Washing line!

[matt1978]

Hello,

Her indoors is giving me grief as we need a washing line for the back garden, but the re-tractable lines I can find online only go up to 15 meters.

I need one about 30 meters or so, so I doubt I can get something off the shelf this long and I doubt that I can get anything 're-tractable'.

So.........I was thinking of just having some 3mm or 4mm Stainless Steel rope and anchoring it to the house wall and a fence post at the bottom of the garden. I have found a what seems to be a good supplier online.

Question is, do you think that this will be stiff/rigid enough over that distance, as it will be a fixed length with very little flexability it wont be able to be used with a line prop, so the steel rope would need to be able to hold its own (aswell as a load of washing! )

 

[thinfourth]

If you fit the mounting points up high and strong then get a winch on one end and then pull the washing line tight and above head hight

 

[brightspark]

stainles steel rope would cut into the washing when the pegs are put on + the weight of wet washing over that distance would make it well sag .cant u put a removable post in the ground half way across not that im an expert on washing like

 

[Hitch]

I would think youd have to have some serious anchors in the wall, and a heavy duty post to get enough tension on it Matt...
and probably some fairly long threads on the tensioning turnbuckles.

Theres calculations for such a thing i am certian, but what they are i have no idea!


Is a couple of fixed intermediate supports an option, even if they are sockets in the ground with removeable poles...

 

[Hitch]

stainles steel rope would cut into the washing when the pegs are put on + the weight of wet washing over that distance would make it well sag .cant u put a removable post in the ground half way across not that im an expert on washing like

PVC coated stuff, probably ideal.

 

[matt1978]

Yeah, I had seen the PVC coated stuff thats what I was hoping to use.

I think it would be the fence post which would be the weakest link regarding ratcheting some tension on it.

If could have intermediate posts, but I wanted to try and have nothing inbetween, but as you have pointed out it may not be a viable option. If I have to put up a intermediate post, I may aswell, just put it 15 Meters from the house and buy a standard retractable one from the shop.

Thanks for the replys anyway

 

[Hitch]

How about a post and socket, in the ground with the two retractables attached.... then you'd only need a hook on the far post, and a hook on the house....

Or buy a tumble drier

 

[madkayaker]

why not use the heated chamber you test the welders in. on a serious note i have a 1600 spin washring machine and things go on a airer over night or through day and are bone dry

 

[Bigjoe]

We have steel cored pvc coated lines and they will span a reasonable distance but im not sure about 15mtrs tho

 

[matt1978]

why not use the heated chamber you test the welders in. on a serious note i have a 1600 spin washring machine and things go on a airer over night or through day and are bone dry

Yeah at the moment, we are drying everything on the airers, but we have a 5month old baby and another on the way and they make unbelievable amounts of washing!

Hitch's idea about the removable post is the most appealing so far.

 

[madkayaker]

i see no kids so don't have those worry's!

 

[pidgeon chit welder]

Find a friendly BT guy who climbs poles and beg some used drop wire and 2 pig tails . The drop wire has three internal brass coated high tensile multi strand steel wires sleeved in strong plactic as well as two pairs of copper conductors . The black plastic outer coating is very very UV resistant and durable .

At one end run a rope through a pulley , connect it to the free pigtail , make a loop & cleat set up to raise & lower the line a wee bit .

For the fixed end fit a big curley hook in the wall on a big blue wall plug or use a chemical anchor .
Set it at least 500 mm in from a corner or window frame or down from the top course of bricks so as to not drag out brick work .

You will need to wipe the line a few times and at every hanging day to get rid of the atmospheric gunge that accumulates .

I had such a line for well over ten years and it was used almost every rain free day.

I'd advise a clothes prop to lift /support the mid point though.

 

[TechnicAl]

I know it sounds a bit errr........but would it work with 2 of the 15m ones mounted at opposite ends and connecting in the middle

 

[zzr1200]

I don't know about s/steel wire but l use this for washing line, cheap and very strong.

And buy/make a clothes line prop or 2

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/6MM-X-100-MET...arden_GardenPowerTools_CA?hash=item4839af5f87

 

[Robotstar5]

Hi Matt, think I've found a solution to your problem while scanning some photo's



Based on rotary clothes drier and I even provided a ladder for Mrs Robo to peg out washing!

 

[madkayaker]

 

[bill_gj]

30 metres, or about 100 feet in old money. That's some length of line and, like others have already said, I can't see you getting that much washing line up without using a prop. The catenary, or sag, that you will inevitable get is going to dunk the middle in the dirt and by the time you've got enough tension on the line to minimise the sag, the load of the house wall or the end post may well cause damage over time.
Just provide a mid support.

 

[runnach]

Yeah at the moment, we are drying everything on the airers, but we have a 5month old baby and another on the way and they make unbelievable amounts of washing!

If you kep Rrrrrrrrattling oot the kids as fast Matt, may I suggest you buy a television, give you summit else to do than make bairns

 

[bump]

We have 15M from the house to a reinforced concrete post and another 15M from that to the garage, still have to use a clothes prop with it! If you find something better, let me know!