Getting new washer/dryer, use floor glide/mats?

[Schfifty Five]

Just purchased a new samsung washer dryer set for our apartment. The space we have will make putting in the units a tight squeeze, but doable (did some extensive measuring).

Anyway, there is some fake hardwood floors in the laundry space and I was wondering if it would be wise to put the washer/dryer on some of those furniture glide/pad things for when we move out of here. This would help slide the units out so that they are easier to move out. However, I can see some issues if the units are running, the vibrations could cause the units to start sliding around.

Any one have any suggestions with this? Any help is much appreciated it. This is our first time owning a washer/dryer unit.

 

[lxskllr]

Sounds like a good idea to me. If they move too much when operating, deal with it when it comes up. You might be able to just remove the front pads to give it enough grip.

 

[Kaido]

Yeah, vibrations can be an issue. If you want some information overload on washer/dryer stuff:

Check out Silent Feet:

http://www.sorbothane.com/silentfeet.php

They sell them on Amazon: (pricey - $40 for 4 pieces & you'd need 2 sets - one for the washer, one for the dryer)

http://www.amazon.com/Silent-Feet-An.../dp/B001JBLFWQ

Maybe get a drip pan: (protects your floors from leaks & overflows)

http://driptite.com/index.htm or http://www.floodsaver.com/

And some no-burst hoses:

http://www.floodchek.com/

And a recessed dryer box if you feel like doing a wee bit of construction:

http://www.dryerbox.com/

And a dryer dock while you're in there:

http://www.dryerdock.com/

And a LeakFrog water leak alarm while you're at it:

http://www.amazon.com/Leak-Frog-LF00.../dp/B000WMSTUO

A little bit of an investment for everything, but it can save you some headaches down the road. I had a washing machine pipe burst on me last year & partially flood my basement, it was no fun. I have an inexpensive Wink Hub home automation system; they just released a $35 water leak sensor that will push an alert to your smartphone if you want to get more fancy with it:

http://www.wink.com/products/quirkyge-overflow-water-sensor/

Related story, had a buddy get a house built not too long ago. Something went wrong with the kitchen faucet about a week after he moved in, while he was at work. Came home to 6 feet of water in his basement. Stuff like that is pretty rare, but it happens - a small investment into an alert system doesn't seem like such a big deal after something like that happens :awe:

 

[Carson Dyle]

I don't think you'll need the slides. Washers and dryers tend to be pretty light when empty. Two people, one on either side, can usually muscle them in and out of the tightest slots. Or, you just need to be able to tip the units back a little to get a hand truck under them, which means only sliding them out a few inches.

 

[Schfifty Five]

Yeah, vibrations can be an issue. If you want some information overload on washer/dryer stuff:

Check out Silent Feet:

http://www.sorbothane.com/silentfeet.php

They sell them on Amazon: (pricey - $40 for 4 pieces & you'd need 2 sets - one for the washer, one for the dryer)

http://www.amazon.com/Silent-Feet-An.../dp/B001JBLFWQ

Maybe get a drip pan: (protects your floors from leaks & overflows)

http://driptite.com/index.htm or http://www.floodsaver.com/

And some no-burst hoses:

http://www.floodchek.com/

And a recessed dryer box if you feel like doing a wee bit of construction:

http://www.dryerbox.com/

And a dryer dock while you're in there:

http://www.dryerdock.com/

And a LeakFrog water leak alarm while you're at it:

http://www.amazon.com/Leak-Frog-LF00.../dp/B000WMSTUO

A little bit of an investment for everything, but it can save you some headaches down the road. I had a washing machine pipe burst on me last year & partially flood my basement, it was no fun. I have an inexpensive Wink Hub home automation system; they just released a $35 water leak sensor that will push an alert to your smartphone if you want to get more fancy with it:

http://www.wink.com/products/quirkyge-overflow-water-sensor/

Related story, had a buddy get a house built not too long ago. Something went wrong with the kitchen faucet about a week after he moved in, while he was at work. Came home to 6 feet of water in his basement. Stuff like that is pretty rare, but it happens - a small investment into an alert system doesn't seem like such a big deal after something like that happens :awe:

Wow, that's a lot of info/links. Thanks, I'll check those out.

 

[Schfifty Five]

I don't think you'll need the slides. Washers and dryers tend to be pretty light when empty. Two people, one on either side, can usually muscle them in and out of the tightest slots. Or, you just need to be able to tip the units back a little to get a hand truck under them, which means only sliding them out a few inches.

