A Hammock is a Patio Essential

So, I mentioned in our blog post Furnishing the Patio that we had a friend who was moving long distance and was cleaning out her house into which she had acquired many, many items over the years. One of those items was a rope hammock which our friend gave to us as a gift. And that began our adventure into creating a space for our hammock on the patio.

Our Hammock Became a Happy Surprise

It is interesting how one item can become just one element of an entire project of which we had not necessarily planned embarking on, but ended up throughly enjoying the process as well as the finished product. My father, who was a watercolor artist, called it a “happy surprise” when a painting technique he was using netted him a better outcome than he had anticipated. And so, our hammock project became, for us, a “happy surprise”.

What is a Rope Hammock?

There are many kinds of hammocks — rope hammocks, quilted hammocks, fabric hammocks, woven hammocks, camping hammocks made from lightweight nylon, hammocks with spreader bars and those without (spreader bars keep the hammock spread out flat — without spreader bars the hammock wraps around you like a cocoon). You can do an online search and see all the options available. But I will say, a rope hammock takes us both back to our childhoods. This style of hammock was the quintessential example of what a hammock should be as we were growing up. Truly a classic.

While our hammock was a gift, we did find two rope hammock producers online which impressed us enough that we told ourselves if we got another rope hammock or needed to replace the one we have that we would seriously consider buying from either of these options: Twin Oaks Hammocks and Pawleys Island Hammocks.

Where to Hang the Hammock?

We walked around our yard imagining various places where we might want our hammock located. We considered these questions:

• Did we want it permanently planted with posts in the ground?
• Should we be concerned, if permanently placed, that there may be times when the hammock would not be in the sun because we could not move it as the sun changed positions throughout the summer?
• Did we want the hammock on the grass or on the patio? On the patio it might take up valuable living space, but in the yard it might kill the grass if we didn’t move it often. And what about mowing the lawn with the hammock in the yard?
• If not permanently placed, what kind of hammock stand should we have? And what would the materials be — wood, metal or something else?
• Finally, how much time, effort, and money did we want to invest in having a hammock?

Decision Time . . .

These questions helped us to decide that we wanted to be able to move the hammock at will, so a permanent installation was not for us.

We did extensive research on hammock stands before we made our decision. There are tons of options out there from inexpensive stands (of which many reviewers were dissatisfied with their performance), to beautifully crafted stands that, sadly were out of our budget range. So we decided to go the DIY route. But remember, I am not a craftsman. I stated in my blog post A Grilling Table is My Outdoor Kitchen that I am a very elementary carpenter (read: hacker — “a person who is inexperienced or unskilled at a particular activity”). I like 2x4s and maybe 2x12s, sometimes 4x4s. I like straight cuts and as few cuts as possible — no miters or angled cuts. I like screws versus glue because I make mistakes and sometimes I have to take apart what I’m building and reconfigure.

Our DIY Hammock Stand

In my research I found metal brackets that are designed and hand-fabricated to make creating a hammock stand easy. It takes some of the math out of the equation (like what angle do I make the upright ends of the hammock stand). Check out these custom made hammock stand brackets.

Measure Your Hammock

A critical element is to measure your hammock from one end to the other — ring to ring — to learn how long your hammock is. This can be a challenge because laying it on the ground won’t let you account for how much it might stretch when it’s on your stand, adding to its length. You might fudge and add a bit to cover that variable. And here’s why knowing your hammock’s length is important. The producer I bought my custom made hammock stand brackets from was generous enough to provide some instructions on how long each piece of 4×4 should be for the five elements of the stand — the angled two upright pieces, the two cross pieces, and the bottom long piece. I followed these instructions but, unfortunately, they didn’t work for our hammock. It was the long piece that ended up being too short. So I had to replace that bottom 4×4 with a longer one. 

Our hammock is 13 feet from ring to ring. So I bought three 10 foot 4x4s, pressure treated for ground contact. I cut two of the 4x4s in half — five feet each. These made up the cross pieces and the angled upright pieces. The last 10 foot 4×4 I used for the long piece on the bottom. I started using it at full length with the idea that I could cut it down if it was too long. But it wasn’t. It was the perfect length — 10 feet.

The chart linked below helped me tremendously to do the math, making sure I was cutting my wood to the right length to stretch our hammock to allow for about 18 inches of the recommended clearance from the ground when a person is laying in the hammock.

The ideal amount of space for hanging a hammock
The ideal hanging distance typically averages out to about 2 feet greater than the total length of a hammock, which is measured from ring to ring. Generally speaking, plan on needing about 15 feet of open space for hanging your hammock, though the actual distance can vary anywhere from 13-16 feet. Keep in mind that the closer your hanging points are to each other, the greater the arc, or curve, your hammock is going to have once it’s hung.

Here’s how we measured and built our hammock stand using the chart from PawleysIslandHammocks.com. Click on the question: How do I determine the ideal amount of space for hanging my hammock?

Distance is measured from ring to ring when hammock is laid flat on the floor. A new hammock may be up to 2 feet shorter than its specifications, to allow for its ropes natural tendency to stretch the first few times the hammock is used.

Seal the Wood

I let the wood dry in my basement shop for about two weeks and then put three coats of urethane on each piece to protect them from the weather since the stand would be outside year-round. 

Building the Stand Was Easy

Galvanized lag bolts at 1/4” x 1-1/2” were recommend by the bracket fabricator. The local hardware stores and big box home improvement stores were too expensive as I needed about 80 bolts to complete putting the stand together. I found a bag of 100 bolts at boltdepot.com for around ten dollars plus shipping. Much cheaper than buying local, although I prefer to support local sellers whenever possible.

