Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - Dining/Kitchen Table top protection

Hello,

I am buying furniture for a new home. My first move in 24 years.
What I've discovered (and I'm probably the last on the planet to do so), is that NONE of the Dining or Kitchen table tops that I saw today, are the least bit protected from glass's with ice water, ice tea, etc, and no coaster. The sales folks freely admit this and offer 'protection' plans (5 years).

I was floored to find out that even the most expensive furniture stores best table tops are not protected against wet glass's damaging them.

I just sold my old furniture because it doesn't go with our new place. In 24 years, my oak dining room table never saw a coaster, and had ZERO glass ring damage.

I have done a little searching on the net, and I've mostly seen table "covers", 1/2" thick, etc. I am not interested in this idea.

I am going to look into how to possibly protect the top with multi coats of Polyurethane.

I am not a wood finisher, and would guess that I may need to remove or light sand the existing finish first (I hope not), and also I'm sure there are different types of Polyurethane and I have no idea what the correct choice of that is.

Does anyone out there have any ideas on how to accomplish this table top protection?
Does the Polyurethane idea sound like a good idea?

Jerrylite

I don't know if it's a good idea or not, but I'd personally not want to be doing this to a brand new table I just bought. Seems drastic.
Have you considered either just buying a nice tablecloth (fabric or vinyl) and just put it on when using the table?
Another option would be to have a piece of glass cut to size and edges beveled, so the wood would still show thru. This is done often to protect table tops.

Shadeladie,

Thanks for the reply on this.

I have considered a glass top or table covering. My sister in law worked in the furniture sales business for 15 years and said glass tops are OK, but they require constant cleaning because of the glass. Also, the custom glass she had on a table top actually got stuck to the top, and she could not remove it, and sold it that way. I guess moisture does transfer through the glass and can 'seal' to the top.

There are many of the 1/2"> 9/16" top covers on the net, but they all appear to have their on wood grain or color that would most likely not match the table/chairs. And, I don't want that thick of a cover.

Cloth covers.......I guess they are OK for the formal Dining room, but if somthing spills ice water, or sits a glass down with ice, etc, the moisture would still go through the cloth.

My sister-in law has tried the clear plastic covers, but they scratch eventually. She again had a glass top installed, and a guest accidentally dropped a glass on it and broke it!

With all this in mind.................

1. If I, or a wood finisher Pro, could coat the tops with a durable polyurethane, it seems that would (could) eliminate the problem.

2. I still CANNOT believe that today, in 2008, even the best furniture manufacturers are creating TABLE TOPS that fail the glass test.

Thanking you,
Jerrylite

Hopefully one of the guys that know a lot more about this than I, can give you some advice. :D
Of course, maybe you could give in and use coasters. They have some really nice ones available these days or how about placemats? Placemats also come in a large variety as long as you go in a nice store.
Just trying to think of a cheaper and easier solution. :thinker:

Jerrylite -
Resins are chemically engineered to have certain attributes, one among many is water resistance, or sensitivity. I only have any experience with resins applied to leather, but know that there are a lot of choices when it comes what's appropriate for a particular application.
I think the easiest and fastest way to get a definitive answer would be to contact a local wood refinisher (preferably one that comes well-recommended), and ask what would be best to accomplish your specific goal.
Don't know if that helps, but it's what i'd do.

Have you tried using danish oil? It will help protect wood furniture against spills and stains, and will prevent the wood from any damage caused by staining. It will help keep solid oak furniture in tack for generations.

Hope this helps. . .

Jerrylite, what did you decide to do? I'm having a similar dilemma. I think what I'm going to do is get a table custom made, but now I'm trying to figure out the best finish... From what I read, 10 coats of Tung Oil seems like the best bet... ?