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#1
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
Hello,
Just purchased my first house and it has beautiful wood floors in the kitchen. This concerns me a little when it comes to refrigerator leaks. I know there are drip pans in the refrigerator but have read that leaking is still a common problem due to various issues. Just wondering if there was a solution in laying something down underneath the refrigerator just in case there was external leaking? Maybe some sort of thin plastic mat or similar? A new refrigerator is being delivered at the end of this month and wanted to have something in place just in case. Thanks! |
#2
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
wrote in message ups.com... Hello, Just purchased my first house and it has beautiful wood floors in the kitchen. This concerns me a little when it comes to refrigerator leaks. I know there are drip pans in the refrigerator but have read that leaking is still a common problem due to various issues. Just wondering if there was a solution in laying something down underneath the refrigerator just in case there was external leaking? Maybe some sort of thin plastic mat or similar? A new refrigerator is being delivered at the end of this month and wanted to have something in place just in case. I don't have a solution, but don't let anyone tell you it isn't a problem. My floor is messed up in front of the fridge and the dishwasher. Thanks! |
#3
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
wrote: Hello, Just purchased my first house and it has beautiful wood floors in the kitchen. This concerns me a little when it comes to refrigerator leaks. I know there are drip pans in the refrigerator but have read that leaking is still a common problem due to various issues. Just wondering if there was a solution in laying something down underneath the refrigerator just in case there was external leaking? Maybe some sort of thin plastic mat or similar? A new refrigerator is being delivered at the end of this month and wanted to have something in place just in case. Thanks! I'd be more worried about the feet marring the floor when you slide it around to clean; I'm wondering if maybe one of those office chair mats might not be the ticket. nate |
#4
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
Bewildered wrote: wrote in message ups.com... Hello, Just purchased my first house and it has beautiful wood floors in the kitchen. This concerns me a little when it comes to refrigerator leaks. I know there are drip pans in the refrigerator but have read that leaking is still a common problem due to various issues. Just wondering if there was a solution in laying something down underneath the refrigerator just in case there was external leaking? Maybe some sort of thin plastic mat or similar? A new refrigerator is being delivered at the end of this month and wanted to have something in place just in case. I don't have a solution, but don't let anyone tell you it isn't a problem. My floor is messed up in front of the fridge and the dishwasher. Thanks! but don't let anyone tell you it isn't a problem. My floor is messed up in front of the fridge and the dishwasher. , I was going to say don't worry since my mom's house has had oak flooring in the kitchen for ~20 years. And my kitchen has had oak for 10 years....only moisture problem is near the outside slider....finish has taken beating from water Maybe the moisture trouble is geographic location specific? no moisture problems but high heels sure have take a toll........ cheers Bob |
#6
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
Thanks for all of yor replies. I have been reading around and it seems
people are putting rugs/mats everywhere if they have wood floors - in front of the range, sink, dishwasher and fridge. I probably would have gone with tile if I had the choice but bought the place new and they had wood floors on the main floor (kitchen and living room). Just worried that something will leak somewhere and cause me lots of pain. Malcolm Hoar wrote: In article . com, wrote: Hello, Just purchased my first house and it has beautiful wood floors in the kitchen. This concerns me a little when it comes to refrigerator leaks. I know there are drip pans in the refrigerator but have read that leaking is still a common problem due to various issues. Just wondering if there was a solution in laying something down underneath the refrigerator just in case there was external leaking? Maybe some sort of thin plastic mat or similar? A new refrigerator is being delivered at the end of this month and wanted to have something in place just in case. A mat will likely make matters worse if you do have a slight leak. Any water will just run off the edge onto the floor. Even worse, it will get drawn under the mat by the capillary effect. With no way to evaporate, that water will inflict maximum damage on your floor. You'd need a full drip-pan that will hold and retain any water that might leak. That's likely to look pretty ugly. You might make