Porch swings are great, but they can potentially flip over and hurt someone. So what can you do to prevent a porch swing from flipping over?
To prevent a porch swing from flipping, make sure that the metal chain or rope supports are securely attached to the porch ceiling, the back of the swing, and the front of the swing (usually the armrests). Don’t hang heavy items on the back of the swing, and make sure that both sides are hung evenly.
Now that you know some basic information about how to prevent your porch swing from flipping, you may be wondering what you should do if it does flip while someone is on the porch swing. We’ll cover that below, as well as provide some more detailed instructions on how to keep your porch swing right side up!
How Can I Prevent my Porch Swing from Flipping?
There are many things that you can do to reduce the possibility of your porch swing flipping, and most of them are quite easy to do.
Avoid Putting Heavy Items on Back of Porch Swing
If you want to avoid flipping over your porch swing by accident, don’t put any items on the back of it. Porch swings are carefully balanced, and any extra weight on the back of the swing can potentially cause it to flip over.
You can put a blanket and pillows on your porch swing if you want to, but try to put the blanket on the bottom of the porch swing rather than on the back of it, even if it is only a light blanket. If you put a blanket on the back of your porch swing and then multiple people sit on it and swing, the swing can potentially tip over.
Screw-In Bolts Securely
When you hang your porch swing, make sure that the metal chain or the rope that your swing is hanging from is securely attached to the back and the bottom. Also, make sure that the chain or rope is attached to the front or the bottom of the porch swing rather than the back or middle of it. (Source)
It is sometimes difficult to screw in all of the screws and all of the bolts that are needed in order to secure your porch swing, but they are all necessary and need to be screwed in all the way.
If you are having a difficult time fastening all of the bolts and screws all the way while you are building your porch swing, use a drill instead of a screwdriver. Depending on where the swing is sitting, you might be able to secure it to the ground with stakes or bolts.
We’ve written about the best porch swing hardware you can use in the past, so be sure to check that out here if you’re wondering if you need to replace yours. Additionally, we have a complete porch swing reference if you’d like to go further and learn more.
Rock, Don’t Swing
Most people like to rock in their porch swing, and that is great because it prevents the porch swing from flipping over. If people swing too much in their porch swing, then it can flip over because it has become unbalanced. It is best to just rock while in your porch swing if you want to avoid flipping over.
Ensure Chain and Rope are Not Worn Out
When you use your porch swing, make sure that the rope or metal chain supports are not becoming worn out. If the supports of your porch swing are worn out or rusted, then they can break or become loose and cause your porch swing to flip over.
After the cold winter season or after a very rainy season, check your porch swing’s supports as they will likely start to become rusted or worn out after cold or rainy weather, even if you have not used it recently.
Don’t Lean Back
If you don’t want your porch swing to flip over, don’t lean back very far while you are in it. Porch swings are made for people to sit in and swing or rock a little bit. They are not built to support people leaning back. When you lean back, you are throwing off the balance of the porch swing, and it will likely flip over if you lean back too far.
Ensure Porch Swing is Level
When you install your porch swing, make sure that it is hung evenly. If one side is hung higher than the other, then the balance will be off and it will likely flip over. At the very least, it will be hard to sit in without sliding to one side! Most of the time it is very obvious when a porch swing has been hung unevenly, but use a level to ensure that your porch swing is level.
What To Do If Your Porch Swing Flips
Although there are many things that you can do to ensure that your porch swing will not flip over, sometimes it does happen. If your porch swing has flipped over, make sure that those who were sitting in it are not hurt. If they are hurt, assess the injury and decide what they need.
Most of the time when a porch swing flips over, the people who were sitting in it will have bruises but no other injuries. However, there is potential for back or head injuries when a porch swing flips over.
After you make sure that everyone is okay, try to find why the porch swing flipped over. Ask the people who were sitting in the porch swing how much they were swinging, how far they were leaning back, and make sure that all screws and bolts are secure.
If your porch swing flipped over because one of the rope or metal supports came loose or detached, tighten them or attach the supports again.
If possible, secure the supports in a slightly different place. For example, if the hook that connects to the metal chain and supports the porch swing has detached, then the hole that it was in has likely become stripped or become unstable in some other way. When that happens, make a new hole near the old one and put the hook in the new hole.
Finally, secure it.
Final Thoughts
Porch swings are great, but if they are hung incorrectly or people use them recklessly, they can flip over and people can be hurt. Now that you know how to prevent a porch swing from flipping, you can ensure that your swing is safe for everyone to enjoy!