paracord for a chair seat?

[Jon Nuckles]

I am thinking about making a couple of chairs for my covered porch. One possible design would use paracord for the seat and possibly the back. If it is suitable, I'd probably weave it in a pattern typically used for Danish cord. Has anyone tried something similar and would be willing to share his/her experience? My concern is that paracord may stretch differently than Danish cord, or may slip more easily. I searched the creek for "paracord" and was surprised to get no hits. Google searches elsewhere return chairs and stools woven from paracord, but are mostly a very open weave or have a look similar to Shaker tape (with several strands of paracord making standing in for one strand of tape). Any tips would be appreciated!

[Curt Putnam]

If the cord is anything like military suspension lines, it is designed to be stretchy. Way too stretchy for a chair, IMHO.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I've made seats with woven nylon ropes for a couple of canoes I made a few years ago. They worked well but do stretch a little. I think paracord is strong enough, and it's not very stretchy, I use it hang my food bag in a tree when camping and a single strand of paracord has held up to 25 pounds or so with no stretching noticeable.

[Dave Seng]

Standard mil-spec nylon paracord has a 30% elongation design - very stretchy. If you can find a polyester paracord it won't be as stretchy.

[Jon Nuckles]

Thanks for the replies. I wonder if I can stretch the paracord while weaving it to make it less prone to sagging in use. Maybe I'll try a simple stool to see if it works before committing to a more complicated project.

[Curt Putnam]

Wrap a bunch around a chair frame or similar and put 300 lbs of weight on it and let it sit for a few weeks. You should have your answer afer that.

[Ben Ellenberger]

You could look at cord made for sailboats. It comes in lots of diameters, is meant to be left outside, and is made in low-stretch versions. New England Ropes and Sampson are two brands that are pretty common.

I once pulled the core out of a climbing rope and used the sheath for a chair seat. It was a huge amount of work and I don’t recommend that.

[Tom M King]

I think if you pulled it as tight as you want it, as you weave it, the sum of all the strands would have enough tension on the wooden pieces, that they would deform over time.

I think something like Samson 5/32" Prestretch would be a good starting point to look at different lines. I don't know if it is available in solid colors though. I keep some on hand, but all mine has a fleck in it. Any sailing, or tree work line is going to be a Lot more expensive though.

[Jon Nuckles]

Good points, all. I’ll look into the suggested options. I’ll have to see if sailing or climbing ropes come in small enough diameters to stand in for Danish cord. Price is not a big factor if I can buy only the quantity I need for the project. Thanks. My son is a climber; I should see what he thinks.

[David Bassett]

... or climbing ropes come in small enough diameters to stand in for Danish cord. ...

Be careful here. True climbing ropes are designed to have a specific amount of stretch (to cushion falls.) To minimize stretch you will want what a climber will call a static line or accessory cord. The size (I'm picturing) you want would probably fall into the larger end of the accessory cord range. (Good news is accessory cord is less tightly spec'd and therefore cheaper.)