How To Look After Your Wooden Garden Furniture

If you’ve recently invested in a garden swing seat, you’re likely going to be completely enamoured from the offset. They are a wonderful addition to any outside space, bringing elegance and joy to your garden. In order to continue to enjoy the beauty and elation that a garden swing seat brings, a degree of maintenance needs to be done to ensure that your swing stays charming to look at and functional for years to come. 

This maintenance only requires a small amount of effort, and you can trust us when we say it will pay off. If you have purchased a Sitting Spiritually Garden Swing Seat, we can offer tailored and specific advice to help you get the most out of your swing seat for a significantly extended period of time. Contact Martin on martin@sittingspiritually.co.uk or 01297 443084 if you have any questions about caring for your Sitting Spiritually Garden Swing Seats. 

Below are some of the most commonly asked questions with swing seats.

How do I keep my swing seat stable?

Garden swing seats should sit steadily and securely on top of whatever surface they are placed on. There are several reasons as to why your swing seat may be sitting uneven. If you want to stand it on a lawn, we recommend putting it there and leaving it for a while to check it’s where you want it. After that you just need to put a paving slab under each leg so you can get around with a mower. If it proves as popular  as expect it will, you’ll likely wear the grass underneath so you might wish to put something there too.

You can also set the back legs in to a bed with a paving slab under each leg which is a popular option, that way you can let the plants grow under and around the swing seat. Sometimes the motion of the swing seat wafts around the scent of the flowers for a truly serene experience.

Indeed, getting the right surface on which to place your swing is something to think about, as this is a significant contributor to problems with your seat rocking or sinking. There are several different surfaces to consider when thinking about where to place your garden swing seat- there is no single ideal location for a swing seat and there are many factors that come into play. Try and avoid ground that is boggy or too soft for the most stable position.

Can a swing seat tip over?

The standard 'A-frame' swing seats such as those made at Sitting Spiritually are fantastically stable and will not tip.

A key area to be aware of is ensuring your swing seat is placed on level ground. That ensures the optimum stability and the design of the seats will ensure it sits firm and stable. When you work with Sitting Spiritually, our seats and a-frames are installed on-site for you, so you needn't worry in the slightest.

If your swing seat is not made out of a hard and durable material, such as the high quality selection of woods used by Sitting Spiritually, strong gusts of wind can blow it over. So, it is worth investing in your garden swing seat, not just for the sake of its attractive appearance, but also its safety. 

How long does wooden furniture last outdoors?

This varies from swing seat to swing seat. When looked after properly, wooden furniture will last for decades outdoors and remain as good as when it first arrived. There are so many factors which can influence this, such as:

• The manufacturer from which your purchased your seat

• The way in which you have used your seat over time

• The material that the seat is made of

• If you have undertaken any maintenance of the swing seat 

It is important to purchase from a reliable manufacturer who is committed to quality and craftsmanship. Ensure you check testimonials from any company you order from and look into their methods of designing and crafting their seats, as this can often be a signifier of the quality of the product. 

Important things to bear in mind when selecting your swing seat on the basis of longevity are: the material your seat is made of, the purpose for which you want to use it, and the credibility of the maker. 

It is important for you to maintain your swing seat according to the guidance of the manufacturer, in order to ensure the staying power and structural integrity of the timber. This naturally depends on the material that your swing seats are made of, so it is vital to get the relevant guidance from the company that you have purchased the garden swing seat from.

From the perspective of Sitting Spiritually, our very first swing seats that we crafted over 14 years ago are still stunning, rocking as beautifully and on display in our show garden. These swing benches look just as wonderful as the day they were made. It is therefore our position that maintaining your swing seat over the years is crucial to enabling it to stand the test of time.