Clothes dryer to the balcony

The use of a conventional or electric dryer in the bathroom significantly limits the area of ​​the room. That is why many owners transfer this element to other parts of the apartment. Convenient and practical, you can place a clothes dryer on a balcony with any area. The variety of models with compact size, numerous rods for hanging things will provide ease of operation models. When choosing a suitable dryer, it is recommended to pay attention to the materials from which it is made, product design, installation conditions. A detailed description of all types of dryers will allow you to easily find the best option for your balcony. Also, using our step-by-step instructions, you can easily make a simple portable and stationary dryer with your own hands.

Pros and cons of the dryer on the balcony

The presence of a clothes dryer on the balcony allows you to easily dry things at any time of the year. The advantageous difference of such an arrangement of dryers in contrast to the bathroom is the minimum humidity in the auxiliary room, as well as the saving of free space in the bathroom. Finding a suitable dryer even for a small balcony is not difficult. The variety of models allows you to find the best option with a practical and compact design. The disadvantages of installing a dryer on the balcony include the need for additional site preparation for folding models or fixtures for stationary suspended models. In addition, on an unheated balcony, a regular dryer in the winter period will be of little use: her clothes will dry for a very long time and it may be necessary to dry it all the same in a room or bathroom.

Job classification

According to the principle of operation, two types of dryers are distinguished:

  • ordinary; Drying things on them is done in a natural way. They have an affordable price, easy to install and use. The disadvantage of such models is a long period of drying things on unheated balconies in the autumn-winter periods.
  • electric. The electric dryer is a structure inside which heating elements are located. Due to this, each shelf (plate) of the dryer is well heated and generates enough heat for quick drying of things. The best option for installation on unheated or unglazed balconies. The only drawback of the models is the need to connect to a power source located on the balcony. In the absence of an outlet, it will be necessary in the wall leading to a room adjacent to the balcony to prepare a hole and separately draw a wire for connecting an electric dryer.

Variety of production material

Modern dryers are made from a variety of materials, which provides the owners the ease of selecting the right product. When evaluating models of different materials, special attention should be paid to the following parameters:

  • moisture resistance: the higher the resistance of the material to moisture, the longer the product will serve the owners;
  • weight (for mobile models): the possibility of a simple rearrangement of the product will ensure the ease of its movement on a balcony or loggia with any area;
  • adjustment: the admissibility of adjusting the position, height allows you to conveniently configure the model for use by the owners;
  • the need for repainting / varnishing: with mechanical damage to the product or after many years of operation, repainting may be required, without which normal use of the dryer will be impossible.

Aluminum

Aluminum models are among the most affordable and popular. They are an aluminum lightweight construction, painted with durable paint. Typically, these dryers are folding and take up quite a lot of space. But at the same time they allow you to immediately dry a large number of things. Suspended models belong to small aluminum dryers (they are fixed on the frame of an open balcony window or attached directly to a wall). Quite easy to use, but have certain restrictions on the weight of things that will dry. Thus, if the underwear and hosiery on the aluminum dryer can be placed in any quantity, then heavy things (wet jeans, winter sweaters) on it are recommended to be laid out in the amount of 2-3 units. Otherwise, the structure may be deformed.

Steel

Balcony dryers made of steel have the longest possible service life. It can be both suspended and floor models. Used for internal placement. The steel dryers fixed on walls will serve very long. They can be equipped with slats for hanging clothes or be a corner, between which the clothesline should be stretched. Floor models can be located in any part of the balcony, but if necessary they will be quite difficult to move. Such products are heavy. They are recommended to be initially located in a corner distant from the balcony door and the opening window. There are also outdoor stainless steel models. They are attached to the balcony outside, allowing you not to occupy its free space. The clothesline or stainless wire is stretched between the individual elements, on which things will be placed. It is recommended to choose such models for tiny balconies.

Plastic

Plastic balcony clothes dryers are a great option for equipping a small room. Often, these models have the form of a small hanging frame with 5-7 strips. It is on these slats and will be placed wet things. A serious disadvantage of such models is unreliability. When the dryer is overloaded with plastic, the probability of its deformation and even breakage is high. Therefore, such hanging models are recommended to be used exclusively for drying underwear, socks and hosiery. Particular attention should be paid to the rules of fixing the product. The presence of hooks makes it easy to fix it on the frame of an open balcony window. But the corner fasteners will require mounting the dryer directly on the wall. It is the attachment points of models and are their "weak" place. Most often, cracks in the plastic are formed due to overloads in this part of the products.


