Suggestions on how to attach twine to roof?

[Eves]

Due to a huge number of trees surrounding my house I've been very limited as to where I can plant my hops. I finally came up with the plan to plant them next to my house's south wall. The amount of sunlight might be a little on the low side but still should be acceptable. My problem is figuring out how to tie the twine to the roof. Even if I dealt with a pole of some sort for the hops I am not sure how to secure it to the roof.


This section of the house is only one story. The gutters do have a leaf guard setup due to the all the leaves we get in the fall (though I'll never get gutter guards again...ice damns occur too easily). My wife has made it clear that she'd prefer any connection to the roof to be as discrete as possible so my original plan of some 2x4s jutting out from the roof is out.

I had thought of using some sort of flag pole ancoring system. Basically I'd get a couple of flag pole ancors (Garden Treasures at Lowe's: Metal Flag Bracket), put a wooden pole in each, string a line between the two poles and then run twine down the hop plants. I figure with a setup like this I could just remove the wooden poles from the flag pole ancor at the end of harvest and there would be very little evidence left on the roof. Of course I am concerned about how well two of those flag pole ancors would hold up under the weight of 3 hop plants.

Anyone have any ideas on the best way to attach twine for hops to a house?

 

[BargainFittings]

You might want to post a picture of the point you want to attach to to give us a better idea of the situation.

 

[Eves]

Good idea. I'll get some pictures later today

 

[JAG410]

I just used some stainless j-hooks, and the twine is tied around it. This will make it easy to remove for harvest.

 

[Eves]

This first pic shows ground where the hops have recently been planted. I put the 3 lights approx where the rhizoms are so you can get an idea where they are.

Roof line:

 

[Kungpaodog]

I like the idea of the J-hooks, or for even more security use screw-eyes. Just put them into the eves as far away from the house as possible, and run your rope from a stake in the ground up through the screw-eye, and then back down to another stake in the ground close to the house. This will make it very easy to harvest them, and you can also let out more rope if they grow all the way to the top.

 

[cuinrearview]

I used to sink a nail part-way into the edge of the shingles and wrap the twine around that. It worked fine, but I've switched to eye screws because I want to run one constant string to three plants.

 

[Bobby_M]

I put eyehooks into the facia board just below the gutter.

 

[Eves]

I put eyehooks into the facia board just below the gutter.

I thought of that too. However, the facia is covered with metal. I am not sure if I should drill a hole in that or not.

 

[jgardner6]

buy some eyelet screws from lowes, i think they run about 39 cents

 

[Bobby_M]

I drilled a hole though mine and just put a dab of caulking on the eyebolt just as I was about to put one more turn on it. If you ever removed them, you'd want to plug the hole with caulk also.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I think the J hooks would probably work best in this situation.

No drilling, no holes, no fuss. Just unhook from the edge of the gutter at harvest time and you're done.

 

[adamjab19]

I plan on doing a J hook in my facia and running string up to it and back down to lower the bine as needed for growth and hopefully harvest.

 

[Bobby_M]

I think the J hooks would probably work best in this situation.

No drilling, no holes, no fuss. Just unhook from the edge of the gutter at harvest time and you're done.

I think you mean "s" hooks then right? If the OP thinks the gutter is strong enough to hold the weight (and wind load), he could do that. Most gutter attachments are shoddy at best. YMMV.

 

[Eves]

I am not quite sure how a j-hook is to attach to a gutter. However, I am concerned about relying on the gutter. I spent a fortune having the gutter guard system installed when the gutters were replaced and I'd hate to have the weight of the hop plants plus wind load damage them.

 

[adamjab19]

I think you mean "s" hooks then right? If the OP thinks the gutter is strong enough to hold the weight (and wind load), he could do that. Most gutter attachments are shoddy at best. YMMV.

Yes. Thank you, a S hook.

 

[adamjab19]

ALso It looks like there is some space below the gutter that you could screw some sort of hook into.

 

[Eves]

ALso It looks like there is some space below the gutter that you could screw some sort of hook into.

You're correct. However, that area is covered with sheet metal. Though someone has mentioned that I could drill into it and just seal it with some caulk...which sounds reasonable. Right now this sounds like it might be my best option. Of course I am not against looking further into attaching the twine to the gutters. In any case I'll be taking a closer look at the gutter and sheet metal on the eaves.

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. Feel free to add further suggestions

 

[BlackDogBrewing]

I used those plastc S-hooks that clip over the rain gutter, the ones used to hold up Christmas lights.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Since you aren't gonna get much sun exposure on the backside of the plants with the plot and you are concerned about compromising the fascia wrap, why not just use a eye or j hooked screwed into the soffit (the flat bit over your head) at joist locations?

If you get water infiltration there, you got bigger problems than the hops or the screws.

 

[ibrewdou]

maybe a sort of flag pole idea at each end of the row of hops with a pully at the top of each pole so you could run the twine between the poles and through the pulleys and down to a tie-off at the base of each pole. tie the twine the vines will climb to the twine between the poles and raise it like you'd raise the flag, pulling at each pole at the same time. im sure a beer thirsty neighbor would gladly assist with this. then lower at harvest time. this would give you way more potential ht. than your fascia board of +/- 8' . as much as you want really. no holes anywhere in the house and as the vines pass the gutter line maybe they'll see more sun. this way you get all the fun of engineering your own pole system as well as growing your own, swmbo will be thrilled !! here in ga., the soil is lame so i planted mine in containers and they are up!!! they are mobile for now but have to nail down their location based on suns path and light. will run twine up to house facia board. wil post photos. best of luck