Young House Love

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The Pros & Cons Of Front Loading Washers And Top Loading Washing Machines

Well, our new washer and dryer have arrived! And we promised to share how the installation went, what we did with the floors under them, and how we like them so far (that’s where things really get interesting). We realized a few days ago that we’ve had a whole bunch of different laundry situations. In our first house we had front loaders with a counter…

Final Laundry Nook After

In our second house we had stacked front loaders with cubbies next to them…

Laundry Progress

… and in this house we’ve had top loaders with cabinetry above them. Here are the new guys sitting pretty (although not quite as pretty as the others since we haven’t tackled the rest of this nook yet).

Laundry After

Honestly, each of these setups have had pros and cons:

  • We loved having a counter over our first house’s front loaders, but it usually ended up cluttered with stuff (it became sort of a dump-this-here-until-we-deal-with-it-later zone). And this setup required the most bending, which wasn’t that bad at the time, but now that we’ve had top loaders a while, we definitely can appreciate less of that.
  • Our stacked loaders were nice because we had cubbies for storing everything we needed, which didn’t tend to get cluttered like the counter (there just wasn’t space to drop grocery bags, returns, and other random items there). There was still a fair amount of bending and lifting when it came to doing laundry, but again – at the time it was just fine, and we really only realized how nice top loaders were once we moved here.
  • The obvious con to top loaders is that there’s no place for a counter, which we did really like having, but we still have the top of the dryer to work with (we can put the laundry basket there for example – or lay things out to air dry). The cabinets might be our favorite storage solution (as compared to open cubbies or pull-up blinds) just because everything is tucked out of view but still really easy-access.

*Note: We got some questions on Friday’s post about why we don’t bring our appliances with us when we move. It seems to be one of those regional things. Here people tend to leave them, but it’s not like you leave nice ones without getting anything in return for them – it’s just factored into the listing price here (a seller can command a higher asking price by saying “there are new top of the line appliances” which obviously add a lot of appeal/value).

But now onto our new washer and dryer! When it came to delivery, the guys were really nice, although I did realize about half-way through it that I needed to lay down a dropcloth to protect the runner, even though they wore those nice little shoe-booties (the runner was getting dripped on by the old appliances as they came down – but it was thankfully nothing I couldn’t just wipe down to remove). With the booties/dropcloth combo it looks like a slip-n-slide situation (I begged them to take off their booties because I was afraid they’d fall) but thankfully they went slow and steady and all was fine. Turns out I’m just a worry wart.

Laundry Men Moving Up Stairs

You might remember that we couldn’t wait to get the old appliances up and out of there so we could finally replace the old pan under the washer and remove the remaining carpet scraps that were sitting under the dryer.

Laundry Clara Before

We decided that laying down some thick 3/4″ plywood (which is the same depth as our hardwoods) would be a nice way to give that particle-board subflooring a more finished look – especially since we could stain it to match the floors so well (we used one coat of Dark Walnut followed by three coats of SafeCoat Acrylacq to seal them). We actually added plywood under our last washer and dryer (more on that here) since we heard it was easier on them to have reinforced flooring (something about them lasting longer) so we’re hoping it gives these a leg-up.

As soon as the guys carried our old appliances downstairs we ran up into the laundry nook for a quick floor presto-change-o, which we did in a blind panic because we knew it would only take them a few minutes to get the old ones downstairs and the new ones upstairs. First we had to remove the old carpeting, which was more secure than we expected (John actually had to scrape up the staples in a mad-dash after we yanked up the carpet and underlayment). Look at him go:

Laundry John Scraping

Then we had to get the boards down. Here’s the first one going in. We had pre-measured them and stained/sealed them beforehand so they were all ready to slide into place when the appliances came up.

