tiles and the bottom of the stand. Tap them in firmly and cut to fit. I carried a wood chisel for trimming.

I always place Styrofoam™ sheets between the aquarium and the stand. I found this out working with odd-size customer tanks which simply CANNOT leak. This really helps keep pressure points from stressing the glass. This adds many years to the life of the tank. One tank in my shop had broken front glass on the bottom corner. Because it was sitting on foam, I did not even know it was broken until the day I moved the tank; the foam kept the glass in place. It was a 38 gallon. I know this is not what the OP was asking, just thought I'd mention it.

Fish on 03/07/2018 09:40 PM

You guys are much more experienced than I am, but it is my understanding that foam will lose its rigidity over time when under pressure, whereas wood shims would not. This could cause the stand to be uneven again without you even knowing(unless you check regularly that is). There is a reason carpenters use shims over foam, especially when they could save money by using foam.

davocean 03/08/2018 08:30 AM

Foam only helps ride over minor deviations, shims actually stay rigid giving support where really needed at voids or low areas.

BrettDS 03/08/2018 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twinfallz (Post 25381625)



The problem with this is that if the foam is soft enough to compress over the high tiles then it won’t provide any support on the low tiles and your tank will just be supported on the high spots. If the foam is stiff enough to support the tank over the low tiles then it won’t compress much above the high tiles and you’ll still wind up with the tank support only over the high spots.

RCS82 03/08/2018 12:12 PM

I still vote to shim. Why would you put such a tall top heavy item full of water on a foam pad? Not that it will wobble around but that's how it feels in my head. Foam under a glass tank, sure, that's only as per manufacturers recommendations though.


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