DIY: Clothesline

Jacob and I returned from our vacation to discover that our dryer had died. After consulting with a repairman we were told that the cost of repair would be close to $300. We knew when we bought the house that it was only a matter of time before we would have to replace the washer and dryer, and it didn't seem reasonable to us to invest $300 in repairing our old gal when a little more could get us a brand new one. Of course we could have afforded to replace them if we hadn't just spent two weeks in Scotland & England.

With summer so close, we decided that it would be as good time as anyto build a clothesline. Not only would it be save us some money on our electric bill, but we could use the summer to put aside some money for a new washer and dryer set that is more efficient. Plus, there's nothing quite like fresh sheets fresh from the clothesline!

We took to Pinterest for some DIY clothesline tips and found this one from Big Red Couch most helpful. We got out of it spending around $50 and Jacob did a great job getting it done in about five hours.

I was tasked with digging holes for the posts. Unsure of whether or not we want this to be a permanent installation, we were not prepared to secure the posts with cement. We did, however, get a couple of heavy cement bricks to bury in front of the posts to keep the weight of the wet clothes from collapsing the structure inward. I dug two holes roughly 2 feet deep, large enough in diameter to fit the cement blocks as well as the posts.

 

Of course, Zoey and Noodle really did most of the heavy lifting while Jacob chiseled the knotches for the cross bar. Afterward I finished digging, I provided some much needed moral support to Noodle and Jacob who were working hard to cut and assemble the 2x4s and ties for the structure itself. Now all we need is some nice weather, and we will be golden!