correction- suggesting R30 insulation in floor joists for $600

Our upstairs laundry room is above our family room , I can’t tell when the washing cycle finishes, I have to go upstairs to check, no issues with either noise nor vibration.

The house we just moved into has a 2nd floor laundry. I was also concerned about the noise.vibrations. It is in a designated hallway closet with bi-fold doors. To my delight, I am able to do a wash and not hear it upstairs or downstairs. We do have a rarely used guest bedroom with a common wall to the laundry room (well, buffered by a closet) and in that room you can hear something but it;s very low level noise. Otherwise it's a non issue.

Is your washer a front loader? We had a front loader on the second floor and it felt and sounded like a train going through the house - vibrations galore. We replaced it with a top loader and that helped alot.

I would rethink the 2nd floor laundry, IMO not one bit more convienent than the old basement one. I have a main floor laundry that I love I can do laundry while I am doing other stuff on that floor and hear it when it is finished no unessessary trips to check on it and one trip back to the bedrooms when finished.

Until this house, I always had a main floor laundry room and that would be my preference as well. I definitely did not want a basement laundry room. At least on the second floor, (bedroom level) I am not transporting laundry up and down stairs. Other than the risk of flooding and noise-----and smaller space that I have on the 2nd floor, I find it actually a lot more convenient.

I just replaced the 20 plus yr old toploader that was here, with a front loader. Of course the front loader is newer and better anyway but honestly either one generated minimal noise.

I have heard Electrolux has some sort of buffer for vibrations and noise. For what it's worth, I got a Whirlpool 85 and I am happy.

I have a front loader. Most things I've read say insulation does not help with the vibration so I'm leaning towards putting rubber mats under the machines...

We just completed a second floor addition that included a laundry room. I don't hear or feel the washer or dryer running from upstairs. I don't have any insulation between the floors or anti-vibration pads under the machines. The second floor was constructed using engineered Trus Joist I-Joists and 1-1/8" thick AdvanTech subfloor. The washer is a new Samsung front load.

Select your machines carefully. I hear that some units are not recommended for 2nd floor usage.

Our w/d is right outside our bedroom door like on a landing that has two other bedrooms off of it. Sound isn't an issue. I can barely hear it but that's good because I want to know when the washer stops and it's time to go in the dryer. It's super handy to have the w/d where the dirty sheets/towels and clothes are.

Do check on venting for the dryer. Does the dryer back up to an outside wall? Or will you have a very long vent tube to remove hot air?

Beverly do you know which brands, models aren’t good for 2nd floors?

• If you have a front loading washing machine, it can cause significant vibration during the spin cycle and potentially result in the machine “walking”. Most manufacturers don’t recommend front loaders for second floor laundry rooms unless the flooring has been reinforced. That being said, there are many people who have second floor front loaders who have had no problems with them. I can’t personally comment on this issue since I have an older top loading washer.

https://www.drivenbydecor.com/second-floor-laundry-room-pros-cons/

When all of our bedrooms were on the second floor, our laundry was also on the second floor. I rarely heard it, because the room had a door on it. In fact, I hear the main floor laundry that I have now more often, because I never remember to close the door.

Thank you Beverly. Great article with good tips. Interestingly, in my current house, my washer is not front loading and actually “walks” and vibrates a lot. So...not sure if it could also have to do with brands.

Dee J, in my current build we decided to do an upstairs laundry. Read through many threads here on Houzz about it. One thing that was recommended which I’ve saved in my Amazon basket until the time is right are these water sensors:
Zircon Leak Alert + LED! Home Pack - Electronic Water Detector with Audio and Visual Alarm (5 Pack) - Batteries Included - FFP https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M28XP4A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Ux7YBbG1JFVXH

If your washer is walking it's not level. I have never seen a delivery crew that ever bothered to level the washer and dryer. Place a level left to right and back to front on the washer and get it level by adjusting the bottom feet. If not the drum in the washer will fail over time.

The forum used to have a washer repairman who often commented about these issues and I wish he was still online, but I don't see him comment.

Mine is front loading on the 2nd floor and it doesn't walk or move. I will say that after the wash cycle has finished you need to remove the clothes right away. They can sour quickly with the tight seal and the washer needs to be left open with soap drawer pulled out so it won't get moldy. Sorry, that's just the reality of a front loader.

Run a load of white towels with bleach fairly often to keep the washer fresh. These units are completely air tight so mold/odors/etc can grow quickly.

Just needed to mention that during construction of our home we added insulation to a major part of the entire first floor interior walls and ALL ceilings and if I remember correctly, the invoice for that entire area was $600. So $600 for a laundry room floor seems absolutely absurd unless your laundry room is the size of a gymnasium. Also need to add that insulation does very little to reduce or muffle sound from one room to the next and I can tell you from experience that it barely does anything (i can hear talking and other noises quite easily through the walls even with the added insulation). That being said, my laundry room is on the second floor and the only thing I hear is the little musical tune it plays when the wash is done. The washer is virtually silent and there is no vibration that I can discern....it’s a front loader (LG).

Depends on which washer/dryer you plan to install. F.ex. I live in an apartment. My upstairs neighbor has one of those combined laundry centers on the second floor of her duplex. it is so noisy it actually wakes me up 2 floors down if she runs it early in the morning.

I have a stacked Bosch front loader pair. It is so quiet i cannot hear it when it's running.

So definitely I would go with sound insulation if you're getting a top loader -- any top loader. They are very noisy. If you're getting a front loader then it depends on brand etc. The spin on the f/ls is usually what's noisy though mine is not.