Folding Laundry

When we first moved into our home the basement was an apartment of sorts – we think this is the case because the closet had been converted into a quasi-kitchen with a fully functioning garbage disposal. I’m not sure why but it totally grosses me out that it used to function that way. One of the first things RC and his dad did was pulled out the counters that were down there and got rid of the garbage disposal – it was not something that anyone could or should reuse. It was gross – mainly because it wasn’t hooked up properly. They then moved the washer and dryer that was in the bathroom into the closet that was always meant to be a laundry closet except all the doors had been pulled out so it was just totally exposed.

It would have been fine to leave it exposed with some trim and storage solutions inside the closet but it was just noisy. I took this project as my own since I had huge problems with the noise that our washer and dryer make. Back in September (yes it has taken me this long to complete the project and blog about it) I bought bi-fold doors to replace some of the broken ones and to install where there wasn’t one.

Getting them to fit in the car was quite comical; it is a good thing that I was the only one in the car because another person would not have fit. After I got them down to the basement I wondered what I got myself into because I had no idea how to install these things and was hoping there were some really good directions included with the doors. I figured I can read and follow directions (much like I did when I replaced the fill valve) and in no time I would have fully functioning bi-fold doors concealing my laundry area. Once I got the door in place I couldn’t figure out why it kept struggling to open against the carpet. A good hour later I realized that the pivot joint that keeps it in place can be adjusted to raise the door up or down to avoid carpet resistance. Once I figured that out my door moved like butter.

For a few weeks I left them unpainted just to make sure they were working properly. The doors themselves come primed not painted so I finally painted them - just gave them a few coats of Behr pure white. The final step was adding some decorative hardware – the door kits come with these ugly wooden knobs and I liked the look of the brushed nickel ones we had already put on a similar closet upstairs.

Finally the basement looks less like an unfinished cold place and more like a little room where I can happily fold laundry. I actually don’t mind folding the laundry – the worst part is definitely putting the folded clothes away.