Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Common house laundry

[Pablo Halpern (phalpern]

Bob Morrison wrote:
>   What I dislike most about laundry rooms in apartment complexes is not that
> they are in the basement, but rather that they are crowded and never have
> seats. It does appear that apartment/condo house designers consider laundry
> an "unimportant" function.

As Bob says, it is not necessary for a basement room to be unpleasant.
The usual problem is that it is too "basement-like": concrete floor,
cinder-block walls, dim flourecent lights, exposed ceiling studs, etc. 
All of this is correctable by creating a finshed room for the laundary. 
This is much cheaper than finishing the whole basement, though more
expensive than leaving it basement-like.  Some things to consider:

1. Separate the laundary area from the rest of the basement with real
walls.

2. Use vinyl or linolium flooring to make it more attractive and easier
on the feet.

3. Use good-quality lighting (no flickery flourecents).

4. Make sure there is somewhere to sit.

5. A telephone might be nice. As would a radio/tape player.

6. Make the laundary convenient to the stairs, so that someone could
throw in a load and then pop upstairs to eat, socialize, or relax in the
lounge/living room. Also, people don't like carrying their clean cloths
over concrete floors because they always look dirty (even when they're
not).

7. If the basement tends to be damp, put in a dehumidifier.

-- 
- Pablo