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Wondering How Feasible Bathroom Laundry Would Be?

4K views 36 replies 10 participants last post by  Blondesense 
#1 ·
My laundry room is the basement. There's not really a room. The washer and dryer just sit in the corner. The bedrooms are up 3 small flights of stairs. Ugh.

Today I was looking at the upstairs bath and had an idea. I haven't measured everything to see what will fit. I don't want to put a lot of effort into it if it isn't economically feasible.

This is a rough draft of the bath. It's not to scale, but the idea I had was that maybe I could wall up the door to the bedroom, and put a stackable washer/dryer in there. But then I started thinking about the weight. Then I thought that the bathtub probably gets heavy. Then I thought that a bathtub full of water plus the washer / dryer could equal disaster.

What do you think? If I need an engineer to look, where do I find one? What are the odds that it will be sturdy enough? I'm not in a position to put a lot of money into a serious structural change right now, so if it's not probable that I could do it, I'll just wait until I've recovered from the cash depletion the home purchase brought me.

 
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#3 · (Edited)
angelatc,

Why not just leave the laundry set in the basement, so you wouldn't have to alter plumbing to relocate as you proposed in your post?

You don't need an engineer to look at it - in most cases. That would just be a waste of money and time.

My suggestion for you is to evaluate the real reason why you would like to relocate your laundry set. If it is because of the 3 flights of stairs you'd rather not walk up and down, then question yourself if 3k to 4k is worth spending to save you from having to climb stairs each time you have to do laundry.
My suggestion to you would be to answer the question that I asked.

The plumbing is the least of my worries. There's water and a drain 3 feet away. The existing electrical is immediately underneath. My reasons for wanting it are not your concern. And since you don't know anything about my floor plan, let's assume I know more about it than you do.

And editing your post doesn't take it out of the quote.
 
#5 ·
Depending on the type of stacking units you look at you can need up to 3' depth, then a door on front of that so about 40.5". Or 37" if you go with a cabinet door front.
How tight is that going to be to the front of the toilet?

Now this does depend on the type of unit purchased.

I am in the very early stages of considering a stacking unit in our main floor linen closet that I could make 3' deep.
 
#6 · (Edited)
it is quite feasible to do what you are wanting to do. how good it would be for your floor would depend on the direction of the floor joists and where the supporting walls are underneath. an engineer would definitely make it a safer project. the washer shouldn't be a problem but the dryer needs to be vented to the outside. do you have a 220 volt line available close by? if not a new line would have to be run from the main electrical panel. the washer would also need a 2 inch drain and a vent (the bathtub is only 1-1/2).
 
#7 ·
I always suggest not putting washer and dryers in the basement. Always try and put them close to the bedrooms.
Makes no since as you said going up and down all those stairs with an arm load laundry.
Also a basement is almost always moist and may shorten the life of appliances.
Does there happen to be a sub panel on the second or third floor.
 
#8 ·
OK, now I'm excited. The door is probably a goner anyway, because I have never been a fan of dual entry bathrooms, and I could really use the wall space in the bedroom. I am not living in the house yet, so I can't just walk over and look, but I am thinking the tub might sit square on a wall. That would be good news for me, wouldn't it?

How do I tell which way the joists are running? If it involves pulling up the subfloor and looking, now would be a good time. The subfloor is all I have right now. Or can I tell by the nail heads?

I do need to measure to see if it will fit, but I'm not sure I would have thought about checking the swing of the door. :D

Eh, my electrical terminology is a little sketchy. I think there's only one electrical panel in the basement. If there is a second, it was probably added when the air conditioner was put in. Couldn't I just run the existing electrical up to the new location?
 
#9 ·
Just that one wire will cost several hundred dollars depending on the length.
You would have to figure out a way to run it up that may floors.
The floors got to be cut out to run the water and drain line.
Got to be able to vent the dryer out the wall.
There's a whole lot to it but if you plan on staying in that house and it makes it easyer for you it's worth it.
 
#13 ·
The wire is probably the biggest obstacle, although I'm also thinking I'd like to run a gas line up there so I could have a gas dryer. :whistling2:

It's not as daunting as it sounds. The house is a tri-level with a basement. So, on the left side of the house is the kitchen / LR over a basement, while the right side has the bedrooms and this bath over a family room that is partially below grade. The way it lines up, I think that going up through the living room wall will bring me to the bathroom. There's a closet there - seems a decent place to practice my mad drywall skillz. :) The furnace is right there, so there's a gas line to tap off of.

I'll have to post pictures, but I think the water is more accessible than you'd expect. The supply lines are in the wall. I am pretty sure I could tap into them without taking up the floor, but the nearest drain pipe is indeed under the tub. Taking the floor out isn't a big deal at this juncture, though. It would just mean pulling up the subfloor.

Well, the wall got wet and the drywall is rotted, so part of it's got to come out regardless, While I'm under there, I'll have a better idea of what's physically possible.

The wire would indeed be very long. I'll have to look at the specific "whats over top of what" tomorrow when I'm back over there. And I'll post pics.
 
#11 · (Edited)
Is your basement finished? If not, you can look up and determine how the joists are installed when compared to rooms above.

If you are concerned about weight loading, take 2 measurements from the basement and someone here will be able to give you a rough guidance:

1. measure the width (it should be something like 2x8, 2x10, 2x12, etc.)

2. pick a joist below the bathroom (you should be able to see a p-trap) and measure the distance from the exterior wall to the center beam

Based on your drawing, I am going to guess this framing layout:




Since this is a tight space, you also need to take into consideration how the washing machine and dryer doors will effect your working space/flow.

