Nope. Post over. Jk. But for real, it didn’t really work out. A couple of months ago, we found a set of really nice wicker furniture on the side of the road. It didn’t have any cushions on the seats or a top on the table, but it was in great shape. So, after debating, we decided to keep it. But, was that the right call?
We quickly bought cushions and pillows for the chairs, and they looked great. This was an easy find because it is easy to find something in our style. What we didn’t do for a long time was find a top for the table. Glass is super expensive, y’all. We had no idea. It was going to be over $100 for a piece of glass that wasn’t even treated. We didn’t feel comfortable with that at all for a free piece of furniture from the side of the road, so we thought about other options.
Can you use a wood top on an outside table?
We ended up settling on just getting a wooden board, cutting it to size, staining and sealing it. We thought it would look totally fine. We matched it pretty close to the wicker color and threw it on the table. It looks great right?
Well take a look at it now.
The wood totally warped pretty quickly. Even though it’s 100% under cover on our screened porch, I guess from being outside and the heat, humidity, rain and other factors, the untreated wood did not stay good for long. Aesthetically, the wood has also stained from water build up after rain, and it is very misshapen. When you eat on it, the wood alternates back and forth on a rocker depending on who’s pushing down on their plate. Not ideal for guests.
So, can you use a wood top on an outside table? Not really. So we don’t know yet what we are going to do. We like the wood, we like the cheap, but we need something that’s going to last.
Any ideas on what we should do? Comment below (PLEASE) if you have done anything unique for an outdoor table top!
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Hey there, I’m Sean, the woodworking enthusiast and builder behind CharlestonCrafted.com! Since 2012, I’ve been sharing the magic of turning raw materials into beautiful creations. I love teaching others the art and satisfaction of woodworking and DIY. I try to inspire fellow crafters to make something extraordinary out of nothing at all.
Renee
Tuesday 24th of October 2017
What about a piece of marine plywood covered in tile?
Katie
Tuesday 24th of October 2017
Did you check at Lowe's for a piece of glass? I purchased a piece of glass for a coffee table I found on the side of the road for about $20. My store cut it to the exact size I needed. The edges are a little rough, which didn't matter to me since it fits inside a wooden frame on my table, but you could maybe cover the edges somehow.
Kelley @ Coastal Kelder
Tuesday 24th of October 2017
Have you thought about trying salt treated wood? It's heavy AF, but we used it for our oyster table and it does great in the elements and just being stored in our garage otherwise.