Laundry Renovations

A laundry that earns its space

The laundry is one of the hardest-working rooms in the house, yet it is often the most neglected. In many older Latrobe Valley homes, it is a narrow room at the back with a concrete tub, a washing machine squeezed beside it and a single shelf. In newer homes, it may be a cupboard in a hallway. Either way, a well-designed laundry makes washing, drying, folding and storing far easier.

We renovate laundries throughout Morwell, Traralgon, Churchill, Moe and the surrounding towns, often alongside a bathroom or ensuite renovation.

Common laundry problems

• No bench space for folding or sorting.
• Too little storage for detergents, cleaning products, the vacuum and the ironing board.
• An old concrete or steel tub that is stained, chipped or leaking.
• No floor waste, so a split hose or overflowing machine floods the house.
• Poor ventilation, leading to mould and musty smells.
• Nowhere to hang clothes indoors on wet days.
• Awkward machine positions that make loading difficult.

Planning a better laundry

Benches

A continuous benchtop over a front-loading washer and dryer gives you a place to fold and sort. Stone, laminate and solid surface benchtops all suit laundries.

Tubs

An inset or undermount tub in the benchtop is easier to clean than a freestanding tub. A deep tub suits soaking, washing muddy boots and rinsing.

Storage

Overhead cupboards hold detergents and cleaning products. A tall cupboard can store the vacuum, mop, broom and ironing board. Pull-out baskets keep washing sorted.

Drying

In the Latrobe Valley’s damp winters, indoor drying space is valuable. A hanging rail, a pull-out airer or a heated drying cabinet can help.

Machine positions

Front-loading machines can sit under a bench, or be stacked in a tall cabinet to save space. We plan positions so machines are easy to load and service.

Waterproofing

Laundries with a floor waste need the floor waterproofed and falling to the waste, with the walls behind the tub protected. We waterproof to AS 3740 and photograph each stage. A floor waste is strongly recommended in any laundry with a washing machine.

Laundries as mudrooms

In rural properties around Hazelwood North, Tyers, Glengarry and Boolarra, and in busy family homes, the laundry often doubles as a mudroom. Hooks for coats, a bench to sit on, storage for boots and a durable floor make the room work harder.

Laundry cupboards

In homes where the laundry is a cupboard, careful planning can make it far more useful. Stacked machines, a compact tub and shelving can fit into a small space.

Ventilation

Laundries produce a lot of moisture, especially from dryers. An exhaust fan, a vented dryer or a condenser or heat-pump dryer all help keep moisture under control.

Lighting and power

Good lighting makes the laundry easier to use. We also check that power points suit the machines, iron and any other appliances.

Combining the laundry and bathroom

Some homes have space to combine the laundry and bathroom, or to move the laundry to a better position. We look at the options at the consultation.

Common questions

Do I need a floor waste in my laundry?

It is strongly recommended. A floor waste allows water to drain away if a machine leaks or overflows.

Can you move my laundry?

Often yes, depending on plumbing and drainage. We look at what is practical.

Can you fit a laundry into a cupboard?

Yes. Stacked machines and compact fittings can make a cupboard laundry work well.

Laundries in older Morwell homes

Laundries in post-war Morwell homes are often at the back of the house, sometimes in what was once an enclosed verandah. Floors may be timber that has softened from years of splashing, or a concrete slab poured at a different level to the rest of the house. Walls might be lined with fibre-cement that needs asbestos testing before removal. We check all of this at the consultation and plan the renovation so the structure is sound before the new laundry is built.

Laundries in newer homes

In homes built from the 1990s onward, laundries are usually better positioned but often under-designed. A single tub cabinet, a gap for the washing machine and a shelf above are typical. Replacing these with a full-length bench, overhead cupboards and a tall cabinet makes a big difference, and moving the dryer onto a wall bracket or into a stacked arrangement frees up bench space.

Drying clothes in a damp climate

Drying washing in the Latrobe Valley’s winters can be a challenge. Many households rely on indoor drying for months at a time, which adds a lot of moisture to the house. A laundry with good ventilation, a hanging rail over the tub, a pull-out drying rack and a heat-pump dryer can keep damp clothes out of the living areas. We plan ventilation so moisture leaves the house rather than condensing on windows and walls.

Splashbacks and surfaces

Laundry splashbacks need to withstand water, detergent and the occasional scrubbing. Tiles, glass and stone all work well. Benchtops should resist stains and scratches. For floors, a slip-resistant porcelain tile that hides dirt is a sensible choice, particularly in homes where the laundry is also the back entry.

Plumbing for machines

Washing machines need hot and cold taps or a mixer, and a drain connection that suits the machine’s outlet hose. Some households prefer a dedicated stop valve so the machine can be isolated easily. We position taps and drains so hoses are not kinked and machines can be pulled out for servicing.

Laundries for families

Busy families need laundries that keep up. Separate baskets for lights, darks and towels, a bench to fold clean washing and a place for each family member’s clothes to wait until they are put away all help. Hooks near the back door for school bags and coats can turn the laundry into a useful drop zone.

Laundries in units and small homes

In small homes and units, the laundry may be part of the bathroom or a cupboard in the kitchen. We can make these spaces work much better with stacked machines, a compact tub, folding doors and shelving, without needing a full room.

Laundry layouts

Galley laundries

Long, narrow laundries suit a galley layout, with a bench and machines along one wall and storage on the other. A sliding or cavity door saves space.

L-shaped laundries

In square rooms, an L-shaped bench gives more workspace, with the tub in one leg and machines under the other.

Laundry and bathroom combined

In some homes, combining the laundry with the bathroom frees up a room elsewhere. Machines can be hidden behind doors, and the room is waterproofed throughout.

Finishes that last

Laundries take a lot of wear. We recommend durable benchtops, cabinet doors that resist knocks and moisture, and floor tiles that hide marks. Handles should be easy to grip with wet hands. A tiled skirting protects walls from mops and splashes.

Can a laundry have a shower?

Yes. In rural homes a small shower in the laundry is handy for washing off after outdoor work. It must be waterproofed to AS 3740 like any other shower.

Laundries we have planned around the valley

Our laundry work ranges from narrow back-of-house rooms in Morwell and Moe to mudroom laundries on farms around Glengarry, Tyers and Hazelwood South, and compact cupboard laundries in Traralgon units. Each one starts with the same questions: how much washing the household does, where it dries, what needs storing and which door people use when they come in from outside. The answers decide the bench length, the tub size, the number of cupboards and whether a hanging rail or drying cabinet is worthwhile.

Can the laundry tub be moved?

Usually, yes. On timber floors moving the waste is straightforward; on slabs it involves cutting the concrete, which we plan carefully.

Do you include the electrical work?

Yes, our licensed electrician handles power points, lighting and exhaust fans as part of the job.

Drying clothes through valley winters

Damp winters make drying clothes a challenge. A laundry with a ducted exhaust fan, a vented or heat-pump dryer position, a pull-out hanging rail and space for a clothes airer keeps washing moving and stops damp air spreading through the house.

Book a design consultation

If your laundry is cramped, tired or impractical, book a design consultation. We will visit your home and help you plan a laundry that works.

Areas we service

• Boolarra
• Churchill
• Glengarry
• Hazelwood North
• Hazelwood South
• Jeeralang Junction
• Moe
• Morwell
• Newborough
• Toongabbie
• Traralgon
• Tyers
• Yallourn North
• Yinnar