Laundry One Plywood Down

The second one went right in after the first, but there’s still a small gap that we have to fill where the molding jutted out too far for us to get a flush result. We hope it’ll look nice and complete once we slide that missing piece in (we’re just going to cut one more slice of plywood and stain it to match). Wish we had time to prime and paint that blue trim hiding in the nook while the old washers were out, but it might have to wait for a rainy day…

Laundry Floor Close UP

When you step a little further back, you can hardly tell it’s not the same hardwood flooring running under those appliances (we didn’t photoshop the crack out of this pic, it’s just barely noticeable from this distance). And we’re really happy with how well the color matches. We also plan to add some nice white folding doors (there were some blue ones hanging there originally) so that’s another reason we thought the subtle flooring change should work really well.

Laundry After

As for leak protection, since these guys are on the second floor (and we REALLY REALLY don’t want them to cause damage to anything below them, we were sure to place the washer in a plastic water-catching basin and also upgraded to those nicer reinforced steel water lines instead of the plastic ones.

The crazy thing is that during installation there was actually a small leak where it was attached to our water line, but we caught it while the installer was still here, and he ducked back there and fixed it by tightening things a little. The lesson? Check those lines!

Laundry After Ironing Board

So now onto the fun stuff: how we like our new washer and dryer! Well, we LOVE the dryer so far. It has been quieter, has a much larger capacity, doesn’t shrink things nearly as much as our older one did (that one practically “burned” things and this one has a heat sensor so it doesn’t over-dry). I also love the charming little chime sound it makes when it’s done (which can still be silenced, but it’s so much better than the loud buzz that our old one made).

We also really like the digital setup of the washer and the dryer. It’s easy to see things, like how long each cycle still has left.

Laundry Dial Detail

The washer’s capacity is also really awesome. It fits a lot more than any of our previous models (especially the old one we were replacing).

Laundry No Middle Agitator

And now for the womp-womp. Remember how I worried that bad things happen in threes? Well, our new washer is broken. I’ll pause for effect, as I quietly weep into my dirty laundry pile. The installation just included starting it to make sure there were no leaks when it filled up, but they didn’t stay to watch it run a full cycle (which is completely understandable… that would be close to an hour of washer-watching time).

So imagine our surprise when we ran our first real load of laundry well after they had pulled out of our driveway and heard a crazy-loud grinding sound during the wash cycle (whenever the agitator is moving, there’s this jarring metal-against-metal sound). You can hear it all the way from downstairs with the TV or radio blaring.

I woefully called Home Depot to tell them we already had a problem and they told us to call Maytag, who told us they could get a tech out in seven days. Ack! A full week without a working washer after buying a new one and expecting it to run without issue? I sweetly asked if they could get that service call moved up a bit since we were expecting a working machine upon delivery (our laundry had built-up a bunch already, so the prospect of another seven days of waiting stunk) and they said we could call Home Depot and see if they could do anything. I explained that I called them first, but would try one more time.

Well, when HD heard it was going to be a week until Maytag could make a service call (which might not even fix things, it might just diagnose that I needed a new machine, which then had to be ordered) – I could feel them trying to work something out for me, which I really appreciated. They had mercy on my sweet laundry-missing soul and agreed to take back the first one and deliver a new one on Thursday.

I’m really happy with Home Depot’s customer service (I’m sure it’s a lot easier for them to just say “call Maytag, it’s a mechanical issue that they’re supposed to handle) and I have to be honest that I wish Maytag had been able to come out for a service call within 48 hours or so, which is what I expected when my brain reached that “oh snap, our brand new washer is broken” moment.

So that’s where we are. Still sleepless in Seattle washerless in Richmond, but we love our dryer and the new flooring under it. And here’s hoping that by Thursday I’ll be whistling while I work that new washer. I’ve never looked forward to doing laundry this much in my life! Have you guys had any unexpected delivery or new-appliance issues? We’re happier than ever that ours have a one-year warranty given this little curve-ball, but we hope this third house snafu means we have all of our bad luck out of the way for a while…

*************************************

Sidenote: We’d love to see you guys this weekend at the Richmond Home & Garden Show! We’re speaking at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday (with a book signing following Saturday’s talk). You can get half-price tickets online right here. Oh and they gave us the shock of our life when we were driving down the highway and saw our giant faces on a billboard.

Billboard Ahhhhh

Seriously, we screamed so loud it probably scared other drivers. It’s exciting, unbelievable, and terrifying to see your own mug that big.

