Walk-In Closet & Laundry Room: The Work Has Begun! (Plus, Should I Put Tile In The Laundry Area?)
Last week was a bummer. But this week is shaping up to be a lot better with a lot more progress. Already this morning, I’m seeing progress on the walk-in closet and laundry area.
I’m hoping they can finish removing the flooring and subfloor by the end of the day.
Once they get the vapor barrier, insulation, and new subfloor installed, they’ll be building a new wall about here to separate the room into two areas. And then they’ll have to add the electrical outlets and plumbing for the washer and dryer.
I can’t even tell you how excited I am that by the end of this week, I’ll probably have a laundry room. It’ll still need flooring, but that will be up to me to install and finish the flooring. And I’ll be very motivated to get that done just so that I can get my washer and dryer moved in here. Even though it’ll be a while before I can finish out the area (because I want to do the bedroom first), just being able to move the washer and dryer out of the sunroom will feel like a huge improvement.
Another thing that I’ll have them do while they’re here is to center the door into this room so that it’s centered with the window and will be centered with the doorway between the closet and the laundry area.
And I have decided that I’m not going to put a door between the hallway and the walk-in closet, and I am going to take that doorway all the way up to the ceiling to make the two entrances (into the closet and into the bedroom) have a cohesive look.
The challenge is that the entrance into the walk-in closet can’t go all the way up to the ceiling because that wall is load-bearing and it would be way too structurally challenging (and expensive) to remove that top plate. So they’re going to open it up to the top place of the wall and leave that exposed for me to deal with. I already have a plan for how to deal with that little hurdle.
Anyway, one thing that dawned on me this weekend is that I had planned to put hardwood flooring all throughout this whole area, from the new bedroom French doors, all through the closet and laundry area, the hallway, and the bedroom. So basically, all of this area in the orange.
But does that make sense to put hardwood flooring in a laundry area? Most laundry rooms don’t have hardwood flooring. I mean, it’s not completely unheard of, but tile seems to be the go-to flooring for bathrooms and laundry room.
So now I’m thinking that I might need to plan for tile just in the laundry area, which will be separated from the closet by a 15-lite pocket door.
Maybe I’m overthinking it. But maybe not. I really think I should put tile in that area, right? I’ve never had a proper laundry room before, so let me know your experiences. Have you had hardwood flooring in a laundry room before? And if so, was it a problem?
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
I definitely agree that tile is the way to go in the laundry room. If you want to “warm-up” the space a bit you could add some kind of floor covering. Maybe a neutral sisal rug (or something similar) so that it doesn’t compete with the beautiful wall ceiling covering that you have planned for the closet. As always, I really look forward to seeing what you choose!
I’ve had hardwoods in the bathroom and loved the cohesive look. Never had a problem. My laundry in first house was in the garage and second house was in the basement. Third and FINAL house it’s on the first floor with tile. But I’ve hardwood in all the rooms and definitely would have loved hardwood in there. Maybe in the future I’ll change it out.
I do have hardwood flooring in my kitchen where the washing machine also is located and the floor doesn’t look too good. I’m not sure if laundry facilities all by themselves will be too bad for the wood, but the typical splashing and more from kitchen work have left a distinct mark. If you finish and seal the floor accordingly it might not be a problem, though. How often did you have water seeping from the washing machine onto the floor? I guess: not very often as it’s rare to happen. But tiling that area would have another advantage in creating the feel of a separate room. With your eye and ideas for decorative patterns, that could be a genius design choice! I cannot wait to see what you come up with.
I haven’t had any problems with my current (new) washer, but my old one leaked pretty badly. I don’t anticipate any problem with this new one, but then again, we never really do anticipate those problems. They always seem to sneak up on us and catch us off guard.
Absolutely no hardwood in the laundry room, IMO.
I love the smell of sawdust first thing in the morning, no, really, it means that work is occurring. I love it. Now, we used a product called luxury vinyl plank, for our mudroom, and our new family room portion of the house. This stuff is bulletproof, and it takes all the abuse this farm can dish out and looks just like my hardwood floors right next to it. It came about years ago, the stuff they use in grocery stores and their produce department, so think about that, if it can take that kind of abuse, you should be good to go. I wouldn’t do tile in a laundry room if you paid me. Our friend who is wheelchair bound and his wife, have removed all the tile in their home, because his new chair weighs so much more it was damaging the tile. This way your closet has the hardwood, and the laundry area has the look of it, but the durability of the waterproof vinyl. They even make a luxury vinyl tile, that comes in some pretty awesome patterns and styles. Check it out, you may find what you are looking for. I am so excited for you guys today and this week.
