Laundry room remodel, pics pending.

[dbhost]

Sorry about the lack of pics. The cam on my phone is doing stupid things, and I am charging the battery for my digital camera... But I gotta tell ya about a project LOML and I just finished.

No doubt you recall the recurring problems with my Kenmore dryer. Well the last no heat was the last straw as it were. Perfectly clear ducting, everything in the heating circuit tested good, but still no heat. Then to beat all things, Home Depot had a sale on the nice fancy LG front loaders LOML and I have been drooling over for years.

So all the drywall repair work that had been on the back burner, trim work, paint etc... that I have been putting off suddenly came to the forefront to make room for the new equipment.

To make a pleasant home for the new washer / dryer, and to finish up the install of the water heater that had taken FAR too long to get done, I have...

#1. Built a custom water heater stand, fitted to the original framing of the old stand, sheet rocked and trimmed to match.

#2. Replaced the damaged sheet rock, textured, and trimmed the remaining walls.

#3. Replaced the old, standard sockets, switches with all white Decora outlets and switches, including the 20 amp outlet for the washer.

#4. Replaced the 1980s ceiling lighting fixture with a gorgeous matching fixture that matches the lighting we are migrating the rest of the house to, complete with the antique copper patina.

#5. Fully repainted the ceiling, in bright ceiling white, walls in Behr Tuscan Beige, and trim in Glidden Bright gloss white.

Lastly we moved the new washer and dryer in place.

I was unable to do the cabinets at this time, but a pending project for sure will be replace the existing cabinetry with new custom designed / built cabinets, including custom laundry pedestals, and a rolling laundry sorter. I have LOML talked into letting me use the laundry room as the testbed for cabinets. Once the shop is back in order, I fear I might be pressed into getting that done pretty quick. The original cabinets leave a LOT to be desired as they are far too shallow to be really useful for storage of say Laundry Soap, or the upper shelves which is where we store the crock pots when not in use...

I promise pics will be coming VERY soon, I am happy with the results, and have to ask forgiveness ahead of time, I have no clue where my before pics went... The difference is HUGE.

[dbhost]

Okay, I promised pics, sorry they stink... Wish I could let you walk in and see it. Pics and video don't do it justice...

And before anyone fusses, yes I KNOW I need a pan / drain for the WH in case it ever leaks. That was what initially caused the need for a remodel even before the dryer problems. There is no good way to get to a drain line from where this is at. The fact the city allowed the house to be built this way infuriates me to no end... I would have to punch through a load bearing wall to get to where the closest drain is (washer) and make some bad twisty turns on the way... Not gonna do that. When this one dies, I am hoping and praying electric tankless heaters are actually decent enough to use by then... Of course then the nook the heater is in will become a place for laundry soap and household cleaning doo dads....

[LCHIEN]

isn't there a drain behind the clothes washer? How about a bit deeper pan, float switch and boat bilge pump to get the water into the drain?

[chopnhack]

First off, good job on the rebuild of the stand. Looks nice. As for tankless, if it was gas fed tankless I would say have at it, but electric just doesn't give you the the delta T in the winter, even down in TX. You will also have to match your system closely for your intended use. I looked into it myself some years ago and it just wasn't worth it..

The pan is a must. When you drain your tank to slid the pan under it, make sure you shut off the breaker that feeds the tank so you don't burn out your elements. The pan is a must!! Find a way to make it work. At the very least, make it a pan with no drain, it will give you some time to catch a slow failure. You will get into a routine of checking the pain regularly so you won't have a catastrophe in the future.

What style and color are you thinking for the laundry cabs?

[dbhost]

The problem is, and it is hard to show in photos, but I have to come through the wall, through a series of studs (Have to rip up the sheetrock again to get there), plus 2 45 degree bends, and then a tee into the drain line...

The deep pan actually sounds like a good idea though.

Like I said, electric tankless will need to go a LONG way toward being a mature working technology before I am going to sink the bank into it. Gas would be better, but there is no gas on my block...

[conwaygolfer]

Just curious about the texture on the drywall. Is it popcorn or sprayed on compound? I have been applying a knockdown texture to drywall on most of my remodel jobs. After spraying on the joint compound I wait a few minutes and then use a trowel to lightly "knock it down" and the result is great. It will hide a lot of imperfections and is presently used in the high dollar homes being built. What's not to like.

Conwaygolfer