If you live in a small apartment, then you know firsthand how important every square meter, and sometimes even centimeter, is. Therefore, we offer you an interesting, affordable and relatively simple way to save space - make a podium for a washing machine with your own hands. “What is the essence of saving?” - you ask. After all, a podium is still a waste of space! Next, you will see that this is a useful thing that will serve you well.
Why do you need a podium?
An automatic washing machine (AWM), placed on a special elevation, will take up the same amount of space as it occupied before it was installed. In doing so, you receive a variety of benefits:
- If you make a box in the podium, you can hide the necessary things there - detergents, sponges and other useful stuff.
- The stand serves as a good vibration damper - if done correctly.
- A washing machine placed on an elevated platform is more accessible to the user: it is not very convenient to bend down every time to load things into the drum. The latter is true for front-loading devices.
Advantages of installing a washing machine on a podium
This design has practically no disadvantages; the podium in your apartment will have only advantages:
- The washing machine does not take up much space because it can be located in an unclaimed area of the home.
- If the stand for the washing machine has a drawer, then you can hide all sorts of small things in it - laundry detergents, soap, rags, brushes, etc.
- The podium significantly dampens vibrations if the design was made according to all the rules.
Important! By installing the machine on a high podium, you will be able to use it much easier. Namely, you don’t have to bend your back to throw laundry into the bin.
How to choose a room?
SMA can be installed in any room where it is appropriate to do laundry. In addition to the bathroom, this could be:
- kitchen;
- combined bathroom;
- toilet;
- pantry;
- veranda.
Nothing prevents you from making a small stand for the washing machine in these rooms. Verandas and storage rooms are an option for private households; such premises are not typical for apartments.
Depending on the purpose of the room, the location of the elevation is selected:
- it can be built under the sink;
- built into kitchen furniture;
- behind the toilet, as well as many more solutions that are selected taking into account the area of the premises.
Installing the machine into the wall
This option is non-standard, but very effective. This is because in this way, you don’t have to take up space on the floor with the washing machine. Thus, you will make the room more free.
If your house is full of holes in the walls for various wiring, or has a closet, then transform it all into a place where you can put a washing machine. You may need to drill out and widen the hole in the wall a little. But there will be a washing machine installed there, which will not interfere and take up space on the floor.
For reliable operation of the machine, it is important to secure the product well. To do this, you first need to drill holes in the wall for the bolts on which the straps installed at the back of the machine will be attached. It is also important to check the stability of the bottom of the wall closet. If there is a risk that the washing machine will fail, then you should crush and concrete the entire lower opening.
Materials and tools
An elevation for SMA is often made with your own hands, and there are several options for creating it. You will need:
- materials;
- tools;
- decide on the design.
Important! The platform under the SMA - and it contains 60-80 kg of weight - must be stable and durable. Only cladding can be made from plastic and plasterboard boards.
The body of the podium is made from stronger building materials:
- bricks;
- foam block;
- concrete slabs;
- corner;
- polycarbonate;
- wooden blocks.
The cladding is made from:
- tiles or ceramics;
- drywall;
- PVC;
- Chipboard (with water-resistant properties).
Tools. When making a hill under the SMA, you will need to use:
- trowel;
- level;
- tape measure;
- electric drill, electric screwdriver;
- metal saw;
- angle grinder;
- pencil;
- screwdriver
Simple podium
Try making a primitive version. Manufacturing procedure:
- take two bars (length - 630 mm);
- place them in parallel;
- between the bars - a gap corresponding to the width of the apparatus;
- several boards (600x30x300 mm) are laid on the bars;
- use self-tapping screws to fasten the boards to the beams;
- a small protrusion is left in front - 30 mm;
- a board 30 mm wide is placed on the ledge, placing it on its edge.
After the completed manipulations, a stand with a side is obtained. Side width - 270 mm. To make it narrower, saw the board lengthwise - in half. The board is secured with screws.
The downside of this primitive elevation is that there is no drawer for useful things. Advantages - the SMA becomes more stable, noise during operation decreases.
Important! When choosing wood for beams, look for larch - it is not afraid of moisture.
To enhance the aesthetic component, cover the stand with plasterboard boards or perform other finishing.
Features of using SM on the podium
Most users are afraid that at high spin speeds, when the machine starts to jump, it may jump off the podium. It really is possible. That’s why it’s recommended to put bumpers on the front so that the machine doesn’t break. If the podium is so high that you calmly, without bending, put the laundry in the tank, then difficulties may arise with the cuvette; it will be difficult to get into it. You need to think through the height of the podium down to the millimeter, so that you don’t have to bend your back and don’t have to jump to the ditch.
