# Increasing depth of laundry closet



## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

You sure can do that---I've faced closet fronts with bead board and trim a few times--looks good if done right and no waiting for drywall mud to set.


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## Hankshanker (Nov 23, 2014)

Thanks for the confidence boost, Oh'Mike. In my head I could see a little bit of lumber and a few screws and nails and maybe a few dabs of adhesive wrapping up the whole construction project. This is definitely more desirable than spending a hundred bucks on a side-vent kit and dismantling a brand new dryer to install it (or paying someone to do it), then crossing my fingers that the combination of the closet's tight dimensions and the manual's ambiguous clearance diagrams would work out in my favor.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Those closet installations are always a big PAIN.

Bumping out the face of that can be done nicely with simple tools and a hand full of common materials.


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## Hankshanker (Nov 23, 2014)

I hope it's as simple as it sounds. Weekend warriors like me tend to do a lot more head-scratching than woodworking before the job is done.

I want to make a 3-inch thick frame, 5 inches deep (5.5 with molding), around the closet opening. Those dimensions work well because I can stack a 2x2 and a 2x4 one way to get 3 inches, and the other way to get 5 inches. One side of the closet is 3 inches from a corner anyway.

I'm just guessing at the best way to fasten the frame to the existing drywall. If I bore larger diameter holes halfway through a 2x4 "on edge," I'll be able to send 3-inch screws through the drywall until I engage the stud on the other side. Maybe some adhesive would be good here if looks like it wants to roll, i.e., fail.

When it's done I'm picturing a rock-solid frame that I can pretty-up with 3-inch molding. I might even get crazy and add a couple of plinths to deal with any pesky base molding issues. Hope it doesn't turn out to be a pretty house of cards.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

That will work---keep it simple.


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

Not trying to cause you to change direction, because it sounds like your plan is solid and that you know how to go about it, so I would proceed that way. But, in case you may want to pick up a few more inches, you may still want to take a look at your dryer, and see if there is a knockout stamped in it for side discharge, and, if there is, I would pull the back off, and see how difficult it would be to run it out the side with an elbow. I'm not the guy to ask which ones are this easy and which ones aren't, so always have to look at the unit, but have seen a few where that "$100 kit" consisted of nothing more than an elbow, which you can buy at the hardware store or big box for a few bucks, and a plug for the original discharge, for which you can use the knockout once you remove it. Again, not trying to change you plan, but might be a way to gain even a bit more ground.


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## Hankshanker (Nov 23, 2014)

You are correct about the side-vent reducing the clearance, Dexter, also that the parts don't seem to warrant the price of the kit. 

Side-venting was my first choice for a simple solution, so I looked at a video showing the steps involved in installing the side-vent kit in an LG model. You have to remove the whole front panel, disconnect all the sensors and gizmos, and remove the drum to gain access to the space where the elbow and exhaust tube sit. At least the motor stays put, but that's not exactly the simple solution I was hoping for, plus I gain at most 4 inches of space, probably less, which is cutting it close and limits my choice of appliances to the shallower models. Samsung, for instance, needs three or four more inches than LG, as does Whirlpool. So now we're back to extending the closet to fit whatever I put in there.

For some reason, I like the idea of driving a bunch of screws into a wall more than taking apart a 200-pound computer and hoping that everything fits and works after I put it back together. Call me old-fashioned.


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

I agree. Did not know the specifics, so tossed it out as a suggestion, but, given what you described, I wouldn't do it either. As you mentioned, the manufacturers provide minimum clearances, which means you could be down to a mere inch or two of gain. Not worth it. With our major appliances, I have always used a minimum of a pair of short 2x4 blocks laid flat between their base and the wall, more depending on what the manufacturer says, so that I can push them back to the blocks, keeping them square that way, and making sure they don't end up any tighter than they should be.


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## Hankshanker (Nov 23, 2014)

Just to follow up, the laundry closet project is finished, it looks pretty good, and to look at it you'd never guess the whole thing is held together by Velcro.

OK, I'm only partially kidding about the Velcro. The wood frame turned out as rock-solid as I had hoped. It will not budge. But I was surprised at how difficult it was to drive drywall screws through wood without pilot holes. I had a few 3-inch decking screws on hand, so I used those as the main anchors where I couldn't drill a pilot hole because my drill bits were too short. Of course, that required a return trip to Lowe's anyway for a long and skinny T-25 bit because my bit holders were too fat to fit in the largest bore hole my 3/8 drill could make. The bi-fold doors installed pretty easily after I threw sparks off a stripped bracket screw with a dremel tool. I thought I was pretty adept at screwing, but I guess that's not the case.

After obsessing over the design of the molding, we settled on prefinished polystyrene casing with corner blocks. My wife's suggestion to mount it with Velcro was brilliant! Don't laugh. It's very forgiving and infinitely adjustable. I used a beaded PVC siding panel to cover the one exposed side. Yep, more Velcro.

So we got a shiny new closet with no miter cuts, no nails, no paint and no caulk. The washer and dryer were delivered halfway through construction, so we also ended up with clean laundry in the process!


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

pics ?!!!!!!


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## Hankshanker (Nov 23, 2014)

Here's the finished product. It doesn't look like much, which is a good thing because it juts 5.5 inches into the bathroom, but there's not a significant imposition on the space.









