Installing a washing machine on a wooden floor ?

[MrX]

I'm just wondering if anyone has any experience of installing a washing machine on a wooden floor.

We've no choice except to install the machine onto a floorboard + wooden joist structure and just wonder if there are any tips?

Our old Miele instruction manual suggested using a large platform made out of thick plywood screwed down into the joists.

The space is 3 standard European appliances wide and will house a washer, dryer and dishwasher with a work surface over the top.

I was hoping that with a large thick piece of plywood bolted into the floor the full width of the 3 machines that this might minimise / eliminate the risk of vibration?

 

[retro-man]

Check out the thread 16570 these may help along with the plywood you are going to put down.

 

[brisnat81]

Tile over particle board over Joist

Hi Mr X,

We've got our Miele installed directly onto the tiles, and after lots and lots of balancing the vibration is now at an acceptible level.

Ours is sitting in an open space that was orginally designed for TL machine, it'll be a bear to get it perfectly level and balanced under a benchtop.

If you put plywood down, you need to have access to the joists below, so that it can be secured well, otherwise it could end up as a nother source of noise and vibration. Some of my early Miele literature suggests bolting through the joists rather than just screwing it down.

 

[toggleswitch]

In many NYC apartments there are wooden sub-floors and joists. AFAIK there is no problem or issue at all.

Remember a "typical" American top-loader used, say, 25+/- gallons of water per fill @ 7.7 pounds per gallon, (IIRC) so that's 192.5 pounds. Add to that the weight of the machine, say 150 lbs. and and we have 342.5 lbs. @2.2 pounds / kg that is say 156 kilos.

I'm thinking a front-loader with much less water won't be too much of an issue.

 

[rolls_rapide]

Depends upon the floor...

...whether old-style floorboards, or those modern compressed fibre sheets.

In my experience, the old floorboards are slightly better at reducing vibration than the modern floor sheets. But much depends upon the machine, the joist spacing, floorboards, etc.

Apparently, a washing machine should be placed in a corner of the room, as this is where the flooring is more rigid.

Mum has a Bosch Exxcel, those modern floorsheets, and had to have the machine bolted to the floor with Bosch's special brackets due to excessive floor bounce.

So test and try, and switch the appliances around until you find the perfect spot.

 

[sudsmaster]

Toggs,

The issue with front loaders on wood floors is not the static weight, but rather the dynamic loads. A front loader's spin vibration is largely up and down, and a springy floor will tend to accentuate those vibrations. A top loader's spin vibration is mostly side to side - the famous "my washer is walking across the laundry room" scenario. It can be a problem but the floor construction is generally not a factor.

But even the flimsiest flooring must be built by code to support static loads far in excess of what a top loader full of water might have - think a 500 lb person, or an upright grand piano, for example.

Minimizing vibration with a front loader on a wooden floor may include:

1) screwing 1" or thicker plywood to the floor joists

2) positioning the washer next to a load bearing wall - the weight will be on the joists close to their supported ends, minimizing the flexing of the joist under dynamic loading

3) leveling the washer and making sure it sits solidly and evenly on all four feet.

 

[islingtonsteve]

Hey

My friend bought a new AEG and had it on floating floorboards and the noise was incredible - so loud. We went to home base and bought two thick black rubber door mats, cut them to size and leveled the machine on these. There is now only a purr from the AEG when it spins and no vibration at all.

 

[MrX]

We've had a Miele W970 there for the last ten years or so and it's finally given up the ghost after a very busy life!
There's a major flaw in the electronics and it has to be replaced.
A 1600 RPM Aqualtis is going in in its place as I'm moving and it's 'going spare'.

The Miele has produced considerable vibration in that position and I don't think it's down to the machine itself rather that the floorboards are not absorbing the vibration.

It's a 1960s structure, so the boards are of the traditional wood tongue and grove variety.

I'll see if I can source one of these pads.

What concerns me is that the Aqualits, while a *very* stable machine on a concrete floor, may not survive quite as long as the Miele on an unstable surface! The Miele is extremely heavily counterbalanced, they weigh drastically more than other machines.

That being said, the Aqualtis isn't exactly light either.

 

[MrX]

I've emailed the guys in this thread

I've e-mailed the guys on this thread regarding their vibration dampening pads.

However, I'm wondering if there's someone making something similar in the UK or elsewhere in Europe, it'd be a lot less hassle to purchase in € and ship.

Thread linked below:

http://www.automaticwasher.org/TD/THREADS/MODERN/16570x1.htm

 

[MrX]

Found a video comparing them!

I think I'll be ordering some of these regardless!

Video below shows the 2 pad options.

http://frontloadwasher.blip.tv/#733775

 

[retro-man]

Very interesting video comparison. I think I will order a set for my front loader for when we move. They will be on the second floor in a walk in closet. Presently on a tile floor in the basement. Actually might order them now to use here if it helps keeping it from walking around a bit.

 

[MrX]

I emailed the "Good Vibrations" (GVI Enterprise) people and they can ship to Ireland no problem.

The pads are 1.25 inches, 3.175cm high. So, you can't really use them under a counter top unless you're willing to customise the height.

Fingers crossed they work!

The weak dollar vs the euro makes them EXCELLENT value

http://www.gviinc.net/

 

[irishmark]

miele

hi mrx,i see u have a w970?,my mothe has one that has to just stopped ours was the last of them bought in 2001,anyway if you were thinking of selling your id be happy to put in an offer,hope ya get the vibration problem sorted,cheers mark

 

[MrX]

What's wrong with your W970 ?

The service guy said the entire novotronic board is shot, possibly due to the vibrations as it was on a springy wooden floor for the last decade. The board had actually come loose and become physically damaged!!

The machine would just randomly refuse to fill for the wash.

It also recently had a heater failure, so we decided to call it a day as the cost of replacing the novotronic controller is ridiculously steep.

 

[irishmark]

miele

the motor is gone in it,its perfect besides,i picked up a w460 so thats in use now but i going to put the w970 into my own washroom when i get it going,where are u based?