Comments

    • Jeff says

      also, I’d be surprised too if i saw my face on a billboard! Were you aware that you would be up there?

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Nope, no idea! We also just heard our names on the radio when someone was talking about the show and we were like “did the radio just say “John and Sherry Petersik?!” – so crazy!

      xo
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      When you agree to speak at a home show you provide an image of yourself, knowing they’ll use it to promote the show, but you never know where it’ll pop up! We never imagined they’d do billboards, but we don’t mind at all – it was just a shock at first! Haha!

      xo
      s

  3. Brittany says

    Oh I need to know what that noise is! We moved in our home about 6 months ago, and our washing machine has been making almost that same noise since we have been there. The machine works fine, but it sounds like someone is beating our house down, or a robot is trying to climb out of the machine.

    Hope it gets fixed quick!

    Reply

  4. andee / payingoffthehouse says

    Arrghhh! I would have literally cried when I heard the grinding noise. You guys are amazing for pulling off the floor switch-o-roo so fast. I’m super glad HD handled it for you. I dream of the day we can buy a new energy efficient washer!

    Reply

  5. Ashley says

    Do you ever want to “name drop” when you experience an issue like this? In the spirit of Reese Witherspoon’s “you’re about to find out who I am.”

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh man, never! I’m shy about having complaints, so I like to be as anonymous as possible when making these sorts of calls (I’m the girl who apologizes when I’m making a return, haha!). John is even more shy, so I’m known as the “negotiator” around here, but I just like to use logic and see what they can do for me (ex: this washer is new, I thought it would work when it arrived and I’m sad that it’s broken). I think it would actually be really lame if companies helped us out just because of who we are – they should help anyone out who has an issue with their product!

      xo
      s

    • Ashley says

      I 100% agree with you and have had nothing but awesome customer service from Home Depot (and Lowes). So glad that you’re getting your washer fixed/replaced. That’s also why I always get the extended warranty- it definitely pays for itself especially with all of the electronics, buttons, and panels that can fail on these fancy new machines.

    • betty says

      I apologize about returns too!! when i’m mad, i’ll have my fiancé deal with it. even when im soooo frustrated, I cant stand being anything but polite to someone. I guess that’s a good thing haha

    • haverwench says

      I disagree about the extended warranty. Consumer Reports says these are “notoriously bad deals,” since a product that’s going to break usually breaks within the regular warranty period (like this new washer just did). (http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/extended-warranties/buying-guide.htm) Also, on general principles, I don’t think it makes sense to buy insurance (which is basically what an extended warranty is) to cover a risk that you can afford to take. Yes, you risk having to pay for a repair, but a repair isn’t going to bankrupt you. Plus extended warranties tend to be loaded with exceptions, so there’s a good chance a repair won’t even be covered.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yes, I’ve read that in Consumer Reports too (it’s why we don’t usually buy them – and in 8 years of our old washer and dryer we never needed any extended help). But after this debacle I can see how the peace of mind would be nice. I think it just depends on the person and what they feel most comfortable with :)

      xo
      s

    • kim says

      I would stay anonymous on the phone too unless I had bad customer service. Then I probably would have hollered “my face is on a flippin’ billboard.” I forgot about Reese Witherspoon- too funny!

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Fingers crossed! I keep saying to John “can you imagine if the new one comes and it does the same thing and it’s an entire bad shipment or something?!” – I like to think since it’s a third bad thing that our luck will turn around though. Here’s hoping!

      xo
      s

    • Kristin says

      That’s funny- maybe we just have bad luck with Whirlpool washers, but I bought a Duet washer and dryer from Lowe’s with the offered extended warranty and exactly 1 month before the warranty expired, it completed died. I ran into some issues because we purchased both items at an incredible sale price so Lowe’s would have lost money by replacing the washer and they just wanted to cut us a check, but eventually I convinced them to replace the unit. They gave me another Duet washer and 1 year and 2 months later, the digital panel broke (exactly why I cringed when you said you searched for that feature). I didn’t realize that the second machine didn’t come with the same extended warranty (idiot). Lowe’s suggested I contact Whirlpool since it was so close to the manufacturer’s warranty, but no dice. Eventually I think Lowe’s took pity on me (being overly pregnant and chasing my 2 year old around their store) and offered me a brand new unit that was a bit bigger and better at the cost of the upgrade (~$100). With our luck, I was happy to purchase the extended protection again. I much prefer to deal with the stores than the manufacturer’s and Lowe’s has officially won all of our future appliance purchases!! I <3 Lowe's.

