protecting dining table

about to order this set:

Ashley Carlyle


and i was wondering what everyone has to protect their set.

this will be our main dining area - should we get table pads to put on when we have company and eat in placemats daily OR get a glass top to protect it?

i dont love the look of the glass top but i really dont want anything to happen to it..

what do you have? glass, pads or nothing? thoughts??

thanks!

Re: protecting dining table

I bought a table pad from Bed bath and I put my table cloth over it when the table is being used otherwise I just have the runner on it.

Re: protecting dining table

i bought a table bad from marburn curtains. i plan on only using it when we have company (its our formal dining room) and when its not being used just put a runner on it.

Re: protecting dining table

Re: protecting dining table

we ordered a table pad when we ordered our dining table as part of package. not the same company though but maybe you can do that too.

Re: protecting dining table

so those that use this as their main table would put the pad on everyday? i'm in the same situtation and don't see myself doing that. I'd hate to use a tablecloth and have it covered....the glass is a good 2nd option i think. i also like the placemat idea, but worry if it's enough coverage for the wood.

Re: protecting dining table

I use a thicker cloth that is plastic on one side and felt on the other. My mom got them for me a few years back not sure where they are from. We used to use pads, but they never fit right. So this works great when we have guests.

Re: protecting dining table

We went to Joanns and bought thick clear plastic to put over it.

We actually keep it like that most of the time bc it is our main eating area.

We have the placemats underneath the plastic and you almost cant tell there is plastic on it, except that it is shiny.

Message edited 3/29/2010 3:14:36 PM.

Re: protecting dining table

I have an Ashley set that we use on a daily basis. I had to have a glass top made b.c the table top was scratching from the use. I dont like the look of a table cloth since the wood is so beautiful so that is why we opted for the glass top. When guests come over and we put the leaf in we take the glass off and put a padded cloth on it and then a table cloth on top of that.

Re: protecting dining table

Our DR table - we bought table pads from Sentry Table to protect the table since heat can warp the table and we didn't want to risk that. Then we have a table cloth over it to make it look pretty.

Our kitchen table is also new. We didn't get a table pad, but we put on a table cloth and then compliment it with placemats and put hot pads on the table when we serve food.

Re: protecting dining table

we just bought our new set from ashley. we got the table pads from them for free. they are cut perfectly for the particular table

we also put plastic over our tablecloth when we eat to protect it.

Re: protecting dining table

I would go with a glass top that wouldn't look too bad...

not sure how a table pad would look and could be a hassle to take on and off.

Re: protecting dining table

We have a glass top and use placemats too.

Re: protecting dining table

thanks everyone!

i think we're going to use placemats on a daily basis and then get pads and a table cloth for when we have company.

the glass was a good option but i dont like that we would have to take it off when we put the leaf in and use pads anyway!

Re: protecting dining table

Well, this is probably a wierd Italian thing BUT my mom has the table pads, covered by a hand stitched table cloth covered by a THICK clear plastic table cloth. When we eat - another cotton regular table cloth goes over all of that.

I plan on doing the same, but I have old fashioned taste!

Re: protecting dining table

right now in the kitchen we use placemats and if it's more than just us or if we are eating a big meal i throw on a plastic tablecloth (but a cute one )...but when the table isn't in use there isn't anything on it...

in the dining room i throw on a plastic tablecloth (again i have a cute one ) if it's just my parents and we are eating sandwhiches or burgers or something that isn't hot..real meals and company i throw on the table pad and then a real table cloth...but again when the table is not in use there isn't anything on it...

i like the idea of glass tops so that you can still see the wood - i hate covering the tables...

Message edited 3/30/2010 3:20:33 PM.

Re: protecting dining table

Re: protecting dining table

Posted by Jenn627

Posted by Slightly-Taller

thanks everyone!

i think we're going to use placemats on a daily basis and then get pads and a table cloth for when we have company.

the glass was a good option but i dont like that we would have to take it off when we put the leaf in and use pads anyway!

I was going to suggest glass because then you can still see the beauty of the table BUTTTTTT good point about removing it to put the leaves in. I always wanted to do a glass top but now I'm re-thinking it... So thanks for this post.

Re: protecting dining table

Re: protecting dining table

Posted by Slightly-Taller

Posted by Jenn627

Posted by Slightly-Taller

thanks everyone!

i think we're going to use placemats on a daily basis and then get pads and a table cloth for when we have company.

the glass was a good option but i dont like that we would have to take it off when we put the leaf in and use pads anyway!

I was going to suggest glass because then you can still see the beauty of the table BUTTTTTT good point about removing it to put the leaves in. I always wanted to do a glass top but now I'm re-thinking it... So thanks for this post.

so heres what im thinking now... getting the glass for the regular size of the table and then getting an EXTRA piece of glass the size of the leaf and just add it on the end of the table when we actually use the leaf. make sense?? im gonna see if that can be done.

Re: protecting dining table

Posted by Jenn627

Posted by Slightly-Taller

Posted by Jenn627

Posted by Slightly-Taller

thanks everyone!

i think we're going to use placemats on a daily basis and then get pads and a table cloth for when we have company.

the glass was a good option but i dont like that we would have to take it off when we put the leaf in and use pads anyway!

I was going to suggest glass because then you can still see the beauty of the table BUTTTTTT good point about removing it to put the leaves in. I always wanted to do a glass top but now I'm re-thinking it... So thanks for this post.

so heres what im thinking now... getting the glass for the regular size of the table and then getting an EXTRA piece of glass the size of the leaf and just add it on the end of the table when we actually use the leaf. make sense?? im gonna see if that can be done.

That's what *I* would do - we don't have a kitchen table, DH and I eat regularly at the DR table so that's the route I would take.