Things to do before taking the laundry room upstairs

Schlepping a load of dirty laundry from the bedroom to the basement or utility room can be a pain in the hamper.

That's one reason more homeowners prefer locating the laundry room closer to the source of most dirty clothes and linen, according to a survey by the National Association of Home Builders.

Some homeowners are even adding second washers and dryers to master-bedroom suites and guest rooms.

If you're planning to do the same — whether by adapting an existing space or building a new one — be sure to factor in the following:

Structure: An engineer can help determine whether your home, or house plan, can accommodate a second-floor laundry. Planning the space, meanwhile, is best left to an architect, who can also incorporate necessary mechanical changes into the design.

Some considerations include: floor joists (they must be sturdy enough to support the extra weight and vibrations of a washer and dryer), noise (walls and ceilings made of 1/2-inch or /8-inch gypsum wallboard are better than a single layer at dampening vibrations generated by a washer or dryer) and waterproofing (the best way to prevent a leak from flooding the rest of the house is to build a curb across the laundry room's threshold, waterproof the floor area and install a floor drain).

Additional safeguards against water damage involve installing electronic shutoff valves, which automatically stop the flow of water when they sense a leak, and adding washing-machine drip pans.

Utilities: Running new service lines with minimal demolition and disruption is usually the most challenging and time-consuming part of installing a laundry room on an upper floor. It's also the costliest step because building codes require that licensed professionals do much of the work.

For example, you'll need a licensed plumber to install the service and drain lines, and a licensed electrician to pull dedicated lines for both the washer and dryer, including a 240-volt line if your dryer is electric. (Gas-fueled dryers require only standard 120-volt service, but a plumber will have to link the appliance to the municipal gas supply or an on-site storage tank.)

You may be able to handle the venting yourself. Running dryer venting is often relatively simple because ducts can be routed up through the attic and roof.

Appliances: You can aid soundproofing efforts by buying quiet appliances. In general, front-loading washing machines operate more quietly than top-loaders. (Some front-loaders can prolong the disturbance, taking up to two hours to wash a load, compared with 35 minutes for the fastest top-loading models.)

To minimize vibrations, make sure your washer and dryer are level. (Some front-loaders can accommodate a dryer perched on top — useful when retrofitting a small space such as a closet. Laundry centers, meanwhile, combine a washer and dryer into a single tall unit.)

Purchase products from a dealer who will allow you to return or exchange them if they shake and shimmy too much once they're in place.

Top testers

Our tests of washers and dryers have identified a few strong but reasonably quiet models that should suit laundry rooms near living spaces.

We like the top-loading Whirlpool LSW9700P. It combines good performance with a comparatively low price, $380, to earn distinction as a CR Best Buy. The front-loading Whirlpool Duet GHW9150P ($1,000) cycles through a wash in 65 minutes — quicker than most others we rated.

As for dryers, we recommend the GE Profile DPSB620EC — a CR Best Buy at $580 — and the Kenmore Elite 6697 — $640, from Sears. Prices are for electric dryers; gas models typically cost about $50 more.