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How to Buy a Porch
Swing
Tips and Advice on Buying a Porch Swing
By: Mark J. Donovan
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Buying a porch swing is a great accessory to
any porch, patio, deck, garden room, or three season room. A porch swing,
like a rocking chair, is a relaxing and cathartic instrument that can help
you unwind at the end of the day and to allow yourself time to sit back and
reflect on the day and even your life.
A few years back we installed a porch swing underneath our deck up at our
lake home. The underneath area of our deck is a concrete paver patio area
with the deck approximately 9 feet off of the ground.
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During the summer months, at any time of the
day or evening, you can usually find someone
swinging in it and relaxing and enjoying the
views of the lake. The particular porch
swing we bought has spring loaded chains
that hang on either side of it that allow
the porch swing to flex a little up and down
when sitting in it.
When buying a porch swing there are a few
considerations that you should think about.
First, porch swings are available in a
variety of materials including wood and PVC.
Though PVC swings require little to no
maintenance I still prefer a wooden porch
swing. If you are looking to buy a porch
swing manufactured from wood there are also
many choices.
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Porch swings are available in oak, cedar,
pine, maple and teak. Oak porch swings are
one of the more popular wood porch swing
types on the market. Oak is strong and
durable and thus will hold up well, albeit
it’s a little heavier than other wood porch
swings. Cedar is also commonly used. It’s
lighter than oak and it is resistant to rot
and decay. It also won’t split or crack and
will have less risk of sagging over time.
Wicker porch swings are also extremely
popular due to their unique look and
durability, however they are better suited
for covered areas.
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Porch swings can also be purchased with or
without finishes. Unfinished porch swings
offer flexibility in how you can finish
them, however finishing a porch swing can be
time consuming and you may not end up with
your desired finish due to mistakes in your
selection of the finish or the application
of it.
When looking to buy a porch swing also
carefully consider the physical dimensions
of it. Make sure the seat depth and the
angle of the back rest is comfortable to
you. Also make sure the slat spacing is not
too wide and not to narrow. If too wide, you
may experience some discomfort sitting in
it. If too narrow, the swing may weigh a lot
more. Seat depths can also vary widely so it
is important to pick something that will be
comfortable for your family’s particular
height dimensions. Also make sure the seat
back is at a comfortable angle. You don’t
want to feel like you’re laying down in the
porch swing and you don’t want to feel like
you’re sitting at attention in it either.
Make sure to examine the hardware associated
with the porch swing. Porch swings should be
assembled using screws and bolts, and not
nails. Also make sure any associated chains
are resistant to corrosion.
When buying a porch swing also check to see
what it can support in weight. Most can
comfortably support two people. Also, if
buying a porch swing that attaches to a
ceiling or deck floor joists make sure to
use the proper size anchors for attaching
the porch swing. Otherwise you may find
yourself sitting on the ground unexpectedly.
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Related Information
Porch Swings from Amazon.com
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