how to protect new dining table top

Anonymous
But why do you even care about seeing your table every day?


Because the table is really pretty and I like the the way it looks in my dining room. I'd much rather look at that than the fake wood top of the table pads, or a tablecloth. Why have a nice table if you can never see it? But if it's not covered, it will get damaged. This is my conundrum.
Anonymous
I bought an expensive shiny mahogany table. We don't have an eat in kitchen that fits 4 so we eat meals (mostly dinner at this point with school/work) in the dining room every night. I have decided to treat it like a piece of furniture (it was new, not an antique) and not worry about scratches etc. We use those cork backed hard placements and that's it. We've had it 10+ years with 2 kids and yes there are some scratches but nothing dramatic. I don't have the time to wash tablecloths every day and hate dirty tablecloths on the table - reminds me of my MIL.

If I were you I'd just go ahead and use it. Enjoy it. It can always be refinished.
Anonymous


"Reminds me of my MIL (the slob) " - LOVE it! Funny!
Much appreciated!
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
But why do you even care about seeing your table every day?


Because the table is really pretty and I like the the way it looks in my dining room. I'd much rather look at that than the fake wood top of the table pads, or a tablecloth. Why have a nice table if you can never see it? But if it's not covered, it will get damaged. This is my conundrum.


Honestly, if I had young kids and knew I would be eating meals at the table, I wouldn't have bought dining room table with that type of wood finish. You can get really nice dining tables that have more of a distressed or farmhouse look to them. Obviously, this style might not fit everyone's decor or personal tastes, but I think you are going to have to cover your table somehow, and removing the covering and replacing it every day is going to get old fast (at least it would for me).
Anonymous
Honestly, if I had young kids and knew I would be eating meals at the table, I wouldn't have bought dining room table with that type of wood finish.


Ok, well, I said I didn't realize how delicate the finish was until AFTER the table was purchased and delivered. Also, I had some special requirements re dimensions and this was one of the only tables I found that fit the space properly. At this point, I am keeping both the table and the kids, so I was asking for ideas about how best to protect the table, not whether I should have bought a different style of table in the first place. But yes, I am going to cover it and probably leave the table pads on all the time for convenience, based on everyone's suggestions. Thanks, guys.
Anonymous
Hey OP, I feel your pain. (NP here). We bought a Danish teak table when DD was still in a high chair. I had no idea how sensitive the table would be to water marks, etc. Basically we keep placemats and/or tablecloths on it, and my daughter is pretty gentle (she's 5 now). But we have to oil it regularly to deal with the water marks. It's such a beautiful table...sigh. Who knew this would be such a chore.

That said, I don't regret the purchase one bit!
Anonymous
OP, did your table come with the option to purchase a protection plan? If so, and if it's still available to you, I HIGHLY recommend getting it. We bought our table from Macy's and got the protection plan. Well, we did in fact mess up the table (I put a hot plate on a runner that was more decorative than protective). They are sending us a brand new table. The protection plans cover pretty much everything.

As for the everyday type of scratches/wear you are trying to protect against--I second the suggestion for the vinyl table pad that you cut to fit your table. You can roll up easily and it goes under your table cloth to protect against liquid and heat damage as well as scratches. I would ge the real table pads made, but the vinyl thing is great until those are made. It's super cheap and easy.
Anonymous
Go with the glass cover. It's a great way to mostly leave your table exposed but protected.
Anonymous
Go with the glass cover. It's a great way to mostly leave your table exposed but protected.


I love the idea of a glass top, but I don't think I can get one large enough for my table (it's 60" x 92" so it's significantly wider than most dining tables). I looked around and they don't seem to come wider than 48", even custom made.

I also did a bit of research and found that glass can cause the wood to warp if it's a large surface, as it's exposed to moisture/humidity only on one side (the underneath) while the top is essentially sealed from moisture by the glass. Even if the glass has those little protective feet that keep the glass raised up a bit from the table surface, it's not enough to allow for sufficient air movement. So glass would be my preference, but I don't think it's a workable option for this table since it's so large.
Anonymous
You can do the glass in 2 pieces. Would probably have to with something that large anyway. I still think you should just use placemats.
Anonymous
http://www.bestplacemats.com/

Here's a link to the kind of placemats that work well. We use extras as trivets, etc. And you can just wipe them off after meals.
Anonymous
With young kids you either have to choose to protect the table (which involves covering it) or enjoy looking at the finish of the uncovered table knowing that there will be some damage to the finish. The best compromise is probably to keep the table covered throughout the week (when you're all not around much to enjoy looking at it anyway) then uncover it over the weekend (or when you have company) and then either eat dinner in the kitchen or cover up the table for dinner.
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