subject: Practical Laundry Renovation Ideas [print this page] The act of washing clothes has been around ever since we started wearing manufactured clothing. No long ago, people used to hand wash clothes (majority still do with that tedious duty generally falling upon the women of the house). As people progressed, laundresses or washerwomen found the occupation of washing for other people. With industrialization came laundry services and large, coin-operated launderettes where you send clothes to be washed. Finally, there came compact, automatic washing machines that you can fit in one corner of the house.
Despite washing machines, accumulated laundry is perhaps the biggest hassle faced by households everywhere. In fact, many homes mark a particular day of the week as washday or delegate the duty to each family member by rotation.
If you are thinking of renovating the laundry area of your house or of installing new washing machine and and/or dryer, chances are that you will need to call the professional help (unless you are an experienced do-it-yourself enthusiast having necessary tools / material to do the job). There are many factors to determine for laundry renovations. Before calling the expert people, keep in mind the following useful laundry renovation ideas.
Laundry Area: whether the laundry area holds sufficient space / dimension to house new washing machine; if not then you will need to redesign the laundry area or carry out some masonry jobs such as breaking a part of wall or flooring, resurfacing, tiling, painting, etc.
Washing Appliance: the type of washing machine will depend on 1) preference (tub type or top loading, drum type or front loading; 2) number of family members; 3) number of clothes or washing load; and 4) budget (fully automatic or semi-automatic). For colder regions, you will need to install a separate tumble dryer in addition to washing machine. For temperate climates, a machine with in-built spin dryer is sufficient.
Plumbing: laundry renovations for plumbing include provision for hot/cold water, water pressure and quality (hard/soft), size of pipes, laying new pipeline, taps and valves from the point of water to the machine. This may also include drilling holes in wall for water outlet and connection to drainage.
Electricals: laying new wires, switchboard, circuit breakers and proper as required.
Other things to consider are safety measures. If you have small children, keep the washing machine sealed or on elevated position, i.e. out of the reach of children. If you are installing the machine in the open space behind the house (garden or patio) then cover it with a shed to save from the elements.