Here's what lurks behind that indescribably beautiful façade. Bore holes halfway through the 2x4 let 3-inch screws anchor it edgewise. The track is attached to a 2x2. That white stripe is where the track used to be, good for almost seven more inches of depth. 









Corner blocks avoided the need for precise miter cuts, and super-sticky Velcro allowed for tweaking things a bit for good alignment. I don't need no stinkin' nails! I might build a whole house like this someday!









A PVC panel was an easy way to give the exposed side a finished look. The far side is flush to the wall and misses that electrical panel by a half-inch. 









There's just enough room for the washer and dryer doors to swing wide open. The closet doors clear the machines by one inch as they slide by.









After I thought I had considered every possible dimension down to the small fraction of an inch, an unforeseen close call: the dispenser door barely clears the closet door.









Overall we're pretty happy with the results and fully enjoying the wonderful world of high-efficiency laundering. As a bonus, it's been two whole days already and none of the molding has popped off yet!


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

:thumbup: :yes:


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

Thank you for the update. It looks great! As for the screws, in case you need to add anything to your Christmas list, take a look at an impact driver that shares the same batteries as your drill. Or sometimes you will find a drill and impact combo kit on sale for less than just one of the tools. A lot of gimmicks have come and gone, but impact drivers definitely make driving screws a whole lot easier, and with less damage to the heads.


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## Hankshanker (Nov 23, 2014)

Thank you for that suggestion, Dexter. I guess you could tell that I wasn't using an impact driver, but believe me when I tell you that I'm trying to come up with a project that demands one.


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## JMWalk (Feb 10, 2019)

Looks great! Have to fix same problem caused by upgrading to Duet front load washer that is ~4” too deep for existing space. Have had a tension rod and neutral shower curtain over it for almost a year—in the kitchen. It’s an eyesore, made worse by the fact that no one ever closes the curtain anyway.

Wondering how this has held up and if there’s anything you’d do differently in retrospect? Limited time for completing anything and I’d rather not start something that never get it finish it.

Thanks.


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## Hankshanker (Nov 23, 2014)

Hey thanks for the trip down memory lane, JMWalk. Four years later, that closet is as solid as day one. We even had just enough clearance to raise those bi-fold doors a half-inch after we put new flooring down over the old ceramic tile.

A word of caution: Do not trust Velcro. I mean, yeah, the molding installation was pretty darn easy, but the top molding came crashing down maybe two days after I boasted about the brilliance of that solution, as did the corner blocks. Gravity won that battle. We ended up using some quick setting construction adhesive or something similar.

I don't know how far you can jut out into your kitchen, but give yourself a couple more inches than you think you need, especially if your washer has a tendency to rock or walk. Ours started doing that recently, but we fixed it before it had a chance to damage the doors. In any case, you don't want to discover too late that you are short by an inch and your closet doors scrape against your machines for instance. Our leeway was pretty tight (look at our dispenser drawer), but we got away with it.

Also, don't scrimp when screwing the whole thing together. Make sure you engage a lot of wood. We might have overdone it, but that frame has not budged supporting those doors. I don't know if I can still do a chin-up, but I bet I could do one dangling from that frame!


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## mjones1488 (Feb 14, 2019)

What is the width of your washer/dryer and bifold doors? We're thinking of getting a new set but are worried that our standard 60" wide opening with bifold doors won't allow enough clearance to open the doors on the front loaders. Or like in your case, get to the soap dispenser. 

Also, how much depth did you end up needing for your setup? From the back wall to the front of the washer/dryer?


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

mjones1488 said:


> What is the width of your washer/dryer and bifold doors? We're thinking of getting a new set but are worried that our standard 60" wide opening with bifold doors won't allow enough clearance to open the doors on the front loaders. Or like in your case, get to the soap dispenser.
> 
> Also, how much depth did you end up needing for your setup? From the back wall to the front of the washer/dryer?


There is a kit to make the bi folds full open. 
http://johnsonhardware.com/1601-full-access-bi-fold-door-hardware


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

It looks terrific!


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## Hankshanker (Nov 23, 2014)

mjones1488 said:


> What is the width of your washer/dryer and bifold doors? We're thinking of getting a new set but are worried that our standard 60" wide opening with bifold doors won't allow enough clearance to open the doors on the front loaders. Or like in your case, get to the soap dispenser.
> 
> Also, how much depth did you end up needing for your setup? From the back wall to the front of the washer/dryer?


The washer and dryer with a one-inch gap between them are about 54" wide. The closet opening with the doors open is only 53" wide, but that allows the washer and dryer doors to open almost completely to each side. Because of the clearance needed for the dispenser drawer, the machines are set a couple of inches right of center (washer on the left), which causes the dryer door to hit the closet door just short of 90 degrees open, but that hasn't been an issue.

Front to back, the closet doors are 40" from the wall, seven inches more than the depth of the machines. That allows about six inches for the rear vent and a couple more in the front for the washer door that is kept slightly ajar for drying out. The manual says 39" is the minimum closet depth for our machines, which is about right if you want closet doors that you can shut.

We rebuilt the closet before we knew which models we were getting, so we just built out to the deepest potential dimension. Check the manuals online of the models you're considering. I don't think the width varies much across full-size models, but the depth does. Add a couple of inches and you're good to go.


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