In general, we can conclude that a washing machine installed on a podium is not only a space saver, but also a small compensation for the obvious shortcomings of the equipment.
Made of brick
Operating procedure:
- Bricks are laid in two rows - two walls. Laying is single-layer. The walls run parallel - between them there is a gap corresponding to the width of the installed device.
- Concrete/polycarbonate tiles are placed on brick walls, secured with cement.
- A metal corner is attached to the front part.
The elevation of such a structure is spacious. It can be made with a box for useful things. Wheels are often attached to the drawer for easy opening.
This design is suitable for cramped spaces, even for bathrooms in small apartments from the 50s. last century. But for such a case you will have to abandon the box. The structure is created as follows:
- the drain pipe is laid with bricks;
- build walls;
- cover with a slab, and then follow similar steps to the previous case.
Choosing a location for installation
The rules for installing built-in equipment require proper connection of communications. In this regard, it is most convenient to install the washing machine in the kitchen or bathroom - there is a water supply nearby and a sewer for drainage. If the installation is carried out in a corridor, you must first wire the system and then install the cabinet. It is possible to equip a separate laundry room only in large houses/apartments. Basic rules for choosing an installation location:
- The best option is the bathroom. The idea can be implemented in several ways: remove the bathroom, in its place put a shower stall and a vertical cabinet under the washing machine (the material of the cabinet must be moisture resistant), mount a corner structure with additional modules, shelves, install compact appliances under the washbasin - sinks are mounted in the countertop or installed above;
- A rational idea is to install a washing machine in the kitchen. In a spacious room, the cabinet is mounted separately. In a small room they make a work area with a dryer and a machine on one side of the line, a dishwasher, a microwave, other kitchen appliances on the other side, the central part is a sink, wall cabinets for dishes. Another option is to install the front machine at the end of the headset;
- A practical solution is to install a cabinet with a washing machine in the hallway (corridor). If the room is narrow, built-in furniture along the entire length of the “short” wall is suitable - functional and simple. The square corridor is equipped with a wide straight or narrow corner structure so that opening the cabinet does not interfere with entering/exiting the room. In the hallway, the unit is covered with facades, otherwise the machine looks out of place and unattractive;
- a situation without an alternative - installing furniture in the toilet. It’s easy to imagine a free-standing machine in the bathroom, but a closet is a serious matter. There are few solutions - a cabinet for compact appliances in the corner, you can install an upper cabinet above the washing machine and hide various accessories, toiletries, detergents, and household chemicals on the shelves.
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Their application and features. | Pikabu Despite the fact that washing machines are difficult to fit into small rooms, the equipment fits well into furniture with a built-in installation option. This allows you to free up space, carefully arrange the washing unit, and use the space to maximum benefit. It is important that the cabinet can be made to fit any size of equipment, give the product an interesting appearance, and fit organically into the decor of the room.
How to lift a washing machine off the floor?
When the elevation is ready, all that remains is to place the apparatus on it. Often machine owners are afraid to lift the SMA for fear of breaking something. Factors to consider:
- Distance to socket. If you forgot to take this factor into account before building the stand, you should check before lifting the device whether the cord will reach the outlet. If not, you will need an extension cord, but this is not recommended.
- Length of water supply hose. Two solutions: either lengthen the hose or buy another, longer one.
- To avoid self-draining, it is necessary to raise the sewer pipe so that it is 40 cm higher than the stand.
Sequence of raising the sewer pipe:
- the old pipe is connected to a new elbow;
- a piece of pipe of a certain length is attached to the elbow;
- install a drain hose into the sewer pipe.
Space layout
The dimensions of the washing machine require a lot of space, especially if you consider the size of kitchens in Khrushchev-era buildings. You won't be able to create a beautiful countertop with old furniture. Nevertheless, designers agree that initially it is necessary to change the set and at the same time prepare a place for the irreplaceable assistant.
Preparatory work should include several stages:
- Using a pencil, a sheet of paper and an eraser, draw a rectangle on which to mark the dimensions of the kitchen space. Protrusions, niches and other features must be taken into account. Special graphical Internet applications can also be used for this purpose.
- The plan should reflect the proposed location of all large items, including the freezer, refrigerator, hob and dishwasher.
- Next, you need to choose the intended location for the washing machine, only here you should take into account how much usable space is already occupied.
- All equipment and furniture must be shown on a plan with dimensions and location.
