Anchor Products Guide to Guy Wires

Do you ever wonder why it’s called a Guy Wire instead of a Guide Wire? We have discovered that many customers find Anchor Products while searching for a Guy Wire solution.  Our research has shown us that a large percentage of online searches for our popular product come through the Google search term, Guide Wire.  

Well, let us be your guide…so to speak. By, a Guy Wire is a tensioned cable designed to add stability to a free-standing structure. They were commonly found on ships to stabilize the masts. They can also be found supporting radio masts, wind turbines, utility poles, and in our case, rooftop equipment.  Guy Wires have been around a long, long time.  

But why Guy? Good question. Here’s a bit of history for you. The term Guy Wire, Guy Line, Guy Rope, or sometimes just Guy, derives from the French word “guie,” meaning guide or to guide found in use about 900 years ago. The Dutch, in the 1600’s, began the use of “guy” in terms that we are more familiar with today. Dutch ships used “gei” (which we now know as guy) as the name of the rope or wire they used to hold the mast or mainsail steady. Appropriately enough, it truly was a wire used as a guide. But the origin was from the French and Dutch, and their term for the tension wire they used to secure their structures. So, if you’ve been saying “Guide Wire” before, you can make an educated adjustment and amaze your friends and coworkers with your newfound knowledge. Mystery solved. 

To address your Guy Wire needs in securing your rooftop equipment, Anchor Products has Guyed wire at the ready to team up with our game-changing U-Anchors and Solutions for any type of rooftop securement projects you may have.  The AP Solution™ GWK 0600 Guy Wire Kit from Anchor Products helps keep your expensive equipment from being knocked around or potentially flying across the roof, creating expensive leaks and consequential damages. The 3/16”, 7×19 stainless steel wire rope offers a nominal breaking load strength of 3700 lbs., making it a strong and dependable part of any rooftop securement solution.