a detailed examination of your new refrigerator when it's delivered and see if you can identify any likely points of failure based on the actual design/layout of that model. Above all, do actually take the time to read the instructions that ship with your new fridge (yeah, I know that's a novel concept). It may well include recommendations for maintenance that will greatly lessen the risk of leaks (e.g. regular cleaning of various drain holes/lines that collect condensation, water dispenser overflow etc. With wood or laminate floors, always wipe up any splills that do arise as quickly as possible. A single ice cube that misses the mark and ends up on the floor will melt and quite possibly create a small mark. Do that once or twice a month for a few years and the floor will not be looking in very good shape. -- |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| | Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". | | Gary Player. | | http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
#7
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
In article . com, wrote:
Thanks for all of yor replies. I have been reading around and it seems people are putting rugs/mats everywhere if they have wood floors - in front of the range, sink, dishwasher and fridge. I probably would have gone with tile if I had the choice but bought the place new and they had wood floors on the main floor (kitchen and living room). Just worried that something will leak somewhere and cause me lots of pain. That floor will need refinishing at some point. If the quality of the materials and finish is low and/or the wear and tear to which you and your family subject it to is high, that point will arrive sooner rather than later. Then you can decide to refinish it or put that money toward a new (tile) floor (which is not a huge investment, in the grand scheme of things). -- |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| | Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". | | Gary Player. | | http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
#8
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
Why not contact your flooring folks to see if they can recommend
anything? You could probably have them put down a few extra coats of poly where the fridge is going to go if you really wanted them to. -Nathan wrote: Thanks for all of yor replies. I have been reading around and it seems people are putting rugs/mats everywhere if they have wood floors - in front of the range, sink, dishwasher and fridge. I probably would have gone with tile if I had the choice but bought the place new and they had wood floors on the main floor (kitchen and living room). Just worried that something will leak somewhere and cause me lots of pain. Malcolm Hoar wrote: In article . com, wrote: Hello, Just purchased my first house and it has beautiful wood floors in the kitchen. This concerns me a little when it comes to refrigerator leaks. I know there are drip pans in the refrigerator but have read that leaking is still a common problem due to various issues. Just wondering if there was a solution in laying something down underneath the refrigerator just in case there was external leaking? Maybe some sort of thin plastic mat or similar? A new refrigerator is being delivered at the end of this month and wanted to have something in place just in case. A mat will likely make matters worse if you do have a slight leak. Any water will just run off the edge onto the floor. Even worse, it will get drawn under the mat by the capillary effect. With no way to evaporate, that water will inflict maximum damage on your floor. You'd need a full drip-pan that will hold and retain any water that might leak. That's likely to look pretty ugly. You might make a detailed examination of your new refrigerator when it's delivered and see if you can identify any likely points of failure based on the actual design/layout of that model. Above all, do actually take the time to read the instructions that ship with your new fridge (yeah, I know that's a novel concept). It may well include recommendations for maintenance that will greatly lessen the risk of leaks (e.g. regular cleaning of various drain holes/lines that collect condensation, water dispenser overflow etc. With wood or laminate floors, always wipe up any splills that do arise as quickly as possible. A single ice cube that misses the mark and ends up on the floor will melt and quite possibly create a small mark. Do that once or twice a month for a few years and the floor will not be looking in very good shape. -- |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| | Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". | | Gary Player. | | http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
#9
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
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#10
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
I had a GE refrig. Its wheels did not mar the wood floor but my new Amana
