Porch swings are perfect for enjoying those nostalgic autumn days and evenings.

Don't sit still for fall this year. Grab a book and a blanket, and capture the sway of the new season-from the comfort of your own porch swing.

We've come a long way since someone first sawed the legs off a bench, suspended it from the rafters, and called it a swing.  Today there are all types and sizes of swings in styles ranging from Mission and Muskoka, to Southern Plantation and rustic.  Choose one that complements your house or cottage, and don't wait for spring-autumn is Atlantic Canada's best-kept secret, with warm days, crisp evenings, and not a bug in sight!  It's a time of reflection, and there's no better way to reflect than by sitting on a porch swing.

The front porch deserves a good deal of credit. Far more than simply an architectural feature, it's a cultural icon of old-time leisure and strong community connections. Before the days of family rooms and television, the front porch was an outdoor living room-a welcome escape from the heat of the house.

Like the porch swing, the front porch has had its ups and downs. In Canada, it enjoyed almost 100 years of popularity-from around 1850 to the end of the Second World War-before its social prominence was eroded, first by the car and then by television and air conditioning.  Outdoor living moved to Atlantic Canada's backyards, and decks began to pop up.  Soon there was no place for a porch swing.

But the last 20 years have seen a resurgence in both porches and porch swings. Call it nostalgia, or a need to return to gentler times, but porch swings are back in style, and there are only two reasons not to be swinging in one this fall: not having a porch, and not having a porch swing.

Being porchless is certainly an obstacle, but it's one that's addressed quite handily with some wood and a few power tools. Picture a child's swing set. A sturdy A-frame makes a perfect support for a porch swing. Similarly, an arbour can be customized to support a hanging swing and in time will offer a protective canopy. Once you've moved beyond the house, don't overlook existing possibilities like the porch on a woodshed or boathouse, or a sturdy, level tree branch.  After all, where there's a drill, there's a way.

Not owning a porch swing is easily remedied. There are DIY patterns available at hardware stores and from woodworking magazines. You can improvise by cutting the legs from an existing sofa or bench and adding a base for support. Or you can go shopping.

Through spring and summer, porch swings are available locally at garden centres, patio stores and large retailers. While selection may be limited in the fall, the good news is that the swings in stock may be on sale.

The largest selection of swings is available online (all year) through companies like PorchSwings.com. While you may prefer to shop locally, take the time to browse online sites to research the options available.  A classic, no-nonsense Mission design blends nicely with simple, modern exteriors, while the Southern Plantation style works well with ornate Victoriana.

The majority of porch swings are made from wood, wicker or rope.  Each offers unique characteristics in comfort, durability, appearance and upkeep. Despite advances in resins and plastics, wood remains a popular choice.

Cedar scores top marks for endurance and top dollar for price. It has an odour that repels bugs (remember the cedar chest?) and is naturally resistant to harsh weather, decay and mould.  Within one year, natural cedar weathers to a beautiful silver/grey.

Redwood and cypress are less expensive alternatives. They're also durable and resistant to the perils of bugs and bad weather, and take paint and stain well without streaking or sap stains.

Pine, maple, oak and alder are not really the outdoorsy types. A few coats of exterior paint or urethane will extend their life, but the application will have to be repeated every three or four years if the swing is directly exposed to the elements.  Although pine is the most affordable, it's also the most prone to sap stains and sticky residue.

Mahogany's tight, hard grain and weather resistance make it ideal for outdoor furniture like porch swings, but overharvesting in South America and Southeast Asia has limited the supply and driven up prices. Teak tells the same story. Once used commonly for shipbuilding, it is now grown in limited quantities on plantations.  The oils that made it such a good material for boats and decking make it one of the best choices for outdoor furniture. But short supplies and steep prices are causing an increase in the use of exotic "teak-a-likes" such as Brazilian cherry, eucalyptus and balau.

Natural wicker may have been the material of choice for Victorian porch furniture, but only because the germ-obsessed Victorians had not discovered today's faux wicker. Natural wicker and rattan are at home in the tropics. They also thrive in protected Canadian sunrooms; but for outdoor living in Atlantic Canada, look to resin wicker, another new player in the outdoor furniture field. Like natural wicker, it's woven from vine-like strands, but unlike natural wicker, it can withstand everything from rain to snow, and doesn't have to be cleaned with a toothbrush. Resin wicker combats UV rays, mould and insects, and rivals the most expensive woods for durability and weather resistance. It looks deceptively like the real thing, and cleans easily with a little soapy water. Choose traditional shades like cottage white and natural, or swing on the wild side with hot new colours like teal and orange.

Hammock swings are also newcomers to the porch environment, but they've been around at sea forever. Small retailers such as Bay Hammocks, near Peggy's Cove, NS, offer a selection of handmade hammocks and hammock swings. Order online or visit the factory to watch as local artisans weave. Nylon hammock swings are made from the same yarn used to make fishing nets, and although the weave is built to last, it's also supple and smooth to the touch. Other hammock swings are available in regular netting and olefin and all are treated for rot, mildew and UV rays. They even have woven drink holders, which give new meaning to "tying one on!"

Whether wooden, wicker, or rope, a porch swing needs a comfy cushion to feel complete. For best results choose a quick-drying, weather resistant fabric with UV and stain resistant coatings. Polydacron fill is better than regular foam at repelling mildew, but regardless of the fabric and fill, if your swing is not adequately sheltered, find a dry, indoor space to stow the cushions when they aren't being used.

Having upholstered furniture on the front porch is no laughing matter. Just ask our US neighbours. Residents of North Carolina, renowned for both its porches and porch swings, had one district attempt to ban upholstered porch furniture. The move was seized by the media as an attempt to stifle individuality, and a local university professor complained that next they'd be banning pink flamingos.

While this is certainly an issue to ponder, the pondering is best done on a sunny afternoon in Atlantic Canada, and naturally, from a porch swing.

Installing a porch swing

For a swing installation in a porch ceiling, an arc of about 1.2 metres (4 feet) is ideal for clear swinging.

Measure half of this distance (0.6 metres or 2 feet) out from the wall of the house and mark on the porch ceiling with a dot.

Repeat several times, being sure to mark your place with a dot. Connect the dots with a faint pencil line.

Decide where you would like to position the swing and locate the closest joist along your pencil line. (The screws or nails that attach the porch ceiling may offer a clue.)

The joist is your starting point. If the joists run parallel to the length of the swing, positioning is easy. If the joists run perpendicular, they will be repeated at either 41 cm (16") or 61 cm (24") intervals. In either case, a standard 1.2 metre (4 foot) porch swing will hang securely by chains suspended from heavy lag eyebolts 1.2 metres (4 feet) apart.

First drill a pilot hole slightly smaller than the shaft of the lag eyebolts you plan to use. Screw 2 eyebolts into the pilot holes.

Some installation guides suggest a 4-chain method, but 2 chains are easier to work with. For the 2-chain method, use one chain per side. The hardware store will often cut them for you, but measure carefully first. As an example, in a porch with a 2.4 metre (93") ceiling, you will require two 3 metre (120") chains to hang a swing 43-46 cm (17" or 18") off the floor (roughly). For ceilings of different heights, you can either do the math, or invest in some inexpensive string and run some tests to determine the necessary chain length.

Secure one of the chains to the hardware on one side of the swing by connecting each end of the chain to the swing hardware with a quick release clip (you'll need four of them).

Experiment by suspending the swing from different links until it hangs level.  Attach the links to the eyebolts in the ceiling with another quick release clip.

And don't worry if your chain calculations were off by a bit. You can get extra length by inserting a turnbuckle between the quick release clip and the eyebolt.