How to Hang a Porch Swing the Proper Way

It's no secret we Southerners love our porches—is there anything better than heading out to the porch with your morning coffee or relaxing in the evening with a cocktail and a good friend? When you're ready to sit a spell, everybody knows the best seat on the porch is the swing.

It's a great way to fake a cool breeze and the gentle swaying makes for a great nap spot. If you're adding a swing to your porch for the first time, you have a lot of options when it comes to material, style, and size. But the most important step to take is making sure your swing is installed properly and safely. Follow the steps below to ensure you'll be relaxing and swinging for years to come.

Pick a Location

Before we get down to the technical aspects, you want to make sure you've found the perfect spot for your swing. Confirm you have enough space for your swing: Allow for 3 to 4 feet of swinging arc in front of and behind the swing, and it's wise to give yourself 2 feet on either side of the porch as well—both for additional motion from the swing and so you can walk around it.

You also need to decide how to orient your swing. Do you want to face the street (or yard, if this is your side or back porch) or turn it perpendicular to the street, which creates a bit more privacy and the porch can then be part of a conversational area with other seating.

Confirm You've Got Structural Support

We hate to bring it up, but human beings are fairly heavy. Porch swings can also be pretty heavy, depending on the material they're made out of. Altogether, you're talking about several hundred pounds hanging from your porch ceiling, so taking the proper precautions to confirm you're installing the swing in a spot that can support that weight is crucial. If your porch ceiling is unfinished and you can see the beams and joists (like in the above photo), determining this is much easier. A 2x6 or (preferably) 2x8 joist can safely support the load—anything smaller or thinner will not be strong enough and will require additional bolstering support.

If your porch ceiling beams are covered with beadboard or plywood, you need to see what's underneath it to know where the joists run and whether their spacing lines up with where you want to install your hooks. You should be able to access the joists from above via the attic, or if that isn't an option, you'll need to remove a small amount of the ceiling to see how big the joists are and which direction they run, and then patch it after completing installation.

Pick Your Hanging Method

Most new porch swings will come with a hanging kit that provides all the hardware you'll need. If you've built your own daybed version or found a thrifted swing, you can buy an entire hardware kit online, like this one.

There are a couple of options when it comes to hanging your swing: You can use metal chains or rope as the suspension material—both are equally strong as long as you use thick, marine-grade rope. (If chains seem simpler but you like the look of rope, you can wrap rope around your chains, like the swing above.)

Swings can also be suspended from either two or four hooks in the ceiling. The classic chain setup has two chains hanging from the ceiling that each split into two separate chains (creating an upside-down Y shape), which attach to the four corners of the swing. You can also attach four individual chains to each corner, which might make your swing support stronger, but requires drilling four holes in the ceiling.

Install the Hanging Hardware

Be sure to mark your measurements before drilling: Ceiling hooks should be 2 to 4 inches wider than the width of the whole swing, which distributes the weight more evenly and keeps the chains from rubbing against the swing. Drill pilot holes smaller than your eye bolts before screwing them into the center of your ceiling joists.

Go ahead and attach the chains or rope to the swing and then hang each side to the ceiling hooks so that the seat is about 17-19 inches above the floor. Test your swing to make sure it hangs evenly and swings smoothly, and then all that's left to do is enjoy!