  9. Katy @ The Non-Consumer Advocate says

    What a huge letdown to have dealt with everything and be left with a broken washing machine.

    My washing machine is a hand me down from when my mother switched out to front loading ones. It’s ancient and dribbles a little water out with each load. However, it’s in an unfinished basement and leaks next to a floor drain, so I live with it.

    It would be nice to have something pretty, but I’ll take functional over pretty any day of the week.

    Reply

  10. Erin says

    If you never had a working washing machine, then what were you drying to know that your new dryer already doesn’t shrink things as much as your old one?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      The clothes that were in the washer were wet when it made the noise and we shut it down, so I turned it off (it drained) and put that load of wet clothes in the dryer so they weren’t just sitting in the washer getting moldy :)

      xo
      s

    • Heather says

      So in one load your clothes didn’t shrink? Isn’t that pretty much normal? I don’t think you can give an honest review of the dryer just yet (other than liking the chimes and the display). If you normally shrink a lot of clothes after one wash/dry then you guys are doing it wrong. :)

    • YoungHouseLove says

      The cotton shirts of mine that I sleep in (which I always had to stretch out before sliding them over my giant prego tummy) didn’t need to be stretched out this time! It certainly isn’t an exhaustive review – and probably isn’t even much of a selling feature of this dryer – it’s just that my last dryer was so hot and it sort of “burned” everything so it would need to be stretched out before wearing, and this one thankfully doesn’t do that. It has a sensor so it shuts off when it can tell things are dry instead of frying them :)

      xo
      s

  11. Kristen P says

    This happened to us TWICE with our top load just like this but whirlpool before we bought our house. It broke a week after we got it – the lid locked shut halfway through a cycle with a water filled tub. Yikes! And again a few months later. We had to come up with a way to crack open the lid so we didn’t ruin our clothes because they wouldn’t come out to diagnose for a week! It was so awful and I also was never so excited to do laundry. When we bought our house it came with front loaders (also whirlpool), and knock on wood, they’re still going strong a year later. Hope this gets fixed soon! I feel for ya!

    Reply

  12. Kiera says

    Sorry that its been so rough! Hopefully you are on your way to clean laundry bliss. I have a quick question on your washer. Does it auto lock as the cycle starts? I think all models do these days but it REALLY makes me want an old one that did not do that. I’m constantly dropping that one item on the way to the laundry room and needing to throw it in quick after the cycle started and I actually like to add detergent after the water has filled. Darn safety standards!

    Reply

    • kathryn says

      Kiera-
      My Maytag Bravos (top loader) will pause the cycle if you hit “pause” and unlock the top, but not drain. That way you can soak things (mine doesn’t have the soak setting) or add detergent if you want. If you cancel/stop the cycle it will then drain. I agree about the lock – I feel like I am constantly running in slow motion to get the random sock I just found into the machine before it locks. I never win ;)

    • Rose says

      I agree Kiera, I hate the new standard on washing machines! I really don’t remember hearing about that many washer related deaths, for one thing, and as a child-free couple my husband and I *really* don’t need that blasted lock. I have a pause function that I can push to release the lock without draining the water, but I’ve timed it and it takes something like 15 SECONDS before it will let me open the lid to drop in that last item. Sometimes I just want to take a crowbar to it. /rant

    • Linda says

      I know the auto lock is annoying, but….it’s a safety feature. And, I beg everyone who’s reading who has children or pets – before you turn on that washer or dryer, BE SURE you know where those kids/dogs/cats/bunnies are. Be absolutely, positively sure, please.

  13. Anele @ Success Along the Weighn says

    You guys are like magicians swapping out that flooring in between appliance moves! It looks awesome!

