Vinyl flooring question

[radreef02]

Installing vinyl flooring in my office which will hold a 133g peninsula in a few months.

Lowes person told me I needed padding under the vinyl as insulation for the slab but I am worried the tank weight will crack and make the floor bow out with extra insulation padding


Is that necessary? I’m I risking mold for no flex ?
It already has a pad so I thought I was good

 

[Gtinnel]

I installed a vinyl plank flooring in my house that has the padding attached to each piece, and I did not lay down an extra underlayment. I have a 125g and 100g tank sitting on the floor and have never had an issue.
How it would do with an extra layer of unerlayment I can’t say for a fact, but I suspect it would be fine. Do those planks have a built in pad?
If they are only recommending the underlayment as a form of moisture barrier then you may be able to just use the rolls of thick 6mil plastic instead. If the vinyl planks are completely water resistant then I don’t even know why a moisture barrier would be necessary, but I’m no expert.
For reference here are the planks that i used

https://www.lowes.com/pd/SMARTCORE-SCU-XL-Chadwick-Oak-Plank/1002446130

 

[radreef02]

I installed a vinyl plank flooring in my house that has the padding attached to each piece, and I did not lay down an extra underlayment. I have a 125g and 100g tank sitting on the floor and have never had an issue.
How it would do with an extra layer of unerlayment I can’t say for a fact, but I suspect it would be fine. Do those planks have a built in pad?
If they are only recommending the underlayment as a form of moisture barrier then you may be able to just use the rolls of thick 6mil plastic instead. If the vinyl planks are completely water resistant then I don’t even know why a moisture barrier would be necessary, but I’m no expert.
For reference here are the planks that i used

https://www.lowes.com/pd/SMARTCORE-SCU-XL-Chadwick-Oak-Plank/1002446130

Sorry, just realized I did grab 6mil plastic. It wasn’t foam or anything. But still a concern

I will look into the recommendation on the vinyl

Yes they do have padding

 

[FUNGI]

The underlayment is really only for moisture and noise abatement......(walking)....you'll be fine. I assume over the tile floor?

 

[radreef02]

The underlayment is really only for moisture and noise abatement......(walking)....you'll be fine. I assume over the tile floor?

Understood , but will the extra padding cause my tank to crack the flooring from extra padding

It’s going over slab, concrete

It’s currently a carpet room

 

[Justdrew]

That flooring has padding already attached. No need to add any more. If on a slab you can use a sheet of plastic moisture barrier, but no more padding. I put 1500 sf of Charleston Oak in my house.

 

[JayM]

Underlayment (padding) and vapor barrier are two different things. You need a vapor barrier when installing over anything other than plywood.

 

[Gtinnel]

Underlayment (padding) and vapor barrier are two different things. You need a vapor barrier when installing over anything other than plywood.

They can be different but many of the underlayments have a vapor barrier built into them.

 

[radreef02]

Now to my next question , will the floor pop up or crack or smush over time as I’m using the leveling feet from redsea or Cade. Haven’t decided between the Cade 1200 peninsula or 500 g2

I’m considering tile now

 

[JayM]

Now to my next question , will the floor pop up or crack or smush over time as I’m using the leveling feet from redsea or Cade. Haven’t decided between the Cade 1200 peninsula or 500 g2

I’m considering tile now

It will likely leave indentation over time where the feet are.

Maybe a sheet of plywood cut to size underneath to eliminate direct pressure from the feet.

Setting the stand directly on the floor and use composite shims should minimize the indentation.

Tile would be best, but much more labor intensive to install.

 

[shadyraro]

I replaced my Cade tanks feet with anti vibration pads as it’s sitting on floorboards, does a great job.

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

I would never get a stand with feet. You want to spread the weight not focus it to a few points.

 

[karimstolen]

Vinyl flooring decisions can be a bit nerve-wracking, especially with something as hefty as a 133g tank in the mix. I remember when I was redoing my office setup and the Lowes rep suggested padding under the vinyl to insulate against the slab.

 

[karimstolen]

Vinyl flooring decisions can be a bit nerve-wracking, especially with something as hefty as a 133g tank in the mix. I remember when I was redoing my office setup and the Lowes rep suggested padding under the vinyl to insulate against the slab.

I had the same worry about the weight potentially causing cracks or making the floor bow out.
I ended up opting for vinyl with a built-in pad to keep things simple, but I still wonder about the long-term effects, like potential mold if there's no flexibility. If you've already got a pad, that might do the trick, but it never hurts to get a second opinion from a flooring expert. But for me, Vinyl floor sounds like a stylish choice for my rebuild.