Does A Laundry Room Need A Door? (2024)

FAQs

Should you have a door on your laundry room? ›

The Practicalities Of A Laundry

They will reduce excess moisture that can cling to walls and cause paintwork to deteriorate and eliminate mould. Opening windows and doors now and again will offer natural ventilation to lengthen the lifespan of your laundry room interior.

Closet installation requires a vented door and additional space around stacked machines to dissipate dryer heat.

Ventilation is an important consideration when choosing doors for a laundry room. If you don't select a style that allows air to circulate (such as a louvered door), be sure your space has another form of ventilation so the heat and humidity created by the washer and dryer can escape.

You may also want to keep hand soap nearby if you've got a sink, as well as all-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner and any other cleaners you use in or near your laundry room. You can also store your dustpan, mop, gloves, broom and other cleaning tools right in your laundry room with a roll-out storage area and some hooks.

Remove your laundry promptly, so others can use the machines without having to handle your items. Be respectful of other people's belongings. Never put someone else's clothes on the floor. Don't remove clothes before a cycle is complete.

Curtains. Installing a curtain over your closet is a simple alternative to a new door. You can customize a closet curtain in countless ways. Go bold with dark colors or distinct patterns.

Telling them to 'come in the back door' isn't always the best option, especially if your back door leads straight into your kitchen. Muddy footprints, paw prints and piles of dirty clothes are not what your kitchen is for. That's why any utility room you build should (wherever possible) feature an external door.

There is no building code or home design rule that dictates that walk-in wardrobes must have doors. In the last few years, open floor plans have gained more popularity which is why wardrobes without doors have become a norm.

The door leading into the room should be at least 32 inches wide. Most are only 30 inches wide. I'd install a pocket door so no floor space on either side of the laundry room is wasted.

Bifold doors are perfect for washing day.

Is a louvered door required for a laundry room? ›

They may not actually require louvered closet doors, but providing ventilation would be a good idea. Louvered doors are often the most practical way to provide ventilation.

It's more common for mold and mildew to develop in front-loading washers, but Better Homes and Gardens says it can happen in top-loaders, too — especially in warm, humid climates. For this reason, Consumer Reports recommends leaving the door or lid open in between loads to give the machine time to dry.

Quality ventilation systems are required in both the bathroom and laundry as they are the rooms that often have inadequate ventilation, condensation and elevated humidity providing the IDEAL conditions for mould growth.

Laundry room cabinets help store supplies

This includes things like laundry detergent, fabric softener, dryer sheets, and more. Having a designated place for all of your laundry supplies can help you stay organized and make it easier to do laundry.

In fact, there are several benefits to having a sink in your laundry room. A laundry room sink is perfect for presoaking clothes prior to washing. It also provides a convenient space to hand-wash delicate items and rinse swimsuits of chlorine, sand and/or salty water prior to putting them in the washing machine.

Laundry Room Planning

DO carefully consider location. For convenience, on the main floor anywhere off the kitchen makes sense, as does a mudroom or off the garage. On a second floor try to position it so it backs onto a bathroom. DON'T put the laundry too close to sleeping areas.

Although utility rooms and laundry rooms may seem like one and the same, the main difference is that while a utility can include clothes-washing facilities, laundry rooms are exclusive for this purpose and won't have extra uses that a utility might.

This article is about the open closet, which is commonly known as the doorless closet.

Some of the best ways to cover a doorway without a door are to use a draped curtain or a beaded curtain, a folding screen, a screen divider, a bookshelf, a tapestry, a blanket, quilt, panels, rugs, or roman shades.

There are concerns about eco-efficiency and heating bills because the number of frames in a typical bifold door means more potential for thermal bridging, leading to energy loss. There are also issues with privacy and general practicality — when unfolded, bifold doors take up a lot of space indoors and out.

Do I need a fire door between the kitchen and the utility room? ›

It's not normally a requirement for fire doors on ground floor extension. Smoke and heat alarm will probably be required. Any doubt, it's always best to ask the building inspector.

A utility room is a functional room often next to the kitchen or boot room, used to house larger household appliances like washing machines, dryers and even sometimes chest freezers. A great utility room should help you perform daily tasks and chores efficiently, as well as keep more unseemly appliances out of view.

In general, experts tend to advise that you could expect a 5% uplift in value through the addition of a new utility room.

Before jumping headfirst into a kitchen or bathroom remodel, consider something a bit simpler: a new closet. Closet remodels can dramatically improve your home's appeal, increase value, and add functionality to your space.

