Excessive shaking from washing machine post new floor

[MattHughes]

Hi all,

In desperate need of help. We've just laid a new luxury vinyl floor that we purchased from homebase. They are plastic tiles that fit together just like laminate floor. We've used 3mm underlay that has been laid on top of the old Lino that then sits there a concrete floor.

It's all been laid down well but we've put all the appliances back and now the washing machine is excessively shaking during a spin and at normal wash. It was not like this before when it was on the Lino.
We've levelled the feet and checked with a sprit levels. We can see the floor moving "moving up and down" under the feet but from the research we have done, the flooring shouldn't have made a difference?

Does anyone have any ideas of what is happening here and what we can do? I really don't want to have to take it all up

 

[geraldthehamster]

Cheap rubbish washing machines are weighted down with a concrete block inside rather than a proper cast iron mounting for the drum. Maybe that has been displaced when moving the machine (I don't know how easy that is to do).

What is the difference between moving up and down, and "moving up and down"?

"Luxury vinyl" is an oxymoron.

 

[MattHughes]

The machine is only a couple of months old. I'd be very surprised if it is damaged - we only moved it about 3 metres to lay the floor in that area and then moved it back. Most of that was sliding it with a little walking it.

You're right there isn't a difference, it was just the best words I could describe it with. You can see the floor moving up and down as the machine shakes. I don't think it is the washer but the floor itself - but I don't understand why. The floor as a whole doesn't move up and down just in the places where the washer legs are.

 

[geraldthehamster]

Then it has to be sitting fractionally not level...

 

[MattHughes]

It's level, we've used a sprit level to make sure it is level. It's perfectly level from all angles.

We've even tried to put off cuts below each of the legs in the attempt to make it more study but it is just the same.

It's got to be the floor, because it moves up and down and really shouldn't be doing that?

 

[bernardgreen]

It is probably that the vinyl floor is acting like a spring between the machine's feet and the solid floor underneath the vinyl. In effect the machiine is now resting on four springs.

Putting off cuts of vinyl under the legs will just make the spring longer and might increase the amount of bounce.

How thick is the vinyl ?

One option to try would be to spread the weight and vibration over a larger area of vinyl by putting pads of wood under each leg.

If the machine was OK when standing directly on the lino then cutting holes in the vinyl such that the legs are resting on the original floor and not on the vinyl should solve the problem. It will however make it difficult to move the machine.

 

[MattHughes]

Thanks Bernard,

The Vinyl is 4mm think. That makes sense what your saying as it acting like a spring.

Thanks for the idea, we're going to nip to Wickes and get some wood to try. At the minute I am willing to try everything.

I've called Homebase to explain the problem and how I am not happy about it and they are going to send an independant technician to check the flooring so I'll wait before cutting any holes in it but that is definitely another good idea!

 

[MattHughes]

Just to update you, got a piece of MDF from Wickes, 6MM think that is the size of the washer to try and distribute the load. We've just put it on a spin and unfortunately the same thing is happening. I can see the floor and MDF bouncing up and down.

 

[bernardgreen]

If you do go for the hole solution then get some discs of hard wood to fit nto the holes and stand the machine on them. If you make them 6 mm taller then the vinyl then when the machine needs to be moved you can put the piece of MDF you just bought in front of the machine and slide the machine onto it and thus protect the vinyl in front of the machine

 

[MattHughes]

Thanks Bernard,

Really appreciate the advice. The contractors from home base just called and they are coming out Monday.

I'll wait until then and what they say before planning holes. One question that is playing on my mind is that is this normal? Should we really have to go to this length to solve the issue? Does it happen to a lot of people? I've expressed how disappointed I am in the flooring to home base and it is great they are sending someone to asses.

Another idea suggested to us would be to drill down and bolt the MDF to the concrete underneath the lino, would this be a good idea?

 

[MattHughes]

We've just tested the washer. We've moved it to the garage where there is a concrete floor. It didn't shake, so it's definitely not the washer.

Is this normal behaviour from the floor? Are my expectations to high here?