Lindsay Alford Appliance Repairs serving Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula
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This is some suggestions on laundry design from my experience in repairing washing machines and dishwasher.
A laundry will contain a washing machine, which will one day leak water or flood the laundry and the rest of the house.
A slow leak will cause problems to the floor such as rotting of the timbers or damage to the floor coverings. Simple faults can cause the washing machine to overflow, causing water damage to the carpets in the adjacent rooms. The fault in the washing machine is easy fixed but the damaged caused is another story. Also the tough can be blocked or the drain hose falls out of the trough with all the water flooding on to the floor.
In all states except Victoria, houses have floor level drains in wet areas such as laundries and bathrooms. When the washing machines floods the laundry the water is caught and no water damage is done to the test of the house. However in Victoria builders and plumbers are reluctant to to put them in. The plumber I have spoken to say the the drain has to be connected to the sewer, and would the lowest point in the sewer connection, and would flood the house with sewerage if there is a blockage. Also the water in the “S” trap would go stale. I believe that these floor level drains only need to be vented to the outside of the house, as no water would normally go down them. Its a wonder the insurance companies don't require them! These can be fitted to a wooden floor off the ground but it is impossible to fit them to a concrete slab floor after the house has been built. With a concrete slab floor or any other floor, the water will run into the middle of the house. This is because the foundations will dry out in the middle and the edges remain damp, the clay in the soil will shrink when dried. Industry has bungs around liquid storage tanks to collect any leakage, but in house with a higher chance of flooding no flood catching are fitted.
Always insist on a floor level drain. A washing machine will one day flood your laundry! Dishwashers have some anti-flood devices fitted, but this will not stop all possible causes of flooding.
The sink should have a separate drain at the top of the sink for easy connection of the drain hose. I do not recommend connecting the drain hose like a dishwasher to the 'S' trap nipple. Also having the washing machine drain inside the cupboard just below the bench top makes for difficult removal and refitting!
Do not build the Front Loading Washing Machine in built in like a Dishwasher
Easy repairs take about one hour, if a dishwasher has to be removed from the cupboard, it will take an extra ¼ hour to remove it and another ¼ hour to reinstall it. This will add to the repair costs. Remember it it was difficult to install, it will be just as difficult to remove for repair! If you want to have a bench top over the front loader, have it removable.
Taps above the washing machine do not look ugly. Modern tap look good. Do not hid the taps under the trough in the cupboard. Washing machine hoses will develop a slow drip after a long time. If hidden away, you will not know they are leaking until the mould grows out of the cupboard. Even the semi-rigid hoses use by the Swedish and other, can still drip, the rubber washer can perish. I had a Swedish dishwasher that leaked at the taps, it the dampest cupboard that I have seen.
The laundry is a 'wet' area. The washing machine will one day put water on the floor. The floor needs to be water resistant. Concrete is good and durable but low in looks. Ceramic tiles are good. Vinyl floor coverings are poor, it has a tough skin on a soft backing. Water will deteriorate the backing and the vinyl will rip when the washing machine is moved. Only all hard floor coverings are are suitable for laundry floor. Varnished timber floor will will get water marks on them.
Tiles instead of timber skirting boards are a good idea.
Allow room for a larger washing machine, you or the next owner may want a larger machine.
A dryer wall bracket may be easier to put up, than a shelf, but it is easier to put a dryer on a shelf than a bracket.