If the garage is not an issue then you don;t need the 18" high stand. As far as the fresh air intakes go, you need 50 CF of space for each 1000 BTU of burner capacity. If the WH is 32,000 BTU's you need 1600 CF of room area to avoid needing the external combustion air intakes. This would be a 14 x 14 room with a 8' ceiling which I doubt the laundry room is.