DIY catwalk under the washing machine

Many people dream of spacious houses and apartments, where there is a lot of space, but, unfortunately, not many have this dream come true. It is necessary to tidy up in every way in order to maximize the usefulness of the space that is available. Furniture for the bathroom under the washing machine is just one of the options to compactly install a “home helper” and save space. As part of the article, we decided to talk about the construction of a podium for a typewriter and the best ideas related to this.

In what room can you make a podium?

Naturally, the podium for a washing machine can be made not only in the bathroom, there are a lot of ideas in this regard. The most popular rooms for installing the washing machine on the podium are:

• bathroom;
• kitchen;
• restroom;
• pantry;
• veranda.

The last option is suitable for private homes, but the first four are quite suitable for an apartment. In the bathroom, in the vast majority of cases, the podium for the washing machine is made under the sink. And then a sink and a sink are placed over the podium and the machine. In the kitchen, cars are mostly built in, making a podium in the niche “in the womb” of the kitchen set. In the toilet (in a Soviet-built apartment), washing machines are placed on a narrow, high podium, behind the toilet.

It is difficult to say about the pantry and the veranda, since there are a lot of solutions. In any case, the machine installed on the podium gives additional benefits to the owners, because it:

1. takes up less space, since it is installed on an unclaimed or unclaimed area;
2. makes it possible to place in the niche under the podium a box for small items (powders, cleaning products, soap, etc.);
3. vibrates less (if the podium is done correctly).

Note! A washing machine mounted on a high podium is easier to use. No need to bend down to the hatch in order to throw dirty laundry into it.

What tools and materials are needed?

The selection of tools and materials will greatly depend on the chosen design of the future podium, so we will list what is usually taken in such cases. Note immediately the design must be very stable and reliable, because the machine weighs 60-80 kg, while swinging during washing, so materials such as drywall or plastic can only be used as facing. So, the podium is built from:

• brick;
• foam blocks;
• concrete;
• wooden bars 100x100 or 150x150;
• metal corners;
• polycarbonate plates and other things.

As the facing materials, tiles, waterproof gypsum board, plastic, laminated waterproof chipboard and others are used. With tools easier. In this case, the standard set of tools that can be found in the pantry of any good owner is suitable. What are these tools:

1. Master OK;
2. building level;
3. roulette;
4. hacksaw (for wood, for metal);
5. screwdriver, drill;
6. Bulgarian;
7. pencil;
8. Phillips screwdriver.

Note! For the manufacture of the podium, you can order modern polycarbonate blocks and plates. In advance, transfer to the company the contractor the dimensions of the details of the future podium and they will cut the material, as you need, you just have to collect.

Popular catwalk designs

Even a child can make the simplest podium for a washing machine. You can make such a podium from the simplest materials, and at the same time it can serve for decades without any problems. The essence of the design is as follows. We take two wooden blocks 63 cm long, we put them parallel to each other. The distance between the bars should be equal to the width of your washing machine (e.g. 60 cm).

Next, we put two boards on the bars 60 cm long, 3 cm thick and 30 cm wide. We fasten the boards firmly with screws to the bars, we get a shelf.We still have a 3 cm wide ledge in front. We place a 3 cm thick and 30 cm wide board on it with the edge, and we get the simplest podium with a side of 27 cm. If it is possible, you can make a smaller side by sawing the board in half. The side must also be tightly screwed with screws. You can’t integrate a drawer into such a podium, but the washing machine will stand stably and work properly on it.

Important! It is best to make such a podium from larch, because this tree is not afraid of moisture and does not lead from water.

You can refine the podium with waterproof plasterboard, decorative plastic or laminated particleboard. Another podium design involves the use of bricks. The height of the podium in this case, you can choose any.

• We lay out two bricks that stand parallel to each other with a width of 1 brick (the distance between the walls is equal to the width of the machine).
• On top of the walls we lay on cement a suitable-sized concrete or polycarbonate slab.
• Sew on the front of the plate two small metal corners.

There is enough space under the brick podium to fit many small items. In addition, a box with wheels made of laminated particleboard can be built into a niche under the podium. He pulled the drawer by the handle, and it rolled out from under the machine, and in it lies both detergent and fabric softener, and you can also put dirty laundry in it. In general, a very convenient thing.