    I would’ve FREAKED and told them to bring me a new washer ASAP as soon as I heard that noise. I’m not laid back like y’all! LOL But I’m glad they agreed to replace it anyway and not make you do a repair. I don’t know if you guys got extended warranties but we did through HD on all of our appliances and they’ve paid for themselves 5x over. On major appliances, it’s a must for us. We would’ve racked up $1800 in VERY minor repairs this month alone. Our warranties expire in 3 weeks so I’m SOOO glad we got them for $100!

    Reply

  14. Brooke says

    MAJOR bummer about the washer! :( I saw your billboard when we were up in Richmond about a month ago and my husband didn’t understand why I was so excited and squealing!then he said, oh are those the house love people? :) We live in Williamsburg, so I’m hoping we can make the trip up to see y’all! So fun.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Ahhhh! It’s so crazy! And we only thought there was one and then we were going the other direction one day and saw another one and got scared all over again! Haha!

      xo
      s

  15. cheri s in iowa says

    Where there any transportation screws that needed to be removed before running? We’ve had a problem similar to this, but luckily an easy fix!

    Reply

  17. Jess says

    What a bummer that your brand new washer is busted. I hope the new one has no issues. I can’t wait to see your opinion of your functioning washer. I’m leaning towards purchasing this washer and dryer for my new laundry room remodel!

    Reply

  18. Jennifer says

    When we bought our riding lawn mower from sears, it was delivered with a flat tire! Hubby made them take it back and bring a new one. Nothing like buying a new expensive item only to find it not in new/working order!

    Reply

  19. Justin says

    I totally understand! We got a new washer and dryer last year from Lowes, and within a few months the dryer got so hot that it basically fried itself. The guy that came out said it was because we had lint built up. Maybe we had a little, but we cleaned it out and the same thing happened again after the guy left.

    Turns out it was a faulty thermostat, and nothing that we were responsible for.

    Then after that, our new dishwasher started spewing water out everywhere…during Thanksgiving week. It took forever to get someone out, only to tell us he would have to order a part and it would be another week.

    Everything is back to normal now, but sheesh! Just goes to show you they aren’t making these things like they used to!

    Reply

  20. Annie says

    We had nearly the exact same thing happen to us — our 20+ year old dryer broke, so we figured we’d get a new washer and dryer at the same time since it was only a matter of time before the washer died.

    When we got them installed, the new washer stopped working about halfway through its first cycle, after the installers left. I went back and forth with Home Depot & LG to get someone to come fix it/replace it (LG ended up taking the reigns) — turns out the machine wasn’t level. The repairman had to adjust the little feet on the bottom quite a bit to get it to work (and add a shim!), but it’s been over a year now and it’s fine (though it still has a hard time with big blankets). Maybe make sure it’s level? The drum looks like it’s really wiggling around in there a lot when it’s making that noise.

    Good luck! It’s frustrating being without a good laundry solution for so long.

    Reply

  21. Heather @ What Does She Do All Day? says

    Sleek! I like ’em! I’m a top loader fan as well and we actually just replaced our old Maytag with a new Maytag the day after Thanksgiving. (thank goodness ours decided to die when a sale was going on!) Just a warning, though, when you start cloth diapering that baby top loaders have a tendency to go off balance with that wonky load so I recommend only washing diapers when you’re home to make sure you can adjust if needed.

    Reply

  22. Liz says

    Our front loaders are stacked and I loved them at first but am now thinking about putting them side-by-side and transforming the top into a counter – but it would probably end up being a catch-all like your first!

    I’m chuckling at the thought of you guys scrambling to lay the new floor while they bring the new units upstairs! Wouldn’t it have been easier to just slide your old units into the hall and lay the floor on your own time without being rushed?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Those old beasts were SO HEAVY that we worried we’d scratch our beloved floors moving them out into the hallway (John gets all twitchy when you talk about potentially hurting his babies, haha!). So we thought having those boards pre-stained and sealed would mean it takes two seconds to drop them in. Would have been a lot easier if the carpet was as loose as it looked (that scrambling to scrape staples had us sweating bullets) but I’m so glad we got ‘er done!

      xo
      s

  23. betty says

    that might be the worst. getting something new and shiny and it doesn’t work :(

    so excited you’re going to be at the home and garden show! I had planned on going.. now I just have to go around 2!! haha

    Reply

  24. Karen says

    Wow, I woulda been throwing things and frothing at the mouth in a fetal position after spending so much money on a new toy and then realizing it was broken!

