Laundry Room Renovation - Hackensack Ranch
Project Overview
A Hackensack homeowner renovating their 1960s ranch had been putting off the laundry room for last. The small 6x8 utility space had never been properly finished — exposed concrete block on one wall, a bare bulb junction box on the ceiling, cracked vinyl tiles lifting at every edge, and an old cast iron laundry tub with rust stains that had accumulated over decades. The washer drained over the side of the tub with a plastic hose and the dryer vented directly into the room rather than to the exterior. Despite its small footprint, the room was used daily and the homeowner wanted it to finally feel like a finished part of the house. Exterior Solutions LLC framed and drywalled the block wall, installed proper exterior dryer venting, tiled the floor, added upper cabinet storage, replaced the laundry tub, and delivered a fully finished, clean, organized laundry room.
Analysis
The concrete block wall had been painted several times but was never furred out or insulated, making that wall noticeably cold in winter and creating condensation on the block surface during temperature swings. We framed a 2x4 stud wall 1 inch off the block face with pressure-treated bottom plates on the concrete floor, allowing room for R-13 batt insulation between the framing and the block face. The vinyl floor tiles contained asbestos-era mastic adhesive — we tested a sample and confirmed the presence of asbestos-containing material. Rather than disturbing it, we encapsulated the existing tiles in place and installed cement board directly over the stable sections as a skim-coat base for the new tile. The dryer was found to be venting into a blocked interior wall cavity — a fire hazard and moisture risk that required us to cut a new exterior vent penetration through the rim joist and install a proper louvered exterior cap.
Process
Day one: existing laundry tub disconnected and removed, vinyl tile tested and confirmed stable for encapsulation. Cement board installed over tile and screwed down. Stud wall framed off block face, insulation installed, drywall hung on new wall and ceiling. Day two: dryer vent penetration cut through rim joist, rigid duct run, exterior cap installed. Tile installation on floor with cement board. Electrical: GFCI outlet rough-in, light fixture box. Day three: tile grouted and cured. Upper cabinets installed and leveled. Day four: new laundry tub set and plumbed, P-trap connected, standpipe installed. Electrical finish: GFCI outlet trimmed, LED fixture hung. Painting completed over two coats. Trim and caulk detail.
Outcome
The laundry room went from an unfinished utility closet to a clean, properly organized working room that matches the quality of the rest of the renovated home. The upper cabinets provide storage for detergent, dryer sheets, and cleaning supplies that previously lived on the floor. The porcelain tile floor is durable, easy to clean, and visually connects the room to the adjacent mudroom tile. The dryer now vents properly to the exterior, eliminating the humidity problem that had been fogging the window and growing mildew on the old wall. The homeowner noted it was the first room in the house where they felt genuinely satisfied to do laundry.
Project Details
Materials Used
Framing: 2x4 pressure-treated bottom plates, standard 2x4 studs at 16 inches on center. Insulation: R-13 kraft-faced fiberglass batts. Drywall: 1/2-inch mold-resistant drywall throughout, including ceiling. Floor: 12x24 porcelain tile in a light concrete look with medium gray grout, installed over 1/4-inch cement board. Laundry tub: Mustee 18-inch fiberglass laundry tub with legs and single lever faucet. Cabinets: two 30-inch wide white thermofoil upper wall cabinets with soft-close hinges and satin nickel bar pulls. Lighting: 14-inch LED flush-mount fixture, 3000K. Dryer vent: 4-inch rigid galvanized duct to exterior, louvered aluminum exterior cap with pest guard. Paint: Sherwin-Williams Pure White SW 7005 walls and ceiling. Electrical: new 20-amp GFCI outlet above counter height, existing circuits re-boxed and covered.
Methods & Techniques
Asbestos tile encapsulation in place. Cement board installation over existing floor as tile substrate. Pressure-treated stud wall framing off block face with R-13 insulation. Mold-resistant drywall on walls and ceiling. Porcelain tile installation over cement board with medium gray grout. New laundry tub plumbing connection with proper P-trap and standpipe. Upper cabinet installation anchored into studs. Dryer vent penetration through rim joist with rigid galvanized duct and exterior louvered cap. GFCI outlet installation. LED flush-mount ceiling fixture. Full paint, trim, and caulk package.
Key Highlights
Asbestos tile encapsulated in place — no disturbance, full code compliance. Pressure-treated stud wall framed off block with R-13 insulation. Mold-resistant drywall throughout. 12x24 porcelain floor tile over cement board. New fiberglass laundry tub with proper P-trap and standpipe. Two white upper wall cabinets with soft-close hinges. New dryer vent penetration to exterior with rigid galvanized duct. LED flush-mount ceiling fixture. GFCI outlet. Completed in 4 working days.