A podium of a similar design can be made in the small toilet of Khrushchev’s apartment, only there will be nowhere to put the box. The essence of the idea is as follows.

1. Lay a drain pipe lying on the floor with bricks (preferably it must first be replaced with a plastic one).
2. We build with our own hands behind the toilet two tall narrow parallel-standing walls.
3. We cover the walls with a stove top.

After the final decoration and tiling, everything will look like a ledge above the toilet, on which the washing machine stands.

Some do not like this option of placing a washing machine, but see for yourself how much useful space is saved and how convenient it is to use an item of household appliances. Another good option involves the manufacture of a podium from polycarbonate plates and blocks. Currently, there are many companies that sell such materials, you just need to choose blocks and plates of the right size and they will provide you as soon as possible.

In this case, you don’t even have to do anything special. We build the podium of the required size from the blocks, twist the plates and blocks with screws, and use it. Monolithic polycarbonate and materials similar to it are very strong and resistant to moisture, moreover, they are very difficult to destroy by mechanical action. For our purposes, the ideal option. The only negative is the price, but it does not stop everyone. We twist the box on wheels under the podium from the laminated particleboard and install a washing machine on it.

Do you need a box under the podium or not, decide for yourself. A box is a convenient thing, but you can also do without it. In particular, the factory podiums from the Miele company have a box, but we make the podium with our own hands for a penny. The experience of using the podium for a washing machine shows that the drawer is not particularly needed, but we repeat - you decide, you might want to make not a podium, but washing machine cabinet - it's a matter of taste!

Features of the installation and operation of the machine on the podium

Now let's talk about the features of the installation and operation of the washing machine installed on the podium. At first glance it seems, and what are the features here, they raised the machine a little above the floor, and that’s all, we didn’t change anything in its design! There it was. Some craftsmen, putting the machine on a branded or homemade podium, then with horror find that their home assistant refuses to wash or you can’t connect it at all.

Let's start with a simple one - the location of the outlet.It may sound corny, but some when installing the machine on the podium with their own hands, they do not at all calculate the length of the network wire, because before the machine stood without a podium and connected normally. And then it turns out that the wire does not reach the outlet. Therefore, experts recommend immediately paying attention to this moment and taking into account the location of the outlet and the distance from the machine to it.

With the conclusion for the water supply, everything is simpler, the inlet hose usually comes with a margin in length, but you can purchase and supply a genuine hose. The main thing is that the pedestal does not overlap the conclusions, otherwise the inlet hose cannot be screwed to them, respectively, the machine will not connect to the water supply, and the podium will have to be moved or cleaned.

If you will buy a new inlet hose for the washing machine, take a double one with the Aquastop system - it has leakage protection.

When installing the washing machine on the podium, it is also important to raise the sewer pipe. This is necessary so that a “siphon effect” does not occur and water does not leak out of the washing machine’s tank on its own. Raise the sewer pipe so that it is 40 cm above the podium cover. To do this, you can:

• install an elbow on an old pipe;
• connect another section of pipe of the desired length to it;
• insert the drain hose into the sewer pipe and use the machine calmly.

Now about operation. Some people are frightened by the fact that the machine during intense work and, accordingly, intense vibration, will jump off the podium with all the ensuing consequences. Experts say that this can happen, therefore, in the manufacture of any podium, it is necessary to provide sides. At least the side should be in front, so that the machine does not fall forward and does not crash.

Some opponents of the catwalks for the washing machine are scared by the prospect of reaching for a powder cuvette. Especially when it comes to installing the machine on a high pedestal in the toilet for the toilet. Indeed, this is due to some inconvenience, but putting dirty things in the hatch is much more convenient, in general, a “double-edged sword”, we win somewhere, we lose somewhere, but there are more pluses!

To summarize, we note that the catwalks for washing machines are an excellent option not only to save space by placing the machine more successfully. This is a good option to compensate for some of the shortcomings of washing machines. In particular, a correctly made podium somewhat dampens the vibration and noise of a running machine, which will only benefit the user. Therefore, do not be lazy and make a podium with your own hands, because do not spread hundreds of dollars for branded furniture.