skip to main content

wood dining table -- any that don't get damaged with normal use?

13 years ago

We're looking for a new dining table, and we have a toddler. Could anyone recommend a wood table that would tolerate spills and not sustain damage to the finish? We tend to like modern furniture. Thanks! Right now we have a glass table, but I would like to get an extension table.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

lindac
13 years ago
Go to the auction house....buy a used one and put your own finish on it....several coats of polyurethane.
That same idea saw my antique round oak table through the terrible twos through the terrible teens and is still good into the dirty thirties and beyond.
natsis
13 years ago
I recently bought a table off Craigslist and plan to do this. I'm hoping I can just lightly sand the existing surface and then poly. It's painted or stained black(as I can see a bit of grain in the right light) under some kind of finish. I don't want to sand down to the color and mess it up. Do you think this will work?
Related Discussions
Why Don't You Use Your Dining Room?
Q
Comments (41)
We've been in this house for 26 years and the original kitchen was small and poorly designed with 6 - yep that's right 6 doors or hallway openings. When the 5 of us sat down for meals only the 2 on the end could get up. So we ate in the dining room most nights on a plywood table that DH made until we renovated. Both of us cook and we enjoy having guests so we put on a large addition and at 30 x 18 my kitchen is the largest room in the house and we love it. It mimics our formal dining room with dark cherry cabinets and Oriental rugs on the ceramic. We usually have all our meals there. We've made lighting the candles and saying grace (or a few woods to mark the day's events) a ritual.But there's still nothing like sitting down as a family for meals in the dining room which now has a real table and china cabinet and using the silver and china. There's a different feeling to using the dining room that makes it special. But when we designed our vacation/retirement home in the mts. we made a large great room so it's a combination living - dining- kitchen area.
...See More
I am so sad! I don't need any more Things!
Q
Comments (25)
Pamala...that was deep :oP And in my case quite correct :) I actully feel a connection with the things I add to my home. A lovely little cordial glass can give me as much or more pleasure as an antique piece of jewelry. I love that the things were held in someone's hand a hundred years ago :) and now I get to enjoy them. I've always been this way, from a canning jar to a yellow ware bowl, I just love the joy of old stuff :oP And now I have an excuse to need more...so the hunt continues. And I will say, it's the hunt and kill aspect that makes it so much more fun than if I just walked into a store and said "I'll take that and that and that" to fill spaces verses searching for the perfect silly little thing...which normally I don't find, it finds me :o) I will say, I also have really gotten into the hunt to give away as well! I just gave habitat for humanity enough stuff from this house to fill three truck loads. I love losing the clutter and love that losing it meant it went to help someone else have a home some day or fill a home someday (our habitat store is a nice thrift store and it's a wonderful place to shop). I did the same thing in alaska when we moved into our finished house. It was great to donate a huge heap of very usable stuff that no longer apealed to me or I didn't have a need for anymore. Maybe I have house focused bulemia? Binge and purge syndrome...only instead of food I binge on silly things like antique canning jars LOL
...See More
I am worried I don't have any POP!
Q
Comments (28)
One lesson that I have used over and over again is this: "Every room should have a surprise" It can be small, or big. Just something that someone who walks in might not be expecting. In my case, (we have a 2x4 island too) I hung a small Irish crystal chandy over the island. Most thought I was crazy when talking about this idea, but it really works in my space and it does give it that "surprise" that I needed. I also used the same light over the table with a sheer drum shade over it. This way my sparkle continued in the room. I always feel I don't want to spend the big bucks on anything risky--stuff I might want to change when it gets "old". So a backsplash that is popping wouldn't be my cup of tea. I can change my chandys without too much pain. Redroze--love the oranges--funny thing, I've got a bowl of them too decorating the kitchen right now. Love that pop of color. We get a giant box as a gift every Christmas, no way to eat them fast enough, so they accessorize for me. here is an "in progress" photo, still no paint on crown moulding and no backsplash yet... here is a shot to show you the chandy over the table, this is pre-floor, pre-paint, pre-lots of other stuff....
...See More
What "normal" things don't you have-nor want-in your kitchen?
Q
Comments (79)
After not having a dishwasher for the first 28years of my life and spending 30+ minutes a day doing dishes (I cook a lot), I have been using my new dishwasher for 2 months and hope to never go without one again!! I am slightly confused about people's comments about the water/ice dispensers in fridges. Most of the standard fridge/freezers we looked at came w/ the dispensers, I feel like saying you don't want them would limit your options and/or cause you to buy a more expensive fridge (like the counter depth ones). Assuming you are getting a new one instead of an older one on craigslist etc. We did a lot of fancy custom things in our kitchen, but since we did a lot DIY we saved a lot of money. Some of the money saving choices we made were vinyl flooring (love this for comfort anyway), partially making our own cabinets, installing everything ourselves, getting a common granite (uba tuba), tiling our backsplash ourselves, and our island pendant lights. Some of our splurges were appliances (mainly- our 48" capital range), cabinet hardware, and lots of drawers, backsplash tile (although the tile we chose was reasonable, it was still more expensive than a painted wall), and stone underneath the island seating. I love seeing the choices different people make while still meeting their budget goals! :-)
...See More
bobismyuncle
13 years ago
In a word, no. Or more precisely, probably no.