Cheers!
Agree with those wood looking floors at the grocery store. I would use it in every room!
¹I would investigate installing a linear drain in the laundry room. And have you looked at Marmoleum? It’s a green product that blends easily with vintage houses.
Marmoleum is really cool. It comes in different colors and you can do patterns. The look is similar to that marbled square vinyl tile you find in 50s buildings, only fresher looking.
Otherwise I’d suggest Linoleum, like Armstrong. Yeah it’s classic, it’s vinyl and it’s not “green” but it is resilient and comes in patterns that are more pleasing to today’s tastes.
I came here to suggest the vinyl “wood” flooring. This laundry room seems like a perfect application for it. Lori, your comment is perfectly expressed!
I agree luxury vinyl tile is the way to go and it’s pretty indestructible
Kristi I love my luxury vinyl waterproof plank flooring. I have had in in my home for 14 years. I love it in all my rooms but it is fantastic in both bathrooms, kitchen and laundry room. I put it in so my elderly Mom could use her walker and wheelchair without a problem. It has gone through my spills , dog nails, furniture moves, etc without any scratches or damage. Everyone who comes over always tells me what beautiful wood floors I have in my home. Just wanted to say how easy they are to keep clean.
Another vote for LVT. My sister just had it installed in her new home and the latest varieties are gorgeous (and a bit more expensive than the original kind). However you go, I would coat the joists and the sub-floor with waterproofing (the kind used behind shower tiles). If you do have a leak, it would be great to not have it destroy these.
If you ever have an issue where your washer leaks, tile would be much easier to salvage. But if your subfloor is wood it may still need to be ripped up. Our Laundry is on slab with tile, so if we flood the flooring wouldn’t need to be ripped up. Otherwise I don’t think it matters.
I agree with Stephanie, with a wood subfloor it may not matter much, other than your ability to get matching flooring if part ever needed to be replaced in the future. They do make drain pans you can put under your washing machine to help for minor leaks, which may be an additional safeguard for you.
It has been known for washing machines to flood, and if you need to take out the filter it’s usually a bit messy. I’d put in a waterproof floor covering. In fact if it were mine, I’d put in a fancy sheet vinyl (that looked like stone or tile). I’ve lived with stone, and ceramic tile, and terracotta tile, and frankly nowadays I’d choose vinyl without hesitation.
I love sheet vinyl! We had a pipe break in the bathroom wall and it did flood a bedroom and closet that are adjacent to the bathroom. The bathroom with the sheet vinyl just needed to be wiped up. We had to tear out other flooring that was soaked.
I have hardwood floors in my laundry room, never had any problems. I love the look of the same floor flowing from room to room.
100% agree with you! Love hardwood flooring!
Tile is generally used for laundry, however, they do make plastic trays or drip pans that go under washers and dryers for this very purpose if you want the flooring to be cohesive.
The problem with the plastic tray is it is not going to help if you aren’t one to turn your hoses off every time you are finished doing the laundry. I know three people who have had hoses crack when washer was not in use and water sprayed out over the floor.
It happened to me and fortunately I was home and heard it. It sprayed out about four feet across the room. Definitely go with the vinyl planking ….
so much easier to keep clean and there are so many to choose from.
You could do luxury vinyl or wood-look tile to match the hardwood. That’s what we have. It gives you a cohesive look without the worries of water ruining the floor.
They dont make thin strip LVP. I looked everywhere!
We just did a kitchen remodel. We have a large closet area that has the w/d. Did wood floors through out. Wanted a seamless look. My husband put a leak detector alarm under the washer(cheap and easy) We can catch it if it ever leaks before any damage is done. Dishwashers are more likely to leak and you have wood floor in the kitchen
I have luxury sheet vinyl in my laundry. It has a great wear layer and warranty, and no seams. I did this because it’s much easier to change out down the road if I want to, and there are so many patterns. I recently tore out floor tile in a bathroom and I never want to go through that again, along with trying to keep the grout clean.
I’ve never had laundry machines on hardwood but, in 30 years of homeownership, never had a laundry leak either so if you want that cohesive look, I wouldn’t tell you no. And a washing machine drip and drain pan should take care of small leaks and give you hardwood throughout that would make it easier to repurpose the space if you ever decide you want the laundry elsewhere (not that you would ever change your mind 🙃) On the other hand, given the history of water damage to hardwood floors in this house, tile might not be a bad idea either. Looking forward to seeing this project come together!
