Saturday, March 2, 2013

It all started with the water heater.....



It all started when I went to change the lower element in the water heater. I thought the water heater was drained. No. Not even close! So with a quarterof an inch of water standing in the laundry room, I considered what to do. I didn't want to tile it because I didn't have enough experience to do that solo. I couldn't put it on a pedestal because I have a top loading washing machine. So......
The dryer vent is cut into the floor. This is because the laundry room is in the center of the house. The vinyl tile is hideous isn't it? I was not sorry to pull it up!


This is what the substrate looked like under the vinyl. It is half inch particle board secure with nails. Ummm... what? Not cool Robert Frost! Gotta go!
And this is just the tool to do it with! Plus a crow bar, a hammer, and a little bit of supressed rage! :)
I am super proud of this frame. I went to Lowe's, was lucky to get a very nice sales person (thanks Blake) who was not condescending, very patient, and helped me get what I needed. I watched videos, read the owner's manual, and used a circular saw for the very first time. I like!


Half inch MDF board. Basically making another floor. Katie helped me drill the screws. No nails thank you very much!
Half inch cement board for extra stength and water resistence. Katie and her boyfriend helped out with this part. We brought the high powered drill for this. I reeally like power tools!

To finish it off, I laid down vinyl planking. Much better than the last, don't you think?
 





Taa-daaah! Not bad! Katie and Brant were wonderful and sacrificed their early bedtime to help me move the washer and dryer back into the laudry room. A little clean-up, a little Woodchuck Ale, and.......
 



Ready to go! When we have to replace the water heater, we will finish the rest of the floor. In the meantime, this is pretty sweet! Bonus: the washer and dryer are even quieter than before! I am very happy with my first almost-solo DIY project. What will I do next? Stay tuned!