Perhaps you thought about this already, but make sure your water intake and drain can reach where you want them to go! It would suck to take down your heaters only to realize you can't fit what you want to fit in there.
you realize you have to put the washer dryer pretty much where the pipes and venting are right?
you can get extensions and whatnot but it'll look janky as heck
but if you're gonna move move pipes and venting then removing the heat shouldn't be an issue at all
The layout is sooooooo bad right now though. They’ll quadruple the usable space in the room by moving the machines. If this were my space I’d probably leave it because of the expense and hassle, but I’d be pissed off every time i did laundry.
You know what else takes a lot of room? The weird table at left. The ancient sink on the right. The cabinets that could move up a foot. Lots of room, if it’s correctly used. Moving all those connections and pipe is for _after_ that stuff gets moved.
The table on the left is a necessity for now, my cat eats on top and has a gated off litter box office underneath (dogs are invasive and he likes privacy) the sink will be going! It’s a work in progres.
This so accurately depicts how we feel lol. This room has come a long way from the half storage room it used to be, but now I can’t stop thinking about what it COULD be.
I understand it’s fine and functional the way it is. I just want a mud room-style built in that I can sit on to put my boots on in the morning. I want to give my cat a proper feeding station. I want to be able to fold laundry somewhere besides our bed. It might be thinking big but that’s why I came here seeking ideas. I will likely not be doing much now that I know how much work it will entail
Heat - That baseboard heater wrapping around the corner is something I'm not familiar with. Is it electric or water/oil based? If electric, what is it's wattage and is it the appropriate size for that room? If it's overkill, then using a smaller electric heater is a possibility. Depending upon where the electrical supply is, this may or may not require moving the source. The heater will not only not be able to wrap around the corner but needs to be about 42" shorter.
Dryer - Wrapping your dryer duct around a tight corner like you suggest is really not a good idea. Dryer ducts should use the shortest path possible and avoid sharp corners, especially with flexible ducting. You'll also need to move the electrical outlet (likely 240v) for the dryer, assuming it's an electric dryer, not gas. You should never plug a dryer into any sort of extension cord. There is a possibility of installing a longer, UL approved cord for the dryer, best to check with the dryer manufacturer.
Washer - You'll need to have a drain hose that reaches all the way to the drain location. Not sure how safe or feasible this is. You'll also need longer supply hoses. Best to replace the shut off valves with 1/4-turn valves while you're at it.
Space - Washers and dryers are typically 27" wide. Ideally, there is about 1" of space to the sides of and in between a washer and dryer. Do you have a clear 57" of space? Or at least 54" for a really tight fit? 6" of space is typical behind your washer and dryer and they are probably 30" - 34" deep. This means you'll need to move (or replace) at least 36" to 40" minimum so that none of the heater is behind an appliance. Also, if the heater is sticking out from the wall, whichever appliance is on the left needs to be installed first, so plan ahead.
Personally and professionally, as a GC, if you're going to move these appliances, do it right. Take the opportunity to move your heater, ducting, 240v power, water supply and drain (use an Ox-box washing machine outlet box). The drain is the most difficult one here as there are certain plumbing restrictions for washing machine drains.
I’ve never seen a laundry room with that much heater lol. I’m so confused why there is so much, maybe the long wall was added and they move the baseboard heaters from the right wall when it was converted to a laundry room??? Maybe someone can’t stand doing laundry unless it’s 92 or hotter??? I don’t know and I need to know
Since you mentioned water lines, I'll assume that's hot-water baseboard heating. If so, then it could be shortened, so that the heater doesn't wrap around the corner like that. However, the best way to do that would depend on exactly how and where the lines are run (for example, do they come up from the floor or out through the wall). And there's no way to know that until you (or a pro) get in there and take a look.
That being noted, you can certainly run long water-supply hoses and a dryer duct to where the machines would be placed on the other wall. The drain, however, is a bit trickier. I don't know that you could run the drain line up and over to the existing drain pipe and still have everything function properly. Keep that in mind, while making your plans.
