waterproofing a filtration room

[halmus]

I'm researching products for an upcoming build. I am going to have a dedicated filtration room and want to cover the walls and ceiling with some product to keep moisture contained so that I can vent it out. I'm concerned about damage to the house with long term exposure to the moisture.

My first thought was covering the walls and ceiling with FRP. Obviously, this would work, but it's pretty expensive. The room will be big. Does anyone have any recommendations or experience with other brush-on products for moisture containment?

I saw this as an option. It's intended to be used as a sealant on masonry. I'm not sure how well it would adhere to drywall.

Also, I can't remember what paint products are harmful to reefs over time and what ones are reef safe. I remember reading about a large reef that degraded over time which the owner eventually attributed to harmful chemicals leeching out of the paint and poisoning his reef. After repainting the room that housed his reef, the problem was solved.

I'll also be adding some dedicated ventilation for the room, but I don't know how much I'll want to use that in the winter. I'm considering the trade-offs between bringing in fresh dry air from outside vs. the cost of heating the tank during the winter.

Thanks.

 

[MuralReef]

Check out Walter Whites build thread. He has a dedicated filtration room that is very well thought through.

 

[SkyShark]

Check out Walter Whites build thread. He has a dedicated filtration room that is very well thought through.

+1 exactly what I was thinking.

 

[SynDen]

Killz is what most people use I think. Its heavy duty marine paint

 

[halmus]

Thanks for the replies. I will read his thread again. Been through it before, but never specifically looking for answers to this question.

I've used Kilz as a primer before. I'll look at it again. Thanks.

 

[SynDen]

I know of many people have used Kilz for sealing their plywood tanks and various other uses, so I would imagine it could do everything you need it to for this.

 

[Haddonisreef]

I know of many people have used Kilz for sealing their plywood tanks and various other uses, so I would imagine it could do everything you need it to for this.

Yep I used it on the inside of my canopy and stand and has done a good job keeping moisture out.

 

[Walter White]

For my room I used the same dry lock stuff you have shown for all the concrete.
after wiring and insulating the walls I used a heavy duty vapor barrier tacked to the studs. I didn't use dry wall I used concrete hardy backer then sealed it with the dry lock. Finally for that extra protection and aesthetic look I lined the walls with 4'x8' sheets of PVC (can't remember what it's called) from Home Depot and sealed all the seams with white caulking. The PVC sheeting looks nice and wipes down really well.

i actually don't recall much of any of that detail being in my build thread because I lost the pictures. It was way over kill and very expensive to do but I could probably fill the room like a swimming pool. I think the vapor barrier and hardy backer are key. I'm sure green board would work well too but the dry lock really does work well on the hardy backer. You could paint right over the dry lock with a high gloss latex for the finished look and easy cleanup.

instead of dry lock maybe consider using Red Guard. It can be rolled on and dries to a tough rubber like coating. It's used for sealing wood and dry wall for installing tile in wet spaces. It goes on looking like pepto bismol but dries a dark red color. I'm not sure if paint would stick to it though.

 

[halmus]

Thanks for the detailed description Mr White. I will take all of that into consideration. I have used the red stuff before doing a tile job in my last house. I can always do a trial to see if it will take paint.

Again, I'm really fortunate that the floor layout and aquarium placement almost forces me to have a very large room for filtration and aquarium junk storage. One leg of the L-shaped room will be 25' long by 13' wide with another 10'x10' leg.

I'll most likely put FRP up most of the walls where the "wet" equipment will be and figure out something less expensive for the remaining walls and ceiling.

I'll start a dedicated thread once all of the drama with contractors and designers is behind me. Until then, it seems that nothing is certain.

 

[ReeferMatt]

Holy good god Mr. White! You really could almost fill your fish room like a pool.... Trust me I have poured swimming pools! For the average person that kind of build quality is way overkill, honestly you could get by with much less. My experience comes mostly from construction and plumbing, and I imagine that the basic principles of shower construction would suffice. 1st, contrary to popular belief, hardy backer is not actually waterproof, but once sealed it is. Some people use it for showers (primarily if you intend on using tile), while others do not as it's cost can be inhibitive. 2nd Red guard is a great product, it is primarily used on Greenboard drywall to waterproof before installing tile directly on the drywall, the biggest reason for this is that although tile is waterproof the grout is not. 3rd option is FRP, or "shower board". Most shower stalls that use it are really just green board with a water resistant primer like killz and then the shower board is applied directly to the drywall with a spray adhesive. The seams are then caulked and covered with a decorative strip.

These are the three most common applications of the products listed so far. My first question to you would be about the room you are planning on using. Is the room currently drywalled? If not I would sheet over the studs with a roll of visqueen, and then install green board in the "wet" areas. (if drywalled start here) I would then paint with killz or drylock (even redguard if you really want, although I don't know if 3m spray adhesive will bond well to that) and install shower board in these wet areas, including the ceiling as this is where your condensation will occur. Be generous with the caulking, caulking is cheap and your best friend when it comes to preventing moisture and mold! This will still be overkill as it would be safe for a functioning shower, where there is direct and constant exposure to water. I would consider framing in the room to the size you need to cut down on cost and installing an air exchanger. An air exchainger or heat exchanger works like your standard bathroom vent fan, except that the incoming air dry air and outgoing moist air "interact" without crossing and the temprature is equalized. This means you are not drawing in cold air in the winter or super hot air in the summer. The air exchainger costs more and requires more ductwork but I believe it to be worth it. Although I would prob run it in your canopy instead of the filtration room.

Every time I read a fishroom build I am amazed at how overboard people go to waterproof (but I totally understand protecting a huge investment like your home). Tomorrow when you get out of the shower look at the steam in the air, the condensation on the walls and the walls of your actual shower stall. This is more moisture than your fish room will see all day, and isn't build 1/3 as well as some of these fishrooms.My opinion is better safe than sorry, if you can afford it, go nuts, But don't feel like you absolutely HAVE to spend a pile of money to make it safe. It sounds like you are just building the home and working with a contractor and a designer, I would just tell the contractor that the room is a fish room and to treat it like a shower or sauna..lol!

 

[halmus]

Thanks for the feedback Matt.

I appreciate everyone's input. I'll try to follow up with more later but things are speeding up with the basement.

I met with Cris at Aquatic Art yesterday to start working on the aquarium design. Once I've confirmed dimensions, pricing, and have the order placed, I'll start the build thread.

Thanks again for the input!