How to retrofit dryer vent in laundry floor?

[TheDave]

Hi there, I have a tiled laundry in a fairly new build and, unfortunately, the laundry is in the middle of the house so no direct access to outside. The layout means the dryer needs to be on the floor and so the most direct way to vent it is via the floor. I have a large crawl space so can easily get under to pipe it to the side of the house, so the only hurdle is the floor itself. I have no idea how to approach it - I know there are tiles on top and wooden substrate on the bottom. What will I find in between (expecting waterproofing)? And any suggestions of what I need to do to keep it waterproofed and sealed?

[EricL]

Hi @TheDave 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your dryer outlet.

Although it might appear to be a straightforward installation there are few things that come to mind that might need to be addressed before you begin. Cutting the tile will require a large tile cutter, then there is the waterproofing as you mentioned and the timber floor that will be affected as well.

Is there a way for you to drill through the wall instead? This will allow you to run the exhaust through the floor in the other room without having to compromise the flooring of the laundry area. Another idea is to run the exhaust up the corner wall and link it through the ceiling cavity to an exit point in the eave.

If you decide to go through the laundry floor, I suggest consulting a waterproofing specialist and getting their opinion on how to properly seal the edge of the hole. 

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1 and @TedBear for their recommendations.   

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[Dave-1]

Afternoon @TheDave 

Welcome to the Bunnings Community page Its a good place to solve these type of questions, even tho some answers may be hard.

I really hesiate to break the waterproofing of the laundry in any kind of way. I would be trying to think of other ways to exit the hot air.Either by a vent grill in the door to the laundry or some sort of exhaust fan into the ceiling cavity. 

What does the dyer information booklet say about "having" or suggesting that it needs to be vented?

A few photos might help in offereing some other solutions, otherwise I would follow @EricL's advice about talking to a plumber about the waterproofing before attempting anything.

Dave

[TheDave]

Thanks for coming back to me both, I really appreciate it. The dryer doesn’t need to be vented but is encouraged. The issue is that the laundry gets very damp when the dryer is on, so definitely needs to be vented in my opinion. I’ve attached a photo of the set up as an fyi (dryer is on the left).

The shared wall at the back is into the en suite (so same issue) and into the left is the master bedroom.

A roof extract would be possible but the length of the extract would be 6-7m with a couple of right angles, so an additional extraction fan would be needed along the way (and I was hoping to avoid electrics if possible) 

[MitchellMc]

Hi @TheDave,

I think your floor exit is possible, but as mentioned, you'd need to consult with an experienced waterproofer as this is not a typical installation. Penetrating the waterproofing and then installing a suitable port for the vent pipe to travel through while also ensuring the integrity of the membrane could prove to be a tricky endeavour.

Mitchell

[Dave-1]

Morning @TheDave 

You mention an aditional extraction fan? If there is an existing one then all you need to do is turn that on when the dryer is running? 

I actually like the idea of the warmth of it during winter warming the house for free (Well you know what I mean, you need the clothes dried so its double using the heat) 

Nice looking laundry btw. Mmmmm looking at the photo, you could have some "vents" in the top of the bench above the drier and then the heat could be ducted straight up?

Dave

[TheDave]

Not an existing one, I’d need to add one in to help the air travel that far I suspect. And thanks, we did that ourselves, pretty happy with it, just this last part to go!