What Everybody Should Know about Glass Dining Room Tables

If you are looking for a strikingly elegant centerpiece for your dining room, there is good chance you will find it with a glass dining table.  While those made from wood can look fantastic as well, they tend to portray an old fashioned, bulky look.  Glass tables on the other hand, can look very streamlined and modern.  They come in all shapes and sizes, from round or oval to square and rectangular.  In addition some tables have the top entirely made out of glass.  Others have wood or metal framing the glass, which is a good way to combine the benefits of both materials.  Regardless of which type of table you choose, here are some things to keep in mind when dealing with glass tables.

First of all, you will need to note the thickness of the glass.  In most cases, a quality glass table will be either one-half or three-eighths of an inch thick.  Getting a thicker table will mean it will be stronger, but it will also be much heavier and harder to manage when moving it around.  The next thing you should be aware of is the bevel.  If the glass is exposed, you can choose to have a bevel or not. What this means is that the edge of the glass is narrower than the middle.  Beveled glass looks great, but being thinner it can be a bit more vulnerable to chipping if you accidentally bump it with chairs or other hard objects. 

The next thing you need to be aware of is the work involved in protecting glass dining tables from damage. One of the most common damages involving glass tables are scratches. In order to keep your table clear and looking its best, you need to protect it from objects that can hurt it. Using thick fabric place mats are a great way way provide a layer of protection between the glass and metal or ceramic objects. When serving food, make sure you never slide pots, pans, or dishes across the table. Doing so can easily scratch the surface of the glass. Use fabric mats to place serving dishes on and use a rotating serving tray if you need to.

Finally, one of the major causes of damage to glass dining room tables are children. If you have toddlers and other kids in the house, you would be wise to take preventive measures to protect your table. During mealtimes, you can use a tablecloth to cover the entire surface. While it will hide the beauty of the table, doing this will also keep it looking new for when guests come over and you want to show it off. Another thing to do is get rubber place mats for the kids. Rubber won't slide off glass, and it will provide a good deal of protection against forks, knives, or dishes getting slammed against the table. In addition, it will protect glasses and other dishes from breaking if they are accidentally dropped on the surface of the table.