Should I change this room?

10 years ago

This laundry room was something that we drew up and added to our plans ourselves. There was originally a laundry closet that was replaced by the ever so popular "drop zone" that I just had to have. Anyway, I had to sacrifice 7 feet of screened porch to add the laundry room. I wanted it to be 7 feet wide to keep it wide enough to be a comfortable work space. My must haves for the space are a folding counter, a bar for hanging, room for a traditional top load washer and dryer, a 50 gallon hot water heater and a small freezer. On the outside wall, we want to put a five foot long stained glass from an Irish pub that belonged to a deceased family member, to look out over the porch. Because we took out a 4 ft deep desk at the entrance to this room and the porch is 12 ft wide, that makes the laundry room 16 feet long by 7 feet wide. My builder told us today that he has to add 3 inches to the wall behind the washer and dryer and hot water heater. He will run a dryer vent and an emergency drain from the water heater to the exterior wall. (We knew this when planning but didn't know about the wider wall). However, he now says that we may come out with more room if we line up the water heater, washer and dryer along the exterior wall. If we do this, I am having trouble picturing the folding counter and freezer. Should I change anything at all? Is 3 lost inches going to make a difference? He needs to let the plumber know in the morning and I hate making rushed decisions.

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Comments (7)

jdez
Original Author
10 years ago
This was my inspiration pic.
rmsaustin
10 years ago
I think your builder has a better plan -- your layout gives you only partial use of the folding counter whereas the builder's plan gives you full use of any counter you put in. Also, with builder's plan you can directly vent the dryer to the outside.
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rmsaustin
10 years ago
Another thought -- Your layout is also potentially problematic depending on the door swing of the dryer -- if it hinges on the right (which makes sense for transferring clothing efficiently from the washer), then you are reaching around the door to get clothes to fold them and the door is just in your way. If the dryer door hinges on the bottom -- not as much of a problem, but with the limited width of the room still an issue if you leave the dryer door open to pull stuff out and fold it.

If you layout the appliances against the back wall (l-r, water heater, washer, dryer) and a folding counter on the left wall (in your pic), the movement is natural -- take stuff from the dryer, 1/4 turn to the folding counter.
uponthehilltop
10 years ago
Hey JDez! I set my laundry up like RMS mentioned above.
I love your inspiration pic but see where it could get tight...my rental
House is tight like that and it drives me crazy!

You are making GREAT progress!!
jdez
Original Author
10 years ago
Well DH made the decision to leave it as planned and just give up the three inches because he is worried about having to move the stained glass. The stained glass was his sister's and we want it to be centered on that wall to be a focal point on the back porch. So he wants nothing on that wall at all except the stained glass. I must say I am relieved to not have to make a decision and I was good with the way it was anyway. It is a bigger laundry room than I have now so either way I will be happy. Thanks for the suggestions. I never thought about it but my dryer door does swing open toward that counter so I guess I will have to have just put all the clothes on the counter and then fold them. Thats a bummer.
Lori Wagerman_Walker
10 years ago
Check your dryer, a lot of them have a reversible door. You take it off, move the hardware and it will swing the other way...

:)

I would probably just pull the whole load out and plop it in the corner anyway, then you can sort & fold ...
jdez
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks loribug. I will check that out.