How to tastefully conceal a dryer vent

8 years ago

As some of you may know from a previous thread of mine, I have a very small condo (around 500 square feet).

I have installed a washer and dryer in my kitchen (next to the sink cabinet). This was the only space I had available. It means that the dryer vent has to go through the kitchen wall, come out into the bathroom, then go into another wall, and on the other side of this last wall is my rooftop deck. In other words, my dryer vents onto my rooftop deck.

What IÃ¯Â¿Â½m now trying to do is figure out what I can build around this vent to conceal it. But if IÃ¯Â¿Â½m not mistaken, I must be able to have access to this vent, so that whatever I build does not permanently close my access to the vent.

Maybe I can build some kind of a shelf?

Just thinking out loud and hoping for any kind feedback out there.

Below are two photos to help you see what IÃ¯Â¿Â½m trying to do.

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Comments (7)

Fori
8 years ago
Are you sure you need to be able to access it? I'm remodeling and our duct won't be easily accessible and I'm in the code-adhereingest town out there.

How about a simple cabinet from the floor to the top of the duct--or all the way up, depending on its location? Perhaps a combination of open shelving and doors. I'd probably put the doors in front of the duct. :P

Have you checked in with the decorating forum? Those are the people who can tastefully conceal anything.
kirkhall
8 years ago
I thought you meant you want to conceal it on the exterior of your home/on the deck. I assume you will enclose it in the home.

How about a pot of plants/flowers/small shrub/citrus tree, etc, depending on your climate?
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Thanks all for posting. I have stalled out on the remodel but will be back in action this next week when my carpenter can start. I have a new carpenter coming to appraise the progress of the job and start next week. Long story, but this new carpenter is actually the one I wanted originally but not unavailable so went with someone else (who didn't work out). Here is a plan view as asked for, and an elevation. The two walls that create the corner where the W/D sit are both load bearing walls. The blue square in upper left corner is the Miele W/D stack. The gray square to the right of W/D is the cabinetry and where I plan to access the shut off valve and dryer venting. These utilities will be in the back wall accessible through the shelving inside the cabinet: This elevation shows cabinets to the right of the W/D and will have the shut off valve inside the cabinet, reachable through the shelving. This elevation rendition is not current. Instead, I plan to have doors above counter height, and have the below counter area open, without a door: Shut off Valve: I have a manual shut off valve with the drain hole (all in one box) mounted by the plumber. This will be easily accessible from the side of the set, inside the cabinet. Hoses: I have the Floodchek hoses on site and ready for installation. Overflow Pan: I was thinking of a overflow pan such as this one I have linked below. It has a 5 gal capacity and has a 24x24 outside dimension. Anti-Vibration: I still have not made a platform for the set but was thinking of 2 plywood 3/4" sheets with a sandwiched mass loaded vinyl sheet in between as recommended by Mongoct on the bathroom forum. Otherwise the anti-vibration feet that Deke mentions might work and a lot less trouble. I have see some anti-vibration feet on the Grainger web site for heavy machinery. I might try those. Here is a link: http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/ecatalog/K-16/N-/No-0/Ntt-anti+vibration+pads?Ndr=textsearchesinbase%2Btrue&sst=subset Dryer Venting: I have been planning to bring it out the right side of the set, and accessible in the back of the cabinet, for cleaning ease. I may not be able to place it in the wall as the studs are in the way of the joist space for the ducting. If I can have the carpenter frame out the stud wall for a dryer vent I will. I want ridged venting, and have it accessible to the side of the dryer (not behind the dryer). If this can't be done within the wall space, I will have to put a hole in the floor in front of the wall for the venting, concealing it behind the cabinet. though this will make it vulnerable to bumping with the laundry basket that I plan to keep in the lower area below the counter. My machines are at the warehouse waiting. Any comments or recommendations are welcome! Thanks again :) Here is a link that might be useful: slide-n-fold pan
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nice (links). The thing is that the back of my dryer has a 3" protusion over the 'upper' portion of it. There is 3" of empty space on the lower half where the vent is. Perhaps with the parts shown on the link it would be possible to connect to the vent at the bottom of the dryer and occupy only the open 3" of space on the lower half. If that worked I'd actually pick up 4". The only trouble is, again, iregardles of the vent material, I'd essentially have to come out the back of the dryer, make a right until I was alongside the dryer then go up 52" to my joists, make a left and go out the existing hole. I have to believe all those turns are not code compliant.
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Sarah, no worries at all! Believe me, I belabored this myself. You're exactly right. The units could move back in my setup. In my photo above that says "see the hose back there," it's showing the hose not entirely tucked into the space that is designed for it. So Miele has correct dimensions, and that drawing is exactly as they are built. The thing is that I put the box with plumbing on the right (as you're looking at the doors of the machines,) and I believe it's a shorter route to put them on the left. See the Miele drawing of the back of the machine and that will make more sense. I was going to ask you anyway, since you're space is tight but you can move a wall, where do you want the shutoff to be? I remember you said you really needed a plumber/contractor to work it all out, so I wonder if you have found one. Truth be told, you'll be able to work it all out in terms of the dimensions, but knowing where your existing electrical and water supply/drain are will be necessary. I think I told you before that I was sold on the Miele because there's no issue for access when maintaining the machines. Whirlpool evidently had the brilliant idea to place the lint clean-out in the back for their HP dryer, which means paying a tech at least 2X per year to pull the thing out just to clean it. Anyway... Also remember you're referencing in your first image the requirements for putting them in a closet. If you're not doing that, don't worry. And if you need more photos of the setup I have, please don't hesitate to ask. As I hear the laundry humming now, I think about all the questions I had before making the leap. It was a lot of work, and certainly expense too, but it's all worth it, and I hope it will be for you as well :-) p.s. Do you have a local dealer? That might help your questions. I asked mine to stop by while we were in construction, which he gladly did. In retrospect, I should have asked earlier. Those are the people who will be installing and servicing (hopefully not) those machines. And yes they're pricey....you do get some extra help for that. Good luck and keep me posted.
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What do you need in your laundry space. I like many of the ideas that others have posted. I would suspect you need hanging space. Ironing space. Storage space. dirty laundry hampers. storage for brooms, and vacuum possibly. If you go with a built in, I would do generic sizing for machines, so that you can switch out brands. The best idea I think is to have side by side single set in basement and another set near the bedrooms. The side by side allows the water shut off and drain to be above the counter for easy access. You might have to move out the dryer for vent maintenance, unless you go with a ventless model. You absolutely need access quickly to water valves and dryer vent, and electrical outlets. I don't see that in your plan. I have a small built in cabinetry and w/d on my main floor. It is perfect for our family of 2. When I planned for the main floor built in, I did all the design myself. I have an access to one side to get to the water shut off valve, drain pipe, and dryer vent (for clean out). I can reach into the lower cabinet open area to access the electrical outlets. I have about an inch on either side of the built in, and it is not a problem sliding the set out. I do not have a pan under the set, after a lot of thought. My machine pump clean-out is in the front of the washer, so no need to move the machines. When I was moving the machines in and out during the remodel, it was no big deal to slide the machines out. But that is a rare instance. There are several inches at the top of the machines. This set up is custom to my Miele set which is of a smaller design. The room was a constraint for size. I am not sure if a Bosch set will fit, but that could be an alternative set for me in the future, if needed. I always shut my water off when we leave for a few days. I also have a double stacked set in the basement of used machines for my DH farm clothes. I always shut the water off after my weekly farm clothes wash up.
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mag77
8 years ago
A shelf sounds like a good solution. If you could lower the duct jut a little bit, you could extend the counter over it, supported by a 5-6 inch wide apron, which would hide the front, and the duct would be accessible from underneath. I hope that makes sense. I can't really see what's going on from the picture.
pprioroh
8 years ago
Raise the other cabinets if you can't drop the pipe, extend the countertop over it, problem solved.
hippy
8 years ago
Simplest way would be to add a "backless" Box Shelf. Then face the front of the box between two of the shelves. You can make or have them made to be as deep as the beam/petition on the right side in the photo where the exhaust runs through the wall. Then go up as high toward the ceiling and as low toward the floor as you wish. Then face the one to hide the vent. Or face every other one to make it come out even.