Since we decided that we’d put the hammock stand on our concrete patio, I installed the angled upright pieces and the cross pieces into the brackets in my basement and took the parts out to the patio to install the 10 foot 4×4 long piece. I had a socket adapter for my drill so I used a 1/4” socket and connecting the brackets to the 4x4s was a breeze. 

I installed the eye bolt by drilling through the 4×4 at the end of each of the angled uprights to make sure they were secure and would hold a good weighted person. I had chains with hooks that came with our hammock so we were ready to mount the hammock and test it out.

An Unexpected Issue

Because of the length of the long piece, and, that I still have my “pandemic weight”, when I laid in the hammock the angled upright pieces bent forward a bit and allowed the long piece to bow slightly upward (inward toward me). This issue caused the cross pieces to rock back and forth a bit. Annoying. Not good. Additionally, I didn’t want the wood to sit directly on the concrete in inclement weather, and my wife wanted to be able to move the hammock to sweep the patio. So I resorted to my standard fix for many of life’s issues — add wheels. And where would I get four casters at a reasonable price that are high-weight rated? Harbor Freight! Go to harborfreight.com and buy one of their 18 in. x 12 in. 1000 lb. capacity hardwood dollies and remove the casters. Then, install them onto the bottom of each leg of the hammock cross pieces with the remaining galvanized lag bolts left over from installing the 4x4s into each hammock stand bracket. Viola! Perfectly balanced and easily moveable hammock stand.

Maintenance

The whole idea of sealing the wood was to be able to leave the frame outside, in the place it resides, year-round, through whatever kind of weather. But the rope hammock is another issue all together. Research indicates that, over time, wet weather will mildew and rot the rope. So to get the most longevity out of our rope hammock we leave it outside as long as the weather forecast shows no rain (the dew is no problem). But if the forecast indicates a day or more of rain, we bring the hammock inside and hang it from a hook in the basement ceiling. 

The End Result

So now we have a beautiful, comfortable, relaxing hammock on our patio. We never realized how wonderful it was to have a hammock until we had one. We lay in it during the day to capture the warm sun. We lay in it at night to gaze at the stars and the heavens. When we’re fatigued from work and/or life, we sink into the hammock for an hours’ worth of total relaxation. Sometimes we take a snack like a bag of chips and homemade onion dip and enjoy an adult beverage, swinging easy in the hammock. And we know that throughout the seasons, we’ll be chill’n on our patio in the rope hammock that was such a loving gift from our beloved friend who started us on this whole hammock experience.

Hammock and Hammock Stand FAQ

What is the most comfortable type of hammock?

Well, that’s kind of a personal preference. We prefer a rope hammock with spreader bars. In the summer time the rope hammock lets the air circulate around our body and we stay cooler. In the winter time on sunny days, we throw a comforter on the hammock and snuggle in for some serious relaxation. But there are many other kinds of hammocks — quilted hammocks, fabric hammocks, woven hammocks, camping hammocks made from lightweight nylon — you can do an online search and see all the options available.

Are hammock stands worth it?

Absolutely! We have no trees in our backyard so hanging our hammock from trees is not an option. And even if it was, we like being able to move our hammock around our yard based on whether we want it in the sun or in the shade. If we want to change our view from the hammock we just move the stand to a different location in our yard.

What type of hammock stand is the most stable?

We like beefy structures so we made our hammock stand out of 4×4 pressure treated posts. The cross beams on the bottom are five feet in length. So we feel pretty confident that, between the strength of a 4×4 post and the wide cross pieces resting on the ground, that our hammock stand is as stable as you can get. Typically, an 8-foot 4×4 supported at both ends will safely support about 500-pounds in the center. If you buy a stand, be sure to read customer reviews to learn how any particular hammock stand is performing . . . or not.

How much weight can a hammock hold?

Hammocks can hold anywhere from 250 to around 800 pounds. When you purchase your hammock it should tell you what the weight rating is for that particular hammock. 

How long should a hammock stand be?

To find the right size of stand for your hammock, measure the length of your hammock from one end to the other — ring to ring — to learn the length of your hammock. This can be a challenge because laying it on the ground won’t let you account for how much it might stretch when it’s on your stand, adding to its length. So you might fudge and add a bit to cover that variable. Then, add two feet to the measurement. If you choose a stand that’s longer than two feet greater than your hammock length, don’t stress. You can buy extension chains to get the best fit for your hammock to the stand.

How far should a hammock be off the ground?

Hang your hammock so it’s no more than 18” off the ground at its lowest point when laying in it. This is called the “sitting height” because your bum will likely be the lowest point in the hammock when you’re in it

Can you leave a hammock and stand outside?

All of our research indicated that leaving your hammock outside in prolonged wet weather will decidedly shorten the life of your hammock. So we bring our hammock into an enclosed space (our walk-out basement) if heavy or multiple-day rain is predicted, and in the winter time. 

If your stand is truly weather-proof leaving it outdoors should be okay. We put three coats of exterior grade polyurethane on our 4×4 post hammock stand in addition to the wood being pressure treated for outdoor use. The stand is on wheels to keep it from sitting directly on wet grass or snow for days at a time. Plus, our stand is 16 feet long so I’d have to take it apart to store it in our garden shed. Finally, we live in southwestern Virginia. We have mild winters and frequently lounge on our patio in the winter time on a clear sunny day in the crisp winter air.

Please Leave a Comment

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