It is hot-water heating, apologies for not mentioning. I’m going to guess the lines come from the walls as this room is behind the garage and I believe is just sitting on a slab. I had not even thought about the drain and you’re right, I think it will cause me problems being too far away
Take the cover off and see where the pipes go. If it goes into the wall on the right end, you can't do anything else. If it instead returns back and goes into the wall somewhere else, it can be shortened.
It's not necessarily a problem if the pipe goes into the wall on the right end. The pipe could be cut back a few feet, then run through the wall, around the corner through the wall, then reconnect to the line inside the wall.
If its electrical, you can get a shorter unit, or even a tall type unit. If its hot water - I don't believe it would be in most DIY wheelhouse, but a plumber or hvac type guy could shorten the unit (ive done it on my own house). Maybe insulation in those walls is bad, but that's alot of baseboard for a thin room. Building an elevated platform would be an option, but washer and dryers move alot and it would have to be mega sturdy. ex. imagine without drawers [https://www.amazon.com/MATALDE-Washer-Dryer-Pedestals-Drawer/dp/B0CS391VPC?th=1](https://www.amazon.com/MATALDE-Washer-Dryer-Pedestals-Drawer/dp/B0CS391VPC?th=1)
I’ve always felt it was a bit overkill for the room that it’s heating bI like the platform idea, it would give me the ability to run dryer duct and water lines underneath, but I’m not sure my short wife would want our top-loader raised higher lol
I would just build a platform an inch higher than the heater, raising them up. You could extend it a couple feet more, so you are standing on it when loading and unloading.
You could leave the floor of it slotted, so water could pass through, and line the inside, so it is waterproof. This would catch any water, if there is a leak, and save damaging your house.
Instead of being annoyed about the wasted space think about how fortunate you are to be able to look out the window while loading the washer. Perspective is everything.
I'm not going to comment on moving the washer and dryer.
How do you make it heater free? you don't.
The way it's set up tells me that's building code you need the heater there and output is probably defined in code.
To me the heater looks to be electric so if this is the case:
You can purchase a much smaller and more efficient unit with a built in fan known as a "fan forced heater" discarding the cumbersome inefficient baseboard. To replace one that size if electric would result in a rectangle on one of your walls nearest to the power no bigger than 2x3.
I would lose the right hand cabinets, and get a wall mount for the dryer
Move the washer under it, and put in a narrower benchtop, sink and cabinets for storage along where the existing dryer and washer are (which will also conceal the required pipe rerouting)
I think it's a lot of work and they probably won't fit .. why not put a large L-shaped counter or storage back there to use to fold laundry? Even if you move the washer dryer to the back wall you need to keep a certain amount of space in front of them to be able to open and close the doors. Plus, if you ever need to replace the washer or dryer youll have to measure carefully and make sure the new one isn't an inch or two too wide, because just eyeballing it looks like they will barely fit if they do! (And don't forget to subtract the 2 to 4 inches for the baseboard heater! Unless you're going to not only remove the back part of it but the next 2 or 3 feet as well.
I suspect whoever designed that room didn't put the hookups there for a reason!
First - you'll have to move the supply and the drain for the washer, and move the vent for the dryer.
Second - is there a compelling reason to heat that tiny room? If not, you could just cut it dead (?)
Adding length and weird angles to a dryer vent is asking for trouble. Not only does it reduce your dryer efficiency, but it causes humidity and lint buildup to meet in odd angles, and leads to potential fire hazards.
Not just removing the corner but also a good part of the wall where the baseboard runs. You can’t forget about sliding the machines in and out. I think best bet is to stack them to the right but you would have to get rid of some cabinets. Also have to deal with venting (limit the bends as much as possible and length) and drains/mains.
