Let's consider what table surfaces are. Their pros and cons. And why you should choose a wooden table for your home.
The table is one of the main magnets of the house. His family often gathers around it. People spend time together, study or work. Therefore, it should be reliable and convenient, and, if possible, larger.
In general, it is cool to have a large table in the house. We will write about it separately. But what material should it be made of? Now we are not talking about legs, but about the tabletop. Let's look at the options.
1. Ceramic surface.
Quite fashionable modern material. It is essentially an artificial stone. Very hard. It can have a wide range of colors, even all kinds of prints.
It is easy to clean, resistant to stains and pollutants. It is really resistant to damage. But all the same, the surface of a ceramic table can be easily scratched with a metal object.
For example, if you cut something on it with a knife, you can easily leave scratches that are almost impossible to remove later. Also, it's unknown how exactly your ceramic table will react if you place something hot on it.
A ceramic surface is also quite expensive because the material itself is costly and requires complex manufacturing processes.
Personally, I don't like that the ceramic table is cold. Whenever you put your hands on it, you will feel the coldness of the stone. To me, that's not cool at all.
A ceramic table is also quite heavy. Its relative stability and its ability to fit well into modern "Italian" type interior designs can be considered a plus.
2. Glass.
A common surface option. It's now quite frequently encountered because there are many types of toughened glass available.
Glass is also quite hard. In terms of scratch resistance, it is similar to ceramics.
You won't cut yourself on it, even if the table breaks, because toughened glass is usually used, which immediately shatters into very small pieces.
Just like with the ceramic table, I don't like that glass is cold. It's probably even colder than stone. Touching such a surface with your forearm is not very pleasant.
But perhaps the worst property of glass is that it gets dirty very easily. Such a table needs to be constantly wiped and cleaned with a detergent. To me, that's not much fun.
3. HPL
This is essentially plastic. It's quite dense and wear-resistant. It comes in different thicknesses, but generally not very thick—up to 12mm, it seems.
Stains will be easy to remove. Such a table doesn't mind grease and wine. However, it is still sensitive to knife cuts. These cuts will remain and accumulate over time because the color and texture are applied on top of the plastic. Inside, it is simply dark.
Unlike glass and ceramics, HPL is cheaper and not as cold. However, it still feels very "plastic," and, in my opinion, doesn't really enhance the interior.
4. Veneered chipboard or MDF.
It can look like natural wood while the table is new. The appearance largely depends on the type of paint or varnish used.
Stain resistance also depends on the coating. If it's varnishes, it will be quite reliable until the table has served for several years. Over time, the veneer peels off from the chipboard. You all probably remember such tables with peeling veneer or lamination at the corners, or waves of veneer on the surface.
The thing is that moisture seeps through micro-pores over time and destroys the adhesive bond of veneer/laminate with chipboard. The veneer starts to deform from the moisture because veneer is essentially a thin layer of wood. And as a result, you get what you get.
The longevity of such a table will depend on the quality of the adhesive bonding. Adhesives are improving over time. However, it's hard to compare with solid wood.
5. Laminated chipboard or MDF.
This is an even cheaper surface option, where chipboard is covered not with a layer of wood, but with a plastic film. Currently, laminated chipboard is probably the most common material for tables and cabinet furniture due to its relative affordability and availability.
However, for a table surface, this material is probably the worst. It looks cheap, especially if the edges are not well-made. The lamination is very vulnerable, especially at the edges. It easily peels off, especially from curved surfaces.
The material is vulnerable to cuts and heat. It all depends on the quality of the plastic, but regardless of the quality, it still deteriorates quite easily.
This speaks to their true reliability and durability. That's why we are big fans of wooden furniture, and wooden tables in particular.
6. Painted MDF.
Above, I didn't mention MDF. Essentially, it's compressed paper. It's a cellulose board material. This means it is susceptible to moisture, so it needs to be tightly painted or laminated to be more reliable.
MDF is often used to make kitchen fronts or other furniture. But also countertops.
An MDF countertop will not be very durable either. The quality largely depends on the paint. Many layers of paint and primer are applied to such countertops to achieve a uniformly smooth surface. And it's the paint that bears the main load from use.
Stains may remain on the paint over time because it still has pores. And staining substances like wine can easily remain on a two-year-old table. When you buy it, you won't be able to check what paint the manufacturer used to coat the table.
The choice is, of course, yours to make. But it's worth knowing these nuances that distinguish different materials. I'm not even trying to be objective here) Choose a big wooden table! You won't regret it.
7. Wooden table.
Often, when buying or choosing a wooden table, our clients ask about the reliability of the surface. We protect our tables with oil mixed with hard wax, which may not be the most reliable protective material, but it has several important advantages:
- The hard wax oil from the Austrian brand Adler that we use reliably protects against household stains. (It is worth noting that not all oils have such a protective effect. Many oil brands we tested were unable to protect the wood from stains. However, Adler performs excellently.
- The oil coating is easy to restore. After 4-5 years, you can easily refresh the wooden table's surface even at home.
- The oil leaves a very pleasant tactile sensation when touching the wood. You hardly feel it on the surface, and you touch the wood itself.
- The oil is not afraid of heat at all. Of course, this is not a reason to put a red-hot pan on the table. But something might remain only if the wood itself starts to burn from the high temperature.
An important feature of a wooden table is the uniformity of the tabletop throughout its thickness. This means nothing will peel off, wear out, or delaminate during use because your wooden table is consistent in depth, whether it's 1-2 or 10mm.
This means that it can be restored over time. And even the cuts or dents that remain on it won't be very noticeable. Over time, they can even enhance its appearance, giving it a kind of vintage look.
A wooden table is always warm and pleasant to the touch. It does not have the cold effect of a glass or ceramic table.
A wooden table also brings that unique wood aesthetic to the home. It can diversify the design of our often artificial-material-filled spaces and add something warm and genuine.
A wooden table is moderately heavy. This, of course, depends on the thickness of the tabletop and the type of wood, but overall, wood seems to be inherently suited for use in a table. It's no wonder that wooden tables have accompanied humanity throughout history. And only wooden furniture can be truly antique.
