Saved and Salvaged

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Sometimes it is necessary to buy something new but there are plenty of instances where you can reuse or repurpose something you already own or purchase it secondhand from a variety of sources.

Here are a couple of examples.

Today GMan put up a hanging rail in the new pantry.

It was the one that had been on the end wall previously but it was removed during the renovations. While the rail was in prefect condition, one of the tiny locking screws had been misplaced during the renovations. It seemed a shame to buy a whole new rod so GMan found another screw in his collection that was suitable apart from being far too long. He managed to modify the screw and the rail is now up and functional. It is a small addition but I am so pleased to have it.

I decided a couple of weeks ago that I needed a hook on the back of the laundry door. So, the next time I was in Bendigo I popped into the salvage yard at Eaglehawk and found exactly what I wanted for $2. The cost is not really the issue but more a matter of not buying something new when there are plenty of perfectly good items that can be reused. GMan cleaned it up and attached it to the door.

Now there is somewhere for GMan to leave his clothes that he wears in the yard. They are generally too grubby to put in the clothes hamper with everything else and are often going to be reworn the next day so this is a perfect solution.

The Finishing Touch

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A quick post to let you know I am still here.

Today I bought a stainless steel hanger suitable for socks and underwear. This is it here.

It is the final piece of the latest laundry project which you can read about here.

The hanging rail is above the laundry sink as well as the bench so this will be perfect for hanging wet washing and allowing any excess water to drip into the sink.

Yes, I will need to stand on a step to reach but that is not too much of a problem as we have a 2-step ladder in the cupboard on the opposite wall of the laundry.

The Plan Becomes Reality

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Sometimes I feel as though I have spent so long planning a project that it almost becomes real in my mind. That is a bit of how I feel about the long awaited drying rack/hanging rail for the laundry. I have been dreaming, planning and researching this for close to 5 years.

I wrote about my plans 3 years ago in this post. The options were quite expensive ($250 – $400) and mostly imported as ceiling mounted drying racks are not a big thing here in Australia. However, the biggest stumbling block was the installation as the fixing points would not line up with the beams above the ceiling sheeting and I realised that the window was where the holder for the pulley rope would need to be attached. In the end I decided that the installation issues were really insurmountable so I began searching for other option.

Imagine my surprise when I found an alternative close to home. It was this DIY Bunnings video which sent me off in a somewhat different direction. I know it is not a hanging airing rack but I realised that being able to hang clothes was my main requirement.

Why would I want to hang clothes in the laundry rather than the wardrobe?

I can dry them using the dehumidifier, either straight from the washing machine or to finish off in the cooler months.
Somewhere to hang the clothes when I bring them in from the clothesline.
To air clothes after ironing and before putting them in a closed wardrobe.

Once I convinced GMan that this was a feasible option and a doable DIY project, we bought the various pieces of piping and screws and set about assembling it.

Here is the basic construct.

Naturally, I wanted it painted.

After several coats of paint it was finally ready to install. I had worked out a way to place additional timber supports in the ceiling space to ensure the stability of the fixation. This entailed accessing the roof space which is fairly shallow in our house and I am the smaller of the 2 of us so I ended up spending a considerable amount of time clambering in and out of the roof space and lying spreadeagled in order to achieve my plan.

It proved to definitely be worthwhile as this is the result.

Some of the washing from today was brought directly from the clothesline to hang on the rail.

Since the rail extends above the laundry tub, I also intend to have a hanger like this to hang above the sink.

We have lived in this house for 15 years and there have been several additions and modifications in order to make the laundry more functional. This one is an excellent addition.

The total cost was about $70 for the pipe, fittings and screws. The paint and timber bracing were sourced from our stash at home. The only other cost was our labour, time and sweat (it is hot in that roof space).