They make specific pans for this purpose. You are required by code in most areas to have one. A local plumber should be able to help you.

We went to local Lowe's and they are doing the installation of the washer and dryer. When we asked them, they said nobody uses the pans these days. Our old one had the pan but that was from previous owner. I am still concerned about the scratching and don't know where I can find the tray.

Huh. I just completed a custom home in Austin, TX. Laundry room upstairs. Contractor, plumber and city inspectors all agree- must have protection, and the pan was recommended by the contractor on up. I think we might have gotten away with a pad, but upstairs laundry? No way, for me- just in case! They're fairly nondescript,in appearance, in expensive, and not a cleaning nightmare. When it comes to wet areas, I've always erred on the cautious side.

BTW: Try Googling "metal pans for washer and dryer". You can find them in all shapes and sizes, and they're very affordable.

Thanks folks, Will let you know what I end up with

Washer on the second floor requires a pan with a connected drain. First floor you not required to have a pan or the drain, but you can still use a pan if you like.

There is absolutely nothing in the International Residential Code requiring a pan under a washing machine, even if it is on the second or third floor.

[https://www.houzz.com/discussions/where-to-place-a-washer-dryer-dsvw-vd~3523525[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/where-to-place-a-washer-dryer-dsvw-vd~3523525)

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The only pan requirements are for water heaters.

http://premiumaccess.iccsafe.org/document/code/272/4696847

https://www.walmart.com/ip/21780

It has been an industry standard to install a pan with a drain if the laundry room located on the first or second floor above living space. Many towns will require to have a pan in single family homes as well because it's a Requirement of the Authority Having Jurisdiction.

With that said, I wouldn't go without a pan...what we talking about here $20 vs. @1000+ in damage if the washer breaks.

Good luck

Fred, this is not considered a drain because it shouldn't be connected to the drain. It must terminate in the basement it it's not finished or the outside so a Homeowner can see there is a problem.

"this is not considered a drain because it shouldn't be connected to the drain. It must terminate in the basement it it's not finished or the outside so a Homeowner can see there is a problem."

Nonsense...on so many levels. Show me the code number.

Fred, not every rule is backed up by the code number. I don't know how things work in other places, but in NJ administrative agencies create and enforce many legal rules on their own, often without the advice of lawmakers, and the rules have the force of law.

With that said, I wouldn't build a laundry room on the second floor without a pan code or no code and for as long as I been building, going back to early 80's I haven't seen a washer on the second floor without a pan... What are we talking here, a $20 dollar pan and a few lengths of 1" pipe?

"not every rule is backed up by the code number. I don't know how things work in other places, but in NJ administrative agencies create and enforce many legal rules on their own, often without the advice of lawmakers, and the rules have the force of law."

More nonsense. In order to be a law, it must be documented (written down). It can't be a super secret law that nobody knows about until they have violated it and incurred a penalty. It also must be filed (have a code/law number).

Your assumption contradicts the whole division of powers set up by our govt.

STRAIGHT FROM THE NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR (head of the executive (enforcement) branch of the government in New Jersey... including code enforcement.)

Uniform Construction Code

Construction Official Commentary

State of New Jersey

Jon S. Corzine, Governor

http://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/codes/forms/pdf_licensing/co_comment.pdf

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"The Legislature found that a multiplicity of construction codes existed at the time this code was established. These codes were impacted with many requirements and restrictions that varied from one municipality to another. They also found that municipalities were restricting certain materials and technologies so as the public was unable to conceive the benefits of these products."

"The way of ensuring complete statewide compliance was to establish a uniform construction code. Thereby, controlling or lowering the cost of housing and other construction, meanwhile maintaining the health, safety and welfare of the general public."- page 13

"The intent of the Uniform Construction Code is to provide statewide uniformity in the process of obtaining a construction permit."- page 60

"Administrative agencies create and enforce many legal rules on their own, often without the advice of lawmakers, and the rules have the force of law." I didn't come up with this, it comes from the same document you found, only from a "revised" version.

I will say it again, for as long as I been building Homes, 98% of the builders in NJ or Plumbers will install washer overflow pan in the laundry room located on the 2nd floor, this been the industry standard practice since it became a Trend to install laundry rooms on the 2nd floor, because overflow pan provides protection from washing machine overflow or other washer failures simple as that.

