Suggested Materials

• The purpose behind building a front-load washer-and-dryer pedestal is to raise the doors off the ground to a comfortable height. The height of commercially manufactured washer-and-dryer pedestals is approximately 12 inches. Materials are available that will allow you to build your own double-sized washer-and-dryer pedestal with minimal effort and tools. The best materials to use are 2-by-12-inch lumber and a sheet of oriented stranded board (OSB). Use screws to fasten everything together, and you will have your own pedestal in no time.
  
  

Sizing the Pedestal

• Know the dimensions of the washer and dryer that will be perched on the pedestal. Washer and dryer dimensions vary but not significantly. For example, the washer may be approximately 27 inches wide by about 30 inches deep. The size of the dryer may be the same. You will want to build the pedestal slightly larger than the washer and dryer dimensions to ensure that they will sit in place without fear of falling off of the pedestal. The required size for the pedestal using this example is 60 inches wide (27 x 2 = 54 + 6 extra inches = 60 inches) by 35 inches deep. Also, take into consideration the amount of space in your laundry room where the washer and dryer will be installed. Be sure that the size of the pedestal will fit in the laundry area.
  
  

Constructing the Pedestal

• Cut the lumber to size. You will need four pieces of 2-by-12-inch lumber cut to 31 inches long and two pieces cut to 60 inches long. Use a circular saw to cut the lumber to length. Use three 3-inch screws to fasten each end of the 31-inch pieces of the lumber to the 60-inch pieces. The four 31-inch pieces should be spaced 15 inches apart to frame the support structure of the pedestal: one piece on each end and two pieces supporting the middle area of the pedestal. When the frame is finished you will have used 24 3-inch screws.
  
  The completed frame should measure 35 inches wide by 60 inches long. Cut a sheet of OSB to match these dimensions with a circular saw. Lay the sheet of OSB on top of the frame, and secure the sheet into place with multiple 1-5/8-inch screws. Be sure that the OSB is fastened securely to all lumber pieces, including the two pieces supporting the middle of the frame. When the OSB is securely fastened to the frame, the pedestal is complete. In order to make the pedestal look more attractive, finish the exterior of the pedestal with paint to match the color of the washer-and-dryer set. Another option would be to cover the pedestal with high-quality peel-n-stick tiles that look like slate or stone.