Tank on Hard Wood Floor

We rent our place, and we will be moving out when the lease is up in May 2013.

My 72 bowfront is on a rubber mat over a hard wood floor. This allows me to towel up arm drips and splash from water changes.

My question is, how do I fix the wood if and when I pull the mat back and it's yellowed or discolored?

Would sanding it back to the right color to stain and refinish do the trick?

If anybody has done this before, please let me know how it turned out.

If it's hard to match the repair, I might downgrade to a 40 breeder on a DIY stand until I finish school and we are in a permanent residence.

 

bump

 

Some of you older reefers must have gone through this before.

I'm not even sure if it will be a problem or not.

If the floor discolors, and the repair job is damn near impossible, would someone please chime in.

The goal here is getting my deposit back.

 

It will be difficult but not impossible to repair.(alot depends on how it was sealed) A good painter should be able to repair it with no problem. Are you sure it is actual hardwood? In Florida they use alot of laminates which will not discolor.In the future you would definitely not want to use a rubber mat under the tank. Water will get under it and it will not dry out causing problems.(unless you are really carefull.)

 

I think you have done and are doing things to prevent damage to the floors. My suggestion is to make sure to check that no water is getting on the floor (leaks, etc.). You can then assess the damage (if it exists) after you move the tank. You still have a long time before that takes place. Speculating on what the damage could be will only lead to stress. Just leave ample time to resolve any issues prior to vacating the rental. You will then be able to post pictures of the actual damage to get help. If there is damage, I would suggest posting on a contractor forum for assistance.

 

I've been careful not to let any water get under the mat, and I don't have any leaks.

It looks like low grade oak, but it has a weird surface groove texture that kinda makes me think it's laminate. Our condo was built in 2006 and some of the finish work is crappy. I wouldn't buy a place slapped together like this one is. The drywall fairing in the corners is unacceptable, so they probably went cheap on the floors.

I've done a lot of teak bright work on boats, so if the solution is sandpaper and paint brush, then it shouldn't be a big deal.