Washing machine on bench top travelling

Well done getting the machines up.!

It's not a very common practise so it's hard to get it right straight away and to get advice. I was told I needed to check that the power points were high and the bench was strong. I bought a cupboard kit and bench from bunnings.
I got my black mat from the good guys too and nothing has moved on it at all. Sorry to hear you have to wait for that. I'm pretty sure mine is exactly the same as the one you've ordered. You may be able to pay good guys for the delivery AND installation of that mat and then they would put it under the machine for you.

Also I now use detergent "pods" that you throw in with the wash instead of the detergent tray with powder. I also had to clamp the water pipe on the washing machine so that it would keep filling but no other problems since.
I originally bought the black mat for the dryer but then I ended up buying a base for the dryer which screws into the bench and locks the dryer in place and it has a pull out shelf which your partner may benefit from too. It is Bosch specific to that dryer. I would have bought 2 black mats if I didn't get the screw down shelf.

You need a little room between the wall and your machines because when the washing machine spins it gets a good wobble up...which it does on the floor too. My husband has Alzheimers and it is hard to find someone to do a small job like moving heavy things. Hipages sometimes list "handyman". I have sent a couple of photos. All the best. Nice to see your efforts. Once it's sorted you'll be pleased you did it .

All comments

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @theparlourroom. Many thanks for your questions I'd be happy to assist.

I believe you have two separate yet linked issues here and unfortunately, they might counteract each other. In order to stop the machines walking around they need to be secured, yet in securing them we will inevitably transfer direct vibrations to the substrate.

Trying to break down the elements of the issues I think we should start with the vibrations, as it is easy for us to fix the units in place and stop them walking. If the units were not vibrating everything in that room and the next room when they were on the floor, then that would indicate the vibration is a direct result of being placed on the benchtop. I'd encourage you to take a look and see how the cupboards are fixed to the wall. If they were not installed specifically to have the machines on top of them then they would be fixed in place with just standard attachments. If machines are to be placed on top of cupboards then additional heavy-duty fixings and mounting points must be utilised.

If the cupboards are not mounted securely to the wall you might find when the machines are operating they produce excessive vibrations. This would be a vibration between the cupboards and the wall. We need to ensure solid mounting points, so check to see if it is just a few screws pinning the cupboard back to the wall. I would suggest several screws directly into the timber frame of the wall.

Once the cupboards are secured sufficiently the walking issue might resolve itself, otherwise, we can look at bolting the machines to the bench or utilising their wall mounting brackets to secure them in place.

Transferring the vibrations to the wall through solid mounting points will be drastically less destructive than the bench vibrating against the wall and hopefully will minimise the effect.

Let me mention some very helpful community members @redracer01 and @Brad to see if they had some thoughts to contribute on the issue.

Please let me know if you need further information or had questions.

Mitchell

Thank you so much! That is incredibly helpful. We didn’t actually attach the cupboards to the all, which now seems like such an amateur mistake! Your explanation makes so much sense. I’ll bolt it to the wall ASAP, and hopefully that will dramatically help. Thank you again. I really appreciate it!

I also put my washing machine and dryer on the bench and I love it. I bought a black non slip mat and put that under the washing machine and it doesn't move at all on the bench. Of course it still vibrates when it spins as it did in the ground. How did you go with the vibration?

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @gladice. It's great to have you join us and many thanks for your question.

Let me mention @theparlourroom so they are alerted to your question and hopefully can provide an update on their situation.

Do you happen to recall the type of mat you used as @theparlourroom might find it beneficial in their circumstance?

We look forward to hearing more about the projects around your house and garden and would encourage you to let us know if you ever need assistance or have something to share with the community.

Mitchell

That’s so great @gladice! How wonderful that it’s working well for you. I still haven’t had a chance to fix our shelves to the wall (I need help to move the heavy machines off the benchtop since my fiancé has a back injury, and I haven’t arranged for anyone to help yet). Thanks for sharing - you give me hope!! I’d love to know the details of the mat if you recall. I ordered one from The Good Guys, but Covid has meant they are out of stock indefinitely ...

Well done getting the machines up.!

Hi @gladice. Thank you for your kind words and advice. Your dryer base is fantastic! It’s great to have something to rest a basket on. My baskets fit perfectly in the drawer underneath, so I use them as a “shelf” when unloading! I’ve been having issues with our machine’s water since I moved it - it comes up with an error message that’s to do with pressure. I think I need to clamp the hose too - did you clamp yours so it doesn’t just go straight down? I think they need to go up first???? Great idea about hipages - I’ve used them before. Thanks again so much. Deb.

That looks like something I can do! Thank you.

MrsC

The advice for the benches for washer and dryer to sit on was great as l also would like to put mine on a bench in my Laundry 😃

It’s so much better than bending down!!!!

lnfolaundry. It's fabulous to have you join us and many thanks for jumping straight into the conversation.

Do you have a laundry renovation in the works or were you looking to make life easier in that space?

It would be great to hear more about your plans and we'd encourage you to let us know if you need any assistance or would like to share your project with the community. I trust you'll find loads of other inspirational projects for around your house and garden which our amazing members have contributed as well.

