Making a podium for a washing machine with your own hands

Installing a podium under a washing machine is an original solution that allows you to rationally use the free area. The structure is a raised platform on which the washing unit is installed. A simple and accessible technique allows you not only to conveniently place the washing machine, but also to improve operating performance and get additional space for a laundry basket or storage of household chemicals.

Do you store laundry in the washing machine?

Oh yes! No.

The stand serves for rational use of space and ease of loading and unloading things. Modern bathrooms are compact and not spacious. In a small apartment, every square centimeter is important. To make the most of the available space, you have to save space and come up with useful tricks.

• Advantages of installing a washing machine on a podium
• Selecting a room
• Making a podium with your own hands
• Types of podiums
• Features of operating washing machines on the podium
• SMA catalog with reviews

Advantages of installing a washing machine on a podium

The device makes life easier and improves the ergonomics of space.

Washing machine stand with drawer

It has no disadvantages, but when used, a number of advantages appear:

• The design of the room becomes unusual and interesting. An opportunity is created to implement non-standard solutions.
• With the correct choice of height, loading and unloading of laundry occurs in comfortable conditions, without strain on the back and lower back. To do this, you don’t have to bend down, just open the tank door.
• It becomes possible to arrange a box or niche for storing small items.
• A well-made and securely fastened device reduces vibration during spinning and reduces noise during washing.
• To install the unit, you can use an unclaimed part of the home and save space.

Fastening the machine to the wall

Attaching a washing machine to the wall is a difficult and dangerous way to raise the product above the floor level. Poor installation of the machine exposes it to possible fall and breakage.

You can hang the car on the wall anywhere. But in order to do this harmoniously and originally, you should choose places filled with other furniture nearby. For example, you can attach the machine near the boiler or install it in a wall cabinet in the kitchen.

The washing machine can be mounted above the floor even at a height of one meter. The main thing is to do it safely and sustainably. To ensure that the structure does not wobble and everything works correctly, it is worth screwing the mounting bolts deeply into the wall. After that, you need to hang the machine on them. For reliable fixation and safety, it is worth installing a special stand underneath the product.

Selecting a room

It is possible to build an elevation in any room where it is appropriate to do laundry, and where there is such an opportunity. The most popular options, except for the bathroom:

• toilet;
• storage room;
• kitchen;

• loggia or veranda;
• combined bathroom.

Placement in the bathroom

Some types of location are not suitable for an ordinary city apartment. They are used by owners of cottages and private houses.

For city residents, a good solution would be to install appliances in the kitchen. In this case, it is placed in a pre-designed niche of the kitchen unit or in the space between cabinets.

If the choice fell on the toilet, then it is better to place a platform behind the toilet. When installing in a bathroom, the area under the sink is most often used. In other cases, the decision is made based on the dimensions of the room and its type.

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.

Making a podium with your own hands

Creating a useful thing on your own is a simple process. Construction will require inexpensive building materials and a minimum set of tools. The device must be stable and reliable, able to withstand not only the weight of the machine, which sometimes reaches 80 kg, but also the load due to vibration. To create such an elevation you may need:

• concrete blocks or foam blocks;
• silicate or ceramic brick;
• wooden beam;

• steel channel or metal corner;
• polycarbonate plates;
• dry concrete mixture.

DIY option

Less durable, but much more aesthetic materials are suitable for cladding:

• ceramic or tiles;
• waterproof drywall;
• PVC plates;

• plastic;
• laminated or waterproof chipboard.

In addition, you need to prepare a standard set of tools that can be found in any home craftsman’s pantry, as well as dry cement mixture and tile adhesive. To work you will need:

• construction pencil and square;
• tape measure or measuring tape;
• crosshead screwdriver;
• hacksaw;

• drill;
• level;
• electric screwdriver;
• bucket;
• Master OK.

Do you wash your shoes in the machine?

Oh yes! No

The manufacturing process may vary depending on the degree of complexity, the chosen design and the materials used. When installing the podium, you must ensure that it does not block access to the sewer system and water supply. Otherwise, the inlet hose cannot be installed and the device will not be able to operate.

Expert opinion

I work in the household appliance repair industry. Extensive experience in restoring washing machines and dishwashers.