Poly does not adhere well to other things. I can relate my annual "table from Hell" circa 2004. The owner wanted to make her table "a little more glossy" so applied poly over a brand new table. (Never mind that a few minutes of buffing by hand would have accomplished the same thing.) When I got there, nearly 1/4 of the table top had finish peeled off. The rest I stripped off with extreme difficulty.

There's a 99% chance that the finish is lacquer unless it's been poly-ed by some DIY type. So, I see two good options for you:
- Clean thoroughly, scuff sand (just enough to dull the finish), and brush on a coat or two of brushing lacquer (Watco and Deft are two commonly available brands).

- Strip the finish using a chemical stripper, then proceed with staining and applying a finish of choice (you could successfully use poly here). If you are not an experienced varnisher, a wipe on varnish, like Arm-R-Seal wiping polyurethane would be a commonly available choice.

Sanding down the the color (whatever that is) is also a bad idea.
* It's very difficult to sand down evenly.
* It's very difficult to remove all the finish by sanding, you might not see it until you try to stain it.
* You stand a real risk of sanding through a veneered top

Finally, "poly" is not the be-all and end-all of finishes. This is one of the things I relay in my finishing classes and posts on forums like this. It's cheap, hogs all the shelf space, and is abrasion resistant. That's about all the good qualities. The bad qualities are it ambers significantly, has poor adhesion, can be difficult to apply smoothly unless you know how to do it, has low UV resistance, and is nearly impossible to repair.
babzq
13 years ago
Does anyone have the Sumner dining table in rustic mahogony ? I've seen it in pine only..........
natsis
13 years ago
bobsmyuncle (Bob's my uncle too!)
Thank you for your suggestions. I like the Watco/Deft option as it seems a little easier to do. Do those finishes protect against heat/steam/water marks? That's my biggest problem with the current finish.

Thanks so much!

Related Stories

PETS So You Want to Get a Cat

By Mitchell Parker

If you're a cat lover, the joys outweigh any other issue. If you haven't lived with one yet, here are a few things to know

MOVING 10 Rooms That Show You Don’t Need to Move to Get More Space

Daydreaming about moving or expanding but not sure if it’s practical right now? Consider these alternatives

DISASTER PREP & RECOVERY Remodeling After Water Damage: Tips From a Homeowner Who Did It

By Judith Taylor Designs

Learn the crucial steps and coping mechanisms that can help when flooding strikes your home

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: Twister Damage Sparks a Whole Ranch Remodel

By Sarah Greenman

A Dallas couple transforms their traditional rambler into a bright, family-centered haven after a tornado

DECORATING GUIDES Get Clever With Area Rugs for Warmth and Beauty

By Tiffany Carboni

Give feet a soft landing, protect your floor, hide a stain ... with area rugs in your arsenal, you can win any flooring battle

REMODELING GUIDES Laminate Floors: Get the Look of Wood (and More) for Less

See what goes into laminate flooring and why you just might want to choose it

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Making 'Normal' Beautiful for Less

By Becky Harris

Ingenuity, elbow grease and bargain hunting result in a light and lovely beach cottage style

DECORATING GUIDES How to Get Your Furniture Arrangement Right

Follow these 10 basic layout rules for a polished, pulled-together look in any room

LOFTS My Houzz: Ronnie Wood’s Old Art Studio Gets a Makeover

By Natalie Wain

Check out this contemporary update of a former factory flat that survived World War II bombs and use by a member of The Rolling Stones

KITCHEN DESIGN Trending Now: 25 Kitchen Photos Houzzers Can’t Get Enough Of

By Mitchell Parker

Use the kitchens that have been added to the most ideabooks in the last few months to inspire your dream project

Sponsored

28 Reviews

Franklin County's Preferred Custom Cabinetry & Design Studio

More Discussions

Can I do this design for the big wall will look nice I'll but sofa on

7

Does anyone have any recommendations for dining chairs? I appreciate i

14

Any ideas for our Cozy Cottage

40

Desperately in Need of Furniture Layout Help

4

small apartment is this chair crowding the room?

13