You can always ask your plumber about a drain pan. The washer sets on top of a small pan with a lip and if the washer were to leak/overflow, it will leak inside the pan that has a drain tied into the plumbing drain.
Even if you install tile and you have a leak, the water could always flow to the adjoining room/wall and still cause damage to hardwood.
I came to say this as well. This should be very easy to do, especially with your type of foundation and while they’re working in there already. I would use a drain pain regardless of flooring type. That said, I have tile in my laundry room and cleaning is quick and easy.
If you have the option, I wouldn’t suggest using genuine hardwood flooring in a laundry room. If you ever have a problem with the washer you’ll ruin your floor. But you’ve got hardwoods in your kitchen and I think your guest bathroom and other places throughout the house, so maybe it doesn’t matter to you.
I live in south Louisiana in a home with pier and beam construction. My house flooded in 2016. I had to rip out tile, vinyl tile, etc. to the subfloor and replace. Thankfully, most of my 100+ year old flooring is cypress and just needed to be sanded and stained. My recommendation is to pick whatever is easiest to replace, cause if it floods, you’ll most likely be replacing it regardless. As a precaution for most vinyl floors, my contractor did not recommend them because my floor is not perfectly level. He said all the imperfections would show through the vinyl floors.
My laundry closet is adjacent to my kitchen with red oak floors throughout. I have a pan under the washing machine to catch any small leaks but I have had no issues with the hardwood floors and the laundry area coexisting.
If you prefer the hardwood, I would go ahead with it BUT I would install a system like this https://www.moen.ca/search/shutoff?utm_source=flo-landing-page for your home since it is all open right now. It will let you know and you can turn the whole house off with your phone to minimize damage if anything leaks. I once had to replace my first floor brand new hardwood, and I did not enjoy it.
When you talked wood I immediately worried about the laundry room. I’ve had a few floods, and the water went under into the next room with wood. So far, we survived, but I know we are better with tile in the actually laundry room. I think it is safer, or get a pan for underneath. It just seems there is always that possibility in there that water leaks, gets splashed, or drips on the wood.
Choose the flooring you love best, knowing there is the potential for leaks. That said, might I suggest your plumber include a floor drain near your washer, just in case? Are you doing a laundry sink as well? It could be under the sink, essentially out of sight but there if you need it. You really don’t want flooding to ooze into your closet area, should it ever happen.
I’d do tile, for sure. If you ever had an issue with a washer leak, it won’t damage the floor. Those issues are rare, but they do happen. And you live in a humid area, so tile in the laundry room makes even more sense.
I had hardwood flooring in my laundry room in my former home. Had it for 20 years. Zero problems!
One reader said, “given the history of this house,” isn’t that a good point!! There are lots of LVP options you can choose from to make it look pretty. We have LVP all over in our home, it looks beautiful and is durable, waterproof etc. You’ve had so many issues, seems like the safest choice with least stress would be a good option. Pretty throw rugs too, of course.
Our first floor laundry room has a hardwood floor, continuous from the rest of the first floor. It’s never been a problem. You can always put one of those trays under the washer in case of a leak.
I put hardwood in my laundry room when we built, like you I wanted it to go all through. That was a huge mistake, just the heat from the dryer alone warped that solid oak floor, so we put in vinyl flooring, the moisture content warped and caused it to peel. So YES tile that floor in the laundry room and save yourself the heartache, frustration, and your back from moving those appliances in and out.
We put a Washing Machine Tray under our washing machine even though we have tile. We got it from Home Depot. It’s just extra precaution if the machine ever leaked.
I saw a designer build a very shallow riser set for their washer and drier, much like a 2×4 cabinet base, with a lip. They lined the entire inside of the lip with waterproof material and had a drain line installed. The machines sat nicely inside the finished base and were flanked by cabinetry so it was cohesive. It was beautiful!
We’ve had hardwood floors in our laundry room for 19 years with no issues. They still look beautiful.
It only takes one leak to make days of work, replacing flooring. I’m not sure why so many people are resistent to using sheet vinyl. It’s improved immensely and is easy to install, easy to clean, and easy to change if you want a new look.
