We have compiled some practical hints on the following pagegs:
Below, we answer some additional frequent questions.
How heavy can the laundry be for a Hangbird?
Because of the holding force of the plugs in case of suspended ceilings, Hangbird’s maximum allowed load is limited to 20 kg of laundry. However, this still corresponds to 3 loads of an average washing machine! In case of other types of ceiling, one could load even more.
The frame weights between about 2,7 kg and 4,8 kg depending on size.
How is the frame raised and lowered?
The frame has an upper and lower position and is moved by a pulley system. This reduces the necessary force by half approximately.
A knot over the clamp can additionally secure the frame in an arbitrary height.
Was it the difference between the two-fold and the four-fold pulleys system?
The difference between the two- and fourfold pulley system refers only to the part of the pulley system that is mounted to the wall. Independently, all frames are attached to the ceiling with four ropes and four pulleys.
The twofold pulley halves the strength needed to pull the frame up and basically works for all sizes. For larger models with greater capacity, pulling up the fully loaded frame on the rope could be felt as stiff or uncomfortable on the hand, depending on personal strength and constitution. In that case, the fourfold pulley could halve the strength needed again, therefore in total would quarter it. Accordingly, one would have to pull a longer distance on the rope when pulling up, and there would be a larger amount of rope left, which can be ‘folded’ on the top hook of the cleat just as easily as with the twofold pulley. Visually, the two versions are hardly distinguishable.
Does water drip from the frame?
Water is not afraid of heights! – As (flung) laundry does not drip any water from an ordinary drying rack, so it does not do it on a Hangbird.
Is there a danger of mould?
Hangbird does not cause an issue with mould if there is no issue before using a traditional drying rack.
Generally, a room with drying laundry should not be hermetically sealed and there should be some exchange of air.
During winter times, one should heat rooms that exchange air with each other uniformly. Otherwise, the humidity might accumulate and even condense in the coldest of the rooms, particularly in zones facing the exterior like outer walls.
Can I hang Hangbird in a rented flat?
Yes, you can, even without the permission of the landlord and/or the property manager. The installation of the Hangbird only requires boreholes, similar to a lamp or a shelf, and is therefore considered a device in the flat. This does not represent a significant intervention in the building fabric and can be quickly and easily reversed as part of the normal renovation work when moving out.
Can I dry clothes in a rented flat?
Yes, that is part of the proper use of the flat, even if the rental agreement states otherwise or there is a common drying room. The tenant is only obliged to ensure that no moisture damage such as mold occurs. These can occur with improper or insufficient ventilation with the Hangbird as well as with the use of a conventional clothes horse (actually less with the Hangbird because of the better air circulation).
How should I place Hangbird in a room?
The fraem can be placed freely within a room or any space. Around the frame, there should be some space, in particular to avoid collisions during raising and lowering.
At the side on a wall, there is a fixture where you operate the ropes from. During planning, you should ensure that you can lower the frame from there comfortably. And, of course, you should be able to hang clothes to the frame easily.
How close can the frame be pulled to the ceiling?
In an optimal situation, the distance between the ceiling and the clothes’ lines is about 10 cm, the lower edge of the frame is about 12 cm under the ceiling.
What is the recommended minimal ceiling height?
Irrespective of the ceiling height: Hangbird always liberates space!
Even with a minimal ceiling height of about 2.40 m, Hangbird is useful: on the clothes’s line, the laundry is usually hung in halves and ends about 30 cm from the ceiling, hence the laundry really is above 2 m. Long pieces like trousers can be hung over several lines or can be placed so that they are not in the way.
Is it possible to use Hangbird outdoors?
Yes, one can use Hangbird outdoors too as long the frame is protected from direct weather like under a porch or a balcony. The oiled version (natural wood colour) can easily be reconditioned at a later stage if weather will have left its marks. All fittings and ropes are weather-resistant.
Even in winter times, laundry easily dries outside as low humidity, wind and constant air exchange favour the drying process. Even below freezing, the laundry can “dry” (through so-called sublimation) and becomes very pillowy!
Can Hangbird be installed with sloping ceilings?
Yes, sure, Hangbird is suitable for sloping ceilings.
How is Hangbird attached to the ceiling?
The frame is suspended on four ropes. The four ropes run through four pulleys that each rest on a screw hook. Screw hooks and matching, high quality plugs (“Fischer” and “Tox”) are provided.
Is it possible to attach Hangbird to suspended ceilings?
The provided fittings are suitable for suspended ceilings too. They should have minimal thickness of 12.5 mm (standard) in order the plugs to hold firmly. Suspended ceilings are quite heavy themselves and usually well anchored. Additionally, the weight of the frame is distributed across four separate points.
How much rope is provided?