Ask a Question

It is important that the surface of the pedestal is strictly horizontal. When installing, check the plane with a building level. A prerequisite is ideal smoothness and absence of changes.

To compensate for vibration loads, a damper tape, isolon or polyethylene foam is laid under the machine. The finishing is done with plasterboard and tiles that match the shade and texture of the walls or floor. It is attached to a special moisture-resistant glue, having previously treated the surface with a primer.

Podium for compact SMA in the bathroom

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

Types of podiums

The simplest option is easy to implement and requires a minimum of skills, money and time. The stand is made of timber. The work consists of the following stages:

1. It is necessary to take two wooden beams, each 65 cm long, and lay them parallel to each other. The gap between them should correspond to the width of the washing unit.
2. Place the boards on the beam and attach them with self-tapping screws, leaving a small protrusion in front. A floorboard cut with a hacksaw into pieces of suitable size will do. Instead, you can take a double furniture panel, glued and fastened with reliable screws.
3. Attach a board 30 mm wide to the ledge with its edge. Secure it with self-tapping screws.

Advantages - ease of execution, quiet washing, the presence of a side, which serves for additional fixation of the unit and limits its dynamics during vibration. The downside is the lack of a shelf for small items and the material’s insufficient resistance to water.

Expert opinion

I work in the household appliance repair industry. Extensive experience in restoring washing machines and dishwashers.

Ask a Question

It is recommended to give preference to moisture-resistant types of wood. The best option is Siberian larch.

A more complex method is suitable for those who have time, have repair skills and are not afraid of difficulties. The stand is made of brick. The bottom line is this:

1. The brick is laid in the form of two walls located parallel to each other. The distance between them must correspond to the width of the machine.
2. On top of the prepared supports, a polycarbonate slab is attached to the cement mortar.
3. The front surface is trimmed with a metal corner.

The system is more reliable than the previous one and creates a spacious volume in the lower part. You can put small items in a niche or arrange a drawer on wheels. This solution will add aesthetics to the design and make it comfortable.

Podium with box

The location of the washing machine in the toilet room is suitable for small apartments. The progress of work looks like this:

• the drain pipe is bricked;
• build supports between the toilet cistern and the wall;
• install the slab and corner;
• covered with ceramic tiles.

This method saves space, but not every toilet can do it. Using the lower niche for storing things or arranging drawers is difficult or impossible.

The best, but not the most economical, option is to use appropriately sized blocks or polycarbonate slabs. They are folded into the required shape and secured with self-tapping screws. The material is resistant to mechanical damage, impact-resistant, not afraid of moisture and looks aesthetically pleasing. It has one drawback - the relatively high price.

After installation, it is important not only to lift the equipment, but also to provide everything necessary for its normal operation:

1. Prepare a sufficiently long hose to supply water.
2. Calculate the distance to the outlet so as not to resort to an extension cord.
3. To drain, you will have to raise the sewer pipe; it must exceed the height of the stand by 40 cm. An elbow is connected to the old one, a piece of pipe of the required size is connected to it, and a hose is installed in the sewer.

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.

Features of operating washing machines on the podium

• When spinning, the unit may vibrate, which does not exclude the possibility of falling from the pedestal. This is especially true for narrow and unstable cars.
• To protect against accidents, elevations are installed around the perimeter and the equipment is adjusted to the level. To prevent the washing machine from falling forward, one side on the side of the facade is enough.

• The height of the pedestal should be carefully thought out and create comfort during use. If the elevation is too high, it will be difficult to reach the powder tray.
• This is especially important when installing the device behind the toilet. If the height is low, it will not be possible to use the niche below and you will have to lean forward when loading and unloading laundry.

A podium for a washing machine allows you to optimize space and eliminate the disadvantages of equipment. When space is limited, this is the best way to make the most of available capabilities. A properly mounted structure will dampen vibration and reduce noise during operation, and also make the operation of the equipment more comfortable.

Video

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:

1. 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.
2. The plan should reflect the proposed location of all large items, including the freezer, refrigerator, hob and dishwasher.
3. 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.
4. All equipment and furniture must be shown on a plan with dimensions and location.