Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Tile Floor Problems

I live in an older small home (built in the early 50's) in our laundry room area, we installed a ceramic tile floor (12 x 12). Our Refridgerator rests on this floor as well, and the circuit breaker box is behing the refridg. When a breaker blows the fridge has to get pulled out! When we pull the fridge out, the tile under the fridge cracks. We have replaced this floor 3 times in the past 3 years, and always the same thing. The tile cracks instantally. We have tried magic sliders on the fridge, etc... nothing works. The subfloor is not level and we know that, but we do not have the money or the experience to fix it. Do you have any suggestions? Also would a wood laminate floor hold up better to this type of abuse?

Thanks in advance

--Matt

Rubber floor tiles!

maybe get the breaker problem fixed, or move the box?,but if you are not an electrician, don't try this yourself!

Where do you get rubber floor tiles?

Can they be installed yourself?


--Matt

Next time you are driving down a freeway and see a tire on the side of the road pick it up an take it home. Get a saw and cut your rubber tiles out. Please, how can you be a mechanical engineer and not understand why your hard, brittle tiles are breaking on an uneven surface. Get some lightweight leveling compound and float the floor. Better yet, you better call in a contractor and save yourself alot of time and effort!!!!

You have 2 problems.
The floor not being flat and a fridge in a bad place.
Circuit breakers/fuses were not designed to have refrigerators in front.

1. Move the fridge.
2. Move the fuses.
3. Flatten the floor.
If you want to install a laminate floor, fine.
The first step of doing that right is to flatten the subfloor. A flat subfloor and properly functioning rollers for the fridge will resolve the problem no matter what the surface is. Some will do better.

So not mess with the panel box unless you are a properly qualified electrician/ REALLY knowledgable person on how to do it without killing yourself or burning down the house. Signs are you are not.

Move the fridge, Pay the electrician, Pay the floor guy, or fix the subfloor RIGHT. Short cuts are dangerous.

Personally I would not want wood in a place where there is a high risk of water spills from hoses leaking or coming loose, frrezer leaking because a circuit blew and the fridge melted.
Of all the options I would pay the electrician to bring the electrical supply into the 21st century. Get an estimate from a pro before you decide to spend more money for a quick fix.

Sorry to pile on. I buy the theory that insanity is doing the same thing over and over an expecting a different result.

Originally posted by mechengineer
Where do you get rubber floor tiles?

Can they be installed yourself?


--Matt



Yes they can be install by yourself. I install them by myself.:p

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