How To Install Countertop Above Washer And Dryer
Learn how to brand and install a laundry countertop over a washer and dryer. This is perfect for those who have a front-load gear up and merely need some counter space.
If you accept always wanted more space in your laundry room, you are non alone. Pain points of a laundry room more often than not include having enough counter space to pretreat laundry stains, wearable falling into the cracks behind and between the washer and dryer, and existence able to store detergents in arm's reach without needing a stool.
I was on a mission to solve all of these problems because with six people in our family, you tin imagine the number of laundry loads I would have to exercise. This meant that this infinite needed to be functional and so that I could minimize the frustration of this chore as well as spend less time having to motion things effectually. The utility of this space was the utmost importance.
My solution was to install and caryatid a countertop above my front-loading washer and dryer. In this tutorial, I'm going to walk through all the considerations you lot'll want to think about before installing your ain, as well every bit options for materials and designs for your counters. This project is specific to those who have both front-loading washer and dryer sets.
Choosing Fabric for the Laundry Countertop for a Washer and Dryer
When choosing options for countertops for your laundry room, you'll want to make sure that you consider how much the material will exist resistant to heat and h2o. If it does non withstand heat, and then the dryer will crusade the wood to warm. If information technology isn't resistant to water, any wet from the washer will cause the material to mold.
In addition, yous'll also want to consider countertops that can agree 1-ii load of laundry baskets. More often than not, an boilerplate load of laundry is most xviii pounds, so you lot'll desire to pick a countertop cloth that will exist able to withstand that weight.
Plywood Countertop
If you cull a plywood countertop, this is the nearly affordable selection in terms of materials. From a cosmetic standpoint, you lot'll want to brand sure you pigment and seal it so that information technology can exist resistant to whatever water issues you lot may encounter. For instance, in my family, somehow we always get towels that are damp and are placed on top of this counter. You'll desire to consider these experiences every bit you call back about material that are resistant to water with the material that you choose. If you sand the outside of plywood, annotation that information technology is fabricated of veneer on the outside, and if you sand it besides much, information technology may rip off the tiptop layer veneer, leaving y'all with a grainy surface area for the cease.
Planked Wood
You can apply one inch x 10 inch x viii anxiety plank boards that you put together. You'll again demand to seal it. It gives the rustic, farmhouse style look that is trending. However, the downside is that if in that location is always an issue, you'll need to pry them up separately rather than having a full counter that you can slide out. If y'all do not seal the wood, the crude surface will brand it hard and challenging to fold clothes. So you'll want to make certain you lot choose wood that is seam-costless and flat.
Particle Board for To a higher place Washer and Dryer
If you choose particle lath, you'll want to make sure that y'all accept a veneer over it. Particle Board does not agree up well to long-term exposure to wet.
Stainless Steel for To a higher place Washer and Dryer
You can also add a stainless steel veneer above plywood or particle board. This will allow you to lucifer any stainless steel washer and dryer set up. It also provides a very clean, sterile look as well equally the bonus of being able to be cleaned actually easily. The downside is the potential for the top to be scratched.
Butcher Counter for Above Washer and Dryer
The butcher block is a very trendy await that is also heavy and expensive. You'll demand to go the extra pace of sealing the butcher block to protect the wood. It'south a great await, simply just takes additional effort to seal and protect it.
Quartz, Granite or Marble Counter for In a higher place Washer and Dryer
This is the most expensive selection for a countertop. If you are looking to practice a luxurious upgrade to your laundry space, this is definitely an option y'all can cull. Quartz is man-made engineered material that has the elegance of natural stone, but is highly durable and low maintenace.
Laminate Countertops
Laminate is cost effective, like shooting fish in a barrel to maintain, and like shooting fish in a barrel to clean. It is non-porous, which means it can be less prone to germs if wiped down.
Options for Building Your Laundry Room Countertop for Washer and Dryer
I also wanted to share some other ideas that people have had when installing their ain countertops for a washer and dryer.
Hinged Countertop
If you want to be able to access the washer and dryer hands or if you take a tiptop load washer, having a hinged countertop will permit you lot to take the best of both worlds. You would exist able to access the washer when you lot need to put in a load, notwithstanding have room to fold laundry past having the additional real estate to do so.
Waterfall Countertop
Some people likewise choose to do waterfall countertops, which ways that the counter pretty much covers the summit and sides with the aforementioned color. This is great for those who are wanting a more modern-contemporary look to their laundry infinite.
Considerations Before Installing Washer and Dryer Counter
Each countertop design volition be unlike according to the infinite. So equally you begin to design on the width and length of your braces, cleats, and countertops, here are a few things you lot should add on your checklist for your laundry space to ensuring that you are optimizing the space for not just a design aspect, just also from a functionality standpoint also.
Making the Water Shut Off Attainable
If yous have a leak, you'll want the water shutoff to be accessible. Make sure that you have a cutting out in order to reach this space. In addition, I would recommend seeing if you tin make the counter height the peak of where the water shutoff valves are.
Angle the Brace to Hide Information technology
You lot should bending and also pigment the brace to brand sure that it looks seamless. We didn't pigment everything, just the visible sections like beneath:
Measure for Finished Countertop Tiptop
A countertop kitchen isle measures at 36", which you can use that as a starting point to determine how high y'all want the countertop. Yous do not want to brand the countertop besides loftier from the floor if you are wanting to employ it equally a clothes folding table. In addition, if you take born cabinets like I practise, you'll want to make sure yous build it low plenty to reach the cabinets.