Do you have a set budget in mind? Are you comfortable with running new electric wires and doing plumbing? If you can competently do these tasks, you can save a bundle.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Yes, I'm comfortable with electrical once I'm past the box and it's 120v. I've run wire, calculated load, mounted junction boxes, installed ceiling fans... standard DIY stuff. This would be an advanced project for me, but since this already has a dedicated circuit, and I just have to move it, it seems do-able.

I'm not quite as familiar with plumbing, but I have soldered some copper pipe that burst and didn't have a problem. My PVC experience is limited to replacing the trap under the sink, and fixing a valve on a pool. But I'm not shy about tearing into it.

I think you're right about the way the joists are running, because of the subfloor nailheads. I can peek up under the drop ceiling tomorrow to be sure.

And this is a tri-level, so it's very possible it had the same floorplan as the bi-level of your past.

I'm not sure that my main beam is where yours is. If I had to guess, I think the main beam is across that hall, only because that wall runs the entire length of the house.
 
#15 ·
As mentioned before the tub will probably have a 1.5" line and the washer will need a 2" line for the drain.
Water should be in the stub wall by the tub.
Electrical wire is easy to fish, may need to cut a couple of holes in the drywall in other rooms that you can patch.

Biggest obstacle may be if the floor can support the weight in this area.
 
#17 ·
Not sure how common PEX plumbing is in your area, real easy to work with. It is a sort of plastic pipe that you crimp connections on to.
Makes it easy to snake in when doing renovations.

Removing a few suspended ceiling tiles will sure tell you which way floot joists go. Also make it easier if you have to reinforce some. Possibly doubling them up. Really need someone who knows to look at this on site.
 
#20 ·
Do you have to have a door way into the bedroom? Why not have just the one door into the hall. You can then move the tube over in front of the toilet and gain some more space.

Additionally, by putting the tub near the wall, you put your biggest load closer to your strongest point.
 
#21 · (Edited)
The door to the bedroom is probably a goner regardless I don't like 2 door bathrooms, and I want the extra wall space in the bedroom.

Ohhh - I do like the idea of moving the tub. When you suggest moving the tub over near the wall, do you mean the outside wall, or the hallway wall? Right now it's near neither. :)

I said earlier I didn't think that was the main beam, but now I think it is, because there is a support pole under it in the family room.

OK - I have to put this project on the back burner until I get the rest of the house tweaked. The bathroom is the only room that needs an extensive rehab, and while I'm excited about these changes, I am not ready to tear into it yet, especially since I've replaced a tub once before.

But now I have some things I can mull around.
 
#22 ·
Move the tub in front of the toilet....next to the outside wall....where the bedroom door 'would' have been.

I would put the washer and dryer near the door....maybe change the way the door opens....maybe even consider a pocket door?
 
#30 · (Edited)
Pocket door would be nice! I am actually thinking that if I move the tub down near the toilet, I could turn that closet behind the tub into recessed space off the hallway to put the washer and dryer in. I really don't need two closets in that bath, and it's a PITA to open the door to that one anyway.

Edited to add - hahaha! I should have read msradall's post first! Great minds :)

Anyway, I really am going to put this on a back burner. We only have another 20 days to get the rooms painted and such so we can actually move in, but when I'm ready to tackle this, I'll revive it and start getting real details.
 
#23 · (Edited)
To allthumbsdiy...
There is no way to tell the second floor layout from looking at the first floor from in the basement... Load bearing walls are in different places and joists don't necessarily run in the same direction as below. How you are assuming that the bathroom is on an outside wall is beyond me... if it were, there would likely be a window there. Also, there is absolutely no reason to assume there is such a heavy beam under the bathroom entry wall, which may or may not be a load bearing wall (an is not likely). I understand that you are venturing a guess here, and you may be completely right... (I didn't mean to be rude...) :)

Anyhow, my washer and dryer is a stackable unit, sitting over a couple 2x8 joists spanning about 12'. I didn't like it very much, so when I renovated my basement, I was able to plan for a wall beneath these joists to reduce the span. Your dryer likely doesn't weigh too much, but the washer (full of water, and sloshing around) weighs a ton. It would not be a bad idea to at least pop a hole in the ceiling below (if this is an option), to take a look for yourself. If you're unsure, then hire an inspector to professionally make this decision.
 
#25 ·
To allthumbsdiy...
There is no way to tell the second floor layout from looking at the first floor from in the basement... Load bearing walls are in different places and joists don't necessarily run in the same direction as below. How you are assuming that the bathroom is on an outside wall is beyond me... if it were, there would likely be a window there. Also, there is absolutely no reason to assume there is such a heavy beam under the bathroom entry wall, which may or may not be a load bearing wall (an is not likely). I understand that you are venturing a guess here, and you may be completely right... (I didn't mean to be rude...) :)

.....

I wish I was the Amazin Kreskin but I am not :)

It was a simple guess based on the location of the indicated hallway that was similar to my former bi-level (I failed to read that OP said the bathroom was on the second floor).
 
#24 ·
Actually the weight of the washer and dryer is not that large especially when you look at the area that it's covering. Water weight while significant is not actually that much probably no more than 70 pounds of water (about 8 gallons). Stackable washers are front loading so they use much less water than top loading machines. The washer and dryer even filled will weigh less than the bathtub filled with water and a person!
 
#28 ·
How about putting the washer and dryer in a closet that opens into the hallway next to the bathroom door (may have to relocate it a little bit to the right). That way you wouldn't have to go into the bathroom to do your laundry.
 
#35 ·
Another good option....

I think that could be made to look pretty good.....

Basically, a closet with maybe a bi-fold door in front of it....

As you walk down the hall, the laudry would look like a short hallway with the machines on the closet on either side...then the door into the bathroom.
 
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