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Remodeling Flooring Home Repair

How to Add a Floor Drain to a Second Floor Laundry Room?

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

I had a minor flood from an overflowing sink in my laundry room and would like to add a floor drain to that room. The floor was vinyl sheet laminate and it plus the underlayment has been removed, down to OSB subfloor. There is a basement underneath with suspended ceiling which is handy for accessing all the utilities.

We're looking at what floor to replace with and were considering vinyl plank. However, it seems that a floor drain would require a slight tilt in the floor so it will drain, or at least a depression around the drain, which would be difficult or impossible to lay rigid vinyl plank onto.

I would also like to more or less waterproof around the molding when it goes back down, so water can't seep under the walls to adjacent rooms.

So I have three questions: 1) What do I have to do to make it drain before putting down floor covering, and 2) what kind of flooring would be best? Finally, 3) Can molding be caulked in place, and how does that affect floor choices?

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Comments (4)

PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
3 years ago
You'll spend more money installing the drain than you will replacing the floor the next time the sink overflows.
Seabornman
3 years ago
Im going to do the same thing in my house. I figure with snap-together flooring and caulked perimeter, most of the water will make it to the drain, even though floor is level. The difference in my installation is that I'm putting a drain that is open direct to a crawl space, so if water flows, it just splashes on the concrete below. If you want a real drain, you'll have to install a trap, and of course, connect to the nearest available drain pipe. The trap will dry out if it doesn't get water, then you'll wonder "what's that smell?".
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Any large FL on a pedestal will vibrate more than a machine located on the floor. Be sure your floor in the laundry room is reinforced to minimize vibrations. Some manufacturers have suggestions for machine placement with respect to load bearing walls. You might want to look into that. Electrolux is known to be 2nd floor friendly but is only a family sized machine at 4.4 cu ft. If you need a monster i.e. 5.0+ cu ft be aware that they are larger than the 27 in wide machine and will not fit through a standard door. In an old house you also need to account for stairways and turns. My favorite monster is the LG. The water hammer issue is still there but not for everyone. There are inexpensive water hammer arrestors that can solve the problem. In an old house the water hammer might be an issue. I would not consider Samsung or GE for customer service issues and lack of available service. There are lemons and winners in every brand. Be sure you have local service for anything you select and do your research. Floor pans are a good idea for peace of mind, but your pedestal might not fit or be able to open a drawer. Happy hunting.
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check your local codes for the venting as sometimes there is a maximum length for ducting to the outside - is the laundry room going on an inside room that the dryer vent can be ducted up through the roof?; call a plumber as they will know better what is code or not. alternatively you can use an electric ventless dryer - here is a link for ventless dryers.. you will also need to check local codes for weight - what is the weight limit for the floor with the washer full of clothes and water and do you need to reinforce the floor to carry the load of both machines at full capacity.. https://www.reviewed.com/laundry/features/everything-you-need-to-know-about-ventless-dryers
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PRO
GN Builders L.L.C
3 years ago
As Joe said no drain needed unless the laundry room is on the 2nd floor you will install the pan with it.

The pipe can burst anywhere if a toilet overflows you not gonna start putting floor drains into the bathroom.

Here is an example it happened to one of my customers, the nut on the toilet bowl cracked on the 2nd floor while they were away, flooded the entire house (2 floors +finished basement) 100k in damage.

I can give you a few more horror stories when the metal dishwasher hose bursts on it's own without the appliance being in running mode.

The moral of the story is and it's everyone should keep in mind that when going away to shut the main water valve off near the meter and never run dishwashers or washers when you going out and no one will be home.

Most importantly check the water lines under the sinks from time to time, being in this business you come across base cabinets when people keep stuffing stuff under there and at times the lines get damaged or kinked, etc and it's only a matter of time before they burst.

Good luck
PRO
IRP Architects Pty Ltd
3 years ago
It could be expensive as has been mentioned. If you would still like to do it, however, I would recommend the following.

Add tiles that climb the base of the walls 3-5cm sealed with the caulk so that water will not cause damage the lower walls if water builds up. Then you could add a floor waste towards the entrance of the room so that in the case of a build up it can avoid leaving the room and damaging the rest of the house even if the room doesn't have slanted flooring; water would still build up in the laundry room without the slant though, so you would want tiles or a strong water resistant floor base.

Let me know how you feel about this.

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