The Ultimate Guide to Utility Rooms

Everyone needs a utility room in their home especially when you own a home outside of the city. You will need a place to store equipment that is large, bulky, or smelly. It can function as a workspace for a handyman, giving a place to house tools needed for building or fixing. You can also make it a laundry room by having your washer/dryer there. Other hazardous chemicals to keep away from your children can be stored in this room. Or, it can simply be a place to throw off your muddy boots before walking into your home, or a place to hang your coats for easy access on your way out the door. Whatever the reason for this extra room, no home should go without it.

Where should you set up your utility room?

Depending on the use of this room will be the deciding factor of where in your home it should be. Quite often, these rooms will be the noisiest in your home. This is why most times a utility room will be found in an attic or basement. That being said, keep this room away from bedrooms (or other rooms you desire solace), or places you dine such as the kitchen. In situations where this can’t be avoided, you can either look into sound proofing the room, or going with appliances that make little to no noise. Remember when it was suggested to use this room to store your coats and outside wear? If this is what you plan on doing, a space with a second exit/entrance would be ideal for this purpose.

How do you set up a utility room?

This is definitely different per household. Planning out the layout of the room is very important to your own needs and specifications. Every utility room, however, should have a water supply. Be sure that you have access to both a hot and cold source. Think about your flooring, you want something that is easy to clean and can handle moisture. Tile is a excellent choice but if you like a wood floor look into tile that looks like hardwood as a good substitute. Consider the appliances or other devices that you will be storing there. If this will be your laundry room, the water source is crucial. A sink is also something that would be helpful for the space, in case you need to wash off muddy boots or scrub out a stubborn stain from a blouse.

You will also have to consider a vent for your dryer, wherever applicable. If you do not have a dryer and intend on using a clothesline instead, be sure that a window is in this room for ventilation. You definitely want to avoid the additional moisture that the wet clothes would bring.

Because you will have a water source, it is always good to consider tile floors, or other material that would not absorb water or become moldy. The less maintenance needed, the better.

What should you store or use in a utility room?

This ties into planning the layout of the room. You should plan for enough space to house all appliances and devices you intend on having there. Measure your appliances before bringing them home to make sure that there is enough room for the machines and yourself when moving back and forth. Another alternative to lack of space would be stackable machines or shelves for storage.