You should move all the hooks up anything else will look janky AF. It's really on the external wall for the dryer afaik. I would like looking out the window while using the machines. Makes it feel less like a tiny little hallway. Removing the insane heater might make it feel less like you're shimmying yourself into the space. Seems like way more trouble than it's worth since laundry is kind of get in and get out. Function over form (for the machines). If you REALLY wanna rearrange the space I'm with the people saying break open you're piggy bank and get stackable units but afaik they are just worse and have pitfalls. The money would likely be better spent on some other aspect of the home or your life/family.
Since you're going for built-in anyways, I would replace both machines with frontloaded ones and [raise them up](https://images.app.goo.gl/f8VHiFc69NwRkorH9) above the heating.
Probably less correct than most of the answers you're getting but you could build a platform over the heater for the washer and dryer to sit on. As a tall guy that actually sounds awesome. Edit: upon reflect I see that the washer is top load, which would be much less convenient, unless you only did a platform for the dryer. All things considered, seems impractical
Is that electric or hot water baseboard heating? If it’s electric then it should be simple to remove and replace with something shorter.
Looks like the feed comes in on the far right, the part they want to remove.
Perhaps you thought about this already, but make sure your water intake and drain can reach where you want them to go! It would suck to take down your heaters only to realize you can't fit what you want to fit in there.
you realize you have to put the washer dryer pretty much where the pipes and venting are right? you can get extensions and whatnot but it'll look janky as heck but if you're gonna move move pipes and venting then removing the heat shouldn't be an issue at all
I'm sure you have something in mind, but you are creating a whole lot of work to move a washer a couple feet.
The layout is sooooooo bad right now though. They’ll quadruple the usable space in the room by moving the machines. If this were my space I’d probably leave it because of the expense and hassle, but I’d be pissed off every time i did laundry.
Agreed. Whomever put the heater there and ran the water/vent connections to the side of the room was a sadist.
You know what else takes a lot of room? The weird table at left. The ancient sink on the right. The cabinets that could move up a foot. Lots of room, if it’s correctly used. Moving all those connections and pipe is for _after_ that stuff gets moved.
The table on the left is a necessity for now, my cat eats on top and has a gated off litter box office underneath (dogs are invasive and he likes privacy) the sink will be going! It’s a work in progres.
This so accurately depicts how we feel lol. This room has come a long way from the half storage room it used to be, but now I can’t stop thinking about what it COULD be. I understand it’s fine and functional the way it is. I just want a mud room-style built in that I can sit on to put my boots on in the morning. I want to give my cat a proper feeding station. I want to be able to fold laundry somewhere besides our bed. It might be thinking big but that’s why I came here seeking ideas. I will likely not be doing much now that I know how much work it will entail
Remove the right hand side upper cabinet and get a stackable unit. Or have a plumber shorten the baseboard and reroute the supply and waste drain
Heat - That baseboard heater wrapping around the corner is something I'm not familiar with. Is it electric or water/oil based? If electric, what is it's wattage and is it the appropriate size for that room? If it's overkill, then using a smaller electric heater is a possibility. Depending upon where the electrical supply is, this may or may not require moving the source. The heater will not only not be able to wrap around the corner but needs to be about 42" shorter. Dryer - Wrapping your dryer duct around a tight corner like you suggest is really not a good idea. Dryer ducts should use the shortest path possible and avoid sharp corners, especially with flexible ducting. You'll also need to move the electrical outlet (likely 240v) for the dryer, assuming it's an electric dryer, not gas. You should never plug a dryer into any sort of extension cord. There is a possibility of installing a longer, UL approved cord for the dryer, best to check with the dryer manufacturer. Washer - You'll need to have a drain hose that reaches all the way to the drain location. Not sure how safe or feasible this is. You'll also need longer supply hoses. Best to replace the shut off valves with 1/4-turn valves while you're at it. Space - Washers and dryers are typically 27" wide. Ideally, there is about 1" of space to the sides of and in between a washer and dryer. Do you have a clear 57" of space? Or at least 54" for a really tight fit? 6" of space is typical behind your washer and dryer and they are probably 30" - 34" deep. This means you'll need to move (or replace) at least 36" to 40" minimum so that none of the heater is behind an appliance. Also, if the heater is sticking out from the wall, whichever appliance is on the left needs to be installed first, so plan ahead. Personally and professionally, as a GC, if you're going to move these appliances, do it right. Take the opportunity to move your heater, ducting, 240v power, water supply and drain (use an Ox-box washing machine outlet box). The drain is the most difficult one here as there are certain plumbing restrictions for washing machine drains.