In any case, Fred I frankly don't care at all this stuff you digging up, and this is not the first time we "bang heads" and I'm sure not the last time...LOL and I think it's because we look at things from diffrent perspectives... I go by what some jurisdictions require here and I go above the Code to built a better and safer Home... I know you like to hang onto every letter in the code book, but we both know Building codes are the "Bare Minimum" requirement you have to meet and in some cases it needs improvements when it comes to certain issues.

They just don't do it because there is not enough reports of property damage or people getting hurt to cause a concern, like in the Decking industry, it took a few dozen decks to collapse nationwide, a few deaths, and few hundred people being hospitalized, before they started to do the overhaul on deck construction and safety.

So believe you me, if you get a bad batch of washing machines that fail due to a bad hose design, or whatever and they flood a few hundred homes nationwide and media will go nuts over it... you will have a laundry pan requirement in every code book and IMPO it should have been in there already long time ago, but that just me :-)

Thanks a lot for the details and nuances, I am completely green and had not thought a lot about the overflow/water damage aspect. I was more concerned about the constant movement of the washer and dryer and how that impacts the flooring underneath as well as the structural integrity.

Since I have a vinyl floor, cost effective and usually water resistant, I believe everyone feels that replacing the floor due to the wear and tear of the washer dryer movement should be fine. I will consult the Lowe's installer coming in and make sure he knows that I need the pan and drain for overflow.

I considered a pan because we have a wood floor, but my drain is elevated -- in one of these:

(three feet off the floor), so all the pan could do is catch like 10% of the water if the thing broke down. which would be useless.

if you're just concerned about scratching the floor, you could get little caster cups like they put under couches. but honestly, it will get moved so seldom, I don't think it's worth worrying about. keep a couple extra pieces of the flooring somewhere in the attic for emergency patching.

" I didn't come up with this, it comes from the same document you found, only from a "revised" version."

BULL SHÎT when pigs fly. There is no super secret set of laws that you can refer to making you correct on this matter. There are no Lepricans running around with a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for you just because you claim it to be so. They did NOT "revise" that document so that you could be correct. If they had, it would have to be published as an inherent part of the definition of "revision" SO, PRODUCE IT, OR IT DID NOT HAPPEN. Did you think that I would believe the "it is there, but in invisible ink" ploy? Such a revision would negate the whole division of powers policy that the US was founded on, and be a dictatorship. Your ""quote"" , and assumption of what it means, would be a 180° contradiction to the entire point of the document. This is getting more lame than the "well, that's the code at my house" arguement that everyone brings up when they are wrong... as if it can't be looked up.

"Administrative law judges have no independent decisional authority. Any attempt to exercise such authority would constitute a serious encroachment upon an agencies ability to exercise its statutory jurisdiction and discharge its regulatory responsibilities."

"No rule or regulation made by any department, officer, agency or authority of this State, except such as relates to the organization or internal management of the State government or a part thereof, shall take effect until it is filed either with the Secretary of State or in such manner as may be required by law. The Legislature shall provide for the prompt publication of such rules and regulations. RULE MAKING If an agency intends to exercise its quasi-legislative powers through the adoption, amendment or repeal of any rule, the APA requires that it give notice of its intended action."

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"So believe you me, if you get a bad batch of washing machines that fail due to a bad hose design, or whatever and they flood a few hundred homes nationwide "

But it DID NOT HAPPEN, and they don't make codes based on your paranoia.

"you will have a laundry pan requirement in every code book and IMPO it should have been in there already long time ago"

No you won't, because they don't require a pan for the things that commonly go wrong now.

I have seen a hundred toilets overflow, at least 25% of those had leaking valves that continued to run after the tank was full. Every rental property I have ever been in to make repairs that is over 25 years old has had a damaged cabinet and floor under the kitchen faucet. At least 25% of the remodeled kitchens I have been to to fix other people's mistakes have had water damage done by the dishwasher water line AFTER the remodel due to a faulty connection. I have seen water lines burst from freezing dozens of times because someone thought that they should insulate where the outside hose bib comes into the house "above the code", and end up insulating way past the freezeless shutoff, thereby insulating the pipe from the heat it needs to stay thawed rather than from the cold outside. And yet, I have never seen a problem with a washing machine because they are less common. The only reasons a water heater requires a pan is for the pressure relief valve, and the occasionally sweating that is not common to a washing machine. "Above code" is not always better. It often has unintended negative consequences, such as a false sense of security.