    Reply

  25. Elle says

    Thanks for showing all your different washer set ups. One day when we’ve saved up enough money we want to redo our kitchen, but unfortunately that also involves redoing our laundry area and probably making it more open/public, so we need to figure out what to do with it. I like what you had in the first house but since we’ve always had a top loading washer I think bending over would get old fast. Maybe a trap-door section of counter, but then we’d have to keep that section cleared off (it’s also near the garage and would get random stuff put on it all the time). At least our budget limitations mean I can day dream for a few years yet, right?

    Reply

    • Gaidig says

      The nice thing about front loaders is that they’re more efficient and they are gentler on your clothes. I tend to just crouch down for a moment while loading or unloading. It doesn’t really bother me, personally. Maybe that’s because I already had to bend down to pick up all the stuff I always dropped.

  26. Alicia says

    We have the same washer but the bigger capacity and within day of having it delivered we got an error could and it wouldn’t drain (in the middle of a load of cloth diapers! EWW!) We got ours at Lowes, had to wait for a maytag repair guy and just to be told it was an electrical problem and Lowe’s would need to replace it. It was super irritating to buy a brand new washer that immediately broke, but the new one has been wonderful since (knock on wood) and we were thankful it was all covered under warranty! :) I hope y’all still love it and have better luck with this next one!

    Reply

  27. Megan says

    OH NO! As someone who has been coveting new washer/dryers everywhere, I would have seriously cried once that metal grinding started. I’m using the in-laws old set, which is awesome because free but also a bummer because old. They’re loud (the buzzers on both haunts my dreams) and the dryer should really be called an almost dryer unless run for an hour or longer unless you’re doing towels in which case, good luck. My area, Eastern Washington, also leaves behind appliances when moving. The husband is already mourning our fridge and we aren’t even moving for a year or more.

    Reply

  28. kerri says

    I feel your pain! Our washer broke last summer, a really ancient machine, so we called our property management company and our landlord agreed to have it replaced. Unfortunately they picked a very cheap brand and it began flooding our floor 3 weeks ago. It took 2 weeks to get a repairman out to fix it, and he determined that a forgotten coin had ripped through the tub, and the tub would have to be replaced. That will cost almost as much as the machine, and we are still waiting for them to return and fix it!

    And I think you’re right about the 3’s thingy – I fell down the stairs carrying my laptop and broke that, then our water pump went on the car, and now the washer…hopefully we’re done with all that!

    Reply

  29. Melanie says

    When I got my new washer and dryer, the dryer had a little attitude. It worked in the since that it blew cool air on the clothes, but heat? Ha! Thankfully, it was a quick simple fix. Sears sent someone out the next day, and the guy found that there was just a wire disconnected inside the console up top. One little connection and a dryer that dries!

    Reply

  30. Hanna says

    I recently replaced my washer and dryer, and the same thing happened – everything seemed all fine and dandy when the installers were there, but when I went to run the first glorious load of wash, water started spraying everywhere from a hole in the plastic tube that drains water during the rinse cycle. Misery! Sadly, Lowes and GE were somewhat less helpful than it sounds like HD was for you guys. It took weeks (weeks!) more to get a service tech out there and get it fixed. Fortunately I have accommodating friends with functional washing machines.

