DIY podium for a washing machine

Many people dream of spacious houses and apartments with plenty of space, but, unfortunately, not many people realize this dream. We have to do our best to make the most of the available space. Bathroom furniture for a washing machine is just one of the options to compactly install a “home assistant” and save space. As part of the article, we decided to talk about building a podium for a typewriter and the best ideas related to it.

In what room can you make a podium?

Naturally, a 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 a washing machine on a podium are:

• bathroom;
• kitchen;
• toilet;
• pantry;
• veranda.

The last option is suitable for private houses, 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 sink are placed above the podium and machine. In the kitchen, machines are mostly built in, making a podium in a niche “in the belly” of the kitchen unit. In the toilet (in a Soviet-built apartment), washing machines are placed on a narrow, high podium, behind the toilet.

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

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

Note! A washing machine installed on a high platform is easier to use. There is no need to bend over the hatch 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. Let us note right away the design must be very stable and reliable, because the machine weighs 60-80 kg, and it sways during washing, so materials such as drywall or plastic can only be used as facings. So, the podium is constructed from:

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

Tiles, waterproof plasterboard, plastic, laminated waterproof chipboard, etc. are used as facing materials. It's easier with tools. In this case, a standard set of tools is suitable, which can be found in the pantry of any good owner. 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! To make a podium, you can order modern polycarbonate blocks and slabs. Give the contractor the dimensions of the parts of the future podium in advance and they will cut the material for you as needed, all you have to do is assemble it.

Popular podium designs

Even a child can make the simplest podium for a washing machine. Such a podium can be made from the simplest materials, and it can serve for decades without problems. The essence of the design comes down to the following. We take two wooden blocks 63 cm long and place them parallel to each other. The distance between the bars should be equal to the width of your washing machine (for example, 60 cm).

Next, we place two boards 60 cm long, 3 cm thick and 30 cm wide on the bars. We firmly screw the boards with self-tapping screws to the bars, and we get a shelf. We are left with a protrusion in front 3 cm wide. We place a board 3 cm thick and 30 cm wide on it edgewise, we get the simplest podium with a side of 27 cm. If possible, you can make a smaller side by sawing the board in half lengthwise. The side also needs to be firmly screwed with self-tapping screws. You can’t build a drawer into such a podium, but the washing machine will stand steadily on it and work properly.

Important! It is best to make such a podium from larch, since this tree is not afraid of moisture and is not affected by water.

You can refine the podium using waterproof plasterboard, decorative plastic or laminated chipboard. Another podium design involves the use of brick. In this case, you can choose any height of the podium.

• We lay out two brick walls, standing parallel to each other, 1 brick wide (the distance between the walls is equal to the width of the machine).
• On top of the walls we place a suitable sized concrete or polycarbonate slab on cement.
• We sew two small metal corners onto the plate at the front.

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

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

1. Cover the drain pipe lying on the floor with bricks (it is advisable to first replace it with a plastic one).
2. We build two high, narrow, parallel walls behind the toilet with our own hands.
3. Cover the walls from above with a slab.

Once finalized and tiled, it will look like a ledge above the toilet where the washing machine sits.

Some people don’t like this option for placing the washing machine, but see for yourself how much usable space is saved and how convenient it is to use the household appliance. Another good option involves making a podium from polycarbonate slabs and blocks. Currently, there are many companies that sell similar materials; you just need to select blocks and slabs of the required sizes and they will provide them to you as soon as possible.

In this case, you don’t even have to do anything special. We build a podium of the required size from the blocks, twist the slabs and blocks with self-tapping screws, and use them. Monolithic polycarbonate and similar materials are very durable and resistant to moisture, and they are also very difficult to destroy through mechanical stress. Ideal for our purposes. The only downside is the price, but that doesn’t stop everyone. We roll a box on wheels from laminated chipboard under the podium and install the washing machine on it.

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

Features of installation and operation of the machine on the podium

Now let's talk about the features of installing and operating a washing machine installed on a podium. At first glance, it seems, 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! Not so. Some craftsmen, having placed the machine on a branded or home-made podium, are then horrified to discover that their home assistant refuses to wash or cannot be connected at all.

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

With the outlet for water supply, everything is simpler; the inlet hose usually comes with a reserve in length, but you can purchase and install a longer hose. The main thing is that the pedestal does not overlap the terminals, otherwise the inlet hose cannot be screwed to them, accordingly, the machine will not connect to the water supply, and the podium will have to be moved or removed.

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

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

• install an elbow on the old pipe;
• connect another piece of pipe of the required length to it;
• Insert the drain hose into the sewer pipe and use the machine safely.

Now about the operation. Some people are afraid that the machine, during intensive work and therefore intense vibration, will jump off the podium with all the ensuing consequences. Experts note that this can happen, so when making any podium you need to provide sides. At a minimum, the side should be on the front so that the machine does not fall forward and break.

Some opponents of washing machine podiums are intimidated by the prospect of reaching for the powder dispenser. Especially when it comes to installing the machine on a high pedestal in the toilet behind the toilet. Indeed, this is associated with some inconveniences, but putting dirty things in the hatch is much more convenient, in general, it’s a “double-edged sword”, we win somewhere, lose somewhere, but there are more advantages!

To summarize, we note that podiums 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 properly made podium somewhat dampens the vibration and noise of a working machine, which will only benefit the user. Therefore, don’t be lazy and make the podium with your own hands, because you can’t shell out hundreds of dollars for branded furniture.

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