Definitely tile
Laundry rooms have water connectionS to the washing machine and washing machine leaks are common. There are trays designed to catch leaks, but not floods! One suggestion is to put a drain in floor and tile the laundry room. In 50 years I’ve had numerous mishaps with connections and machines!
I would do tile if you can. Makes the inevitable water much less of a worry. And if it’s not too late, I would see if they can add a drain where the washer will be, so the water can go out that in the event of a leak.
Prepare for the worst case scenario in the laundry room. Install tile and floor drain that will take care of water if there is a leak, washer hose ruptures, frozen pipes, etc.
This would be my option, as well!
My partner used to work in insurance. He says it’s never “what if” I have a water problem, it’s “when.” You already experienced a water issue in your hallway as well as subsequent repairs. I would not take a chance. I’d install attractive tile and mitigate a future water “what if” as much as possible.
I believe you can’t put hardwood floor in areas that are prone to moisture. I almost did it in my kitchen and laundry room until i read this.( and i believe you dont want warp floors again, just saying)
Hardwood can be used in a laundry room, but it’s not the best option because of the moisture and heat from washing machines and dryers. Here are some things to consider:
Solid hardwood
Solid hardwood is susceptible to warping and buckling from moisture. If your laundry room floods, you might need to replace the hardwood.
Engineered hardwood
Engineered hardwood is more stable than solid hardwood and can be a good choice for a laundry room. However, the top veneer can delaminate if the laundry room floods.
Waterproof hardwood
Some types of hardwood are manufactured to be water resistant. For example, H2OME Waterproof Hardwoods by LIFECORE can withstand up to 72 hours of water submersion.
Site-finished hardwood
Site-finished hardwood is a better choice than pre-finished hardwood because the seams have been filled with sealant.
I have tile in my laundry room and quite a few pieces are broken. Maybe it wasn’t put in right, but with th shifting in Texas, it could be a problem
I would try to find that tile that looks like wood flooring but is actually tile. So it’s still cohesive but practical
While our washer never leaked, the hose that connects the washer to the water supply leaked. We were about to leave for a long weekend when we heard a spraying noise. We found the source of the sound in the laundry room with the hose spraying water, forcefully, up the wall and behind the washer. We were so happy we found it before leaving. We would have come home to inches of water in our finished basement. A floor drain in the laundry room is also a good idea.
Absolutely tile in the bathroom. I’ve had several times where my sink has overflowed or something happened to my washing machine and I was so grateful I had tile.
You have had water disasters in the past. We have all had the washer that projectile vomits all over the floor, usually on a holiday. I have a laundry closet with a tile floor and a drain in that floor, and I’m glad about it.
Title the laundry room, then you don’t have to worry about the “what ifs”. Besides you get to pick out something new! We like helping you decide. Is the ceiling in the laundry room going to be papered with the same as the ceiling in the closet?
I know you are excited because you have me excited! Does your laundry room have a sink in it? A perfect laundry room for me would be one with a utility sink in it and a rod or line to hang hand washable or clothes to put up.
Glad this week is better.
Tile the laundry area. Not title it. We you might “title” it too. My fabric room has a sign on it THE STORE.
The drain idea is a great suggestion. I’d have that in my dream laundry area. I’d learn to type and spell better too.
At my daughters insistance I have enginered hardwood flooring in my family, sunroom, dining room and kitchen. I did put my foot down and have tile in my laundry room. It has been down for about 7 years now. All has gone well, had a minor spill over of the sink in the laundry room, no problem. Well until this week and my refrigerator defrost line clogged and put water all under the flooring in the kitchen. Now two weeks later the outside faucet froze and sent even more water under the kitchen sink and of course under the flooring. So where water is present I personally think tile flooring is best.
I have always had vinyl flooring in my laundry areas, and thankfully never had a floor be damaged by water. They have pans that you can install under the washer just in case of leaking, and also have alarms that go off if water reaches the sensor, which you could utilize. If I were you, I would run the same flooring in the laundry AND closet, using large-format vinyl tiles. They offer a wide range of designs, even some that look like wood, and are super easy to maintain!
When I had a second floor laundry room the washer sat in a shallow pan with a drain, so that any leaks would not have been a problem. If you can do that I don’t see any reason why you would have a problem with hardwood. I would stain and save a few planks just in case.
If you want some extra safety, you could install a stainless steel drain pan under your washer. That way, if it ever does start to leak, the water would be contained, and drain away on it’s own.
