Porch Gliders
At first the porch gliders were made of natural woods reminiscent of the old time porch swings made by woodcrafters and Amish furniture builders, but they quickly morphed into metal. The metal porch gliders were lighter than wood and could be made more stylish — something that was in vogue after the Second World War. The Aerospace engineers flocked to California and the West Coast starting in the late 1950’s. Outdoor living became popular copying Hollywood movies. Hollywood was attuned to the giant Aerospace Industry due to proximity. Lockheed was in Burbank; North American Aviation was in Los Angeles, Northrop was in Hawthorn, and Douglas was in Long Beach, California. Boeing was in Seattle, Washington — Aerospace changed the lifestyle of Western America. Mix that with the old Californio and Mexican motif and you have a ‘new’ breed of people.
In the 1960’s wood made a comeback. There was a movement amongst the young college graduates to ‘get back to nature’ so to speak. Wood furniture and furniture that had the appearance of wood sold extremely well in stores. Polywood, a synthetic became popular. It looked like wood and functioned like wood, but was easier to take care of; no polishing required. Polywood furniture, because it was weather resistant, could be left outdoors year-round eliminating the hassles of moving and storing it.
Polywood porch gliders, made from high-quality, durable recycled plastic came in classic and contemporary styles. And it could be made using bright colors — it did not have to be colored the traditional stained wood colors; bright blues, greens, and reds could be purchased. Patio, deck, and garden furniture required minimal care to stay looking like new. Some of the styles still copied the Amish designs, but were metal or polywood instead of natural woods. Wood furniture could still be purchased, but it was more expensive.
The polywood concept was ideal for casual living because of it is high quality, durability, and looks. It was virtually maintenance free. You never needed to paint it or polish it; just wash it occasionally. When you selected poly and polywood outdoor furniture, you support the environment because polywood is made of recycled plastics, i.e. milk bottles, drinking water bottles, and several other types of thermal plastics. Just the re-use of these plastics has reduced the land-fill increase in the US by 18% over the last two decades.
From porch gliders to porch rockers was an easy jump. People built larger patios and in the Southwest outdoor barbeques became popular in the late 1950’s and 1960’s. Families insisted upon an expanded backyard and “matching” sets of outdoor furniture became popular; porch gliders, porch chairs, and porch rockers were sought. This was big business and patio stores came into being. They grew and grew and are still around. Even Martha Stewart, known for her TV cooking shows, has a line of outdoor patio and porch furniture.
If you are going to purchase a porch glider, have a look here to find out where to buy one. When purchasing a new porch glider, be sure to purchase some cushions along with it! Purchasing cushions can increase the comfortability as well as make it more stylish. Cushions are relatively cheap and can cost about 50 to 60 dollars for a good quality brand. Of course, you are free to make one yourself or even use one that is old or one that has already been used before.