bottom freezer does. I try to roll it on a drop cloth but it doesn't always do the trick. "N8N" wrote in message ups.com... wrote: Hello, Just purchased my first house and it has beautiful wood floors in the kitchen. This concerns me a little when it comes to refrigerator leaks. I know there are drip pans in the refrigerator but have read that leaking is still a common problem due to various issues. Just wondering if there was a solution in laying something down underneath the refrigerator just in case there was external leaking? Maybe some sort of thin plastic mat or similar? A new refrigerator is being delivered at the end of this month and wanted to have something in place just in case. Thanks! I'd be more worried about the feet marring the floor when you slide it around to clean; I'm wondering if maybe one of those office chair mats might not be the ticket. nate |
#11
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
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#12
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
On 18 Jan 2007 12:02:21 -0800, "BobK207" wrote:
Bewildered wrote: wrote in message ups.com... Hello, Just purchased my first house and it has beautiful wood floors in the kitchen. This concerns me a little when it comes to refrigerator leaks. I have never had floor problems under the fridge, but nonetheless, I would say that one never sees the floor under the fridge, and no one ever moves the fridge to another location, so I would just let nature and mechanics take their course. OTOH, I WOULD CONSIDER putting a dike under the fridge so that leaks from the part you can't see don't spread to places you can see. I would most likely use silicone sealant, to build a levee in a square such that it couldn't be seen by anyone standing or sitting on a chair, and wouldn't be destroyed by the wheels when the fridge is put in or moved out, but surrounded any part from which water might drip. I did this in my car once when the convertible top let water run down the metal sheet behind the back of the rear seat. I drilled a whole at each corner, and built a wall with silicone in layers until it was about 3/4 of an inch high. I think you could get buy on a quarter inch. You would benefit from a way to see if there was water in the lake bed you create. **I think they used to call this silicone cement, when sold in 4 oz. tubes, but I've found if one uses the cap and the tapes the camp shut well, partly used tubes will stay good at least 6 months. MORE below. I don't have a solution, but don't let anyone tell you it isn't a problem. My floor is messed up in front of the fridge and the dishwasher. Thanks! but don't let anyone tell you it isn't a problem. My floor is messed up in front of the fridge and the dishwasher. , I was going to say don't worry since my mom's house has had oak flooring in the kitchen for ~20 years. And my kitchen has had oak for 10 years....only moisture problem is near the outside slider....finish has taken beating from water Maybe the moisture trouble is geographic location specific? no moisture problems but high heels sure have take a toll........ I used to go to receptions weekly at a place that used, I'm sure, commmercial grade tile, 12 inch squares. When looking from the right angle, with the light behind the floor, where the reception lines were one could see 100's of dents from high heels. By this time it must have been hard even to stand there in such shoes. cheers Bob |
#13
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
In article , mm says...
On 18 Jan 2007 12:02:21 -0800, "BobK207" wrote: Bewildered wrote: wrote in message ups.com... Hello, Just purchased my first house and it has beautiful wood floors in the kitchen. This concerns me a little when it comes to refrigerator leaks. I have never had floor problems under the fridge, but nonetheless, I would say that one never sees the floor under the fridge, and no one ever moves the fridge to another location, so I would just let nature and mechanics take their course. Best thing: rip up the damn sticks - they don't belong in the kitchen, and put in a nice tile floor. Well, that's *my* opinion :-) This trend is going the way of carpet in the bathrooms. (Remember that?) Banty |
#14
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
On 21 Jan 2007 11:34:37 -0800, Banty wrote:
I have never had floor problems under the fridge, but nonetheless, I would say that one never sees the floor under the fridge, and no one ever moves the fridge to another location, so I would just let nature and mechanics take their course. Best thing: rip up the damn sticks - they don't belong in the kitchen, and put in a nice tile floor. I certainly see that pov. There are 4 townhouses that are the lowest in my n'hood, and when it rains enough and the sewer backs up, all 4 basements get wet, but no other house has ever gotten wet. After one incident, the woman two doors away complains that her natural fiber carpeting will have to be replaced. I'm thinking, who would get natural fiber for a basement! One with a sump pump! Well, that's *my* opinion :-) This trend is going the way of carpet in the bathrooms. (Remember that?) I remember it. I had it. My roommate in Brooklyn said roaches would live under it, but they never did. I had found a remnant in the trash iirc, and wanted to use it. I did my little room with one piece and my privaye bath with the other. (He had his own bathroom and couldn't really complain.) Banty |
