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Mud Rooms

Just as foyers grace the front entrance of many homes to welcome guests, mudrooms serve as rear entrances for the family providing a buffer zone from the dirt and grime of the outside world.

History
The term "mudroom" may be fairly new, but the concept is as old as the horse-drawn plow. Farm and manor houses had a back room or porch where farmers would deposit their soiled clothes and boots and wash up at a pump before entering the main house.

At the turn of the last century, mudrooms were often sacrificed due to the expense of adding indoor plumbing, heating and electricity. However, some homes did feature a tiny back entrance to keep dirt out of the kitchen.

In the late 1970's, the laundry room moved up from the basement and the mudroom/ laundry room combination became the logical transition from the dirty garage into the house.

The disadvantage to this arrangement was the obvious conflict between outside dirt and the need for cleanliness. Today, laundry rooms are usually separated from the mudroom and are built closer to the bedrooms.

The 21st Century Mud Room
The mudroom is a room, hall or area, primarily by family members for entering and leaving the house,. It is a high traffic area subject to dirt and grime.

When planning your mudroom, do not include items that would be better located elsewhere. Laundry rooms should be separate. Sports equipment might be better left in the garage. Cleaning equipment and supplies should be stored elsewhere, unless the mudroom is big enough to have a closet dedicated to these items.

Ideally, the mudroom should serve as an entrance to the house from both the garage (if attached) and the rear of the house.

Remember that all traffic routes in and out of the mudroom must be kept clear. Doors to the outside should be 36" wide, and separated so they don't bump into each other.

A well-designed mudroom serves as a great place to drop purses, backpacks, briefcases, school papers, and bags of groceries. This keeps the clutter out of the kitchen and helps keep busy families better organized. Some families post a bulletin board in their mudroom to keep track of their schedules.

Mudrooms can accommodate such things as hooks and hangers, storage cabinets or walk-in closets, locker-size cubbyholes, built-in workbenches, and even freezers or second refrigerators.

A bench seat is a great place to sit while taking off boots that are often stowed underneath it. The mudroom may have large closets for storing winter coats, extra canned or packaged food, or cleaning supplies and paper goods.

A vertical locker is a good idea for storing skis, hockey sticks, baseball bats, or other long, slender items.

This is also the ideal place to keep things that one might need when walking out the door, and it's a great place to hang spare keys. A mirror is also a handy addition. Other ideas include a shoe rack, an umbrella stand or hamper at the back door.

Mudrooms may even serve as a dog kennel when the family's away from home. These rooms are becoming more specialized to serve individual family needs, particularly to store sports gear or uniforms out of the main house but still in a protected area.

A bathroom with a shower located next to the mudroom is not only practical, but recommended. A laundry room adjacent to the mudroom is a viable option when the laundry cannot be located closer to the bedroom area.

Where children are present, a drinking fountain installed in the mudroom can save trips to the kitchen when playing outdoors.

The Necessities
There should be a place to hang coats and a place for umbrellas to drip. A mirror with good lighting (natural or artificial) with a small shelf to drop small parcels you've dragged home is helpful. A stiff brush or mud scaper for getting mud off boots, shoes and clothes is also helpful.

Don't forget a chair or bench for people to sit while removing shoes and boots.

Provide a place to leave letters or messages for other members of the household. A cork board, white board (magnetic so you can use magnets), or chalk board with wall hung letter bins will accomplish this. A series of hooks to hold spare keys is also handy.

Wooden dowels can be used to hang wet gloves to dry. Shoes and boots can be stored under a bench seat or in shoe/boot racks.

A doormat is essential, and the bigger the better. Whenever possible, recess the mat into the floor. A recessed mat is safer and tidier than mats laying on the floor. This is easier if the floor is tiled, but it can be done even on an existing board floor. Recessed floor mats are easier to vacuum, and do not require a raised the threshold for the door.

Because we are talking about a mudroom and not a normal foyer or vestibule, a sink is necessary to handle the dirt and grime.

Floor sinks are perfect for washing off boots, golf clubs, sports equipment or even pets!

Utility sinks mounted in counter tops or wall mounted, can be deeper or wider (or both) than traditional kitchen sinks.

These sinks provide ample room for large cleaning jobs.

How the mudroom actually functions will depend on the amount of space you can allocate to it.

A small (4' w x 9'L ) mudroom will allow for a small bench seat on one side of the door, and a small closet on the other side of the door. A narrow wall shelf near the bench can accommodate small parcels you've dragged home. A small wall hung sink can take care of the cleanup.

Larger rooms allow for more storage and multi-function rooms. Mudrooms can be called into service as pantries, hobby or garden rooms, utility rooms, or even a place for the weekend mechanic to clean up after working on a car or boat.

Sometimes they serve as restrooms for pool areas, or storage rooms for tools, coats and dirty boots. With the addition of utility sinks or showers, they provide a place to clean golf shoes and clubs, or other bulky equipment, without bringing dirt into the home.

Storage
Closed storage areas are essential to keeping a mudroom clutter-free. Built-ins, stock or custom kitchen cabinets, and closet organizing products to help categorize clothing and equipment to give every item its proper place.

If the mudroom is off the kitchen, using the same cabinetry and counters will make the mudroom appear to be part of the kitchen and make both spaces seem larger.

An armoire can store a wide variety of items if filled with shelves and hooks. Lined rectangular baskets or plastic storage bins are great to organize small items, such as mittens, hats, and scarves. Big backpacks and boots might go at the bottom.

Surface or recessed shelving can accommodate everything from books to boots.

Floors
It's important to choose flooring that can withstand water and grime.

Brick offers solid footing, but tile or vinyl may be easier to keep clean. Natural slate or porcelain tile are excellent choices.

An inexpensive option for mudrooms is scored, stained, or plain concrete, which can be wet-mopped or hosed down. Flooring and wall coverings should be chosen that repel stains and splashes. Ceramic tile, vinyl, and laminate will stand up to heavy abuse, but whatever materials are chosen, they should be no slip surfaces.

Where heavy use is anticipated, a central drain allows the entire floor to be hosed down. A garden hose placed outside near the door allows equipment and pets to be rinsed off, then towel dried inside the mudroom.

Lighting
Good lighting is important, if at all possible, a window should be included. Where there is little or no daylight, "can lights" or a ceiling fixture with a minimum of a 100 watt bulb is the best choice for lighting. Floor lamps present a potential hazard in traffic areas, and wall fixtures tend to light walls and not the traffic areas.

A glass block wall, on either a outside or interior wall will help brighten the mudroom.

The effect of color depends on the amount of light. If the lighting is poor and grey, colors will be seen as if looking through a grey filter. Even white, which we tend think of as being bright and cheerful, can look depressing in a poorly lit room. The same holds true for pastel colors.

Dealing with Dirt, Grime and Mud

Mudrooms are a great place for a utility sink, which can serve as a spot to pot new plants, wash mud off shoes, or grab a quick drink of water during a break from mowing the lawn.

If there's enough space, a wider, deeper basin is best. It can double as a bathtub for the family dog.

Base cabinets can hide the sink's plumbing. .

A mudroom can be a utility room, or a place to store things that have no other appropriate place. It can also be an activity room where the homeowner can do things that might be too messy to do elsewhere in the house. Every house needs one. Sadly, only some houses have them.

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