Apt.1 Laundry Room Vol.1: Partition Wall Installation

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ud83dudcda Apt.1 Laundry Room Series u2014 1 of 8

u2190 (first article) u00b7 Series Index u00b7 Apt.1 Laundry Room Vol.2: Door Installation u2192

u270fufe0f Originally published: November 27, 2021 / ud83dudd04 Updated: May 8, 2026

2026 DIY Dad’s Note: Creating the New Laundry Room & 2021 Year in Review
Prep Work: Removing Existing Fixtures
After the Wall Goes Up
1. DIY Renovation Quote Review Manual
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2. 📚 関連記事

2026 DIY Dad’s Note: Creating the New Laundry Room & 2021 Year in Review

Most Complained

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Mold-Resistant Bathroom Caulk

Re-caulk every 3u20135 years. Black mold on caulk is the #1 tenant complaint in Japan.

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Alongside the bathroom renovation, the laundry/changing room was built from scratch. 2021 was also a landmark year for DIY Dad as a landlord-renovator.

Creating the New Laundry Room (Partition Wall)

Apt.1 had a bathroom on the ground floor, but no dedicated laundry/changing room. A new partition wall was built to create one.

Partition wall installation steps:

Mark out the wall position (check for square and plumb)
Attach the bottom and top plates to the floor and ceiling
Install studs at regular intervals
Attach plasterboard to both faces
Fill joints and screw holes with putty
Finish with wallpaper

Building a partition wall changes the floor plan u2014 but it’s fully achievable with DIY. The key is thorough vertical and horizontal alignment checks.

Door Installation Tips

Pre-hung door sets make installation much simpler
Bi-fold doors work well in tight changing room spaces
Sliding doors are space-efficient and easy to use

The flow from bathroom u2192 laundry room u2192 hallway directly affects livability. Think from the tenant’s perspective.

2021 in Review u2014 DIY Landlord Style

Main work completed by hand in 2021:

2nd floor Japanese rooms: full renovation of ceiling, walls, floors, and fittings
1st floor Japanese room, kitchen, toilet, bathroom, and laundry room
Staircase ceiling and wall painting
Various fixture replacements (toilet, bathtub, vanity, etc.)

Renovating a full apartment entirely by hand over the course of a year was an enormous experience u2014 in both DIY skill and in the mindset of being a hands-on landlord.

Base Treatment After the Partition Wall

Fill plasterboard joints with mesh tape, then putty
Extra waterproofing on the wall adjacent to the bathroom
Confirm supply and drain pipe positions for the vanity

Since this is a wet area, moisture-proofing the base layer is especially important.

ud83cudfe2 Thinking About Apartment Investment or Renovation?

For apartment renovations, return on investment is everything. DIY Dad dramatically cuts costs by doing the work himself.

Marutoku Shop u2014 Renovation Materials & Timber Online u00bb

Hey there u2014 DIY Dad here! For the 1st-floor laundry room, we’re not really renovating an existing room u2014 we’re creating one from scratch. A new wall was built inside part of the dining kitchen to carve out a dedicated space.

The floor plan changes and the supply/drain plumbing for the vanity and washing machine were contracted out to a professional.

u2191 Floor plan u2014 the red square marks where the laundry room will be built.

Before the renovation, there was no laundry room at all. You had to undress in the dining kitchen before heading to the bathroom. No time for second thoughts u2014 just strip and go!