#15
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
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#16
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
replying to seglie, WebUncle.com wrote:
seglie wrote: Hello, Just purchased my first house and it has beautiful wood floors in the kitchen. This concerns me a little when it comes to refrigerator leaks. I know there are drip pans in the refrigerator but have read that leaking is still a common problem due to various issues. Just wondering if there was a solution in laying something down underneath the refrigerator just in case there was external leaking? Maybe some sort of thin plastic mat or similar? A new refrigerator is being delivered at the end of this month and wanted to have something in place just in case. Thanks! The best thing you can do is put a fridge/freezer underlay on the floor. Here's a link to copy/paste with an example of one (60 inch underlay): http://www.tollco.eu/vattenskydd_produkt.php?product=5 They come in many sizes. I'm not endorsing this one, but you can see it for an example. Any similar product would work fine. Hope this helps. WebUncle.com -- |
#17
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
On 6/28/2015 9:44 PM, WebUncle.com wrote:
replying to seglie, WebUncle.com wrote: seglie wrote: Hello, Just purchased my first house and it has beautiful wood floors in the kitchen. This concerns me a little when it comes to refrigerator leaks. I know there are drip pans in the refrigerator but have read that leaking is still a common problem due to various issues. Just wondering if there was a solution in laying something down underneath the refrigerator just in case there was external leaking? Maybe some sort of thin plastic mat or similar? A new refrigerator is being delivered at the end of this month and wanted to have something in place just in case. Thanks! The best thing you can do is put a fridge/freezer underlay on the floor. Another thing to remember is "What happens when you lose power for an extended period while on vacation?" Okay, forget about the spoiled food, but what happens to the ice in your through the door dispenser? It melts, runs down the front of the refrigerator and all over the floor. When departing for any extended period of time (2 days) we shut off the ice maker and empty the bin. DAMHIKg |
#18
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
no moisture problems but high heels sure have take a toll........ cheers Bob arent heels awesome on women |
#19
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
start date of this thread 2007
just imagine if google self driving cars are as good as google groups |
#20
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
On Mon, 29 Jun 2015 07:59:16 -0700 (PDT), bob haller
wrote: arent heels awesome on women Get a horny girl with spurs on her cowgirl boots. Awesome! |
#21
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
On Sunday, January 21, 2007 at 3:32:36 PM UTC-8, George E. Cawthon wrote:
wrote: Hello, Just purchased my first house and it has beautiful wood floors in the kitchen. This concerns me a little when it comes to refrigerator leaks. I know there are drip pans in the refrigerator but have read that leaking is still a common problem due to various issues. Just wondering if there was a solution in laying something down underneath the refrigerator just in case there was external leaking? Maybe some sort of thin plastic mat or similar? A new refrigerator is being delivered at the end of this month and wanted to have something in place just in case. Thanks! I would be more worried about damaging the floor when the refrig is rolled into place. Make sure it is on something--cardboard or any thin hard material. If you are a person that pays attention to and notices things that are not quite right, water damage from a refrig is unlikely. Or, you could get a refrig that doesn't have an automatic ice maker, then the chances of any water damage will be nil. If the water supply for the ice maker starts to leak, chances are that nothing you do will make much difference as the water will just run all over the floor. If you really want to put something under the refrig, get a piece of vinyl (linoleum) to fit the space. And get another piece the same size so you can roll the refrig out for cleaning and protect the floor. If you do this, the first piece should stop about 1 inch in front of the the front wheels so it is not noticeable. Both the equipment installers and flooring installers used 1/8" hardboard, works like a dream and doesn't tear. My fix-it guy last year when here on a call said that you can't even order a fridge without a water thingy any more. I hate them for the space they take up and the maintenance. Harry K |