    Reply

  31. Karly says

    Did you guys remove the bracing bar from the washing machine before you installed it? We had the same thing happen to us with our new washing machine (different model though). We installed it and I did a load of laundry and it was incredibly loud and really rocking back and forth. After a little inspection we realized there is a metal bar/pin inserted through the back of the machine to stabilize it for moving that you’re supposed to remove before use (it goes internally through the washer, so you can’t see it in the basin). We took that out and it was good as new! Lesson: Always read those stickers that come on the back of appliances, apparently they actually have important info on them haha!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Ours were installed by Home Depot and before he ran it he said it was all ready to go, so we don’t think they left anything in it. It only makes that sound on a certain cycle (the wash one, when the agitator moves) so it’s gorgeously silent and wonderful during filling and draining.

      xo
      s

  32. Callie says

    Yay new machines, and hurray for fast turn-around to fix the washer! We moved to Switzerland last year, and I miss our US washer and dryer SOO MUCH! The machines here are smaller and use somewhat different technologies so they take at least TWICE as long to wash/dry as in the US. It is craziness. And I swear everything gets more wrinkly in these machines, even though I’m barely putting anything in one load (not even one set of queen-sized sheets and pillowcases can fit without tons of wrinkles).

    Rant over…just seeing your washer and dryer is making me all nostalgic! :) Ooh and great job on the fast floor change, awesome strategy! Are you tempted to take the washer out and paint the trim between now and Thursday, since it doesn’t work anyway? Or would that hurt the warranty?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I’m having a rough week pregnancy wise (nausea is all-day now, instead of just mornings) so I don’t know if I have four coats of primer/paint in me (and all that floor time). Might get a second wind in a few weeks though (I’m on an organizing rampage when I’m not running to the bathroom) so I hope to get it done sometime- it might just not be at the top of my list :)

      xo
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw, thanks Lindsay! No matter what I won’t be pregnant much longer than 10 weeks, so I keep reminding myself I’m in the home stretch. Can’t wait to meet this little guy!

      xo
      s

  33. Sarah says

    Ok, now the real question. How do you like having the washer and dryer on the 2nd floor? I think it would be really nice not to have to travel up and down the stairs with baskets full of laundry, but at the same time, it would be nice on the first floor to have it on the same level where you spend most of your time and can hear the buzzer go off. I think we can all agree that basement laundry (which is what we have) stinks!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We love it upstairs! It’s closer to our bedrooms than it ever was in either of our last homes (even when everything was on the same floor) and it seems easier to put things right away (sometimes piles would sit on our sofa waiting to be folded at our last house, but here they go straight into the bedrooms where they belong and get put away).

      xo
      s

  34. Michelle says

    Aww, bummer about the washer! Here’s hoping you guys get a positive resolution this week! My husband and I bought our washer/dryer set from our last landlord when we moved out (just gave us less back on our security deposit, so it felt like we were getting them for free!), and we’ve been rockin that set for the last 5 years. I’m knocking on wood that they hold up for us until we’re ready to move out of state.

    Reply

  35. Hannah says

    Have you removed the shipping bolts from the washer? I’ve heard stories where you’re waiting on replacements and repair people to come, when it’s really just a quick and simple fix! And no one seems to tell you about it or ask lol

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      They delivery guys said everything was removed and it was ready to go (they even started that first load to watch it fill and check for leaks) so we don’t think that’s the issue. I wish!

      xo
      s

  36. Kimberly says

    That’s a real bummer! But maybe in the spirt of glass is half fullness, you could use this time to paint the blue trim in the laundry cubby? Either way, I hope it all gets worked out very soon. No washing machine is no bueno!

    Reply

  38. Becky says

    I currently have front loaders in a laundry closet. The bending over is a hassle, but I love being able to put things on top of the washers. I have 4 laundry baskets for different types of loads. When a basket is full, in it goes. Makes sorting easy. I may switch to top loaders again, but I would need more laundry space.

    Reply

  41. Isabel says

    Sorry to hear about the snafu, but the new appliances and the floor look really nice! Make them stick for the full cycle when the new one comes!