There is plenty of rope provided to be sufficient for most situations. There is 6 m of rope for the distance from the fixture on the wall to the four pulley on the ceiling.
If your ceiling is higher than 4 m, please leave a comment during the ordering process (on the checkout page), so we can provide you with more rope.
What do I need to install Hangbird?
Ordinary tools are sufficient for the installation: drilling machine, crosstip screwdriver (PZ 2), ladder and scissors / knife.
What can I do with difficult ceilings?
If it is difficult to drill a proper hole into the ceiling and if the hole proves to be “loose”, then there are simple installation aids:
1.) There is a very helpful “putty glue” (like “UHU repair all powerkitt” or „Pattex Repair Express“) or alternatively “injection fixing” (liquid to be injected in a loose hole, various suppliers).
2.) If the hole degrades in a veritable crater, one can fix this by using fast curing cement: the original hole is closed and re-drilled while the cement is not fully cured. After hardening (few minutes), the plug can be re-set again.
Normal filling compound should only be used if it is approved to be used for fixing plugs and screws.
Where are the hooks placed exactly?
The four screw hooks are located above the short sides of the frame. They form a rectangle with length of the frame and with a width of 32 cm, 45 cm or 58 cm respectively (depending on chosen model width 60, 70 or 80).
The hooks only need to be installed with an accuracy of about 10 cm as the ropes compensate easily for any inaccuracies.
With larger differences (due to the spacing of beams e. g.), the ropes should not be to much “skewed” to each other (in the upper, raised position) as the tension forces would work against each other. This would in turn raise the force required to lift the frame and might lead to exceed the load limits of the hooks and plugs. One can avoid it if one chooses to have a certain distance between the ceiling and the frame (in its upper position).
How can you hang Hangbird on walls with tiles?
If you do not want to drill into the tiles or the joints between the tiles, you can also glue the cleat with the base plate onto the tiles. For this purpose, a commercial adhesive adapter from “Tesa never drill again” (loosely translated; the German name is “Tesa nie wieder bohren”) is glued to the tiles, which can be removed without residue if necessary. A mechanically manufactured intermediate plate connects this to the base plate and cleat from Hangbird. The adhesive plate is approved up to 20 kg, and accordingly no more than 15 kg of laundry (approx. 10 kg dry weight) may be loaded onto the frame.
The adhesive adapter can be found here in the shop.
How do you attach Hangbird to metal balconies?
With the help of a commercial adhesive hook from “Tesa never drill again” (loosely translated; the German name is “Tesa nie wieder bohren”) , the deflection rollers can also be attached to ceilings without drilling if they consist of a stable, rough and smooth surface such as tiles, natural stone, glass, concrete, metal and wood. The adhesive hook can be removed again without leaving any residue. It is not suitable for wallpaper, masonry or plaster!
The adhesive hook can be found here in the shop.
When and how do you ship?
Shipping is done using GLS within four working days (often the following working day) after payment or corresponding payment evidence. As soon your parcel is under way, you will receive an email notification by GLS with estimated delivery times. You also can re-route it to a GLS parcel shop (depending on your country).
Do you ship to other countries? (For Switzerland see below.)
Sure! We ship to any country if possible. Shipping costs are calculated in the shop during check out.
If you country is not listed, please be in touch!
For commercial clients within the EU, we can subtract the German VAT if you provide a valid VAT Identification number in the comment field of your order.
What about the shipping to countries outside the EU, like Switzerland?
For Swiss customers, the published prices apply equally and they include the Swiss VAT and all customs fees.
Hangbird covers all customs fees and the Swiss VAT (in place of the German VAT). Therefore, we cannot refund the German VAT. (The amount is used to cover Swiss fees and taxes.)
What should I do if the parcel is damaged?
If the parcel is damaged, you should definitely have the delivery person document the damage. This is because an accepted parcel is confirmation for the shipping service provider that everything was in order, and it will be very difficult for you as the recipient (and also for us) to claim for any damage.
Why do I need to pay using wire transfer?
Without doubt, payment service like Paypal can be easy and (allegedly) safe, but they have disadvantages for sellers and buyers: They charges substantial fees, and these fees would need to be covered by all buyers, even by those who choose the cost-efficient wire transfer.
If you do not wish to or cannot execute a bank transfer, please be in touch. We will find a solution.
Unfortunately, it is the law that dealers are not allowed to charge depending on the chosen payment method (although it is not theirs, but the client’s choice). Therefore, these payment service providers are not in a direct competitive environment and will overprice their services at the expense of the whole economy. Politics has sold these regulations as “consumer protection” but in truth, they only favour large corporations by “protecting” them from a competitive environment. Hangbird is not part of this game.
If this arrangement is an insurmountable hurdle to you, please be in touch.