Choosing Waterproof Resistant Countertops
If your space also functions as a mudroom like mine, chances are if yous have kids or spouses, there are probably countless times where rain jackets and damp towels are placed right above the laundry washer and dryer sets. You'll want to make certain you account for these border example scenarios so that yous don't experience any molding or rotting. This can be done by ensuring the cloth you choose for your countertops are water resistant.
Plastic laminate tops piece of work swell in these situations.
Big Box Shop Tin can Cut the Countertop Fabric for You lot
If y'all take big box stores like Home Depot or Lowes cutting your forest, make certain y'all look at the wood for any imperfections, knots, and checks in the wood. You'll desire to tell them to make certain to cut it strategically where there are not a lot of imperfections. In society to get the best wood cut possible, I would recommend watching them cut it and inspect it right abroad for whatsoever issues with the cut.
Leaving Space for the Washer and Dryer Set Beneath the Countertop
I would recommend having almost 1" to 3" of room on either side of the washing and drying set to account for when you demand to move information technology around for repair work or whatsoever other general work.
Potentially Not Securing the Height
This might non exist an selection for you depending on what material you cull, but not securing the countertop will allow y'all to remove the top so that if something falls into the cracks through the accessible water shutoff, you tin can remove the acme and fish it from above. In add-on, it also allows for easier repair work especially if y'all have a small-scale laundry space.
Sealing the Countertop
If you are sealing the countertop and y'all are choosing to paint information technology white, make sure that you use a polyurethane that doesn't crusade the white wood to turn yellow (this is the one that I use).
Weight Limit for a Fully Laundry Basket Load
A full laundry basket averages effectually twenty pounds a load, so ensuring your braces and anchors support double as much would be prudent.
How difficult is installing a laundry room countertop?
If you've had experience cut, sanding, staining, and drilling into drywall, this will definitely exist a quick and easy project for you to consummate.
About This DIY Projection for Installing a Countertop with Laminate Veneer
Specific to my projection, I wanted to go far functional to fold dress and pretreat whatever stains while besides making it look clean. For my washer and dryer set, there was an selection for ownership pedestals at $350 for the set at the fourth dimension, which was pretty much a tertiary of the toll of the washer and dryer set itself. Moreover, we also already had a built-in walnut cabinet in the space, and the washer and dryer pedestal would crusade it to not fit in the space.
We had issues with kids socks and toys falling in betwixt the cracks considering it was the first stop for the entire family after coming in from the garage. The congenital-ins were difficult to friction match because it was a dark walnut colour, my pigment colour was white, the trim paint color was tan khaki, and the set up was white. Information technology was hard for me to choose a color for the countertop veneer, but I but went with what my husband found at the local store. I might really change it out once I figure out what color I want (potentially this marble veneer).
Preparation Before Installing the Laundry Room Countertop
Vacuum Up Around the Space
You'll exist surprised at the number of dust bunnies you have when cleaning up the space.
Earlier installing the laundry room countertop, you'll demand to determine what type of countertop you need based on the considerations above. Preparing beforehand will let you to position the counter on top of the braces.
Determine the Summit of Countertop and Washer and Dryer Valve Locations
You lot'll desire to decide the measurements of how loftier you want the countertops to be and where valves are (and whether or not you lot want to cover them up).
How to Install Laundry Room Countertops Above Washer and Dryer Fix
This is the tutorial on how to install a countertop higher up a washer and dryer ready with plywood with a laminate veneer. This should exist a pretty quick and like shooting fish in a barrel tutorial for those who know how to cutting wood, drill holes into the wall past finding studs, and work a miter saw.
Often Asked Questions About Countertops for Laundry Room
What is the best countertop for a laundry room above a forepart-load laundry?
Quartz makes an ideal countertop surface for a laundry room because it is a hard cloth that does non require whatsoever application of polishes or sealers, it's highly durable, low maintenance, and like shooting fish in a barrel to use. The downside is that information technology's heavier than plywood, and y'all'll need to ensure that the braces that secure information technology volition account for the weight of the quartz as well as whatever laundry loads that are placed on top of it.
How do you seal butcher block for a laundry room?
Butcher cake for a laundry room should be sealed with mineral oil, allowing it to soak into the wood, and then wiping off the excess. It should be done often during the initial seal, but then maintained one time a month.
Summary of How to Build Counter Over Washer and Dryer
Whatever style countertop or budget y'all have for a laundry room countertop, in that location are plenty of ways you lot can brand use of additional space for folding clothes and preventing clothes from falling betwixt the cracks of the washer and dryer prepare.
I promise you loved this mail on how to build a countertop over a washer and dryer. After having this countertop for a year, I can honestly say that this installation that prevents me fishing out socks with a wire hanger has been so worth it!
If you lot completed this project, I would love to see your final product. Please tag me at #sengersonhome on any social feed!
Other Laundry Room Projects Y'all Might Like
If you liked this easy tutorial, check out some of these other posts on home DIY projects you might also get inspired past:
- DIY Laundry Room and Mudroom Wall Art
- Laundry Detergent for Sensitive Skin
- Homemade Laundry Detergent
- Water Leak Detector in Basement
Source: https://www.sengerson.com/how-to-install-laundry-room-countertop-washer-dryer/
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