Washer/Dryer on the second floor...

[Clint]

I have a two story home...66 y/o. The second floor is unfinished, but will at some point become a "master suite". There is room up there to put a bathroom and what I would like to make into a laundry room. So, my question is; what special considerations do I have to take in order to put a washer and dryer on the second floor of a 66 y/o house? The folks at the local appliance store mentioned concerns such as the RPM of the washer, sound dampening of the space, and vibrations through the structure caused by rotating machinery.

I know that having a laundry room on an upper floor is no novelty, but what should be my concerns? Any and all advice is appreciated.

Merry Christmas, Clint

[roger61611]

A washer is not as heavy as a bathtub but...

Before you finish the upstairs and put in your new laundry, you'll need to see if the attic floor joists (ceiling of the floor beneath) can support the load. Many times ceilings are put up with 2x4 or 2x6 (nominal inches) boards for the joists, which will not support habitation. If you don't know what this means don't start building up there.

Sound deadening might help.

Other item to check out is a square pan that you set the washer into, and if it springs a leak a drain attached to the pan carries thw water away rtather than it flooding the house.

Cl> I have a two story home...66 y/o. The second floor is unfinished, but

[Tom G]

Definitely use the drain pan. I live in an 80 year old converted Summer cottage on the river. Was originally not planned to be a year around residence so the floor joists are mostly 2 x 6's. Basement is not much more than a crawl space so I built a laundry area in the bathroom. Being aware of the floor problem and having sold washers and dryers for the last 15 years, I went with a General Electric top load machine. They are designed to operate on a wood floor without jumping around or vibrating excessively. I've never had the washer move even a fraction of an inch from it's original spot( four years running, now) and feel no vibration when it is spinning. We used to demonstrate the machine's stability by letting it spin with a glass of water sitting on top. The water hardly shook. That being said, I would stay away from any machine made by Whirlpool, (sold those, too) as they'll walk even on a concrete floor. And the really high speed spin of a front load, although being on a different spin axis, could cause a lot of vibration. The difference between GE and Whirlpool all has to do with the way the tub is suspended.

Tom G.

[buffalobill]

[buffalobill]

[Joe]

One more bit of advice: plan your dryer location with an outside wall for venting. Nothing works better or is more trouble free.

Joe