PROPER ADIRONDACK CHAIRS PROVIDE COMFORT AND CRAFTSMANSHIP
By Margaret Prewitt
As a child growing up in Western KY I remember my vacations at my grandparents home near Corbin, KY and how all of us kids would fight to sit in the Adirondack chairs that were on the large front porch.
After moving into my new home a few years ago I was looking in a magazine that had Adirondack chairs in it and that brought back memories of the chairs that I played on as a child. After searching on my computer I found a web site that builds Adirondack chairs similar to the chairs that my grandparents had; Clarks Outdoor Chairs in Lexington, KY had what I wanted!
The chairs had to be comfortable as well as duplicate the feeling of sitting in my grandparents Adirondack chairs. I still remember climbing over the curved, front edge of their chairs and sliding down the seat until my bottom was firmly wedged against the 3-foot wooden back. As I grew up, the comfort test, which is what I like to call it now, has come to include the front edge of an Adirondack chair hitting just behind the knees. My new chairs do that. And then, there are the chair arms. A proper Adirondack chair has arms that are 4 inches wide where they attach to the back and gradually flare out to 9 inches at the front. Little boys and girls can play with their toys on those arms, teenagers can rest their snacks and soda, and adults can put their coffee and newspapers on them on Sunday mornings. My new comfortable chairs have the wide arms that I remember climbing on.
Craftsmanship is very important when selecting an Adirondack chair and my chairs from Clarks Outdoor Chairs are well made and very sturdy. Painted or stained, the wood must be able to stand up to constant exposure to the elements and guests. My new chairs are made from rot resistant Douglas Fir wood and like my grandparents chairs, are held together with rust-resistant Phillips screws. I love the way the rows of screws line up on the five piece back which fits my back just right.
There are plastic chairs that will do a good job of keeping you off the ground until you can find that perfect Adirondack chair. Much to my surprise, there are chairs made from recycled milk bottles, but more surprising is the fact that these chairs are at the high end of the price range. You can buy Adirondack chairs at lawn and garden centers and various other stores, but will pay between $35 and $230 for a plastic chair.
I bought my chairs from Clarks Outdoor Chairs and they have passed the test of comfort and craftsmanship. I also bought the ottoman footrest that is made with the same material as the Adirondack chair. It is curved so my legs drape comfortably over the edge and make it a great place to relax or take an afternoon nap on a summer day. As an added bonus I was very pleased that Clarks Outdoor Chairs also offered some quality chair covers that I used to protect my chairs from the winter weather.
*Margaret Prewitt-Estes is a free lance KY writer*
