R Barbara
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For my birthday this year I asked the hubby for an outdoor clothesline. He chose a rotating line from Breezecatcher.com. After a bit of time spent permanently installing it, I was able to use it for the first time today.
Following is a description of the installation process for the TS3-125. Click here for a detailed description of the clothesline including height, line length, and rotating diameter
TS3-125 specifications.
Click here for a product review on Thriftyfun Breezecatcher Rotary Clothesline
Source: Breezecatcher.com
Supplies:
- tape measure, optional
- 60+ pounds ready mix quick drying concrete (we used Quikcrete - Fast setting.)
- mason's trowel, optional
- 9x 9 inch cinder block (We used a two chamber block so that a second smaller clothesline could be substituted if desired, that is the way the husband rolls :)
- Breezecatcher TS3-125 rotating clothesline
- bag of small landscape stones
- shovel
- posthole digger, optional
- tamper
Related Product:
Steps:
- Mix sufficient concrete to fill the hole in your cinder block.
- Place the center pole socket in the concrete and allow to setup. Leave at least 1 to 2 inches of the socket above the block. (Note: Take care not to allow the concrete to rise up the center of the socket.)
- Find the location in your yard where you plan to install the clothesline. Make sure that you have sufficient clearance all of the way around, as this model rotates. I got some assistance for this step from the 2 1/2 year old grandson.
- Dig a hole 12 inches square and 16 inches deep. (Ours was longer to accommodate the full sized, two chambered block. We also dug it a bit too wide, which required more concrete.) The use of a Tonka loader and dump truck may or may not speed up this step. :)
- Tamp or step down the bottom of the hole.
- Put some of the landscape rock in the center of the hole. Sorry we forgot to take a photo of this part of the step. (See illustration from the install instructions used with the permission of the manufacturer.) You can use the tamper to level the top of the pile a bit. You need the fill to bring the top of the socket up to just below the level of your lawn. This will keep you from hitting it with the lawnmower, if you have grass growing right up to the center post.
- Next add your quick setting concrete, we had to use 3 bags to fill our somewhat oversized hole. Add water to get best consistency. Make sure that the socket is level and plumb. Again make sure that the final level of your concrete is below the soil level if you are going to replant the sod removed initially. We added extra soil back into the hole by troweling the concrete up against the block and filling the void.
- Let the base setup for 1-2 days before using it fully loaded. Follow instructions on the concrete sack to keep moist to prevent cracking.
- Now we were ready to unbox the clothesline. Here you want to make sure that the line is free of tangles. See product instructions for this step.
- Place the clothesline into the socket and set it straight and level. This is important so that the dryer will rotate when fully loaded. Before fully opening the dryer we adjusted the clothesline for the proper tension for each portion of the dryer. The line is one continuous strand and you need to manually make the adjustment so that it is consistently taut in all sections.
Note: The little chunk of concrete next to the pole is simply covering the unused second chamber of the cinderblock that will potentially be used for a second different model (the TS4-200) in the future and is not relevant to the installation. When my husband finds a product he likes he often buys two. :) - Run a load of wash and hang it out to dry. Save your electric dryer for rainy or snowy days.
- The umbrella styling of this clothesline allows you to remove it from the socket and store when not in use. We bought the canvas cover that can be put over the closed line while still in place and can also be used to store the line when removed for inside storage.
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