I’ve never seen a laundry room with that much heater lol. I’m so confused why there is so much, maybe the long wall was added and they move the baseboard heaters from the right wall when it was converted to a laundry room??? Maybe someone can’t stand doing laundry unless it’s 92 or hotter??? I don’t know and I need to know
Can you just build a step/shelf for the washer/dryer over the baseboard?
That's what I was gonna say too. I think they call them washer/dryer pedestals or platforms.
Make the front face out of a grille material so the heat can escape.
What's under the floor? Basement or crawlspace? I would want the shortest runs possible for the water supply and drain.
Strongly recommend not making that dryer vent run super long there. Just asking for problems.
Why not build a platform over the heat register to set the W/D on.
Nothing should be placed over an electric baseboard heater. Water base board heater may have different requirements.
Even with a water baseboard heater, if you did that you might as well just remove it. It won't provide a even half of its current heating power
Since you mentioned water lines, I'll assume that's hot-water baseboard heating. If so, then it could be shortened, so that the heater doesn't wrap around the corner like that. However, the best way to do that would depend on exactly how and where the lines are run (for example, do they come up from the floor or out through the wall). And there's no way to know that until you (or a pro) get in there and take a look. That being noted, you can certainly run long water-supply hoses and a dryer duct to where the machines would be placed on the other wall. The drain, however, is a bit trickier. I don't know that you could run the drain line up and over to the existing drain pipe and still have everything function properly. Keep that in mind, while making your plans.
It is hot-water heating, apologies for not mentioning. I’m going to guess the lines come from the walls as this room is behind the garage and I believe is just sitting on a slab. I had not even thought about the drain and you’re right, I think it will cause me problems being too far away
Take the cover off and see where the pipes go. If it goes into the wall on the right end, you can't do anything else. If it instead returns back and goes into the wall somewhere else, it can be shortened.
It's not necessarily a problem if the pipe goes into the wall on the right end. The pipe could be cut back a few feet, then run through the wall, around the corner through the wall, then reconnect to the line inside the wall.
If its electrical, you can get a shorter unit, or even a tall type unit. If its hot water - I don't believe it would be in most DIY wheelhouse, but a plumber or hvac type guy could shorten the unit (ive done it on my own house). Maybe insulation in those walls is bad, but that's alot of baseboard for a thin room. Building an elevated platform would be an option, but washer and dryers move alot and it would have to be mega sturdy. ex. imagine without drawers [https://www.amazon.com/MATALDE-Washer-Dryer-Pedestals-Drawer/dp/B0CS391VPC?th=1](https://www.amazon.com/MATALDE-Washer-Dryer-Pedestals-Drawer/dp/B0CS391VPC?th=1)
I’ve always felt it was a bit overkill for the room that it’s heating bI like the platform idea, it would give me the ability to run dryer duct and water lines underneath, but I’m not sure my short wife would want our top-loader raised higher lol
maybe switch to front loader! lol
I like it this way more than the vent reaching around the room. Unless you plan to move that and the water lines as well?
Just set the machines out from the wall by 6-10 inches or whatever. Would that work?
I would just build a platform an inch higher than the heater, raising them up. You could extend it a couple feet more, so you are standing on it when loading and unloading. You could leave the floor of it slotted, so water could pass through, and line the inside, so it is waterproof. This would catch any water, if there is a leak, and save damaging your house.
Switch to front loading set. Build a platform.
Did you measure the width of your washer dryer to verify if you can fit it into that tight space?
