Alongside the current trend towards spending more time in cozy, fashionably decorated outdoor living spaces, there is an increase in people’s desire to seek out the most comfortable and soothing seating option to place either in these outdoor living spaces or inside the home. Some of the most important players in this search for comfort are porch swings and gliders. A porch glider can be as comfortable as your indoor couch, but is designed to give you years of outdoor pleasure.
Porch gliders can be seen as the modern rocking chair; the curved rockers have been eliminated to make room for a mechanism where the seats hang on a frame and move back and forth in one plane without tilting backwards and forwards. There are “platform” gliders, which rest and glide over a stationary frame, while other gliders “sashay” back and forth in a track.
These designs eliminate any risk of experiencing motion sickness or any other uncomfortable feeling associated with rocking chairs.
Many gliders are more resilient than standard outdoor chairs; some are made with treated wood, which provides your outside décor with a classic, natural look, while there is also the metal porch glider option, which is even more versatile and durable. The majority of metal gliders come with finishes that confer rust resistance to these pieces; these finishes can come in a large selection of colors and don’t require you to invest much effort into caring for your porch glider.
Porch furniture in America was revolutionized by porch gliders in the 1920s; these pieces of furniture became very popular and were originally metal porch gliders; you could have purchased a wrought iron porch glider, one made out of steel, or one made from aluminum. Initially, these gliders screeched, wobbled and had other minor imperfections, though at the time they were seen as a huge improvement over the furniture that came before. Nowadays, these old pieces have been redesigned (though there is an increasing interest in the vintage metal porch glider). The screeches and wobbles characteristic of old porch glider parts have been eliminated and materials such as teak and brass have been added to the palate.
Wooden gliders can be made of a variety of woods, among which teak; this wood is very elegant and weathers beautifully. These gliders can also come in cypress, which doesn’t weather as nicely as teak, but can be painted and there is no requirement for oiling it, as there is for teak. Mahogany is another beautiful wood used. One of the most characteristic styles using wood is the Adirondack glider; you can also find loveseats, gliders that can seat several people and swing gliders that come with canopies and tables.
The most important thing to consider when buying a glider is that it be made of a material that can withstand outdoor environmental conditions. Both plastic and wooden gliders work well; the former are much more affordable options, while the latter provides you with quite an attractive piece of outdoor furniture. Among the woods, treated pine and cedar offer great comfort and durability.
If you want a characteristic glider, try an Amish glider made of oak, cherry, hickory or walnut wood. There are very beautiful twig glider rockers that are of wonderful artistry and comfort. Balsa wood gliders are also extremely comfortable, as this type of wood is light and soft. Balsa wood is an excellent shock absorber and does well in the rain. If you want something very unique, then try building your own glider; you can find porch glider plans and woodworking plans for a porch glider on the Internet or at your local home improvement center.
Porch glider cushions are very important to achieve maximum comfort on these wonderful pieces of outdoor furniture. As usual, make sure the cushions are weather and UV resistant; acrylic fabrics are great options. Patio cushions can be changed to give your glider a new and fresh look; you can even change them to match seasons and holidays. If your cushions are damaged beyond repair, you can find replacement cushions for your porch glider at a number of local stores or on the Internet.
If you wait until the end of the summer to buy a glider, you might not find a great variety of models still available, but you will find a great selection of sales prices, as companies wish to get rid of their summer inventory. Buying from local stores may also be advantageous to avoid shipping costs and delivery times characteristic of online purchases.
