Refurbishing

Fifteen years ago, my sweet friend Sharon - yes, the friend who regularly comes to sew - moved from her house to a condo. This necessitated parting with several items that would no longer work in the new setting - namely, outdoor furniture. I have pictured many times the two lovely white wicker pieces on our screened porch that came by way of Sharon. Here is a link to a 2010 post that shows the pieces, and I'll insert a picture here of the rocker which I enjoy most mornings with my coffee.

Well, completely forgotten these past 15 years is another item that came at the same time - a porch swing. While we have a perfectly functional front porch for a swing, for whatever reason, this was never a priority for us. We put the swing on a slab outdoors near our lilac bush, and over the years, it had become quite hidden from view - and, consequently, forgotten.

DH pulled out the swing a week or two ago; he informed me that he thought it might possibly be sturdy enough to use. Would I want to? YES!

So we gave it a bath with the power washer on Saturday. Take a look at the weathering grime needing removed.

A close-up of the mossy residue of 15 years. Now see the difference, side-by-side.

I am encouraged that the wood remained in tact even under the force of the power washer. Fifteen years of weather exposure surely took its toll, but the structure seems sound. Only one board seemed to be loose when zapped with the sprayer.

Isn't she pretty, once again? She still needs to be lightly sanded, and I think I will cover it with a generous layer of weatherproofing sealant. And I will get DH to tighten up any spots that seem to need reinforcing - I don't think there are many.

You can see that the chains are still attached; we'll need to check the sturdiness of those, then see about installing eye-hooks on the front porch ceiling. As for decorating, I am sure I will make a seat cushion, add a quilt and some throw pillows.

In all the 27 years we have lived here, I don't suppose we have sat on the front porch for more than a handful of times. It has never been an inviting spot, and the screened porch was always much preferred. It may be safe to say things are a'changin'!

Happy Quilting, Friends!