Most states actually do not require bedrooms to have built-in closets. Some local markets may not consider a room a bedroom without a closet, however, so it's important to know the local code in your area. Technically by national standards, however, a room does not need a closet to be a bedroom.

Standard Interior Door Height

It needs to be a minimum of 80 inches (although some codes allow for 78 inch doors). Doors that have a height of 80 inches are 6 foot, 8 inches in measurement, which is the reason standard interior doors are known as “6/8 doors.” A 78 inch door would be called a 6/6 door.

Standard Size for Closet and Utility Doors

In houses built before 1990's the doors could be as narrow as 18 inches. Newer comes usually have a width of 30 inches and a standard high of 96” inches.

One of the most common front door sizes in American houses is 36 inches wide by 80 inches tall, and almost 2 inches thick. However, not all doors will have these measurements. Doors can be as narrow as 30 inches and as tall as 96 inches, and thickness can depend on the door material.

This makes these doors a great option for closet doors in a bedroom or hallway. Louvered doors are a useful option when you want to keep your laundry room out of sight, but still well ventilated. Since air is continually flowing through the door, your clothes, linens, towels, and toiletries will stay fresher.

Are laundry chutes out of style? ›

But fear not! The chute industry — both for rubbish and linens — is alive and well. I spoke with product engineer Nick Muro at American Chute Systems, who shared that due to the tremendous convenience they provide, chutes are here to stay.

In a word, yes, you can use kitchen cabinets in a laundry room. Many home improvement stores sell spec kitchen cabinets, which you can use as is in a laundry room. A standard upper kitchen cabinet can be mounted directly over the washer-dryer, or a lower cabinet and counter top can be installed alongside it.

Also, humidity builds up and has nowhere to go, which creates an environment ripe for mold and mildew growth One more thing: if you're installing a washer and dryer in a closet, it will require a vented door and enough space around the machines to dissipate dryer heat.

You can turn just about any room in your home into a full-function laundry without sacrificing its main purpose.

Leave the washing machine lid or door open after every load of wash to allow moisture to escape. Wait a few hours before closing it again. Dry just-washed clothes promptly. Even four to five hours is too long to let wet clothes sit in a warm, enclosed space.

Leave the Door Propped Open

A closed front-loading washer is, unfortunately, a Petri dish for mildew. This means you need to pop the door open and make sure it stays ajar when the washer is not being run.

Dryers are designed specifically to dry fabric, not toys, purses, or wigs. It's also a good idea to keep the dryer-door closed when it's not in use, especially if pets live in the home.

The washing and drying of clothes create excess humidity. If the moisture in the air is not ventilated out, it will cause you mould issues and possibly even damage your cabinetry and walls. A large window that can be opened or a fan are great ventilation alternatives in the laundry.

Any new kitchen, bathroom (or shower room), utility room or toilet should be provided with a means of extract ventilation to reduce condensation and remove smells.

Do all laundry rooms have floor drains? ›

The 2017 IRC code does not specifically require floor drains to be installed in laundry rooms, but buildings often include them to provide for emergency drainage or to help with other drainage needs (e.g., relief valves, water heater drainage, condensate drainage, etc.).

Laundry rooms are very handy for storing chemical cleaning products that could be harmful to children. You can lock all of these dangerous products away in a laundry cabin. When you have a dedicated laundry room, everything you need from the detergents to the pins to the iron is stashed in one single place.

Laundry room ventilation is important as it can be a major source of contaminants in your house. A poorly ventilated laundry room will have moisture buildup. During the hotter summer months this is a recipe for mold growth, bacteria, and dust mites.

Provide outside access

Muddy footprints, paw prints and piles of dirty clothes are not what your kitchen is for. That's why any utility room you build should (wherever possible) feature an external door.

Laundry room doors should be at least 32 inches wide; wider is even better. A pocket door works well because it takes up no floor or wall space when open.

All plumbing fixtures—including washing machines—must be vented. Improperly vented drains can be sluggish and noisy, and can emit hazardous fumes. Properly vented drains allow the P-trap to do its job: prevent sewer gases from escaping into your home.

It is feasible. As we all know, families expand and change over time. If you moved into a house with your spouse and you've got kids sharing a bedroom, and you're looking for space for your kids' room, you can repurpose your laundry room into a small comfortable bedroom.

Louver doors provide superior air flow due to their design, whether they are hiding a large closet or operating as a standard bedroom entryway. The great thing about this is that it allows warm or cool air to travel between rooms, even when the door is shut.

If your laundry room is in the open, install a rod and curtain to hide the area when necessary. Add hooks and shelves for storage and hanging options. Tip: Buy a washer and dryer that stack on top of drawers which can hold laundry supplies or folded clothes.