Box shelves.

{{gwi:2136573}}
Rustic faced box shelf.
bostonoak
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks everyone for trying to help.

I'm especially intrigued by hippy's suggestion of a box shelf!

I roughly understand your logic.

Please bear with me. I'm slow with these matters. Two questions:

1) What do you mean by "face the front of the box between two of the shelves"?

2) Do you already have any idea where I could buy or order box shelves? If not, no problem, I'm going to google and ask around.

I really appreciate the feedback, folks.

Happy New Year.
hippy
8 years ago
Bass
In the photo that I posted of the Red, Blue and Lilac colored boxes are known a "open" face boxes. With one you could pass the vent inside the space between the top and bottom shelf. Example in the photo marked "A". Then the shelf could be faced. Like the others in the sample photo below to hide the vent. Note these are all rustic floating boxes. The one has ropes to make it appear as if it is hanging. Facing a box shelf is only limited by your imagination. Anything from a piece of plain 1/4" painted or stained plywood to artwork, decorative pieces what ever you wish could be applied to the fronts.

Box shelves can be bought from any different places. Or hand crafted to fit the exact opening between the counter and the wall and even with the edge of the wall.

Which ever way you choose to go. Just remember to allow the box in which the vent passes through to have a removable front for servicing if needed.

More samples of faced box shelves.

How to tastefully conceal a dryer vent

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How to tastefully conceal a dryer vent

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Fori

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