Our laundry room is right off the kitchen and the maple hardwood is continuous throughout the house, including bathrooms. It’s been 38 years since the house was built and no problems. I will say however that we have an AC vent in the laundry room and the door is usually ajar so there is plenty of airflow to prevent moisture buildup. We don’t have a washer pan either.
My laundry room is off my kitchen and we have had genuine, solid hardwood (not engineered wood) flooring right through both areas for over 20 years. Our back door to outside to a covered pergola area is also off the laundry room.
Twice I have flooded my laundry room when my sink, into which the water flow from my washer, was accidentally blocked.
Luckily, both times I was at home and was able to mop up fairly immediately, with no damage to my floor 😃
No damage either, coming in from outside with dirty boots after gardening.
(I’ve since had my washer directly plumbed in to the sink drainpipe to avoid this happening again).
As our laundry room internal door to the kitchen is often open, I love that my hardwood floor continues seamlessly through.
I say having tile on yours isn’t mandatory. 😊
I can’t wait to see your suite completed to your usual and wonderful finish 💖
I have hardwood throughout my home, including the laundry room. It was great until my washer sprung a slow leak and ruined the floor beneath the washer. The wood came out…tile went in. Now, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Oh probably tile. They have some amazing wood look tile
these days so you could investigate that.
Seriously need tile in the laundry room and since you are doing it yourself – put a drain in it also. Washers flood, connections come loose, hoses burst.
Tile would be wonderful in laundry room and know you would pick out a great style. If you are not already doing so I would recommend going with stainless steel braided water supply hoses. The rubber ones are susceptible to dry rot and are the cause of the awful flooding incidents when they burst.
Drain in laundry area with pretty tile.
I have had hardwood (stained and sealed) in a kitchen before. No problems but didn’t have leaks, either. So that would be the question, whether it’s worth the chance of having a leak or overflow or whatever.
Where is your hot water tank? I’ve had problems with mine a couple of times and would not want a hardwood floor where the tank is.
Hi Kristi,
When we reno’d our kitchen/laundry/pantry, we definitely put tile in the laundry room. There is water there, you’ll be moving wet clothes from washer to dryer and if there is ever a leak in your washer, tile can handle that much better. Wood, not so much. We did put wood flooring in our kitchen and are constantly double checking the floor for any drips, spills, etc. From your plans, it looks like you won’t see the tile unless you’re actually IN the laundry room? Pick something you like and make the threshold between the tile and wood flush and you’ll be all set. Matt will be able to go into the laundry if your surfaces are flush. Good luck – can’t wait to see all your progress. So exciting!
I also am a huge fan of LVP; however, it might look strange next to the hardwood in the , which i believe you’ll be matching to the rest of the hardwood ìn your home. I doubt you’ll be able to find an LVP that’s an exact match, and if they don’t look EXACTLY the same, it’s better to go with a high contrast (like stone tile). To me, trying to match two different materials right next to each other almost always falls short. Our eyes can easily pick up on that slight variance, and once you notice it, you’ll never be able to unsee it (if you’re anything like me).
I wonder, though, if you COULD use hardwood in both the laundry room and closet, but pour a layer of clear epoxy over the hardwood in the laundry area. I think this could provide the extreme waterproofing you need in the laundry room, without interrupting the look of a continuous hardwood floor.
The tile that looks like wood would be my choice.
I would strongly recommend tile in your laundry room. While the LVP many have mentioned can be gorgeous, I don’t think you will find one that matches your hardwood floor that the LVP would be butted up next to. Tile would look more intentional and not like you are trying to match the hardwood floors. As far as putting hardwood floors in your laundry room, it would be beautiful. And even though your washing machine is newer and you don’t expect a problem, it only takes one time to ruin your floor. I personally would not do hardwoods.
You could build a platform with an integrated drain to set the machines on so you can avoid the plastic tub things that are a pita to deal with. Floor that with tile or vinyl or whatever. The rest of the room could be hardwood. There are devices you can install on the plumbing to automatically shut water off if there is ever a burst hose.
We have tile in the laundry room and hardwood nearly throughout the rest of the house. The ice maker leaked while we were on vacation. We came home to a huge mess. The floor had swelled and buckled badly. Something you might want to consider is putting in a floor drain in the laundry room hardwood. If you do have a leak at least it would be contained. I wish we had since we had issues with our old washer as well. Luckily I was home to catch it.
I just started following farmhouseish on Instagram she has lots of good diy projects, but her walk-in closet is wonderful. I thought you might enjoy looking at it.