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Carriage House — Adding Washer & Dryer

tealwood | Posted in Construction Techniques on November 19, 2011 02:29am

Client has existing 2 story carriage house —- garage underneath (except for 8 feet at one end that has stairway and mechanical room) and apartment above.  Want to add washer and dryer space at top of stairs landing.  All cathedral ceilings on upper floor.  Space to fit w&d “closet” at landing under the sloped  ceiling.  Approximately 3/4 of needed floor space above open entrance porch of first floor.  Underside of this floor is insulated with rigid and spray foam.  Routing small portion of sloped 2 inch washer drain line through unconditioned porch ceiling (approx. 36 inches total  with steep positive slope) provides most useable floor space in “closet” and most straight forward plumbing drain connection.  Will insulate short distance of drain pipe above porch ceiling. 

Any one see a problem with this approach?  Thanks ……….

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Replies

  1. DanH | Nov 19, 2011 03:54pm | #1

    Definitely wouldn't be a problem in Fort Lauderdale.  Might be a problem in North Dakota.

  2. DanH | Nov 19, 2011 05:46pm | #2

    The drain will be on the wrong side of the insulation.  Remove the insulation above it, add new insulation below.

  3. calvin | Nov 20, 2011 07:15am | #3

    Definitely insulate

    but from the cold side, leave open to the warm.

    SEAL ALL areas where even the smallest air entry could come into that area.

    Steep slope doesn't help the trap, that's your weak link.

    1. DanH | Nov 20, 2011 08:13am | #4

      Even if the trap itself is warm, a slow drip will freeze the pipe solid.

      1. tealwood | Nov 20, 2011 12:39pm | #5

        Thanks for the comments ..............

        The standpipe, trap, etc. is in the conditioned space above.  This small section "passes through" the porch ceiling space and connects to one branch of the main stack which obviously is also in conditioned space on the first floor.  The pipe will be empty over 99+% of the time since its is only serving the washing machine.  And the dwell time of any water in it will be seconds at most.  Wouldn't it seem that with four or five inches of spray foam encapsulating it ............... that it will be fine?

        1. DanH | Nov 20, 2011 04:21pm | #6

          "Encapsulating" it is where

          "Encapsulating" it is where you get into trouble.

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