Con Upstairs Laundry Room: Possible floor damage
It’s typical to find concrete floors or other heavy-duty style flooring downstairs in a property. These waterproof or water-resistant styles of floors are purpose-built with laundry in mind, along with similar tasks performed in the kitchen or utility room.
However, upstairs is a different picture. The first floor of a property often contains carpet and similar flooring geared more towards comfort than practicality. That’s because houses are traditionally designed to have all of the functional tasks such as cooking and laundry downstairs, with the upstairs mostly reserved for sleeping, with the exception of the bathroom of course.
So one of the considerations of moving the laundry room upstairs is whether the floors need to be adapted. The exception to this would be if you are looking to install the machine in a bathroom that can already withstand excess moisture and liquid spillages.
Otherwise, there is the risk of possible floor damage, especially in older or poorly constructed houses. Water leaks or floods from malfunctioning appliances can cause structural issues below, such as warped floors or water damage to the ceilings. Therefore, the choice of floor makes a huge difference in the adaptability of the space.
While measures can be taken to mitigate these risks such as installing a leak detector, carrying out regular maintenance and installing overflow pans, flooring is a factor to consider when contemplating an upstairs laundry room.