 

Plastic portable dryers are a good solution for drying baby clothes.

Wood

As the name implies, wooden dryers are made of wood. For the production of expensive models, wood of such species is used, which are highly resistant to moisture (larch, cedar, oak). The budget wooden dryers include models made of pine, spruce. Products are additionally covered with varnish with protective properties, which ensures their long service life. But, despite the quality of processing, inexpensive products after 1-3 years of operation (depending on the frequency and conditions of use) may become unusable. At best, they will only need re-treatment with varnish. In the worst case (this often happens when placing a wooden dryer on an unheated balcony) dark spots (rot, mold) may appear on some areas. Wood itself can become a crumb.


Combined

There are models of clothes dryers, made from several types of materials considered at once. For example, lightweight aluminum models can be supplemented with plastic side compartments designed exclusively for drying underwear, socks and hosiery.

They move easily because they have a lightweight design. Steel dryers can also be supplemented with plastic lining. In this embodiment, plastic plays a decorative rather than practical role. The only exceptions are models whose frame is made of steel, and the shelves and slats themselves are made of durable plastic or polymer. Metal models with wooden legs belong to the stylish and unusual. This combination of materials ensures the preservation of the original appearance and condition of the product for many years.


  

Installation methods and construction types

Choosing a suitable model of the dryer, it is necessary to take into account its dimensions and the specificity of the installation. According to the installation features distinguish mobile and stationary products. Mobile dryer, if necessary, can be removed (for example, for the winter period). Stationary mounted directly on the balcony and for their transfer will require re-procurement of fasteners in the ceiling, on the walls.

According to the design features, these types of clothes dryers are distinguished:

  • folding: consist of several sections that can be used (laid out) as needed, easily fold to small sizes and are conveniently stored even on a tiny loggia;
  • retractable: they are a construction that is pulled out (sideways or down) to access the slats and rods for drying things. Treat compact models;
  • liana (pivotal): attached to the ceiling and equipped with several descending rods on the ropes, takes up minimal space, is easily adjustable in height;
  • elevator: is a structure having a pair of sidewalls, between which rods are located, in contrast to the “vine”, the rods do not hang down, but are fixed on the sidewalls;
  • grid: wall model (located usually under the frame of the balcony window) with a frame and a grid of rods;
  • suspended: stationary models, between the metal sides of which the clothesline is stretched, occupy free space under the ceiling.


    

Dryers of external type and their features

The installation of the "street" clothes dryer attracts many owners. Thanks to the outdoor placement of models, the space of the balcony itself remains free. But before you make a choice in favor of an outdoor dryer, you should consider these features:

  1. Design. Modern models are equipped with movable blocks with clotheslines. Thus, in order to hang things for drying, you only need to move the rope not occupied by things, turning it on the block. Hanging clothes on models without movable elements is not very convenient.
  2. Dimensions. The practicality of the selected model depends on its parameters. For an elongated balcony equipped with several windows, the model with a small amount of clothesline and a considerable length is optimally suited. For small balconies it is better to select products with a small length, but with a large number of ropes and a sliding mechanism.
  3. Terms of Use.

Outdoor dryers are recommended to be installed on the balconies facing the closed courtyards. Therefore, you should not choose an outdoor dryer for a balcony overlooking a lively avenue: road dust and other pollution will constantly settle on drying things.


 

Internal type dryers

The location of the clothes dryer on the balcony helps protect clothes from dust from the street. But at the same time it is important to take into account both the size and usability of a particular model. Despite the significant benefits, the large model will block the passage on the balcony (for example, to the storeroom). It is also important to remember the different rules for mounting products. The most popular are dryers mounted on walls and ceilings. They are attractive for ease of access, usually take up little space. And when choosing a folding product, owners will be able to equip the balcony with a very compact and practical dryer. Floor models are often quite cumbersome. The reason for this is the need to create correct air access to each of the dried things.


    

Floor Dryer Models

Floor-standing models usually take up a lot of space, so they are recommended to be installed on spacious balconies or on loggias, which are practically not used by owners for storing personal belongings. There are two main categories of floor dryers: vertical (high) and horizontal (low). The first are a rack with a strong frame, having a height of about 2 meters. Between the side parts of the frame are horizontal grids with rods. In modern vertical dryers, individual nets can be adjusted to slope, providing a choice of such an arrangement, in which things on different nets will not touch, and competent access of air to all clothes will be provided. Horizontal (low) dryers are a grid with folding side parts (or without them) on a cross-shaped support. Their height usually does not exceed 1 meter.


