The Evolution of a Laundry Room

Still have the finishing touches to do, like decor, new windows, & DH hooking up the sink basin, but I'm too excited to wait until next pay day to finish, so here is the evolution of my laundry room...

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The Before Pictures.

This is with a flash. Very dark and dismal, huh?

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The Kenmore washing machine is 35 years old and purchased from my Chief Master Sergeant when pregnant with Xavian. I paid $50. The start mark on the knob was worn off, so once a year, I remarked it with red nail polish. The dryer belonged to my Technical Sergeant, and was 18 years old when she up and gave it to me. Not what I expected to see when I opened my door that day! I cried after they were picked up by someone from FreeCycle. I prepped and washed all my babies' clothes in those machines. They've lived in 4 homes with me. I had no idea idea it would be so hard to let them go.

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Take note of the cabinet between the washer and dryer.

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The 2x4's and sheetrock were park of 2 wooden closets built on top of the drain. Smart, yes? No. You can see on the floor where the second closet was. J tore that portion out and a door that led to the laundry room a couple years ago. The laundry space was ridiculously small, and if I wasn't skinny-ish, there was no way I could have loaded and unloaded the washer in the space between the washer and the back of the closets.
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The windows are on the replacement list. The one above the dryer will probably be replaced with glass block to allow for the dryer vent. Our basement walls are between 2.5 and 3 feet thick, so can't just drill a hole thru them for that! Windows also run $150 a pop. So to try to rig a new one to accomidate that vent would be a waste of money.
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That sad green wastebasket has been with me since my dorm room days in the Air Force. It's around 9 years old. Rubbermaid really is made to last!
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The In-Process Pictures.

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Sealing the Exterior Wall.
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3 gallons of basement wall sealant is $79.98 at Home Depot. The exact same brand is $36.50 at Ollie's Bargain Outlet. It pays to shop around!

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The previous homeowners had started sealing that section of the wall, but they didn't finish. The directions say to fill larger holes with cement filler and to coat until the pinholes are gone. The wall was covered in pinholes and had 7 holes that needed filled.
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I should warn you that the sealant is VERY potent. I had to work in 20 minute intervals, with the windows opened and fans going, to advoid passing out. I made the mistake at the end of the evening of sitting down on the floor between the washer and dryer to look for missed spots. The dog woke me up a couple hours later by barking at J doing a drive-thru of the driveway. I spent the next day out of the basement, until the smell was gone.
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Bring on the Blue!

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Kingfisher Teal, exterior semi-gloss. Me likey!
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I used black spray paint in Black Ink to paint the laundry chute and pipes. Again, open windows and fan usage was very wise on my part.

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I actually painted the side wall the night before I started the sealant. I wanted to make sure I liked it.
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I left the white spot on the wall because I figured the washer and dryer would cover it up. I regretted that move once things were moved in. J also ripped out the rest of the old closets at this point.
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Painting the Floor with Epoxy Enamal Garage and Basement Floor Paint
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My back was so sore after scrubbing the floor with the acid wash to etch it and then using a squeagy while rinsing the floor. I don't think the cement has been that clean since the day it was poured!

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I followed the direction to a "t", and am so relieved I only did half of the kit instead of all of it. That paint gets thick and hard to spread FAST. While I rolled the paint on, J sprinkled the paint flakes. It took 2 people. If I had stopped to spread the flakes every 4 foot section, I would have never gotton done.

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Moving in the LG HE Front Loaders

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If it weren't for our neighbor comming over and helping J get these things into the basement, these heavy things would have likely fell down the stairs and J & I ending up divorced. Those gals barely squeezed thru the landing door way. Whew!
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Me turning on the dryer! I am elated!
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J hooked up the washer, and then Iopened the door and saw that it came with new hoses. New hoses are detergent cabinet for now. The cold faucet is leaky and has to be replaced, and J said he'd change out the hoses when he fixes/replaces the faucet. The dryer didn't get hooked up until the next day. I thought new dryers came with venting duct work! They don't. LOL
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Arranging the Space
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Recognize the cabinet? I painted it black! Those 1960's silver "v" shaped pulls are so awsome! This picture was snapped while I was deciding where I wanted to put the cabinet. It didn't stay here.
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I wasted no time putting my Fuzzy Wuzzy wool dryer balls in the dryer!
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The (Semi) After Pictures.

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HA! You see that?! I painted the wastebasket Hammered Steel with that spray paint that bonds to plastic. So sharp! The $4.88 for the can of paint was much more realistic, than a new $48 stainless steel trash can.
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I picked this sink and it's faucet up at a yardsale 2 years ago for $5. I scrubbed it down and painted the bottom and the legs black. I can't wait until J gets it hooked up!
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I put the cabinet in this space here. It actually works quite well right here! Didn't it turn out nice?

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As you can see, I had to paint in a lot of my white square. It was a pain. But, it looks good!

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I have named them Betsy Lou and Mary Sue.

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Here's the cost list for the space so far:

Washer & Dryer, with warranties, $2,007

Basement Wall Sealant, $33.50 + tax

Wall Paint, $19 + tax

Epoxy Enamal Floor Paint, $64.88 + tax

Spray Paint, $15.55 + tax

New Laundry Chute Hamper, $12.50 + tax

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Basically, if you exclude the needed washer and dryer, we've done the room for under $150, excluding tax! I figure another $75 for accessories, including a rug for in front of the machines, $150 for the window, $75 for glass block, and $50 for the ceiling. Still less than $600 for remodeling and basically finishing a space! Not bad. Not bad at all!

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