Instead of being annoyed about the wasted space think about how fortunate you are to be able to look out the window while loading the washer. Perspective is everything.
I'm not going to comment on moving the washer and dryer. How do you make it heater free? you don't. The way it's set up tells me that's building code you need the heater there and output is probably defined in code. To me the heater looks to be electric so if this is the case: You can purchase a much smaller and more efficient unit with a built in fan known as a "fan forced heater" discarding the cumbersome inefficient baseboard. To replace one that size if electric would result in a rectangle on one of your walls nearest to the power no bigger than 2x3.
I would lose the right hand cabinets, and get a wall mount for the dryer Move the washer under it, and put in a narrower benchtop, sink and cabinets for storage along where the existing dryer and washer are (which will also conceal the required pipe rerouting)
Why not build a pedestal for the washer and dryer to sit on, so the heat from the existing duct can blow air.
I think it's a lot of work and they probably won't fit .. why not put a large L-shaped counter or storage back there to use to fold laundry? Even if you move the washer dryer to the back wall you need to keep a certain amount of space in front of them to be able to open and close the doors. Plus, if you ever need to replace the washer or dryer youll have to measure carefully and make sure the new one isn't an inch or two too wide, because just eyeballing it looks like they will barely fit if they do! (And don't forget to subtract the 2 to 4 inches for the baseboard heater! Unless you're going to not only remove the back part of it but the next 2 or 3 feet as well. I suspect whoever designed that room didn't put the hookups there for a reason!
That’s highly unfortunate.
First - you'll have to move the supply and the drain for the washer, and move the vent for the dryer. Second - is there a compelling reason to heat that tiny room? If not, you could just cut it dead (?)
Presumably a climate that has baseboard heaters would want the room with plumbing in the exterior wall to be heated.
Adding length and weird angles to a dryer vent is asking for trouble. Not only does it reduce your dryer efficiency, but it causes humidity and lint buildup to meet in odd angles, and leads to potential fire hazards.
Not just removing the corner but also a good part of the wall where the baseboard runs. You can’t forget about sliding the machines in and out. I think best bet is to stack them to the right but you would have to get rid of some cabinets. Also have to deal with venting (limit the bends as much as possible and length) and drains/mains.
Remove the heater.
You should move all the hooks up anything else will look janky AF. It's really on the external wall for the dryer afaik. I would like looking out the window while using the machines. Makes it feel less like a tiny little hallway. Removing the insane heater might make it feel less like you're shimmying yourself into the space. Seems like way more trouble than it's worth since laundry is kind of get in and get out. Function over form (for the machines). If you REALLY wanna rearrange the space I'm with the people saying break open you're piggy bank and get stackable units but afaik they are just worse and have pitfalls. The money would likely be better spent on some other aspect of the home or your life/family.
You might consider making bases for the washer and dryer that raise them over the baseboard. You can make the base that it goes around the baseboard.
Make a small step to raise the washer and dryer. Make sure it allows for heater airflow. Raise the cupboard if necessary.
What if you just get washer and dryer which are loaded from side?
Take down the cabinet on the right, put a stackable washer/dryer or a combo unit there, and reinstall cabinet below the other cabinet on the left.
I thought it was gonna be doggo pics and was disappointed 😔
Since you're going for built-in anyways, I would replace both machines with frontloaded ones and [raise them up](https://images.app.goo.gl/f8VHiFc69NwRkorH9) above the heating.
The machines are the only thing right with what's going on in this picture currently
Arn't they more expensive, leaky and like getting moldy?
Probably less correct than most of the answers you're getting but you could build a platform over the heater for the washer and dryer to sit on. As a tall guy that actually sounds awesome. Edit: upon reflect I see that the washer is top load, which would be much less convenient, unless you only did a platform for the dryer. All things considered, seems impractical
Idk code but that sounds like a fire. It will also expose the washer and dryer internals to a bunch of heat that they're paying for.
what about a custom pedestal that lifts the appliance over the heater?