Need ideas on how to protect my dinning room table

**imagine** · 01-19-2011, 10:44 AM

I want to pick your brains.

I have a cherry wood table (I inherited it from my grandmother) we are currently eating dinner on it every night.

Now we know not to set hot cooking dishes on it without a hotpad under it. The problem we have been running into is the table is sit getting the melted wax look and a few white burns from a serving dish on a hot pad or a dinner plate set on a placemat.

Do you have any idea on on what to make, buy, or do to protect the table?

Right now we are putting hot pads under our plates on top of the placement and putting serving dishes on top of a silicone hot pad and a a cloth hot pad.

Also if you have an idea on how I can clean up the white burn marks and the white wax marks I would appreciate help with that also.

**Contrary Housewife** · 01-19-2011, 02:10 PM

Removing white marks:

DIY – How To Remove White Heat Stains On Wood Table : TipNut.com

Restoring Wood Furniture: Taking Care of White Marks and Water Spots, Page 2 of 2 - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

And it sounds like you need a set of table pads. I know you can buy some you cut to size yourself, but if you have a nice antique table you might consider having the custom made ones done up, since you will be keeping the table as a family heirloom.

**imagine** · 01-19-2011, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by Contrary Housewife

Removing white marks:

DIY – How To Remove White Heat Stains On Wood Table : TipNut.com

Restoring Wood Furniture: Taking Care of White Marks and Water Spots, Page 2 of 2 - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

And it sounds like you need a set of table pads. I know you can buy some you cut to size yourself, but if you have a nice antique table you might consider having the custom made ones done up, since you will be keeping the table as a family heirloom.

First, Thanks. I had seen the iron method on the internet before but it scared me. Today I got up enough nerve to try it and it worked on the white stains. Like magic.

On the burn mark I just scratched it off lightly and used a starch cover to "stain" it again.

Then let the wood have a good drink of lemon oil. I think it was very thirst with the extra dry air we have been having.

Second, what are table pads?

**Contrary Housewife** · 01-19-2011, 03:57 PM

Table pads are just what they sound like, a special pad for the top of your table, to protect it. They would be something you'd use under a table cloth. The custom made pads for my grandparent's table are about half an inch thick and have felt on one side and white vinyl on the other. I see on google that home dec shops now sell some thinner ones you can cut to size yourself. They should protect your table from heat as well as bangs and scrapes.

With these old tables that turn white when you put a hot plate down, though, I gotta wonder at what temperature did our ancestors eat their food?

**Darlene** · 01-19-2011, 04:07 PM

I echo the table pads. Anyone with a nice table that they want to keep that way needs them I think. Mine are old custom made ones but even the cheaper felt backed ones would help you.
Using solid surface trivets instead of hot pads would be good too.

You can make your own with a ceramic tile and glue some felt or cork to the bottom.

**imagine** · 01-19-2011, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by Contrary Housewife

Table pads are just what they sound like, a special pad for the top of your table, to protect it. They would be something you'd use under a table cloth. The custom made pads for my grandparent's table are about half an inch thick and have felt on one side and white vinyl on the other. I see on google that home dec shops now sell some thinner ones you can cut to size yourself. They should protect your table from heat as well as bangs and scrapes.

With these old tables that turn white when you put a hot plate down, though, I gotta wonder at what temperature did our ancestors eat their food?

That is probably why they moved on to Formica tables of the 50's which is what our kitchen table is.

**Trishagirl** · 01-19-2011, 04:34 PM

You can get those tile hot pads for your table. I use it when I'm serving something hot so it won't ruin my table.

**lisaflex** · 01-19-2011, 05:37 PM

trivets work and i just ogt a brand spankin new arhaus table for xmas!

**mauimagic** · 01-19-2011, 05:40 PM

What a wonderful piece of history you have - love cherry!!

I also would advise a table cover - depending on your finances - you could also cut an old quilt to fit the top for now - important to be thick. Good luck - would love to see a picture.

**imagine** · 01-19-2011, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by mauimagic

What a wonderful piece of history you have - love cherry!!

I also would advise a table cover - depending on your finances - you could also cut an old quilt to fit the top for now - important to be thick. Good luck - would love to see a picture.

I'll have to work on getting a picture. The chairs are ladder back and have woven seats. It has a matching lazy susan turn table that can be placed on it or taken off. I have a doily on it made by Hubby's grandmother I change the decoration on put on top of the doily.

The table was my father's parents when my grandmother passed we got the table and had Thanksgiving on it every year I lived at home. After I had children and moved into this house my father (before he passed) gave the table and chairs to me. So it has sat in our living room and we ate on it for Thanksgiving very year but recently we decided dinner was an important enough event to eat off of it.

**2ndGenGranola** · 01-20-2011, 07:01 AM

We also have table pads on our good table.

I also wonder how glass cut to fit would work? I have that on a couple of other tables that do not get heat items on them. They are raised buy felt pads. That would still let the beauty of the table show through.

**imagine** · 01-20-2011, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by mauimagic

would love to see a picture.

Here is my attempt to add pictures. They aren't the best but they were all I could find on the computer.

The first one look past the yawning dog and you can see the dinning room table in the other room.

The other is a close up of the table legs so you can see some of the detail. Not the one right by the dog but the one to the left of the picture.

**imagine** · 01-20-2011, 04:49 PM

remember you can click on the thumbnail to see it big enough to actually see things.

**Sassyclass** · 01-26-2011, 10:33 AM

I have a friend who went the expensive route and had a fitted piece of glass made for hers. The glass was probably about a 1/4" thick. It was expensive but not as expensive as replacing the cherry table under it.

Cat

**shoiji** · 01-27-2011, 04:24 PM

I eat off a mahogany table. I just place my plate on a large round coaster. My glass gets a nice metal coaster that I found two sets at a thrift store. When company comes I just put different types of trivets and coaters down to protect the table. I will even use a cloth hotplate holder. No one seems to mind. I have found cork "coasters" at the flower department in the home improvement stores. They were for placing under flower pots. Stemware also seems to help with the water stain problem.

One idea is to see if you can find strips of cork at the home improvement store. Maybe even tiles. From here you can create a place mat for each family member out of the cork. You can even make coasters out of the cork. If it is just your family eating why not leave the hot food in the kitchen. Everyone can make their plate and eat in the dinning room. If they want more they can get up and serve themselves. This is what we did growing up.

I would use table cloths but know that table cloths and cat just make for some really slippery and hairy tables.