How to make a box for a washing machine in the bathroom?

When planning the placement of household appliances in an apartment, modern designers always try to "hide" the devices so they're unobtrusive. Therefore, automatic machines are often integrated into kitchen cabinets, placed in special niches, or placed in tall cabinets. In fact, you can actually make a washing machine enclosure for your bathroom yourself. We'll explain what materials to use to create a "disguise" for your automatic machine and what guidelines to follow during the process.

Machine placement features

Before building a cabinet for a vending machine, it's important to clarify all the details. For example, determine the dimensions of the niche, the materials for the walls, and the podium. First, measure the washing machine – write down the exact width, height and depth of the body. Then it will be clear what dimensions the box should be.

When designing cabinets for an automatic machine, the following points should be taken into account:

• It's best to avoid placing your washing machine on a shelf. There are plenty of online projects that involve placing the machine on a podium, but this isn't the best solution. On average, a washing machine weighs 70-80 kg, and in some cases, even more. Even when not in use, this puts a significant load on the furniture, and a running, vibrating machine can easily damage the structure.

If you want to place the car on a podium, use special metal shelves supported by a sturdy frame and secured with steel screws and nuts.

• Remember that no washing machine is immune to leaks. A wooden frame can be severely damaged by water, but metal walls are unaffected. Therefore, the platform under the machine must be made of moisture-resistant materials.
• When planning a wardrobe with sliding doors, consider the door width. It should be wide enough to allow the washing machine door to open easily. Ideally, the wardrobe door should be wide enough to easily remove the washing machine from its "house" without removing the front panel from the tracks.
• When choosing a sliding door opening system for your cabinet, consider threshold-free options. This way, you won't risk jamming the bottom rail when trying to remove the machine from its niche.
• If you plan to build a cabinet with hinged doors, be sure to take into account the actual dimensions of the machine's body, including the protruding drum, programmer, and buttons on the control panel. It's best to increase the cabinet's depth by 5-7 cm right away;
• It's important to choose the right hinges for securing the door frame. It's best to replace standard four-hinge hinges with more compact mini-hinges (26 mm). Ideally, secure the doors entirely with mortise hinges.
• The shut-off valve and outlet should be located outside the automatic washing machine's location. It should be possible to quickly de-energize the machine and shut off the water supply without removing the washing machine from its niche;
• If you plan to have a tabletop on the cabinet, make sure that it does not interfere with the free extension of the upper tray;
• Do not attach the countertop or side panels of the washing machine to the body of the washing machine. The only exception is built-in models. In other cases, it is important to leave a gap.

By following all the recommendations, you can build the most convenient and functional washing machine box yourself. It's worth discussing the materials used in more detail. There's plenty to choose from.

What to make the box from?

Once you've measured the dimensions of your equipment and decided on the box size, you can start purchasing consumables. When making a cabinet for washing equipment, it is better to purchase moisture-resistant materials. This is especially important if the machine is installed in a bathroom, where it's always extremely humid. Here are some materials that can be used to construct the box.

• Laminated chipboard. These boards are suitable when the washing machine is installed in a kitchen area, hallway, or pantry. As long as it is not exposed to direct water or steam, laminated chipboard will last a long time. This is the most cost-effective option.
• MDF. This material is more expensive than laminated chipboard, but the cost is well justified – the boards are highly moisture-resistant and are perfectly suitable for making a bathroom cabinet.
• Timber. Wood treated with a special moisture-resistant compound will last for many years. Timber can be used not only to create the frame of the box but also to add shelves. Shelving units and metal or plastic baskets can also be added. These additions will blend perfectly with the interior and make the structure more functional.
• Furniture board. Using it, you can build a massive cabinet for a washing machine. The impregnated wood will be moisture-resistant.
• Artificial stone. Suitable not only for cabinet tops, but also for cabinet sidewalls and shelves. It's usually combined with other furniture materials.
• Metal frame and plastic panels. You can buy a ready-made metal frame or build it yourself and add plastic panels. Using various containers and baskets, you can create not only a "house" for the washing machine but also plenty of storage space.

Materials can be combined with each other, for example, you can make a box from timber, complement it with an MDF tabletop and plastic shelves.

If you're planning to create a cabinet frame during the renovation phase, you can use various finishing materials, such as tiles, drywall, or paneling. The interior can be decorated with shelves, drawers, and baskets. Alternatively, you can use blinds or thick roller blinds instead of a front door.

Box with a pedestal

One popular option is a washing machine box with storage on top. This is very convenient—it keeps the washing machine hidden and provides space for small items like detergents, towels, and other essentials. PodsYou can view the cabinet project on the Internet. For example, you can take the following option as an example:

The design needs to be tailored to the dimensions of your washing machine. As for cabinet height, 1.8-2 meters is ideal for bathrooms. Of course, if the room is spacious, you can easily build a tall cabinet that reaches all the way to the ceiling. Another option is to build the cabinet like this:

In this case, several pull-out storage units are built under a "lid" made of MDF or, for example, artificial stone. It's best to secure the edge of the countertop to the wall for greater structural stability. An interesting option is to build a cabinet under the washing machine with a sink yourself. This solution looks very stylish. You don't even need to cover the machine with a façade.

When deciding to build a washing machine cabinet, first consider the space it will be installed in. In some rooms, a long cabinet is ideal, in others, a low cabinet with a countertop, and in still others, a sliding door cabinet is ideal. Once you've chosen a design, measure the washing machine's frame and gather the necessary materials.

   

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