Fit a pulley clothes airer to a concrete ceiling

Fit a pulley clothes airer to a solid concrete ceiling, with a wall cleat mounted correctly to finish the job.

AB-01Plan the layoutDecide where the airer will hang — allow at least 500mm clearance from the ceiling and enough headroom to walk under it when lowered. Mark the two ceiling fixing points level with each other and matching the spacing on your kit's instructions, usually 700-1000mm apart. Pick a wall for the cleat that lets the rope run in a straight line to the pulleys, at a comfortable height around 1400-1600mm up.

1 each · Pulley clothes airer kit (with cleat and rope)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · Tape measure

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · Pencil

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

AB-02Confirm the ceiling is solid concreteTap the ceiling — solid concrete sounds dead and dull, not hollow. Drill a small 5mm pilot hole at one marked point: pale grey dust means concrete, but if you hit timber or empty space, stop, as this guide only covers solid concrete ceilings. Some flats and modern builds have concrete floor slabs above; older houses often have joisted ceilings, which need different fixings entirely.

1 each · 5mm masonry drill bit

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

AB-03Check for cables and pipes, and make it safeRun a detector over both the ceiling and the wall before drilling anything — but still treat every hole as a risk, since detectors miss cables that are deep, in conduit, or outside the usual safe zones. Find your stopcock now, usually under the kitchen sink, and check it turns freely so you can shut off water fast if you hit a pipe. If you have any doubt about what's behind the ceiling or wall, isolate the relevant circuit at the consumer unit before drilling, and turn off the water at the stopcock before cutting into anything that could carry it.

AB-04Drill and fit the first ceiling bracketUsing an SDS drill and an 8mm masonry bit, drill to the depth stated on your wall plugs — usually 50-60mm into solid concrete. Blow or vacuum out the dust, then tap in a heavy-duty masonry plug rated for ceiling fixings. Drive in the pulley bracket screw until it's tight and doesn't wobble when pulled.

1 each · 8mm SDS masonry drill bit

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

2 each · Heavy-duty masonry wall plugs

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · Dust mask

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

AB-05Fit the second ceiling bracketRepeat the drilling and fixing process at your second marked point. Use a spirit level or measure down from the ceiling at both points to check the brackets sit level with each other — an uneven airer will hang crooked and strain one side.

1 each · Spirit level

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

AB-06Work out what's behind the wall for the cleatBefore fixing the cleat, check what the wall is made of. Solid brick or block sounds dead when tapped and drills with a steady resistance and red-brown or grey dust. A stud wall sounds hollow between the studs and solid on them — track a line of screw heads with a detector or magnet to find the stud centres. A small pilot hole tells you more: pale timber dust means a timber stud, fine bright swarf means a metal stud. Dot-and-dab has plasterboard on the face with air gaps and dabs of adhesive behind, over solid masonry — a longer fixing is needed to reach it. Lath and plaster feels springy and sounds different again, with thin wooden laths under old plaster.

AB-07Fit the cleat with the right fixing for your wallInto solid brick or block, drill to the depth of your plug (usually 40-50mm), fit a wall plug, and drive in the cleat screw. Into a timber stud, screw straight into the centre of the stud with a wood screw long enough to bite at least 30mm into the timber — no plug needed. Into a metal stud, never use a wood screw or plain plastic plug, as they strip straight through 0.5mm steel; use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing or a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor made for metal frames. If your only fixing point is plasterboard between studs, use a toggle or hollow-wall anchor rated for the pulling weight, since the rope tension pulls the cleat away from the wall over time. Through dot-and-dab, use a fixing long enough to pass through the plasterboard and dabs and bite into the masonry behind — a standard short wall plug won't reach. A cleat under constant pulling strain, like this one, is exactly the case where a flimsy fixing will eventually fail; if you're not confident the wall will hold it, fit a timber noggin between the studs first, or fix through to the masonry behind.

1 each · Metal-stud toggle fixing (pack)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 pack · Wood screws (assorted sizes)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 pack · Long fixings for dot-and-dab

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · Timber noggin (if needed)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

AB-08Hang the airer and thread the ropeHook the airer bars onto the ceiling brackets and check nothing catches when you raise or lower it. Thread the rope through the pulleys as shown in the kit instructions, then down to the wall cleat. Pull the airer up to your desired height and wind the rope onto the cleat to hold it in place.

AB-09Test and tidy upLoad the airer evenly and raise and lower it a few times to check the brackets, cleat and pulleys all hold firm without creaking or shifting. Wipe down dust from the ceiling and wall, and vacuum the floor below. Pack away your tools and dispose of any drill dust safely.

1 each · Dust sheet

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

Some links may earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Save this as a project

Back to all guides