New upvc porch - fittings and ideas

[AnthonyL]

We're wanting to replace our rotting wooden porch/conservatory with upvc and the plastic roof with glass and have a couple of quotes.

There are two items that the installers are not interested in covering and I don't mind doing myself if there are some good ideas forthcoming.

1) The outside corner of the porch is a handy point for a clothes line hook as the porch fits on an inside corner with a garage to its left hand side. What are the best ways to attach a line to upvc?

2) The porch is about 3m wide x 1.3m deep. Probably the main reason that the wooden porch has rotted is that no-one thought to deal with the water run-off from the roof. It only needs to be diverted to the left onto the garage roof which in turn is designed for water to run into its gutters. Neat ideas for this bearing in mind I'm aware that we're not going to have the same rotting issue with pvc.

|Side of Garage |A Washing line from A - A | |-------------A | Porch | |__________ |__________House____________

[tabbypurr]

They won't fit your washing line because they know it'll bust a hole in the pvc

NT

[Harry Bloomfield]

AnthonyL was thinking very hard :

UPVC is too weak to accept screws supporting any weight. However you might be able to find a way to bolt right through the structure.

[charles]

What I was planning for a "strong" fence post was to fit a lenght of timber inside the square UPVC section. I'd probably have to plane it to size, though. Has anyone tried this?

[Chris Hogg]

I might be wrong but I thought at least some UPVC structures had metal cores within the main elements. It might be worth the OP just testing the particular beam or upright he wants to screw into, using a cable detector.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Chris Hogg presented the following explanation :

Certainly it will, but the depth below the upvc surface might prove to be an issue for drilling a tapping.

[spuorgelgoog]

I expect someone has at some point, and ended up with a trapezoidal porch.

Do you need a washing line, or could you put a rotary airer in the gap?

Owain

[AnthonyL]

Charles isn't the OP, he's jumped in.

A rotary airer is an option but a bit more of a faff in terms of "putting it away" etc. I'll offer the suggestion to SWIMBO and apportion blame/credit as appropriate depending on the reaction.

[Andrew Gabriel]

It would go rotten. Things like uPVC porches and bay windows normally have square section corners which are lined with square section aluminium or steel to provide strength for supporting the roof. A suitable pilot hole followed by a self-tapping screw (corrosion resistant) would probably work.

[dennis]

Not a good idea. The weight on the line creates a far bigger tension than the actual weight and will probably damage the PVC.

[Chris Hogg]

You can get covers

Saves the faff putting it away...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You also need to be careful not to distort the frame. A prime reason for doors and windows not closing properly. There can be quite a high load on a washing line.

[charles]

why would it rot any quicker than the bare wooden post I'd be replacing. That's gone because it's been hit (and broken) by a backing delivery van.

[AnthonyL]

Then we're left with a pole sticking up in a nice open area. SWMBO says no.

[AnthonyL]

Lots of responses on Item 1 and nothing on the water run-off - surely someone's got a brainwave.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Inside a plastic section, it will soak up condensation, with no opportuinity to dry out.

[Roger Hayter]

Judging by what our reasonably reputable roofers did (with slate roof) just run a short downpipe from the end of the conservatory gutter as a spout either into the garage gutter or to intersect the garage roof at less than 90 degrees a couple of feet above the gutter. It may require a 135deg bend to do this.

[AnthonyL]

It's not the downpipe that is my concern as the porch roof is higher than the garage roof - I just want an unobtrusive way of getting from the nice glass roof to the top of the the adjacent garage roof and all guttering seems to be an overkill size of 3".

[Roger Hayter]

Smaller guttering for sheds (?2") and rectangular or trapezoidal white guttering for conservatories is freely available. From a builders' merchant for instance, or on Ebay.

[Rob Morley]

You'd have to weld the ends shut, and seal any fixing holes. Anyway what's the point? Just use pressure treated timber, or galvanised steel if it really needs some strength.