How to Stack Your LG Washer and Dryer
The LG stacking kit is part number WMSTK1 for most of their front-load pairs. You can also find it listed as KMSTK1 for their newer models. The kit bolts directly into the rear corners of the washer, and the dryer drops on top. It is straightforward if you take your time. The official instructions come as a one-page PDF inside the kit box. If you lost it, search LG's support site for "WMSTK1" or "stacking kit" under your specific model number. LG's manual database is decent and the diagrams are clear enough. Downloading it gives you torque specs and the bolt orientation, which matters more than people realize. I once had a customer call me because his dryer was vibrating so badly it sounded like it was going to walk off the stack. He had installed the kit backward. The bracket has a distinct wider lip on one side that faces outward, and the spacer blocks sit between the washer door and the dryer base. He missed that detail because the instructions were buried under a pile of packing foam. I told him to pull the dryer off, flip the bracket, and reinstall. Took about eight minutes and solved the problem completely.
What Is in the Box
- Two metal bracket arms with pre-drilled holes
- Four long bolts with nylock nuts
- Spacer blocks or rubber isolators depending on the revision
- A short instruction sheet
That is basically it. Some older revisions include a thin metal plate that goes under the dryer feet, but LG stopped including those a few years ago. The kit is designed to work with the factory-mounted leveling legs on both appliances. A 7/16 wrench or socket. A Phillips screwdriver for removing any rear panels. A level. Maybe a second person, because the dryer weighs between 110 and 160 pounds depending on the model. Do not try to lift it by yourself unless you have a dolly or a helper. I dropped a dryer once trying to shoulder it. Not worth the repair bill. Start by moving the washer into its final position. You will not be able to adjust it much once the dryer is on top. Plug the washer in and run a quick test cycle to make sure it levels properly and does not walk. This step usually takes fifteen minutes and prevents a lot of headaches later.
Next, remove the two rear screws that hold the top panel of the dryer in place. On most LG models, these are accessible from the back. Set the panel aside. You do not need to fully detach it, just loosen enough to slide the brackets under. Attach the bracket arms to the washer using the provided bolts. Tighten them to about 5 to 7 foot-pounds. Do not overtighten, and do not use an impact driver. These are light machine threads and stripping them is an easy mistake. The brackets should sit flush against the back wall of the washer cabinet. Now lift the dryer onto the brackets. This is the part where a second person is genuinely useful. Slide the dryer back until the bracket tongues engage into the slots on the dryer base. The dryer should rest evenly on both sides. If one side is lower, adjust the leveling legs on the washer before locking the nuts.
Get the Full Details
Secure the dryer to the brackets from the rear using the remaining bolts. These go through the bracket and into threaded holes on the dryer cabinet. Again, hand-tight plus a quarter turn with the wrench is plenty. Check the level one more time. Plug the dryer back in.
Things the Manual Does Not Always Make Clear
You cannot mix and match brands. The WMSTK1 is engineered for LG and Kenmore rebadged LG units. Putting a Samsung dryer on an LG washer bracket will not align correctly and creates a tipping hazard. I have seen it happen. The hole patterns are different enough that it looks like it might fit until you try to bolt it down. Gas dryers need extra attention to the vent line. Stacking reduces your clearance between the dryer rear and the wall. If you are using a rigid metal vent, you may need a low-profile elbow or a flexible vent rated for dryer use. I replaced a customer's plastic corrugated vent with a smooth aluminum one after he noticed the dryer would not pull out far enough for cleaning. That vent had been a lint trap waiting to happen, and the stacking made the clearance even tighter. Another thing that trips people up: the stacking kit does not include a power cord extender or a vent extension. If your washer and dryer cords are too short to reach the outlets after stacking, you will need to buy those separately. LG sells an official cord extender, but any heavy-duty 15-amp rated extension should work for the dryer as long as it is plugged directly into the wall and not through another extender. Never daisy-chain extension cords for a dryer.
When Stacking Is a Bad Idea
If your floor is uneven by more than half an inch, stacking amplifies the wobble. The dryer sits on brackets that transfer every vibration from the washer to the upper unit. I had a client in an older house with a sloped laundry room floor. No amount of leveling legs fixed the vibration issue. We ended up putting the dryer on a separate stand instead, and the noise difference was night and day. High-efficiency HE front-load washers spin at very high RPMs during the extract cycle. Even when properly leveled, you will feel some shake through the stack. It is normal. But if the washer is old, worn, or has damaged suspension springs, the stack will amplify the problem to a level that shakes pictures off the walls. In that case, replacing the suspension before stacking is worth the investment.
Final Checks Before You Walk Away
Open and close the washer door fully. Make sure the dryer door clears the washer door handle. On some LG models, you may need a door stop kit if the washer door sticks out far. Check that the dryer does not rock when you push down on one corner. Tighten the leveling leg locknuts against the cabinet base so they do not loosen over time. Run the washer on a heavy cycle and watch for excessive movement. If it shifts more than an inch, relevel it. The whole process should take about forty-five minutes for two people following the Lg Stacking Kit Instructions closely. Allow extra time if you are also relocating the appliances or updating the vent line. The kit itself is around sixty to eighty dollars depending on where you buy it. IKEA does not carry it. Home Depot and Amazon list it, but verify your model number first because LG has released slightly different bracket designs across product years.