Ceiling dryer models

Mounting a balcony dryer on the ceiling allows you to significantly save free space of the room, to eliminate its accumulation. There are two main types of such models:

  1. With separately adjustable rods. The height of the individual rods is regulated by a separate rope (fixed on the wall), which allows you to conveniently hang things and at the same time properly dry them.
  2. With joint adjustment of all rods. An important difference of this type is the absence of adjustment ropes. The rods are located directly between the two sidewalls, which, in turn, are suspended on "accordions".

Thus, to hang things, the hostess will have to tighten (lower) the dryer. After hanging things, she can easily lift the dryer to the ceiling so that the clothes do not interfere with the passage.


    

To a separate type can be attributed compact ceiling dryers, hangers with clothespins. They represent a plastic circle, which is about 20 clothespins.

At the top is a plastic hook that can be hung on pre-prepared fasteners or to another ceiling dryer. Such products are best suited for drying light and delicate things (for example, underwear, children's clothes, scarves).

Wall mounted dryers

There are many wall dryers of various sizes and with different configurations. They are distinguished by their compactness. To choose the most suitable wall dryer, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with their features regarding the design:

  1. Lifting. It is a frame (in the form of a rectangle), inside of which there is a frame with rods and side supports. Before use, you need to expand the product: raise the frame with the rods and fix it on the supports in a horizontal position. The attractiveness of models in compactness and ease of operation.
  2. Rod (without adjustment). They look like a pair of corner brackets, between which there are numerous rods. Such models take up little space, but do not add up. Therefore, more suitable for installation on spacious balconies.
  3. Folding. The sidewalls of the models resemble an accordion. They include intersecting elements between which the rods are fixed. To use the product will need to pull the folded harmonica to gain access to the rods.


Dryer Tips

When choosing a suitable balcony dryer be sure to consider the following criteria:

  • compactness; The product should not occupy a lot of free space used balcony. For small rooms, hanging models or mobile folding devices will be the best option.
  • material; It is recommended to install aluminum, plastic and metal dryers on unheated balconies. On the heated, you can place any model.

  • working surface size; Determines the quality of drying of different things. With constant washing of jeans, sweaters, sweaters (or T-shirts), large-sized dryers with a high load will be the best solution.
  • frequency and volume of washings; If you frequently carry out a large volume of washes, you should give preference to suspended ceiling models or outdoor dryers. For a small amount of washable items, a floor dryer or creeper will suffice.
  • the number of rods and their length; Determines the possibility of simultaneous drying of large quantities of clothing. For a family of 1-2 people enough dryers with 5 short rods. For a large family with children suitable dryer with 6 and a large number of rods of medium and large length.
  • the presence of a recreation area on the balcony. Balcony seating area involves the installation of height-adjustable ceiling exhaust dryers or the installation of an outdoor dryer.


  

How to do it yourself

The simplest option for making a dryer on the balcony is to install metal corners with 4-5 holes pre-drilled into them. A clothesline will be stretched between these holes. Attach the corners better to dowels. You can also easily make the whole drying system with your own hands using ordinary metal-plastic pipes and adapters for them. The work is carried out according to the following instructions:

    1. A frame with optimal dimensions is assembled from plastic pipes (corner fittings act as connectors).
    2. Holes are drilled equally spaced in the pipes to draw the clothesline.
    3. Is the tensioning ropes.
  1. Из труб ПВХ собирается складная крестовидная опора (закрепить их между собой следует винтами, закрученными не вплотную, а с незначительным припуском).
  2. Optionally, the device can not be supplemented with a floor support, but hung on the ceiling with the help of an accordion (attached in advance to the finished frame) or fixed on metal hooks with ropes (suspended on hooks).


 

Conclusion

The choice of a suitable dryer for a balcony should be carried out taking into account all the characteristics of the models, dimensions and purpose of the balcony. For a room that is not used as a storage room, which is not used as a storage room, any type of selection is allowed (you can simply stretch the linen thread between the corners, use overall floor models). For a balcony, used as an office, storage room or including a recreation area, preference is recommended to give a compact folding models. This may be stationary products or portable dryers. When using any type of dryer, follow the manufacturer's instructions and observe the maximum load. Otherwise, the model will begin to deform or the linen thread on it will begin to sag. Also, if desired, make clothes dryers and do it yourself. For work can be used metal corners, wood and even PVC pipes. From these materials at hand, you can easily make a product with a high load and an attractive appearance.

Watch the video: Balcony clothes dryer. Dobra suszarka (March 2024).

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