Covering a dining room table to protect it during school

[Renthead Mommy]

We bought a dining room table. We haven't had one in over 12 years and when we did have one, we rarely used it as it required pads and tablecloth (so not my thing, but it was my mother's and came with the house when we bought it).

 

So we finally decided it was time to buy a real dining room table. Now I'm nervous. We are going to be doing school in the dining room. I'm thining I want to put down a protective layer.

 

Let me state that this is not a fancy dining room table. It is the normal kitchen table finish. Meaning it does NOT require pads and placemats. However school and the extras that go with it are harder on a table than average dinners (which we will hardly be eating in there anyway, but I still like to protect the table as it is brand new.)

 

I'm thinking of getting that clear table covering the fabric store has to put over it. And because we have very limited wall space (only 2 walls as the other 2 'sides' of the room are completely open) I was going to put smaller maps and some other info under the plastic.

 

Do I NEED some kind of tablecloth under the maps and things? Or can I just put them right on the table with the plastic over it? I am not a huge table cloth fan but will do it if needed.

 

Thoughts please?

 

I will say kudos to my husband. This is a new house. We've been here less than two weeks. We have a huge basement. However we also have a huge covered deck and eat in kitchen overlooking the deck. I was orginally going to do school in the basement. He said "Call it what it is. We don't eat in the dining room. If you school in the basement, you start there, end up coming up to cook, do laundry, sit on the porch, whatever. Books get dragged up here and left up here. And the next day you just start up here. Do school in the dining room and then all the books will actually make it back into the schoolroom at the end of the day much more likely than if you have to go all the way down stairs."

 

He's right. Completely rights. And I told him so. (however posting to FB that he wife finally said he was 'completely right' may have gone a little far:glare:.)

 

But that is why we are schooling in the dining room on a dining room table and not in the basement on one of the 4 old kitchen tables we have floating around this house.

[Mama Geek]

Is it a wooden table, can you put a coat of polyurethane on it to protect it?

[*Lulu*]

A friend of ours did what you are planning. They loved the acessability of the maps, but when she pulled the maps up they left marks. I do not know if she was able to get them out or not. I also recall her saying something about the texture of the plastic being an issue for one of her kids.

[Renthead Mommy]

Is it a wooden table, can you put a coat of polyurethane on it to protect it?

 

Yes it is wood, and I'm sure it has polyurethane. You can put glasses and dishes on it without needing the placemats or pads/cloth. But it is brand new and I don't want to go messing with it after spending close to a thousand dollars. I am more worried about pens and pencils that seem to work their way through paper (from excessive erasing/marking), markers going off page, sharpies going through paper, compass points and things like that. Knowing the knicks and marks on our old school table, I don't think even polyurethane would work well enough.

[Renthead Mommy]

A friend of ours did what you are planning. They loved the acessability of the maps, but when she pulled the maps up they left marks. I do not know if she was able to get them out or not. I also recall her saying something about the texture of the plastic being an issue for one of her kids.

 

That was what I wondered. Sticking was one of the things I was worried about. I may need a light, short, fabric tablecloth under the maps. Not really my thing, but I can make it short and so we don't see much of it.

 

The texture is a good point. We don't have issues like that, plus I'd make it short enough so it is not laying on anyone's lap. However it would give just enough padding for pen writing. My son will put one piece of paper down on a hard surface and get frustrated with how the pen works/feels that way.

 

Thanks.

[Mandylubug]

we used a heavy duty table cloth to protect ours at first. My aunt tailored it with sewn tight corners so it wouldn't move around (no skirt hanging down) it worked good except if the kids erased off the paper, the rubber eraser would stretch the plastic of the cover itself.

 

Finally, my Dad who is a carpenter and makes high quality furniture (some I will NEVER afford) told me to stop stressing it, that it could be easily refinished on top in less than a day without it being noticeable. Just don't use oily furniture polishes that would prohibit future stains and protective coats to adhere.

 

We just do school work directly on top now for over a year and no noticeable damage as of yet.

