Laundry Area, Common Home Inspection Findings

Three of the most common findings in the laundry area are unsecured laundry sink legs, disconnected dryer vents, and plastic, vinyl or light-weight venting material.

If a laundry sink sits on top of legs, it should be securely fastened to the floor.  Without proper fasteners securing legs to the floor, the laundry sink may move.  Movement may cause laundry sink drain pipe connections to loosen, resulting in leaks.  Movement may also cause laundry sink water supply line components to loosen, resulting in leaks.  Many laundry area leaks can be avoided by securing laundry sink legs to the floor.

Dryer vents may disconnect during installation or when dryers are moved.  Disconnected dryer vents cause lint to accumulate on surfaces of a room and cause issues associated with excess moisture or humidity in a home.  Check dryer vents to make sure they are properly fastened or secured at joints and connections.

Using metal dryer vent material is important in the laundry area.  It may be easier to install flexible vinyl, flexible plastic or other light weight dryer vent materials, but the materials increase the potential for lint clogging the vent; lint accumulating and catching fire or combusting; holes forming in the material, allowing lint and moist air to escape; and the vent becoming compressed or restricted and decreasing the efficiency of the dryer or causing the dryer to overheat.

Aluminum, steel, or other metallic dryer vent materials that are smooth on the inside and typically semi-rigid are available at hardware stores.