Is there a 'standard' amount of space that should be left between kitchen cabinets for a free-standing washing machine? I'm installing a new kitchen at the moment and have left a 600mm gap. The washing machine I have at the moment fits snugly but I'm worried that it might damage the cabinet run when on a fast spin cycle or that when I buy a new washing machine there may not be enough room. I'm at a stage where I can increase the gap reasonably easily if I must rather than regret it later.
Jasp
IME getting it into a 600 mm gap is next to impossible.
I always make mine bigger.
tim
Standard width of washing machines is 600mm. You need a bit more wiggle room than that. How about 620mm?
I'd leave 20mm on each side for when the clothes machine gets excited by that big towel wash!
We've recently moved house and pulled the old dishwasher out of it's slot with a view to putting our much newer one in. Old dishwasher and slot were 595mm wide while our newer dishwasher is 599mm wide. The cabinets are so solid that the 4mm difference cannot be 'accomodated'.
We've ended up putting the dishwasher where the clothes machine was and our clothes machine and condensing tumble dryer in the garage.
There is a couple of inches on either side of the dishwasher in the old clothes machine slot as that's what the kitchen fitter allowed for.
We've put our recycling centre in the old dishwasher slot.
Also, our condensing tumble dryer loves being in the cold garage.
Guy
-- -------------------------------------------------------------------- Guy Dawson I.T. Manager Crossflight Ltd snipped-for-privacy@crossflight.co.uk
It's only important as a minimum space and for the seamless fitting of false fronts to match cabinets. As long as you can get at the machinery when it needs servicing or you want to get at something behind it any space will do.
Make the most of any overall differences in wall dimensions to unit dimensions to space them out as gainfully as possible. Most units come just a little too small to fit most kitchens exactly. Most kitchens are designed to take the cabinet sizes comfortably with just enough room to allow the kitchen suppliers to sell you an end blank.
They never suggest spacing out the gaps in the units to cover it. But do you want to have empty spaces between your units and your cleaning machinery? It comes down to your taste in cosmetic features.
Thanks all for the advice.
It seems then that there isn't a 'correct' amount of space to leave, but I've moved the cabinets over a bit to give about 620mm. (actually, it's a bit less than that due to some dodgy measuring!) The washing machine doesn't look so tight now and I'm not so worried about it shaking the kitchen to pieces.
Thanks again.
Jasp
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