I need help... leveling my stand on porcelain tile

[bjmartie]

so got my new build im trying to set up in my new house.

its a 125gallon tank

where i want my stand, the porcelain tile is not that level.

the stand i have built, i have 2x4 that run across the bottom making contact with the floor all around, in order to not worry about to much weight on the tile flooring.

Now im trying to decide between leveling feet ot levelimg casters on thr flooring.

Wondering if anyone used either one of these on a tile floor and had any or zero issues?

Would just a bunch of leveling feet be ok or would the leveling casters be better?

my only concern is the PSI on the tile and not wanting to crack any. i would deff do over kill on whatever one i order, just to be on the safe side.

 

[FUNGI]

shims......

 

[fishface NJ]

Shims are your friend

 

[bjmartie]

shims......

I thought about this, but my issue with this, is that the tile has low then high and then low spots again.

this tile is that fancy as hell textured tile. so i just didnt want to put more weight on certain areas.

 

[FUNGI]

then I would try a HEAVY/Thick rubber shop mat.....

 

[FUNGI]

something like this:

Recycled Flooring 1/4 in. H x 4 ft. W x 3 ft. L Black Commercial Rubber Flooring Mats​

Rubber-Cal Recycled Flooring 1/4 in. H x 4 ft. W x 3 ft. L Black Commercial Rubber Flooring Mats 03_101_WAB_403 - The Home Depot

Rubber-Cal's Recycled Rubber Flooring Mat is perfect for a variety of applications that require a reasonably priced product. Being that this material is made of 100% recycled rubber, this mat is an ecologically

www.homedepot.com

 

[mrpontiac80]

I absolutely love my leveling castors! I installed them on the stand I built for my 65.4 AIO waterbox and also my premade stand for my 180 gallon tank.

They are a game changer in emergency situations if you had to scoot or move the tank. Granted you still need to remove the majority of the water to be safe and not slosh it around if moving them but 99.9% of the time you should have the casters raised and at that point the rubber feet make leveling so easy.

 

[FUNGI]

^ or that lol.....

 

[Harpo]

Those are nice casters but difficult to adjust the casters in the back. I have them on two of my stands

 

[jtf74]

I would use a rubber mat or some long shims. Casters create a point load and could crack your tiles.

 

[Asm481]

My suggestion is to replace that bottom 2x4 with 1x2 or 1x4, then shim between tank stand and the 1x2-4. The 1x will flex and form to the floor while spreading point load. Going to be tough shimming the back of that stand but very important. Fill the tank slowly, checking level as you go. It may change several times until the 1x lumber finds it's form. You might want to assure the tile is in good shape. Tap the flooring hoping nothing sounds hollow. Is this a slab floor or floor joists?

 

[Fenral]

Random advice re broken tile…
Get high density polyethylene foam board (inch thick r5 closed cell stuff in lowes/hd) then put a sheet of plywood. Then level your stand however you want on top of that. The ability for the tile to resist the point pressure of both feet or casters is the real unknown.

 

[Jones375]

Horse stall mats from tractor supply would work. They are 1/2in thick rubber, readily available, and affordable. Just let em off gas outside for a few days

 

[bjmartie]

if i were to do the mat, would thicker be better?

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Shims will be perfectly fine. As long as the tile was set properly, you can teeter the tank on one tile and it will have a very low chance of cracking.

No need to lose sleep over this. Shim it and be done.

 

[Fenral]

if i were to do the mat, would thicker be better?

Short answer: no
We long ago used to use cork board etc. “bigger is better” does not apply…. The thicker it is the more likely it will compress unevenly in the long run. Its entire purpose is just to distribute the force over the uneven surface and nothing more.

 

[Gundy]

I just set up my 7 foot tank on porcelain tile. The stand has 4 casters on both sides and it has been fine. Installing more casters will disperse the weight evenly with less pressure on each caster.

 

[bjmartie]

I just set up my 7 foot tank on porcelain tile. The stand has 4 casters on both sides and it has been fine. Installing more casters will disperse the weight evenly with less pressure on

Did you get the casters from amazon or do you have a link to them?