Pros and Cons of Table Top Surfaces, Lesson 2: Solid Wood

Solid Wood:

If you are shopping for a table that will get lots of use, or you simply like the idea of having a better quality piece of furniture in your home, a solid wood table top is a good option to consider. By no means is it indestructible, but it will perform markedly better than a wood veneer top. If you're shopping at a store that doesn't carry solid wood tables (only veneer), don't get fooled by the sales people into thinking solid wood is "exorbitantly expensive" or "not made anymore." I know people who were actually told these things by sales people! This is completely untrue. Solid wood tables are available in every price range, and there are many sizes, shapes, and finishes available.


TIP: If you can see “butcher blocks” of wood or long “planks” of wood stretching across the top, it’s probably SOLID wood.  If you see decorative patterns inlaid in the top or no seams at all until you get to the edge of the top, it’s veneer. The exception to this rule is if the top is painted rather than stained – you may not be able to see the wood lines through the paint. In this case, look under the table for the planks or butcher blocks, or ask your sales person to be sure of its construction type.

PROS:

Solid wood tables are fairly durable for use in high-traffic areas, such as kitchens. Unlike wood veneer table tops, solid wood tops, as the name implies, are made up of solid blocks or planks of wood that form a single layer from the top of the table all the way through to the underside - no layers held together by glue. Therefore, if you were to scratch the top, there's more of the same wood underneath. Finer scratches can often be buffed out and polished by the homeowner, while deeper scratches and chips can usually be re-stained and repaired by a professional. 


The main advantage of solid wood vs. veneer, however, is that moisture cannot cause lifting of any "layers" on your table, because there's only one solid piece. While moisture and chemicals can cause discoloration and/or swelling of your wood, such swelling usually subsides as the table is left to dry, and discoloration, if it doesn't dissipate on its own, can usually be repaired by the homeowner via repair cloths available at most hardware stores and some furniture stores. If you're looking for the most durable kind of solid wood table top, select a manufacturer who applies a catalyzed varnish to their furniture. (Better quality American and Canadian-made furniture will usually have such a finish.) 


Under the finish, the durability of a solid wood table top is determined by the hardness of the species from which the table is made. The best standardized rating scale to determine the harness of a particular wood is called the Janka hardness test. Below is a list of some of the more common woods used in furniture (and elsewhere), and their corresponding Janka ratings:

Wood Species	Availability	Most Commonly Used for	Janka Hardness (pounds-force)
Red Mahogany	extremely rare	"luxury" furniture and 19th century antiques	2697
Golden Teak	rare	outdoor furniture, Danish modern furniture	2330
Hickory	rare	American-made furniture (usually Amish)	1820
Hard Maple / Sugar Maple	fairly common	American-made furniture	1450
Natural Bamboo	fairly common	rattan furniture	1380
White Oak	fairly common	American-made furniture	1360
Ash (White)	fairly common	oak-look-alike furniture (often imported from Asia)	1320
Beech	common	restaurant furniture, European-made furniture	1300
Red Oak (Northern)	fairly common	American-made furniture (usually Amish)	1290
Yellow Birch	common	Canadian-made furniture	1260
North American Black Walnut	rare	American-made furniture (usually Amish)	1010
Hevea (Rubberwood)	very common	inexpensive furniture (always imorted from Asia)	995
Cherry	fairly common	American-made furniture	995
Southern Yellow Pine	somewhat rare	rustic furniture	690
Douglas Fir	common	construction lumber (2 x 4's etc)	660
Alder (Red)	somewhat rare	rustic furniture	590
Eastern White Pine	common	wood trim and paneling in the home	380

Technical details aside, many, if not most people who own solid wood tables agree that minor dents and scratches add character to the piece. Each mark tells a story of the table's history. If you're not from this school of thought, you should either consider keeping a table pad and/or a table cloth on your top when it's being used or buy a different kind of table, such as high pressure laminate. 


Solid wood tables are one of the most popular kinds of kitchen tables, so you will have plenty of style, color and size options, if you shop at the right stores. Solid wood tables are also available in every price range, from "cheap" to "exquisite," so  you don't necessarily have to break the bank to get the advantages that solid wood provides. American and Canadian-made custom wood tables are usually available with a myriad of options, from size, shape and color to edge style, leg style and leaf options. Even ready-made Asian imports can, on occasion, come with options that let you make the table your own.

CONS: 


Wood, by nature, is a POUROUS substance, so, as mentioned above, it will absorb moisture and react to heat and cold. (Keep in mind that wood exists in nature to transport moisture up and down a tree. IT DOES NOT EXIST TO BECOME A TABLE TOP!) Therefore, if you let something like spilled water sit on a wood top for an extended period of time (5 minutes - 4 hours, depending on how well the table is finished), the moisture can be absorbed by the wood, resulting in a stain (usually cloudy white) caused by the swelling of the wood under the varnish. As mentioned above, catalyzed varnishes significantly improve a table’s moisture and chemical resistance; however, it is NOT impervious and it will provide minimal to no protection against heat, cold, and extreme swings in humidity. 


Significant cold exposure (i.e. an ice-cold glass of water) will cause the wood to contract, which can result in discoloration in mild cases and cracking of the finish, where it separates from the wood below, in extreme cases. In mild cases, the discoloration often dissipates as the wood returns to room temperature, but you should still avoid significant cold exposure whenever possible!


Significant heat exposure (i.e. a piping hot bowl of soup) will cause the wood to swell, which affects the wood in much the same way as cold exposure. In mild cases, the swelling will result in discoloration, and in extreme cases, the finish can crack as it expands and peels away from the wood below. In mild cases, the discoloration often dissipates as the wood returns to room temperature, but you should still avoid significant heat exposure whenever possible!


TIP: The common sense rule is that if an object is too hot or cold to hold comfortably in your hand, it is too hot or cold to be on the furniture. In other words, if the object "feels hot" or "feels cold" it's probably best to put some kind of protection between it and the table top.


Extreme swings in humidity can have the most dramatic effect on a solid wood table. Wood is always expanding and contracting, based on the relative humidity in your home. This is normal. Its ideal relative humidity is 25-35%, but if your home is more or less humid, don't fret. Your wood will usually adjust safely to the moisture level over time. The key is to prevent fast, sharp changes in your home's relative humidity. For instance, you shouldn't blast your forced air heater after returning to a house that has been unheated during a week of cold rainstorms. Quickly drying out your wood can cause it to contract to the point that it splits along the grain. (This is also known as season splitting or checking.) On the other hard, Extremely humid conditions can cause the wood to swell to the point that buckling (a.k.a. crowning) occurs.


TIP: Avoid placing your furniture next to forced air ducts and other heat/cold sources. When this is unavoidable, direct airflow away from the furniture as much as possible.

SUMMARY: Solid wood table tops are one of the most popular kinds of tops for kitchen tables, so you should have plenty of options. Treat them with a reasonable amount of respect (i.e. use placemats, coasters, and/or table cloths; avoid exposing them to extreme swings in humidity), and they will serve you well for years and years.


If, however, you are looking for a practically "care-free" table surface, you may want to consider something like high-pressure laminate (i.e. Formica or Wilsonart) or solid surface (i.e. Corian or Granite). I’ll talk about those kinds of products in future blogs. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!


Visit my company's website www.mydinette.com where you can learn more about furniture and shop our online showroom. We have an endless selection of solid wood tables.