How to add laundry benchtop in a rental?

300mm flatpax Utility cupboard

Good Afternoon @sareh

Welcome to the Bunnings community page 🙂 Its a great place for ideas I think.

Benches in a laundy are definenty needed and so easy. I kicked myself after I put one in as I had struggled for a few years without it.

For you I would meausure the width from your sink to the wall on the far right. Subtract your washing machine plus say 40mm. That is the space you have for uying some flatpax cupboards you could use.

So standing looking at the space.

Left is the sink then

Then washing machine

And depending on how much space you have between the washing machine and tall cabinet (Is that yours or was it in the laundry to start with?) maybe another of the Utility cupboards.

Then on top you can have something like this. 2200*600*26mm Practa benchtop

Bunnings cuts timber to size if you are worried about the length of the benchtop and getting it home. 🙂

One last measurement to consider is the height of the washing machine. If the utility cupbards are too short then the feet could be raised a little or some timber on top of the utility cupboards before the benchtop is laid across. Making sure you screw upwards from the utility cupbooards into the underside of the bench to stop it tipping.

You would need to drill three holes at the back of the benchtop for water and power.

Hope some of the ideas may help 🙂

Looking forward to seeing what you build.

Dave

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @sareh. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about creating a laundry bench in a rental.

It's great to see you've already received some helpful advice from the knowledgeable @Dave-1.

I'm in a rental and have the same situation. I picked up a longer length of benchtop and cut it to length. The excess was used to hold up the end of the bench. I used small angle brackets to connect the two pieces. I previously had a dryer under mine next to the washing tub to hold up the other end. I've since moved the dryer and attached the bench to the sink tub. The house I'm in will likely be demolished after I leave, so I wasn't too concerned about attaching it to the tub. Here's a rendering I made to illustrate and a picture of my bench. Sorry about the mess.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

Thank you. That seems simple enough.

Thanks. I like this idea because the. I can use underneath as a station for the robot vacuum.

@MitchellMc I am really excited to try this was going to go with @Dave-1 idea but thought this may be a lot simpler and i wont have to move the washing maching. I went and bought a piece of pine plywood (recommended by the guy at bunnings) and have bought the brackets also. Have to now go to another Bunnings and buy another piece of plywood as the store i went to their cutting machine was down. Can not wait to get started. Have some Cabots sealer at home. Does it have to be the benchtop one or can i use the one i already have ( i have a gloss and a satin in my garage).

For me i think the most daunting thing is the measuring, so worried i will get it wrong, the guy at Bunnings was a gun but i am still so scared i have my measurements wrong and was measuring over and over... I even put the big piece of plywood on the washer and measured from that so i can make sure i get the side panel right..... i guess time will tell.

MrsJMac

Wow Mitchell that looks great!

Morning @sareh

🙂 hahahah Want to know how many time I have seen something better then what was in my head on here, heaps 🙂

Id go with what you have already, its only a small area that you want to cover so why not. (you can always flip the timber over if you want to change a colour 🙂

Can feel your excitment about the project!

Cant wait to see a photo or two 🙂

Dave

Hi @sareh

Just remember when measuring the space you have to allow for a little bit of leeway. In this manner, you won't have to worry about the benchtop being too tight to fit into the space. If you look carefully at the benchtop render, you'll see that the secondary piece of timber sits under the main benchtop.

Therefore, the space you have for the top will not be affected by the timber you'll be attaching to the side. However, it's important that you have the correct height for the secondary piece of timber which is the leg.

One method you can use is to get some really thick cardboard and cut it to size. This will give you a nice template to use and give you a better idea of what the benchtop will look like once installed.

In regards to the sealer, it should be sufficient to cover the timber, please make sure to cover the entire area to prevent moisture damage.

Please remember to wear personal protection such as gloves, goggles and a mask when you start painting the benchtop.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Thank you guys I have cut the timber and just place it and I think it looks ok. Now to seal and put the brackets on. Here’s what it looks like raw and not assembled. I could t bring it out to the washing machine as it would have take up way too much space. It is very narrow as it is.

Hello @sareh

Thank you so much for the photo update. It looks great and I'm sure it will look awesome once you've put the sealer on. Can you please tell me how thick is the timber panel that you purchased?

We look forward to seeing your next update.

Eric

@EricL its pine plywood I think it’s 1.8. The guy at Bunnings recommended this so just went with it. Bought two panels and cut it to size.

@Dave-1 @It is finally done! You guys are legends… thank you. It’s not perfect but it’ll do!

Hi @sareh

Thank you very much for the update. That's fantastic! Now you have a nice folding table and a spot to keep your laundry basket underneath.

We look forward to seeing your next project.

Eric

Good Morning @sareh

😀 Looks good! And much easier thgen what I was proposing 🙂 So much more space and a lot tidier!

So whats the next thing you will tackle? 🙂

Dave

MitchellMc

Love your work, @sareh! Great job!

Mitchell

@Dave-1 Haha a bit too soon for the next thing. I dont have a proper work area, this was completed in a garage full of boxes and a very curious cat with his fur everywhere 😃

Hi Mitchell, how did you attach the bench top to the sink? I’m doing something similar but don’t have enough space for a gable at both ends of the bench

Hi @amelia2,

Unfortunately, @MitchellMc won't be back online until Monday morning, but in the meantime, I may be able to assist if you could provide a few more details.

I have installed similar benchtops by using a timber cleat attached to the side of the surface the bench is going against. Something like this 42 x 19mm DAR Pine could be attached to the side of the sink with glue, screws or a combination of both. Once attached, the benchtop will sit on this timber cleat and is screwed into place.

Do you have any photos of the sink? Is it a metal cabinet like in Mitchell's example?

If you could upload some photos, I'd be happy to advise on the most suitable fixing method for you.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob

Hi @JacobZ

thanks for getting back to me. I was just at Bunnings getting the timber for this and realised i could use a cleat on the wall side and use the side panel on the sink side! So essentially just flipping @MitchellMc‘s design 🙂

Going to do a sink cover out of the same timber (saw this on another post). Not sure if I’ll get it all done this afternoon but will post some photos when it’s done 🙂

Hi @amelia2,

That sounds like a perfect solution that I wish I had thought of. Thanks for sharing.

I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Jacob

Hi @JacobZ,

well I managed to finish the bench and sink cover (minus oiling as that will take a couple days). Absolutely love it 😊 Before BeforeMaking the bench over the washing machineBench finishedMaking the slide out sink coverSink cover finishedWhole project + my doggo

Afternoon @amelia2

Nice solution and a bunch more space to play with! 🙂

Dave

Great work @amelia2!

I can't wait to see it once you've finished up oiling.

Jacob

Amelia,

I really like this idea. I may have to put a laundry sink cover on now also. Was that just a slab to sit on top that can be easily removed?

Hi @sareh,

Allow me to tag @amelia2 so they are notified of your question.

Hopefully she will respond soon.

Jacob

Hi @sareh

yes it’s just a slab that sits on top of the sink and slides off. I just measured the sink then measured where the taps were and used a hole saw and jigsaw to make cutouts for the tap and washing machine hose. Then place on top of the sink and slide it in

bhetz2000

Hi @amelia2 ,

Just wondering, where did you buy your pull-out drawer?

Thanks!

Hi @bhetz2000

I found the pull out drawer at an op shop but I believe it originally came from ikea. Not sure if they still sell it but hope that helps