Stacked, a washer and dryer take half the floor space. Makers sell a stacking kit for that, often with a pull-out shelf; this cabinet builds it instead: a support deck for the dryer and a pull-out shelf under it, in a cabinet 676 mm wide, 2240 mm high and 700 mm deep (26 5/8 × 88 1/4 × 27 1/2 in).
Built from the bottom up
- Washer on the floor, with no bottom panel under it.
- Fixed shelf above the washer, at least 25 mm clear.
- Pull-out shelf on a pair of ball-bearing slides.
- Support deck of two glued 18 mm layers with a front lip, for the dryer.
- Dryer in a 640 × 880 mm compartment.
- Top cabinet with a door.
Why the dryer does not sit on the washer
Put a dryer on a washer and you must use the maker's stacking kit; Bosch forbids any other way. In this cabinet the machines do not touch: the dryer stands on its own deck carried by the sides, the washer stands loose on the floor. The deck is two 18 mm panels glued over the full face with water-resistant glue (D3), 36 mm together, more than the 30 mm water-resistant board Bosch asks under a washer on a wooden joist floor; we use that as the minimum. It is fixed between the sides with dowels and cam connectors and stops 80 mm short at the back so the washer hoses can pass. The front lip covers the edges of the deck. Under a washer the cabinet designer lets it stand 20 mm above the deck against walking; Family Handyman uses 3/8 in on a pedestal. Mind the air under the dryer: Miele says the vents must stay clear and the gap under the dryer must not be reduced, for example by a plinth strip. That is why the lip here sits flush with the deck (36 mm).
Sizes, and US machines
Both compartments are 640 mm wide (20 mm per side, ready-made cabinet guide) with at least 25 mm above each machine (Samsung, which also asks 25 mm at the sides, so give a Samsung washer 650 mm), sized for 600 mm European machines. For 27 in US machines make the cabinet about 29 in inside and check your installation guide. The pull-out shelf sits in a 90 mm compartment: an 18 mm shelf, 46 mm battens (the height of a Hettich KA 5632) and clearance.
A tall narrow cabinet goes on the wall. No back panel, only two back rails: screw it to the wall into the studs before the machines go in (Anchor It).
Dryer: use a condenser or heat-pump dryer in a cabinet; a vented dryer must exhaust outdoors (PNNL). Keep its front open, as Miele requires. Not every dryer may stand under a top: Miele says its T1 heat-pump dryer is not suitable for under-counter installation, so check your dryer manual. A Samsung dryer does not belong on this deck: Samsung UK does not allow washers or dryers in cabinets raised off the floor.
The pull-out shelf is for setting things down. A factory stacking kit with a pull-out shelf carries little too (Samsung SKK-DD manual: no more than 15 kg on the kit).
What you need
- 1 pair of 22 in full-extension slides for the pull-out shelf, for example Everbilt at Home Depot.
- 2 concealed hinges for the top door.
- Water-resistant wood glue and 34 screws 4 × 30 mm (#8 × 1 1/4 in).
- Connectors, dowels and wall anchors; the cabinet designer counts them.
Dimensions
- Outside: 676 × 2240 × 700 mm (26 5/8 × 88 1/4 × 27 1/2 in)
- Washer compartment 640 × 880 mm on the floor, dryer compartment 640 × 880 mm
- Top cabinet 640 × 300 mm
- 18 mm plywood, no back panel
Panel sizes (cut list)
| Part | Size (mm) | Qty | Material | Thickness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side | 2240 × 700 | 2 | Plywood (birch) | 18 mm |
| Top | 640 × 700 | 1 | Plywood (birch) | 18 mm |
| Back rail | 640 × 100 | 2 | Plywood (birch) | 18 mm |
| Door | 670 × 322.5 | 1 | Plywood (birch) | 18 mm |
| Shelf | 640 × 700 | 2 | Plywood (birch) | 18 mm |
| Support deck | 640 × 602 | 2 | Plywood (birch) | 18 mm |
| Support deck: front lip | 640 × 36 | 1 | Plywood (birch) | 18 mm |
| Pull-out shelf | 615 × 550 | 1 | Plywood (birch) | 18 mm |
| Pull-out shelf: side batten | 550 × 46 | 2 | Plywood (birch) | 18 mm |
| Pull-out shelf: front | 670 × 114 | 1 | Plywood (birch) | 18 mm |
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What the cabinet designer does
A + Washer compartment at the bottom of a cabinet without a plinth gets no bottom panel: the machine stands on the floor. The dryer compartment gets a support deck below it by itself. The build guide glues the deck and builds the pull-out shelf on the workbench and places the machines last.
Frequently asked questions
Can the dryer just sit on the washer?
Only with the maker's stacking kit, and the washer must be at least as wide and deep as the dryer (Bosch). In this cabinet the dryer has its own deck and the machines do not touch.
How much space between the washer and the deck above?
At least 25 mm (1 in); Samsung asks for 25 mm above the machine. In the example the washer compartment is 880 mm high for an 850 mm machine.
Will US machines fit?
The example is sized for 600 mm European machines. For 27 in machines, make the inside about 29 in wide and check height and depth in your installation guide.