Moving the laundry room to a closet

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

I don't know what to do with this blasted laundry room I have. First issue is venting of the dryer, which I posted about (extremely long vent run) - ventless dryer seems to be the way to go. Second issue is the layout of the laundry area. The machines are in the mudroom between the garage entry and the kitchen. This is not a big space, the two machines + sink take up one entire wall, and there is no storage to speak of besides one dinky cabinet above the sink. Our mudroom needs to be functional in terms of dropping off shoes (no shoes in the house!), coats, place to set groceries before storing, bringing in the dog, etc. Functionality of this mudroom is a priority. I was thinking of moving the appliances to the wall that has the entry door but realized because of the depth of the machines I'd still end up with lack of much storage and counter space.

Then I got the idea to switch the walk-in pantry to the mudroom and put the laundry equipment in the pantry! I wouldn't have much storage in there, but I can put detergent/bleach/etc on the built-in shelves and get the storage units under front-loaders, where I can stick dirty laundry (or put laundry baskets on top of the machines). Behind the wall to the left of where the machines would go (55" length of wall) is a shower, and the room directly behind where the w/d would go is the master bath with tub and shower. So there's plumbing behind two walls there but not sure if the lines can be hooked in. Right now my washer drains directly into a line to the septic, doesn't drain to a washtub so not sure of the logistics of that/the plumbing.

If I did this I could really open up the mudroom space and make a super-functional area with lots cabinetry/storage, small counter sink, countertop, etc., and it could be made into a beautiful extension of my kitchen (matching cabinetry, countertops, flooring) - I would love that!

Is this do-able? If do-able, is it stupid? Like, who moves a laundry room to a closet LOL!

Pics of what I've got now:

This pantry is 55" width x 45" depth. Out of the picture to the left is recessed shelving area, where I could store stuff.

Thoughts?

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Comments (8)

midcenturymaiden
5 years ago
I would! FWIW- love my Electrolux ventless dryer. Going on 3y and no issues.
ci_lantro
5 years ago
Side vent the dryer thru the wall into the garage and up the wall in the garage and out thru the roof.

Cabinets on the wall over the washer, dryer and sink. Put a deep sink in a base cabinet.

If you want to put the laundry in the pantry, you'll have to open up the wall and install doors in a wide opening. If that wall is load bearing, then there are more i$$uses to deal with.

Personally, I would rather have the wide open laundry area that you already have. Plenty of room to sort the dirty clothes onto the floor and the ability to close the door on any messes in there. Lots of potential there to better organize the space and gain a lot of storage.
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We remodeled (a smaller house than yours) and moved laundry to upstairs. We don't have a dedicated laundry room (didn't have one before either). But, we have more than a stackable-size only closet for laundry. My laundry closet that is convenient to bedrooms is 3 1/2 feet deep by about 9 feet long with 8' of bifolding doors that make the "closet" open into a room-size when those doors are open to the hallway. It feels room-like to me. And, there is plenty of room for utility type stuff--a counter top, space to put the laundry baskets, laundry detergent, etc. What you show in those images, I see no practical space for laundry detergent, hang-drying, etc. So, does it need to be a dedicated room? No. But, more space than a tower closet for a family house (2900sq ft is larger than my family sized house).
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re15t2
5 years ago
Do the washer and dryer in the mudroom back up against the pantry? What kind of foundation do you have? Depending on your foundation, relocating water and drain lines varies from really expensive to astronomical in cost.
mxk3 z5b_MI
Original Author
5 years ago
"Side vent the dryer thru the wall into the garage and up the wall in the garage and out thru the roof."

I had thought about venting through the room then realized by the time that's done I wouldn't be cutting the vent run down by much - back to square one with vent issues.

"If you want to put the laundry in the pantry, you'll have to open up the wall and install doors in a wide opening."

Why would I have to open up the fall if I can fit the appliance through the existing door?

"Do the washer and dryer in the mudroom back up against the pantry? What kind of foundation do you have?"

