How to Hang a Porch Swing From a Tree Limb
Tip
Carabiners are available at hardware stores and sporting goods stores.
Warning
Do not leave young children on the swing unattended.
A wooden swing that is properly mounted to a tree branch is a fun, relaxing addition to your yard. An improperly mounted swing, however, is unsafe and could cause injuries. Install the swing correctly the first time to keep your family safe and reduce the risk of damaging the tree branch or killing the tree. With a few items from the hardware store, you can sturdily mount a porch swing to the tree in your yard and safely swing for years to come.
Choose a branch that is at least 8 inches in diameter, where you can attach the swing at least 3 feet away from the tree trunk, advises Roger Cook in the "This Old House" article "Hanging a Tree Swing." Check the branch to see if it has any weak areas, cracks or other signs of damage before hanging the swing.
Screw two 3/8-inch eye hooks with 3-inch-long threaded ends into the underside of the tree branch, slightly farther apart than the length of the swing.
- A wooden swing that is properly mounted to a tree branch is a fun, relaxing addition to your yard.
- Install the swing correctly the first time to keep your family safe and reduce the risk of damaging the tree branch or killing the tree.
Attach one metal carabiner, a mountain climber's tool, to each eye hook by pressing the lever on the side of the carabine and hooking it onto the eye hook. Release the lever to secure the carabiner.
Fold a length of nylon rope in half to double it, then thread the looped end through the carabiner. Pull the loop back toward the ground and thread the two ends of rope through the loop. Pull on the ends to tighten the loop and secure the rope to the carabiner. Repeat with a new piece of rope and the other carabiner.
Tie the rope securely to the swing at the desired height, then cut the excess rope with scissors. Test the weight of the swing with two adults before you let children try the swing.
- Attach one metal carabiner, a mountain climber's tool, to each eye hook by pressing the lever on the side of the carabine and hooking it onto the eye hook.
- Fold a length of nylon rope in half to double it, then thread the looped end through the carabiner.
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Writer Bio
Megan Smith has been a freelance writer and editor since 2006. She writes about health, fitness, travel, beauty and grooming topics for various print and Internet publications. Smith earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in writing from New York University.
