Distance of Posts for cloths line?

[Mattemma]

Hello!
I bought some 8 foot posts to make a cloths line. I was wondering what is the maximum distance between the posts?

If it makes any difference on the distance I am debating making a T cothsline line that will have 2 or 3 lines on it,or I will just drill a hole into the post to tie one line.

 

[patandchickens]

Unless you live alone, do laundry daily, or are a nudist, I would recommend that if your posts are only 8' tall you use the T design with multiple parallel lines. Reason being, 8' posts give you only 5' sticking aboveground once they're set (you *could* sneak it back to 6' aboveground if you live somewhere with warm winters and set the posts in a lot of concrete but thats' about as far as you can push it) and no matter what you do, you WILL have a certain amount of sag in the clothesline (even with wire cable) and you need the middle to stay high enough above the ground not to dangle your nighties in the grass. (A prop stick helps some but IME they are pretty unreliable on breezy days)

I dunno as it's really possible to give a firm number for maximum distance without knowing how tightly you will string the line. It depends on how well-set your posts are (may want bracing as well) and stuff like that. I think 10-15' is probably a "safe practical maximum" although some people could coax more out of the system, especially if you're willing to use a prop stick.

Another option to contemplate, though, is to attach one end to a (very well-set well-braced) post but attach the other end to something taller -- a tree, corner of your house, something like that. That lets you get additional height and thus you can have a longer single line.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Leta]

I agree, the more lines you have running, the better. Since line drying means you can really crank the clean wet clothes out of the washer (no more waiting for the dryer to finish!), the lines fill up fast. Even when it was just DH and I, I could fill our four 40' lines twice a week.

I don't think there is a maximum distance you can set them apart, but I would suggest that you a clothes pole for each line you run. This is just long, preferably lightweight stick of wood with a notch in the top. You stick the clothes pole under your sagging clothesline, rope in the notch, and hoist it up. Saves the work of creative hanging of bedding and towels, and you aren't constantly having to tighten up your long, long lines.

 

[chrissum]

Mine (2) are 30 ft apart, are made of 3 inch square tube. Since I live in MO, I buried mine 4 ft, to be below the frost line, have 6 ft above ground and have a 6 ft top bar with 3 lines for a total of 90 ft of line. I made mine of steel, our previous clothes line was wood and lasted approx 30 years! with a six ft top bar I can easily add another 2 lines if desired. I estimate, using the clothesline I save 20-30 dollars a month on our electricity bill.

 

[gettinaclue]

DH built our clothes line with the posts being about 15-20 ft apart. There are 3 T posts.

To take care of the eventual stretching and consequential sagging of the line, he rigged up a line tightener at one end with a hook. Exactly how he did it, I dunno

I can tell you it is one continuous line. It is secured to the far right front of the T post, then run over the top front of the middle post (with a metal "clamp" banged down over the top to keep it from slipping around on breezy days) then over to the left post, then to the back of the same post, over again to the middle post (another clamp) in the back now and then back to the far right back post. If I ever need to tighten it, I just stand at the far left post in the front, pull hard, feed the slack the the back part and walk any slack down the the back of the far right T post, (I really hope this is clear) and turn the hook to take up the slack and that's it. The hook doesn't continue to screw further into the wood. He has it set up where it will just turn freely.

That being said, I've never had to use it. The line has broken before I've ever had to tighten it.

The last time it broke, it put 3 loads of wet laundry in the mud and I was FURIOUS. That was it for the clothes line we bought at Walmart and I wasn't going to get anymore after that. He got some metal line - vinyl coated I believe, or maybe plastic and ran that for me. That's been about 4 years ago and I haven't had any problems with it yet. Couple cracks in the coating and a place where the metal is showing where the clamps ripped it off, but incredibly durable and still no sag.

 

[dragonlaurel]

I've run about 30 ft of line between a 7 foot high post and a 8 ft high branch before. I used the higher end for bathrobes, sheets, etc and it worked out great. I used a wood clothes prop bar to keep it tight or two of them if the laundry was really heavy (blankets) that day.

 

[Boogity]

I built our clotheslines 30 ft. long with one end of each line (4 of them) attached at 7' to the house and the other ends at 7" on the "T" post. We use 7' long props to raise the laundry off the ground. The original props were made of wood but all 4 props were broken in two in a storm when a branch fell on them. I have since made 4 new ones out of 1" PVC pipe and they seem to be fine. The use of props allows you to have the clothesline sag to make it easier to attach items to the line without having to stand on tippytoes and when all items are pinned to the line you use the props to raise the line back up to 7' or so. There are props available at hardware stores that are made of aluminum, are telescopic, and they have a clip on the top to secure the line to the prop. Very nice but expensive.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

My first clothes line was a metal T shaped I got used from a friend, with a big clump of concrete alread attached (very heavy) and I burried it and put additional concrete for support and placed them about 50 feet apart, as it serviced 2 small families. There was a very tall post in the center, so that when the line sagged, the middle could rise with pulley action. It served its purpose. I never seemed to have enough line because at one point, I had 2 babies in diapers.
My current line is attached to my house, near the middle service door and ending about 100 yards out and 20 feet up in a cedar tree. DH's design. I stand right outside my door with the laundry and start putting it up. No more worrying about ants or high water. Of course, my house is a single story house, but is 8 feet up, so that gives me some play in the line.
Also, when not in use, it makes the yard cleaning and cutting much easier. Nothing to trim around. I don't have to worry about small children or dogs pulling my clothes down, because its far out of their reach. Sorry for the brag, but its not only the best line I have even had, but the best I've ever seen. I can fit about 3 batches on the line, but I usually try to do just one batch a day and 2 @ the most.

 

[Mattemma]

Thanks for the posts. Hoping to decide what to do and built it soon.

Thinking maybe to build this one instead with landscape timbers.

http://homeschooling_101.blogspot.com/2008/05/build-your-own-clothes-line-right-now.html