Wood Table, Advice

Updated on July 24, 2012
J.G. asks from Friendswood, TX
9 answers

I have a nice wooden table and we do not use it often...its in the dining room. For parties, and special dinners I use a tablecloth. I always did this to protect the table from scratches.

I like my table...so wondering, is it necessary to cover it. Will regular dinner plates scratch the table?

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So What Happened?

Thank you so much!!! I can not wait to go table cloth free!!! I thought it was a must to use one. Everyone has given me great input!! I really appreciate it!

More Answers

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R.M.

answers from San Francisco on

Probably not, but think of it like this: do you want to enjoy your beautiful wood table, or cover it up and never see its beauty just to protect it from a couple of blemishes? If it's going to spend its life covered, you might as well just put a tablecloth on a plank.

Think of people who covered their sofas with plastic. It kind of defeats the purpose of buying a beautiful sofa.

Perfection is boring. Use the table, and let every blemish remind you of the fun time you had creating it.

1 mom found this helpful

N.G.

answers from Dallas on

The great thing about real wood is that it can be re-surfaced. I would never cover up a nice dining room table.

Ours is real wood, and tiled with grout. The wood needs to be resurfaced, and it needs to be re-grouted, but I would never cover it up. It's beautiful!

1 mom found this helpful
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L.R.

answers from Washington DC on

I love wood too -- my wood dining table, our wood floors, our wood furniture. If you want to see the wood without a cloth, you can do it -- but always use a hard, heat-resistant placemat not just under regular dinner plates but under other items on the table (and even under trivets if you put a hot dish on a trivet; still have a mat under the trivet as well).

Wood hates heat, and a hot dinner plate can cause those dreaded white "heat marks" that will stay on the wood. If the plate is moist at all when you set it down, that makes it worse because wood hates moisture as much as it hates heat. Imagine rings from drinking glasses on the wood. Gross.

Invest in a set, or a couple of sets, of hard, heat-resistant placemats with matching coasters. They are not cheap but are well worth the money and as a bonus, can look terrific themselves. We have multiple sets I love. Remember these are the hard ones that are about a quarter inch thick and they could cost $30 or more per set but will last ages and ages and just wipe clean. Plastic, straw or fabric placemats won't protect as well from heat and fabric or straw mats won't protect from moisture. Enjoy your table!

1 mom found this helpful
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A.B.

answers from San Antonio on

We eat on our dining table regularly, and I went ahead and bought a pad for it (and use a tablecloth with it) because we have a spill about every night, and my declawed cats were jumping up on it and scratching it up with their back claws, right through the tablecloth. Before we got the pad, I don't think it was the plates that were scratching it, but I would use placemats because of the food and condensation that could stain the wood. Even adults aren't perfect eaters. Enjoy your beautiful table!

1 mom found this helpful
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❤.I.

answers from Albuquerque on

We usually have a tablecloth over ours along with this clear vinyl table cover, you could probably use the cover by itself if you want to show the wood. We've only found it at Walmart.

T.F.

answers from Dallas on

We have a custom wooden table 48 x 84 in our breakfast area and I use placemats daily.

Our dining area has a custom 48x84 table as well. I use placemats.

These tables are handmade in the Amish country, top quality and beautiful. I do not cover them with table cloths because you would be able to see the beautiful grain in them. My kitchen one is a lighter oak that matches the area and my dining room one is cherry.

I've noticed a few minor scratches on the breakfast table. The company where we got it will come out and fix things at no charge. If we choose to , say we move and need another color stain, etc... we just pay $200 and they send it back to the man who made it to be resanded and stained. Amish Furniture Showcase is where we got them.

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J.T.

answers from Victoria on

Regular use of the table will over the years cause damage to the table. You could use plate matts or have a glass cut to protect the table using rubber or plaster grip dots to prevent it from sliding around. I currently have a table with lots of scratches (two toddlers) and when a hot cup or plate is placed on the dark wood surface it gets a white ring. I believe the ring is wax?? Its easy to remove with a quick spray and whipe with wood spray.

My parents had a table and chairs all wood for a wedding gift. After about twenty years they finally had it refinished. The entire set and it looks brand new. As long as deep groves (kids with forks) arent made I believe most little scratches from normal wear are buffable or eventually you can refinish. Otherwise a table cloth or glass to protect are the best options I know of.

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Per wood tables:
1) it will get ring marks on it, if a cold cup is on it without a coaster. Because cold drinks in a cup, sweats, and drips water beads down the side. Hence, water ring damage.
2) It may get damaged, if a hot item is placed on it without a coaster or place mat under it. Because, captured heat, under a plate for example, will "sweat" too and leave moisture under it or just leave a heat damage ring on the wood table. It does not go away on its own.
3) It can get scratched. But most dinner plates, are not rough underneath.

I have a lovely wood table.
I use coasters under it and have "trained" my kids to use it vigilantly.
But once, a house guest didn't use a coaster under her cold drink. And it LEFT a water ring on my wood table. And it still is there.
Let's just say, that it really pissed me off. I told her nicely to use the coaster. She did not.

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M.S.

answers from Seattle on

I think it really depends on the plate. The plates I use are glazed ceramic, so I use placemats under them on my wood table, just to protect the table from the bottom of the plate that is unglazed. I also use trivets or handmade hotpads underneath any hot dishes to protect the finish on the table as well.

I rarely use a tablecloth because I really like the grain of the wood and I don't want to hide it.

I would suggest you use placemats juset to be safe, but the necessity of placemats would probably depend on if the tableis finished/stained, and how strong the finish was...if you think it was strong string enough to prevent scratches. What does the manufacturer (sp) say?

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