It would seem that my long-lived system of dealing with my laundry (i.e., taking 20-30 loads to my favorite laundromat every so many months) isn't as perfect as it appears. And what with living in a house and trying to make more sense out of my domestic responsibilities... I'm creating a New Laundry System. (I'm sure this will capture your interest on a daily, if not hourly, basis. I am a slave to the entertainment demands of the public.)

Phase One: Installing the Washer & Dryer

In my basement (to be precise, at the end of the "garage") I'm setting up the Kenmore washer & dryer that came with the house. Oh, if it were as simple as that last sentence sounds. The previous owners of the house evidently drained the washer into the garage floor, and so on. I'm determined to Bring It Up To Code, and have retained a plumber and an electrician to arrive on Thursday, 9/26/02, for all the technical connections and such.

Meanwhile, I've been constructing -- from scratch, mind you -- the platform for these units. On Monday (9/23/02) I hit Lowe's and returned with a CR-V full of lumber & masonry:

On Tuesday (9/24/02) I laid out the supports for this 6' x 5' platform (using pressure-treated 2x4s, pre-cut to size at Lowe's):

After screwing the boards together (using 2.5" galvanized screws) I attached the 3/4" plywood floor:

Then I raised the platform by setting it on the concrete deck blocks -- probably easier with two people, but I managed to Philip-handle the very heavy box on top of the blocks:

So this is the elevated platform (some 9" off the basement floor, yet enough headroom for 6'4" me to stand on it):

On Wednesday (9/25/02) I almost installed a ceiling light over the laundry area, but put that off for another time when I have some screws that aren't as long; also, I plan to double-check my electrical train of thought with the electrician on Thursday. I applied adhesive to the plywood and laid down the vinyl floor:

Here's a close-up of the vinyl floor pattern:

On Thursday (9/26/02) the plumber (Action Plumbing) and electrician (Electric Medic) showed up and did the necessary work for attaching the washer and dryer. I hooked 'em up -- they seem to run!

Phase Two: Creating the Master Closet

The circa-1940s closet in my bedroom is oddly wide (some 10 feet) and narrow (22 inches), with only a 2-foot wide door for access.

I'd originally considered pushing back the closet wall onto the screen porch, to gain a couple feet of access, but now see that as unrealistic. My current plan is to use a wall in the bedroom for the closet, installing a closet system with two-tiers of hanging storage and several shelves, and adding a ceiling curtain track to separate it from the bedroom.

On Thursday (10/3/02) I started by measuring and gathering materials (fortunately I was able to re-use everything from the walk-in closet at my old apartment).

First, I added two levels of hanging storage (one at 85.5" high and the other at 42" high):

Next, I added the shelves and shelf track to suspend the, well, the shelves:

And finally, after only some four hours of work (or "Time Away from TiVo"):

Still to come are some finishing touches (a More Level Washing Machine; a Partition & Counter next to the Washer/Dryer; Improved Lighting for the W/D and for the "Closet"; perhaps a Curtain or two...)

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