Math Whiz Needed

I've seen info in this forum regarding pole wrap ideas. I'm pretty sold on wrapping my one bsmt. pole with a natural fiber rope. Now I need conformation if my REALLY BAD math is anywhere close: Pole Height 78" , Diameter 15" , Rope 1". Will I really need my calculated 97 feet of rope?

 

15/12x78=97.5 not bad. Allow yourself some extra feet just in case you stretch the rope.

 

I see two problems with your calculation.

(1) If the 15 inch measurement is really the diameter, then you have a really big post and not enough rope. You'll need 3.14159 times as much rope as you calculated. However, it the 15 inches is really the circumference (i.e., the true diameter is 4.77 inches), then this problem is not a real issue.

(2) If the rope is 1" in diameter, then the amount of rope required to wrap once around the post is greater than the circumference of the post itself. The reason is that the center of the rope is held 1/2" out from the post. The effective diameter is therefore one inch more than the diameter of the post.

If your post is "d" inches in diameter, "t" inches tall, and the rope is "r" inches in diameter, then you will need:

feet of rope = [(pi*(d+r))/12]*(t/r)

For r=1 and t=78, then the number of feet of rope is

• 102.1 feet for d=4.
• 122.5 feet for d=5.
• 326.7 feet for d=15.

 

Thanks resercon! It just seemed too easy, thought for sure I had overlooked something! Well, off to the store!

 

Whoa! That would have burnt up my brain cells John...Yes my post measurement was stated incorrectly, I meant circumf. not diameter, thank goodness! That REALLY would be one heck of a pole! Thanks for the thorough calculation, I was planning to purchase about 105 feet anyhow "just in case". Thanks, will get about 125 now!

 

Why do you wrap a pole with rope? Is this more of a look thing or is it a requirement? Sorry I just find out something new that I need to do while finishing my basement everyday.

 

There's no requirement to do anything at all with your support posts. But most people like to improve the appearance, and there are dozens of different ways to do so. Best is to hide it inside a wall if you can.

 

That is good cause I plan on building a box around mine and then cover in crown molding to match the rest of the upstairs. Just wanted to make sure that there was not some requirement to wrap the pole first. I keep finding out new stuff each day.. Thanks for the answer

 

of the many options available for disguising that ugly ploe I decided on rope. We are finishing the walls with log cabin siding and just thought it would look the best!