Brighten up summer with porch swings!

Hello there! My name is Carrington Bartlett and I am the newbie at the Rate My Contractor office. I am enjoying my new job as the Marketing/PR Intern, as well as living in Sacramento for the summer. I am currently living with my sister in the midtown area and I absolutely love it. The people, the food, the events, parks, all of it! After work we like to take her chocolate lab Brodie on walks, and enjoy the last few hours of day before sunset.

Last weekend we were sitting on her porch steps enjoying the beautiful spring day when I looked next door and saw a women reading a book on her porch swing. It looked so relaxing and I instantly wanted one! I searched online for porch swing sets and they seemed a little pricey at $200-$700. So, I decided to check out Craigslist.com and found a porch swing that was only $25! I was excited to pick up such a sweet deal, and headed to home depot to purchase the chains and hooks to mount it to her porch for a total of 25 dollars! We connected the swing with the chains, and used power tools to mount the hooks. It only took about 20 minutes, and WALA! Our DIY project on a budget was complete. We also added a pillow cushion so it was extra comfortable! We saved around $150-$650!! Now we can enjoy watching Brodie frolic in the front yard on our comfy porch swing. Great idea for a summer home improvement project!

If you want to build your own porch swing on a budget, here are a few things you'll need:

1. A porch swing-wood, plastic, metal, you choose! (We chose a wood swing, but you can bargain hunt for all types on sites like Craigslist.com, eBay.com, etc. or spend extra money at a store like Home Depot or Lowe's)

2. Chains and hooks-I found some on Sears.com today for only $15! And they include the hooks! Awesome Deal! Here’s the link: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM161910032P?sid=IDx20101019x00001a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=SPM197746946

How to install your porch swing:

    1.Put the right swing in the right place. Measure your porch or garden spot for height to support chains and a wide berth for crash-free swinging.
   
    2. Locate an overhead beam (with an 8-foot clearance below it) to install the two swing hooks spaced at the width of the swing to hold chains. Drill pilot holes first to prevent wood splitting when screwing in the large hooks needed to hold your swing safely.

    3.Use four chains to hang your swing from its hooks - two chains descend from each hook, one to the front of the swing and one to the back. Seven-foot-long chains hung from a beam 8-feet above the floor will lift the swing 17 inches off the ground for easy on and off.
   
    4.Screw all hardware securely into the wood and use chain connectors for safety. Double-check that all hardware is installed before hanging your swing.

    5.Get a friend (or use your ironing board for support) to lift the swing and its harness up to you on a ladder near the beam. Hook the swing in place, adjust the chains evenly and give it a test swing.

    
 Don’t have a porch? You can also build or buy a frame with a covering that will shade you from the sun! Perfect for a backyard!

Summer is almost here! How good does enjoying a nice cold glass of ice tea on your own porch swing sound? I know right!?!

-Carrington Bartlett
Marketing/PR Intern