The machines we have now are not the ones that came with house since those died, but they are not so old - 8 yrs for TL washer and 5 yrs for dryer. We, architect and builder have measured, and they will fit, but barely. If they don't end up fitting and/or I decide or need to replace, is there any reason with the greater vibration of FL not to put in a tight space or on a 2nd floor? I wouldn't want an apartment size one because I like being able to wash large bedspreads, duvet covers, etc. which my Maytag FL workhorse can handle.

Just got the Samsung 328 set last weekend. I've done about 10 loads and am A LOT happier. The VRT technology seems to be for real.

Don't expect no noise, though. Any washer and dryer on a second floor is going to make some noise and vibration. I'm just glad the pendant lights over my island no longer rattle in unison with the spin cycle!

It's hard to blame the manufacturers of washing machines and dryers for this problem...I tend to blame poor/shoddy construction and low building code requirements.

Someone else recommended putting some 3/4" sheets of plywood down below the washer/dryer and screwing them to the floor below. This should also work very well if you cannot add in support below(perhaps do both).

LIP2000

"Here’s what we did to solve the noise and vibration problem. I can’t take credit for this solution as we read this solution in another review and tried it and it worked for us. I am VERY grateful I found the solution on the Internet. We have a weak floor that vibrated & the washer on spin cycle would travel around the floor due to the vibration. Leveling the washer was NOT enough to stop this problem. We had a local lumberyard cut us three 1"x12" solid oak boards to place on the floor as a solid base for our washer and dryer. We also put a stall mat on top of these boards. A stall mat comes in 4’x6’ dimensions and is ¾ inches thick. It’s made of an extremely dense rubber material (one of these mats will weigh 100 pounds or more). The stall mats are available anywhere farm materials are sold. Sometimes they are called cow mats, or horse mats or even barn mats. They are made to cushion the floor for a horse or cow (and can withstand the wear and tear of 1400+ pounds of animal and their hooves and waste each day so they’re VERY durable). I bought ours for less than $40 so it’s NOT an expensive solution. You can cut the mat to size with a common utility knife. Just lift the edge of the mat and cut the proper width. It’s not difficult. Once the washer and dryer are placed on this solid base, you won’t have ANY problems with vibration or noise. Even an apartment installation would be adequate to dampen vibration to those below the apartment. It works great. The base looks professional too if you make it to the exact size of the washer/dryer combo"

Hope this helps someone! This is what I'm doing for install 2cnd floor next week.

Our house is a 1926 stucco with lots of concrete in between floors. The room under consideration would be an original room - the walls are open so we can easily add the plumbing and electric, but right now it has the original wood floor. Would I leave that floor and put something over or remove floor and put something over? What would be the best kind of floor to have in that room?

I would leave the floors and do a 3/4 inch slab of plywood screwed down over your hard wood for both dryer and washer to sit on, and have a carpenter put down some quarter-round to finish it off where it meets your hard wood. That's what I did over my hardwood floors in my second floor laundry room. Because of the noise that we currently get from our top loader/dryer set, I am anticipating the worst with the new front loader set that is coming soon, so I will also be putting down a 3/4 inch horse pad as I mentioned above. If it doesn't work, I don't know what will. The top loader I'm replacing on the second floor has made an awful humming sound throughout the entire cycle. I'm hoping the new front loader will be much more quiet! I have read some reports of the front loaders being more quiet on the second floor than the top loaders when the floor is reinforced, and the machine is balanced. If you don't want to do the thick horse mat, another good option is to go to a place where they sell treadmills, etc, and get one of those mats that fits under exercise equipment. I think they cost more than a horse mat though, and not nearly as thick. You could try without the plywood since you have concrete and do the thick pad...could probably cut it so it wouldn't show because I think the legs of most washers and dryers come in about 3 or 4 inches from the front and back of the machine. Not sure.