Urban Blog

Are you planning an outdoor clothesline or clothes dryer in your yard this year? A concrete base for your clothes dryer will keep it where it belongs once you have decided where to put it. To help you plan ahead, Brianna has prepared a detailed video tutorial of how to prepare a concrete clothes dryer base in your yard. Watch the video or read the instructions below:
 

You Will Need:

Concrete
Bucket or wheelbarrow
Spade, shovel or post hole digger
Level
Small garden spade
Tape measure
Stirring stick
Duct tape
Work gloves
Safety goggles, optional mask
Rotary dryer and ground socket

Step 1: Plan your location
 
To give your dryer enough space, know its size when fully open. Consider using all of the height for hanging your largest linens. Give your dryer plenty of sunlight, where it won’t overshadow sun-loving plants.
 
Step 2: Dig your hole
 
Once you have plotted your dryer location, neatly dig up a circle of sod ten inches in diamter and set aside. Then dig your hole. Your hole depth should equal the length of your socket plus the sod you just removed. If you live in a state with cold winters, make sure your hole is deeper than your state’s frost level.
 
Step 3: Mix your concrete
 
We prefer a concrete with small stones in it. Don’t breathe the dust or get it on your clothes. Stand downwind of your concrete and wear your safety goggles. Create a runny mixture but use the instructions on your concrete bag as a guide.
 
Step 4: Pour!
 
Pour most of your concrete into the hole. Check the instructions for your ground socket to find out how deep to insert it. Add duct tape to the bottom of the socket before inserting, then check that it is level. Now insert your dryer pole and double check vertically that your socket is level.
 
Step 5: Finish
 
Now finish filling your hole; if you want to replace your sod, leave enough room to replace it seamlessly. Otherwise, you may smooth out the concrete and leave it exposed, with a slight elevation in the middle to prevent rain from pooling. Check your bag of concrete to see how long it should take to dry. Once it is dry, replace your sod. Dig a hole in the middle of your sod for the socket. You are now ready to install and use your rotary dryer.
 
Concrete holds your ground socket so solid, your rotary dryer is not going anywhere but around in the wind.
 
If you are not sure that you want a permanent location for your dryer, we have other options for ground sockets and ground spikes that sit directly in the soil. Stay tuned for more videos.