Project book · an afternoon

Build a folding counter over the washer and dryer

A counter over front-loaders gives you somewhere to fold. A plywood top on cleats.

How wide is the space, wall to wall?

feet

This fits in a car

About 79 lb of materials. Comfortably inside what a car carries (200 lb), so any shopper can take it. ⚠️ 2 items on the list have no weight on file, so the real load is a little heavier than this.

Before you start

This only works over front-loading machines. Wear eye protection on the saw, and do not squash or kink the dryer vent behind the counter.

What to buy — untick anything you have

Lumber

Hardware

Paint

Tools — already ticked off, since most people have them

Tools

It lands in the shopping form, where you can edit anything and say what you think each thing costs. Nothing is ordered until you send it.

How it goes · about an afternoon · some experience

  1. Measure the height of the machines with their lids closed and add an inch, so they can shake without touching the counter.
  2. Draw a level line at that height on the back and both side walls.
  3. Screw the cleats along the line into the studs.
  4. Cut the top to length, iron the edge banding onto the front, and sand and seal it.
  5. Set the top on the cleats and screw down through it. Leave room behind for the hoses and the dryer vent.

Something else

Build a raised garden bedMulch a flower bedPaint a roomPut up garage shelvingFix a patchy lawnBuild a fire pitMount a TV on the wallCookout for a crowd

Feeding people instead? The recipe book works the same way — pick a meal, say how many, every ingredient lands on the list.

Build a folding counter over the washer and dryer — everything for it, in one tap · DriverRuns