No, they back up to the foyer. Have a partial basement; not sure if the mudroom has basement underneath or slab - I'd have to figure out the end points of the side rooms in the basement.
ci_lantro
5 years ago
Why would I have to open up the fall if I can fit the appliance through the existing door?

IF you can get both appliances into the pantry (and I don't think that it is possible to do with the existing door opening), then you need room in front of the appliances so you can operate them.

My laundry 'closet' is 53.5" deep with a 40" door opening and I know how restrictive that is. If I had only 45" of depth, I don't think the dryer door would open. I have conventional old school appliances. 29" wide dryer with fold down door & skinny Speed Queen top loader (<26" wide).

...realized by the time that's done I wouldn't be cutting the vent run down by much...

Would venting the dryer through the roof eliminate any elbows? Do you have rigid (smooth) ducting or is it all flex vent? What is the length of the current run vs the thru-the-wall & Up option? Keep in mind that heated air rises so you'll gain some venting help when the vent goes vertical. Thru the wall and up will require just one elbow and possibly another 120 degree fitting (if you need to offset because of a wall extending above the roof of the garage. In calculating vent length equivalents, an elbow is equal to 5' of straight run length. So, if your current set-up has more than one elbow, you may be gaining more efficiency than you realize. If you have a lot of corrugated, flex duct, you'll benefit by replacing with smooth rigid venting.

My venting scenario is awful. I had 4 elbows in about 12' of run. We were able to switch out one elbow for a 120 and replaced most of the flex w/ rigid duct. Still far from ideal but those changes made a significant difference in drying time. Even heavy loads like jeans (out of the SQ top loader) dry with one setting of the dryer (about 50 minutes.) Most other loads dry in 40 minutes. Synthetic loads in much less time. Before, I routinely timed out and had to reset the dryer a second time in order to get dry clothes.
re15t2
5 years ago
The suggestion to to go through the roof is pretty solid. Vertical venting has it's drawbacks, but probably fewer than you currently have.

If you have to tunnel under the foundation to run new plumbing, You could probably buy a nice compact Bosch stackable washer and condenser dryer, small dehumidifier, and have cabinets built for the cost of plumbing alone.
enjoythejourney
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
A floor plan would be helpful in determining if there are other options you might consider. From what I’ve read, you’d be fine with a washer/dryer closet so, you should have someone look at your house and determine if that is possible and what it would cost. Personally, I would rather finish the existing laundry area and add a countertop and deep storage over the machines and sink. That won’t address your coat/boot storage needs very well though.

What is behind the wall across from your washer and dryer now? If you could steal a bit of space from there, and move your garage door closer to the washer, you might get enough room for a long closet. A bit pricey but you’d have a gorgeous laundry/mudroom.

This might inspire you.

I had similar needs, in my laundry/mudroom. In the end, I opted not to expand into the garage (behind right wall) to build a closet but, as I have extra tile and the room below is open, it is a decision I can revisit. Honestly though, I am so much happier with how this room looks and functions, because I’ve added storage and an area for boots, that I’m not missing the closet nearly as much as I thought I would. There are coat hooks for each of us in here or we just walk the few extra steps and hang our coats in the entry closet.
mxk3 z5b_MI
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I talked to DH about it, and he nixed the idea of moving the machines to the closet. He did make a comment that gave me a lightbulb moment -- I honestly don't remember what he said, but whatever it was, "move the door!" popped into my head. That's it! If I move the two doors (one to the kitchen area, the other out into the garage), it will open up space along the entire wall opposite the machines since right now the doors abut the wall. If I move the doors, I can put 18-24" cabinets, area for shoes and coats, etc. I'd have to go with the ventless dryer due to the compact size and the fact you can get them close to the wall in order to move the doors enough to allow for meaningful storage space, but that should work. I talked to a friend's husband who works in the building trades, and he said since I have a ranch it should be a fairly straightforward job for a contractor.

Moving the laundry room to a closet

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Moving the laundry room to a closet

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midcenturymaiden

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