#22
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
On 6/29/2015 10:59 AM, bob haller wrote:
no moisture problems but high heels sure have take a toll........ cheers Bob arent heels awesome on women Man has a meal at a Scottish diner. "Love how you roll your Rs. " "Ah, these high heels...." - .. Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .. www.lds.org .. .. |
#23
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
On 6/29/2015 11:02 AM, bob haller wrote:
start date of this thread 2007 just imagine if google self driving cars are as good as google groups I could get run over by the same car that hit me in 2007? Across America, a man is hit by a car every 23 minutes, and boy is he ever sick of it. - .. Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .. www.lds.org .. .. |
#24
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
Exactly Ive had both to leak they were top of line appliances
Having to refinish floors now bc the dishwasher leaked all night and flooded the kitchen floors buckled -- For full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...or-186422-.htm |
#25
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 27 Feb 2021 14:45:03 +0000, LJ Fugate
wrote: Exactly I’ve had both to leak they were top of line appliances Having to refinish floors now bc the dishwasher leaked all night and flooded the kitchen floors buckled I hate to pile on, but that's why it was always a bad idea to put a hardwood floor in a kitchen, at least since linoleum was invented. I said so years ago when I first read about it. Maybe in up to the 1800's when there was no choice, but I think then the floors might have had cracks that would drain the water through, so it didn't soak the wood so much, or the boards were thicker and much less likely to warp. Ceramic tile is also a bad idea because it increases the odds that a dropped glass or china item will break. |
#26
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
On Sat, 27 Feb 2021 11:14:05 -0500, micky
wrote: In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 27 Feb 2021 14:45:03 +0000, LJ Fugate wrote: Exactly Ive had both to leak they were top of line appliances Having to refinish floors now bc the dishwasher leaked all night and flooded the kitchen floors buckled I hate to pile on, but that's why it was always a bad idea to put a hardwood floor in a kitchen, at least since linoleum was invented. I said so years ago when I first read about it. Maybe in up to the 1800's when there was no choice, but I think then the floors might have had cracks that would drain the water through, so it didn't soak the wood so much, or the boards were thicker and much less likely to warp. Ceramic tile is also a bad idea because it increases the odds that a dropped glass or china item will break. It probably wouldn't help if a pipe broke but a slow leak would be caught with one of those raised lip trunk liners if you could find one the right size. Hopefully you would see it filling up with water before it overflowed. They do make water sensors you can put under appliances like that to alert you when there is a problem. I think it is just a CMOS gate with a printed circuit grid that shorts out an input if it gets wet. |
#27
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Preventing Floor Damage Due to Refrigerator
On Saturday, February 27, 2021 at 9:33:32 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Sat, 27 Feb 2021 11:14:05 -0500, micky wrote: In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 27 Feb 2021 14:45:03 +0000, LJ Fugate wrote: Exactly Ive had both to leak they were top of line appliances Having to refinish floors now bc the dishwasher leaked all night and flooded the kitchen floors buckled I hate to pile on, but that's why it was always a bad idea to put a hardwood floor in a kitchen, at least since linoleum was invented. I said so years ago when I first read about it. Maybe in up to the 1800's when there was no choice, but I think then the floors might have had cracks that would drain the water through, so it didn't soak the wood so much, or the boards were thicker and much less likely to warp. Ceramic tile is also a bad idea because it increases the odds that a dropped glass or china item will break. It probably wouldn't help if a pipe broke but a slow leak would be caught with one of those raised lip trunk liners if you could find one the right size. Hopefully you would see it filling up with water before it overflowed. They do make water sensors you can put under appliances like that to alert you when there is a problem. I think it is just a CMOS gate with a printed circuit grid that shorts out an input if it gets wet. I have one of the cheap battery operated ones by my water heater. With a dishwasher though, no place to put it. Somebody could make one that was smaller, flatter so that you could slip in under with the front panel off, but then you'd have to change the battery. Batteries do last many years though, so it could be a good idea. |
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