IN THIS POST
– Essentials for Outdoor Laundry Area
– Tiling the Floor
– Installing Cabinets and Shelves
– Adding New Light Fixtures
– Protecting your Washer and Dryer
While indoor laundry rooms are quickly becoming a fixture in newly constructed homes, most of the older houses in Pakistan still boast an outdoor laundry area comprising a small washing area with a tap, though it is rarely used for its intended purpose. More often than not, homeowners use this portion of their house as a storage area, diminishing its functionality as well as bringing down the value of their property.
So, if you have an outdoor laundry area in your home that has become the dumping ground for clutter, here are a few smart ways to completely transform the space to make it both functional and convenient. Also, you won’t have to spend a lot of money to fix it up.
Before we take a look at how to upgrade this area, let’s quickly discuss some of the essential items required for setting up the laundry area in your home.
Essential Items for Your Outdoor Laundry Area
Here are some essential items that every indoor or outdoor laundry room must have:
- Washing machine and dryer
- Laundry basket
- Detergents
- Fabric softeners
- Stain removers
- Bleaches
- Dryer sheets
- An empty glass jar for loose change
- Trashcan
- Clothesline
- Drying rack
- Potted plants (Optional)
How to Upgrade the Outdoor Laundry Area
Regardless of whether you have a covered or open-air washing area, these outdoor laundry room ideas can completely transform your place.
- Tiling the floor
- Installing cabinets and shelves
- Adding new light fixtures
- Protecting your washer and dryer
Let’s further discuss these ideas to upgrade your laundry area.
Tiling the Floor
The first step to upgrading your outdoor laundry area is to tile its floor.
Concrete is the most common flooring material used for this space, but if you want to add some value to your home as well as make it look aesthetically pleasing, installing tile floors might be a good idea.
Porcelain, marble and ceramic are some of the most popular choices in this regard. These materials are widely used in bathrooms owing to their resistance to moisture, durability, strength and affordability, which also makes them ideal for the laundry area. Vitrified tiles, although slightly more expensive, are also a good option.
The best part about tiling the outdoor area for doing laundry is that you can do it yourself without hiring a professional. All you need are the tiles, mortar, pointed and flat trowels, tile spacers, grout and grout sponge, waterproof sealant, cement backer boards, drill, screws, level and measuring tape.
For detailed instructions on how to tile a floor as well as different types of tiles and their rates in Pakistan, please take a look at our respective guides on these topics.
Installing Cabinets and Shelves
Adding a storage area to your laundry room is extremely important.
Depending on the size of the available area, you can either install some cabinets or a few open shelves on one of the walls to ensure all of your laundry and cleaning supplies are stored properly in one place. This includes detergents, bleaches, fabric softeners and stain removers among other items.
Here are the rates and types of wooden cabinets in Pakistan along with a complete tutorial on how to install cabinets like a pro to help you out.
If there isn’t enough space for a cabinet, you can simply add a floating shelf to keep items such as laundry detergent in easy reach.
The most important part of upgrading this area is to ensure all of your cleaning supplies are stored conveniently. Moreover, you need to make sure this area doesn’t end up becoming a dumping ground for all the useless junk in your home. Therefore, make sure to declutter the outdoor laundry cabinets every few months or so.
Adding New Light Fixtures
Whether you are turning a shed into a laundry room or just giving a makeover to an open-air washing area, it is very important for it to be adequately lit.
Installing wall sconces or even simple LED bulbs will do the job. Of course, you can also splurge a little on the outdoor lighting fixtures to make sure they complement the theme of your home décor.
In case you are wondering about the best type of lighting for each room in your house, here is a detailed guide that might help you out.
Protecting your Washer and Dryer
A lot of homeowners avoid upgrading this laundry area because they aren’t sure how to protect the outdoor washer and dryer.
Storing washer and dryer outside can certainly be a bit of a hassle, especially if you are dealing with a relatively small space. While most home décor magazines would recommend building an insulated shed for the washing machine to protect it from harsh weather conditions, simply covering it with a thick plastic tarp will also do the trick. Just make sure it’s empty and completely dry before doing so.
On the other hand, if you have a big enough backyard, you can consider building an outdoor washing machine shed. Though you may have to check with your local development authority before doing so, as some areas and housing societies are very stringent about their construction bylaws.
That brings an end to our guide on how to upgrade your outdoor laundry area and make it functional. However, if you have any feedback or suggestions regarding the topic, feel free to share them with us by sending an email on blog@zameen.com.
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