LESLIE: Laura in Connecticut is on the line with a question about washer & dryer shaking or vibrating. What can we do for you today?
LAURA: Putting down laminate flooring in my kitchen. It houses a washer and dryer. The washer and dryer, they shimmy a bit.
LESLIE: You mean they shimmy as in they’re moving across the floor or they just shake a lot?
LAURA: They shake a lot. I mean they shimmy to the point of if I have my coffeepot on the stove, the water will shimmy a little bit in the pot.
LESLIE: Seriously? Now, that could be a balancing thing. It could be, quite frankly, that your washing machine itself isn’t perfectly leveled. That could be a matter of adjusting the legs or something’s up with the flooring underneath it. But that could be one thing. Or if it’s not happening with every single load, it could be how you’re loading the washing machine. You could have too much stuff in it. But I would start, really, by making sure that the washing machine is perfectly leveled and perfectly balanced.
And then there are actually pads that you can get at the home centers, even a Bed Bath & Beyond-type place. It’s an anti-vibration pad that goes underneath. Some of them are large enough to fit underneath the entire washing machine. And some of them are more for the corners under the legs. But they’re meant almost like shock absorbers from the machine to the floor to prevent washer & dryer shaking or vibrating. So, definitely start with making sure it’s fully balanced and level.
LAURA: And I can put these machines directly on my laminate flooring?
TOM: Yeah, you can. Look, if they’re going to shake a lot, you’re going to get maybe some abrasion, especially if you get dirt under the leg. That could wear through the laminate surface. But I think Leslie is spot-on. Get it leveled and then get the anti-vibration pads or blocks. You can Google this. You’ll find them. I’ve got four of them, one under each leg of my washing machine, and I had it in there from when it was brand-new and it didn’t really shake at all. But it was on the second floor, so I wanted to make sure it was as quiet as possible to avoid washer & dryer shaking or vibrating. And they work fantastic.
They’re just like rubber spacers that go under the leg of each washing – of each of the four legs of the washer. And they sit on the floor. And because they’re rubber, also, they will protect the laminate floor from any scratching.
LAURA: OK. Thanks for your help.
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