Homeowner baffled by metal items on her porch before they were revealed to be awning tie downs

Mum ‘driven crazy’ over mystery gadgets on her new home’s front porch – before their function is finally revealed

  • Mum asks internet what strange items on her porch are
  • People revealed they are old awning tiedowns 

A homeowner was left scratching her head over ‘strange items’ built into the steps on the front porch of her new house, before it was revealed they are tie-downs for awnings.

The mum, from Sydney, said she was going ‘crazy’ trying to work out what the small metal pieces screwed into the concrete were.

She said she turned to social media for answers after she couldn’t find any on search engines.

Many people guessed the metal handle-like rods could be boot scrapers but others correctly said they were tie-downs.

‘Please help save my sanity. Anyone know what these little whatsimajiggies are? I am being driven crazy by curiosity,’ the woman wrote in a post.

A Sydney mum was ‘going crazy’ trying to work out what the mysterious metal gadget were screwed into the front porch steps of her new home

‘They are on the front porch. Really want to know and not even sure what term to search Google.’

The query generated a flurry of guesses from fellow members.

‘Maybe it used to have services underneath – electricity, phone, etc – before they had to label them?’ one woman speculated. 

‘That’s a trip hazard,’ a second chimed in. 

‘It’s where you tie your horses up, right?’ a third joked.  

‘Are they for scraping mud off boots?’ another asked.

The homeowner said there are two of the on either side of the porch entryway and while her partner guessed they were boot scrapers she doesn’t think that’s what they are as they’re too small. 

She said she turned to social media for answers after she couldn't find any on search engines

Many people guessed the metal handle-like things could be boot scrapers but most thought they were tie-downs for awnings common in old houses around Melbourne

She turned to Facebook for answers after she couldn’t find any on search engines. Many guessed they could be boot scrapers but most said they were tie-downs for awnings

Eventually some people had the most plausible answer saying they are used to hold or tie down awnings. 

‘I have never seen these on steps before. Does it get strong sun? Was there a shade sail covering the veranda before? Looks like clips to stop it blowing around,’ someone asked. 

‘That’s the road I’ve been going down too but it’s east-facing so no hard afternoon sun. We lived in another house that had it too,’ the poster replied. 

Many confirmed the gadgets were in fact tie downs for shades and awnings.  

‘I am sure it’s a tie down for an old awning,’ one woman replied. 

‘Definitely awning tie down. They’re super common in Melbourne. Helps with privacy and heat,’ another agreed. 

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