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@lizzymonts, do NOT get a pan with a 1/2" or 3/4" drain hose because I can guarantee you that the hose will be clogged up with lint LONG before it is ever needed for an emergency. Go ahead and get a pan to protect the floor, and for minor spills if you want, but do not cut out the hole for that tiny drain tube because they are worthless. You will have more spiders and bugs crawling up the tube from outside and clogging it, even if you can manage to keep the lint out, than you would care to have in your house. A drain to the outside is also a big NO NO for modern energy codes. Vinyl flooring is easy to patch, especially under a washer where nobody will ever see it.

Our washer is on the first floor above an unfinished basement. We were concerned about hose breakage so the plumber did the following: cut a 2" round hole in the deck and placed a plastic mat under the washer. Now, it's true that the first floor won't get any water, but what a mess in the basement (the washer is over the water heater and furnace. Should we do anything else or just leave well enough alone.

The OP is concerned about scratches so I will throw my hat into the ring and offer a 'scratch' solution: they are called appliance rails and you can get them at Home Depot:

Glide 'N' Guard

These rails sit underneath your appliance to protect the floor from scratching. They have nothing to do with water intrusion from a burst washing machine drum. At least for the "something to protect the vinyl" I can offer this small tidbit.

Good luck.

(1) I am an attorney and was invited to join a class action suit over failure of washer hoses manufactured in Asia -- replace yours with more up to date versions that are stronger and now specified. Before I became an attorney I was an urban planner, and studied architecture at the graduate level -- I understand building codes and helped write legislation that rewrote US building codes.

(2) My insurance rates are triple what they should be because the washer hose failed and flooded the laundry room and basement -- I have never asked my highly rated insurance company for compensation for repairs, just remediation services -- and my rates still tripled because we had an earlier problem with an overflow from the laundry sink (my fault), and a failed sump pump when the power went out during Hurricane Hannah. One agent told me that after the second event I was lucky to be insured by the same insurer. Again, I have never asked for compensation for repairs I paid for, or for replacement of furniture that was damaged.

(3) Know how to turn off the water in your house if a laundry hose or washer leaks. A tray may give you a few minutes -- or at least another way of removing water easily before it soaks into the floors, walls and structure. Keep old towels handy.

(4) If your washer connection is above the counter top and you have a sink or window nearby, keep a section of French drain hose handy -- you can use it to send water to the sink or outside. These plastic hoses cost only a few dollars and you can buy very long lengths if you need them -- they are very lightweight. But don't use them for French drains -- they collapse over time -- white perforated PVC pipe is better.

(5) I don't know why the washer hose connection is permitted below the counter top, without another egress for the water -- it's a $10,000 risk, especially in a new house -- the last two times I moved, we moved locally, and the first thing I did was to wash the sheets, ready to remake the beds in the new place -- second sets were packed! Both times I had floods -- from the fourth floor to the main floor (no basement, townhouse), and from the basement sump pump to the basement carpeting. After the first flood the builder was required to open up all of the drywall for all of the three stairs, because the flow of water concerned the engineer.

Now, now, guys. I think the answer to lizzymont's question is yes.

I had a friend go on vacation only to come back to a house completely flooded (all 3 floors), mold everywhere, all furniture ruined, and the house was condemned, all due to a leaky washing machine or broken hose. Don't know whether she had a pan or not, but probably irrelevant as anything other than a swimming pool with toilet-sized drainage system would have failed.

Since learning of this sad story (took 9 months and endless insurance fights to get the house rebuilt), I turn the house plumbing and water heater off before going on vacation! And in winter I drain the pipes too.

This is really interesting to me. I've never seen those trays and couldn't imagine them holding much water anyway. I'm in Australia and all laundries and bathrooms must have a 'floor waste' drain which leads outside. If there's a leak the water goes down the drain and outside

Thanks to Fred S for distinguishing between "code" and "good practice." I hate the blurred lines. Sure the material cost to install the tray/drain is not substantial but generally the labor involved is not so trivial. A builder's advice must be qualified by the fact that they make more money when they suggest more expensive solutions. I only want to make an informed decision, and the consequences are my own.

Holy cow ..I thought they were asking about protection for the flooring? I had VCT(regular vinyl will tear!!) in my hall and laundry area and my washer had a problem and it over flowed many times even down the hallway and did not affect the flooring at all( I did an excellent job installing!!) Blah blah blah on all this leagalese. I too am looking for protection for my soon to be new tile flooring in the laundry. Will check out those "glide" deals