Mitchell

Update - we finally attached the cabinets to the wall, and then out a whole bunch of silicone under the workbench hoping that would help with some of the vibration. It’s working great! The anti-vibration pad from The Good Guys still hasn’t arrived, but it seems we won’t need it now. Thanks again for all the tips - very happy!!

Jason

Thanks for the update @theparlourroom.

Please let us know if you need a hand with anything.

Jason

Really, really pleased for you!
I also tweaked (literally a tweak and no more) one of the front legs and it has made even more of a difference. As the bench has settled it just needed a final adjustment. Here's to washing without bending.

Walzz

I built a timber stand for my elderly mother-in-law's front load washer out of 90x90 treated pine and dyna-bolted it to the floor. (It was solid)
To minimise vibration and the chance of it moving out of position I carefully adjusted each foot so that the machine was level left to right and front to back, using a spirit level. Once everything was level it made quite a difference. The only occasion the machine jumped around a was on the spin cycle if the load became unbalanced.

JDB

Hi @gladice.

how did you find out if the bench was strong enough. I am looking at updating our laundry. We have just bought a front loader and want to mount it up higher for easier access for my husband who also has back issues. Are Bunnings cabinetry strong enough? My machine is an 11 kg.

also the bracket fir the dryer with the pull out drawer do you know if you can get universal ones? My machines are fisher and paykel.

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @JDB. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about this amazing project.

Let me mention @gladice, so they are alerted to your questions.

Kaboodle cabinetry is certainly strong enough to hold the 11kg weight of your washing machine. As I've mentioned above, though, you would want to make sure the cabinetry is mounted securely to the wall.

Depending on the style of mount your dryer has, we stock both the Carinya Clothes Dryer Bracket Wall Mounting Kit and Carinya Universal Clothes Dryer Wall Mount Kit.

We'd encourage you to share your project with the community and reach out if you need any assistance. If you haven't already read through it, check out @Adam_W's article on How to plan a laundry renovation. You'll also find plenty of other inspiration in our Top 10 most popular laundry renovation projects.

We'll be looking forward to following along with your project.

Mitchell

JDB

Thanks Mitchell. I will check out those links. The washing machine has an 11kg capacity. But actually weighs 82kg plus water and clothes. Would it be strong enough.

EricL

Hi @JDB

The Kaboodle Cabinets are designed to hold the weight of timber and stone top benchtops. The cabinets have an 18mm timber backing panel. They are assembled using a combination of dowel and screw systems. As my colleague @MitchellMc has mentioned, if the cabinets are mounted securely to the wall, they will be able to take the weight of the machines.

However, adding extra support will always enhance the current structure of the cabinets. The trick to minimizing the vibration of the machines is to put them on vibration pads and leveling the machines until they are truly dead center. The only time the machines will ever truly vibrate is when they have an uneven load. Would it be possible for you to post a photo of your laundry area and its measurements? We can then offer you a possible layout for your cabinets and machines.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Hi all,

I'm a bit late to the party, but I have a similar question.

We just moved into a rental place and got a washer-dryer. It's currently in the laundry area behind a sliding door. Unfortunately, I didn't measure the space properly, and there's a pipe at the back preventing the machine from fitting completely within the laundry area. The sliding door won't close as a result (my partner wasn't too thrilled about that, haha!).

Does anyone have suggestions for a cabinet, table, or any other solution? Since we're renting, we can't really secure anything to the wall. The washer/dryer weighs 68kg, and we're looking for a cost-effective solution, even if it's a bit on the ugly side since it will be behind closed doors.

Thanks!

EricL

Hello @laurahei

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us.

Would it be possible for you to post a photo of the laundry area? A large panoramic shot if possible. This will give our members a chance to see what space is available. We can then make recommendations on how best to proceed.

If you need a hand posting the photo, please let me know.

Eric

Hi @EricL

Thank you. Please see the attached photos of our laundry area, the tube with the black tape is the one causing the issue.

We are currently considering the following options:

Buying an off-the-shelf solution (for example this if it can withstand 68kg & doesn't interfere with the taps: https://www.bunnings.com.au/cefito-610x610mm-stainless-steel-kitchen-bench)
Creating a DIY wooden frame with cross-connections for stability and vibration
Turning the washing machine 90 degrees sideways, placing it on casters, and rolling it out into the hallway each time it's in use (the washing machine is 50mm deeper than it is wide). Which may be quite annoying...

Let me know your thoughts.

Hi @laurahei,

Creating a platform and raising the machine above the pipe sounds like one of the only solutions.

The Cefito 610x610mm Stainless Steel Kitchen Bench has a weight rating of 58kg per castor, so it should be capable of holding the weight of your machine, but it's designed more for kitchen work tasks and not holding a machine that weighs 68kgs. You might like to consider building your own frame out of 70 x 35mm Pine. I've created a rendering below to showcase a simple method.

Having a standing drain pipe like that is a slightly unusual setup. Down the pipe just go straight down into the floor? Is there a sink nearby at all?

Mitchell

Hi Mitchell,

Thank you so much for your clear explanation & render.

The saga continues: we built the platform and placed the washing machine on it, but realised that we were still 1cm short and the second sliding door still couldn't be closed... So, next time we should triple measure before buying a washing machine / building a platform!

Jason

Oh no @laurahei. What are your next steps? Do you need a hand?

Jason