    On a side note, hubs and I were trying to install new trim on our cabinet tops (the old trim was this fake, flat thing, for lack of a better name, so we wanted to upgrade our newly painted cabinets to the real wood thing) and for the life of us we couldn’t figure out how to make the cuts for where the regular cabinet meets the corner cabinet. I watched your crown molding video twice, fiddled with the angle finder but after 2 hours and a few failed cuts later we finally gave up. I was so mad though, I mean I sucked at geometry but geez! We’ll be asking our neighbor, who does home improvement for a living, for help but I really don’t like not being able to figure things out. I even dreamed about it! *Sigh*

    Reply

  43. Rachel A says

    As you continue to trudge through the journey that is living without a washer/dryer :-( here’s a situation to ponder: Would you do cloth diapering without your own washer/dryer? Baby #1 is on the way, and we live in an apartment, so we mainly do our laundry at a laundromat that’s a 1 minute drive away. I have always wanted to cloth diaper, but the reality of the situation is hitting me. Do you think that would be completely insane and the biggest hassle ever? Thanks! (And for your sake – and for the sake of my dreams – may you have a working washer soon!!)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think it would definitely be a lot more work (the convenience of doing a load at home while making dinner or writing a blog post) was really nice. Maybe try it with one of those “rental trial things” from cloth diapering companies and see what you think before committing to buying them?

      xo
      s

  44. Laurie says

    I’ve had some great Home Depot customer service experiences too which surprised me. I guess I think of their appliances as not their main thing but I was really impressed with how they treated me and, technically, I wasn’t even a customer at the time! I had some trouble with the place I did buy from and their installation and HD was all over helping me get it rectified and verified what should have happened. I was really grateful they were so helpful when I hadn’t bought from them.

    And yes, I do know the sweet sweet pleasure of having a working washer/dryer again and how lovely clean clothes are! You really miss it when it’s gone!

    Reply

  46. Jackie says

    That’s pretty genius with those floor boards – they look amazing. Are you planning to Sher-ify this with paint and cute knobs and all the fun stuff you guys always do to make these spaces updated and pretty? (Not that it needs it! but you just always have cute laundry spaces). Will you add in shelving/a closet bar for hangers in the space above the dryer or do you have a piece of art in mind?

    Love these updates! I’m sure you’re looking forward to having the appliances in place and working. Hopefully that’s all sorted this week.
    Best,
    Jackie

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, it’s definitely on the to-be-spruced list sometime! We’re just focused on the nursery right now, but in the words of Arnold… I’ll be back!

      xo
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thankfully John’s mom and sister live about 15 mins from our house, so if we get desperate we can fill the car with laundry and head over there. I just hate dropping in on them like that, so I think holding out until Thursday will work. Just hoping that Thursday goes well!

      xo
      s

  48. Carol says

    Been there, done that, feelin’ your pain with the new appliance issues! When we got a new washer/dryer combo the box was dented. I made them open it before it came 20 floors up. Sure enough, dented! And right where the washer drum would turn, so I didn’t want to risk accepting it. Two days later when they came with a new one, it was the EXACT SAME box! I refused to accept it again and they made me wait a week before they had an opening to try again. Finally got an undented appliance, they installed it, and ran the washer to test it. They left, I tried the dryer – Nothing! Called our building maintenance guy and he figured out the problem. My husband and I now laugh when we see commercials for the store in question – never again!

    Reply

  49. Stephanie says

    So sorry to hear that out of the box you had issues… We’ve started looking for a new washer/dryer combo and I was looking forward to your review of this one.

    Side note- If you need a great small space laundry rack, I cannot stop raving about the Grundtal Drying Rack from Ikea- it’s stainless steel, is securely wall mounted and folds flat when not in use. We just installed two in our laundry room and I was promptly air drying 12 pairs of jeans, 2 sweaters and a few tank tops on them in no time!

    Love your site and I always look forward to your new posts!

    Reply

  50. Kristen says

    Sorry about your washer! I recently switched from front to top loader and I love the change. Long time reader, first comment just because I don’t understand why you and John didn’t remove the washer and dryer before the install? It’s an easy enough process and then you could have addressed the floor and trim without the “blind panic” and mad dash. Good luck with the replacement washer!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      They were beasts (super heavy) and we just worried we’d scratch up the floor in the hallway, which obviously is more beloved than the plywood floor in that nook, so we just got it pre-cut and stained it all so it was ready to drop in. We were sweating but we got it done in time, and didn’t have a scratch on those floors!

      xo
      s

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