The problem is that the washer/dryer room makes it impossible for two people to be inside to each lift a side. The washer/dryer units first go into the room then one goes to the left, and one to the right. Not much room to maneuver.

 

[Raizinman]

Because the new washers spin at a very high RPM and any imbalance can create extreme vibrations, we installed a 1.5 inch foam mat under the washer to absorb the vibration. It works great. Before, it would shake the whole house.

 

[Kaido]

Wow, that's a lot of info/links. Thanks, I'll check those out.

Did you get High Efficiency models or regular ones? They make gel packs for laundry detergent just like the ones they do for washing machines, makes doing the laundry a bit more convenient & less of a chore. I use these ones & they're great:

http://www.amazon.com/all-Mighty-Pac.../dp/B007KLAZKC

Other than that, I also add in fabric softener to the wash & an anti-static dryer sheet to the dryer. Make sure to clean out the dryer lint screen before each dryer run. For washing, I use the same cycle every time - hot water with extra rinse, clothes always come out clean (granted I don't have any fancy clothes that require the "delicate" cycle or anything, haha). If you don't have a hanging rack handy for hanging up shirts after they dry or jeans out of the washing machine, they sell portable ones for under $20 shipped online:

http://www.amazon.com/Whitmor-6021-3...dp/B004BDP642/

I don't ever iron - I just toss the wrinkled piece of clothing in with a wet washcloth & let it run for 20 minutes or so, gets the wrinkles right out. If you are tight on space & do need to iron, the make nice, compact wall-mounted units that flip out. Not cheap tho: (most I've seen are around $200)

http://www.amazon.com/Household-Esse...dp/B0073D8F3Q/

You can also cheat by using aluminum foil to expedite the ironing process:

http://lifehacker.com/cut-your-ironing-time-in-half-with-aluminum-foil-478126500

Lifehacker also has a great post on how to properly iron different stuff:

http://lifehacker.com/5811853/how-to-properly-iron-shirts-pants-and-skirts

Wow, I didn't realize I could talk so much about laundry, haha. I'm a big fan of the "set up a good system & never think about it again" approach. I also use the alarm app on my iPhone whenever I run the washer or dryer (just set it to 45 minutes or however long your machine's cycle takes) so that I don't leave the wash in there overnight (which happens often) or leave the clothes in the dryer & end up with wrinkled everything

 

[Kaido]

Because the new washers spin at a very high RPM and any imbalance can create extreme vibrations, we installed a 1.5 inch foam mat under the washer to absorb the vibration. It works great. Before, it would shake the whole house.

Nice, what kind of foam did you use? Like foam rubber or more of a spongy foam?

 

[Kaido]

The problem is that the washer/dryer room makes it impossible for two people to be inside to each lift a side. The washer/dryer units first go into the room then one goes to the left, and one to the right. Not much room to maneuver.

Ah, that stinks. I rented an awesome but old farmhouse a few years back. We were able to squeeze our mattress up through the crazy skinny, angled stairwell, but we couldn't get out boxspring up (or even through a second-story window.

Didn't stay there long

 

[Kaido]

Just purchased a new samsung washer dryer set for our apartment. The space we have will make putting in the units a tight squeeze, but doable (did some extensive measuring).

Do you have any vertical room? DIY pedestals aren't too hard to make for additional storage, if space is at a premium:

http://www.justagirlblog.com/diy-pedestals/

http://www.familyhandyman.com/laundry-room/diy-washer-pedestal/view-all

 

[Carson Dyle]

The problem is that the washer/dryer room makes it impossible for two people to be inside to each lift a side. The washer/dryer units first go into the room then one goes to the left, and one to the right. Not much room to maneuver.

I realize that. You don't need to get under or be on the left and right sides to lift them. They're really light, so two people working from the front should be able to do the job. Put the heavier unit in first, which should be fairly easy. Position the second unit in front of the opening and two people should be able to lift it well enough from the font, gripping just the top edges, that you can jimmy it in bit by bit. You may also be able to get better handholds by opening the top or front door.

You can always buy some slides, I suppose, and if you're really unable to use the above to get the washer and dryer into place, break out slides and use them.

 

[cabri]

Get 4 squares of carpet scraps per machine.
Any carpet store should have some, possibly at no charge

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Just grab a few slides like these.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Mine are in a closet in my MBR. I have a 1/2" foam mat in the closet to reduce the vibration and I have the stacked washer/dryer in plastic washer drain pan like this - http://www.homedepot.com/p/Camco-30...ne-Drain-Pan-with-PVC-Fitting-20752/204220159

I can grab the lip of the drain pan and pull the washer/dryer along the foam mat out of the closet if I need to.