Flooring choice for basement/tank area

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by lastlight

I'm doing my basement and had a question for the handy folks on here.

I'm laying down dricore subflooring on top of my concrete foundation. What I finish the room with is still up in the air

1. Carpet
2. Engineered hardwood

I know it's generally bad to lay down real hardwood in a basement but I have heard from some that the engineered stuff is ok? Tank and fishroom are vented outside so the basement won't be anymore humid than a normal basement.

Thanks!

make sure the engineered you buy is rated for below grade instalation or you will void the warenty. I personaly have not seen any engineered that is reated for below grade but I am sure there is at least one out there. I went with Lamanate as it is rated for below grade.

Also with the dri core. don't use it. there are a lot of people who are very disapointed with it as they have to yank it out after a flood due to it swelling. I was going to use it myself till I started reading into it. also it is very expensive. I ended up going with a super seal product myself.
http://www.superseal.ca/all_in_one_subfloor.html

I put this down and tuc taped it, then put a good underlay down and tuc taped that, then put my lamanate flooring down.

Steve

[Dez]

All of my aquariums have been on laminate throughout the last 8 years or so. So far so good. Set up your aquariums well and you should be okay. Most spillage would be in your fish room anyway. Even after I moved from my last place the laminate under all fish tanks looked great. I had one aquarium with a steel stand and I had to use rust remover to clean the laminate buy it looked fine after cleaning. Hope this helps.