[The Girls' Mom]

You could also get glass cut to fit. Then you can put your maps under the glass, and even use dry erase markers on it :)

[kricau]

:iagree:

we used a heavy duty table cloth to protect ours at first. My aunt tailored it with sewn tight corners so it wouldn't move around (no skirt hanging down).

[ThisIsTheDay]

I have seen, and would consider, a heavy clear vinyl cover, as you mention. It would be perfect to secure maps to the table, and the vinyl almost seemed to "stick" to the table (nice, no slippage). The family had younger kids, and she just put the vinyl on top of the wood. She had a lovely home, and I would guess that if it would have damaged the table, she would have found an alternative.

 

When we used our our heirloom dining room table as our kitchen table, we went to an auto glass store and had a clear piece of glass cut to fit. The table seated 6, and the glass cost ~$100. It was well worth the investment to protect the table.

 

We have always preferred schooling around the central area of the house--which is the kitchen, no matter what other options we've had!

[Brenda in FL]

I have 3 layers on my table. The first is the white flannel backed protective cloth made for dining tables, then I have a table cloth, then the clear vinyl over that. You will want to get a fairly thick clear vinyl. You can still dry erase on it and put maps or other items under it.

 

We use personal dry erase boards as a hard writing surface at each child's place.

 

Maybe a table cloth the color of the table finish with shorter overhanging edges would be a good choice for you.

 

I had read once that vinyl directly on the wood was not good for the finish; that's why I use a table cloth.

 

I'd be curious to know how glass works in real life as a school table topper. Anyone care to comment? Does it get dull or scratched/scuffed up?

[Sara in AZ]

I did this to protect a 100 year old table we just inherited, and I Love it. If you do vinyl get really heavy duty. I ordered a vinyl table cloth on line the first time around that was really flimsy and tore easily. The next time around I went to a discount fabric store and got some good quality stuff. I don't have anything under the map, and I don't really have a sticking issue. In fact it slides around a bit now, and I am considering stapling it to the bottom of the table. A friend of mine had glass cut to the shape of her table and it looks really nice. I love having the map there for easy reference, especially since I don't have room on the wall for one.

[Becca211]

I don't know if you want to go this far or not, but DH made a cover out of hardboard for me. He used 1 X to make a lip on the edge to keep it from sliding around. I put fleece under it and it has worked perfectly for 5 years. We can take it off if we want to use the table for something nice, but we generally keep it on. I love not having to worry about the table.

[Ferdie]

We have used the clear plastic with a map, (and other papers) in our dining room for over 6 years. No marks to the table. Our world map was laminated though. The map came from Costco during back to school season. The heavy duty vinyl came from Walmart.

 

I love the clear plastic so much it is still on there even though we don't homeschool anymore. My children use our dining room as homework central and I sew in there. I have expensive table protectors, but they are so bulky I don't use them. I love having a world map on display in our dining room.

 

I cut the plastic fairly short so it is easy to put a tablecloth over it for the times we eat dinner in there.

 

ETA: The thing that got trashed in that room is the back of some of the chairs. Someone took pencil to the chair backs and left a lot of marks on several of them. Oh well, memories.

Edited July 27, 2012 by Ferdie

[justasque]

I have a heavy tablecloth over a flannel-backed plastic cloth. The flannel/plastic thing came from a bed/bath type store, and it was made specifically for protecting tables. The idea was that you cut it to fit your tabletop. It cost about $12, IIRC, and works great. It's clearly not as sturdy as table pads, but it was way cheaper, and much easier to store when I'm not using it. I still use hotpads for hot dishes, and it probably wouldn't stand up to hammering or serious poking with sharp things, but for everything else it seems to provide appropriate coverage. The flannel side goes down, on the tabletop.

 

The tablecloth is just a long piece of home dec fabric, hemmed at each end. Every now and again I purchase a seasonable one - I have one in fall colors, one more wintery, and a nice blue one for the summer. Because they're regular home dec fabric, it's no big deal to wash them.

 

We can take it all off in a pinch to see the table, if we want to.

[TrixieB]

You could also get glass cut to fit. Then you can put your maps under the glass, and even use dry erase markers on it :)

My friend has plexiglass on her table. She has had it for years, and I've never noticed marks, scratches, or scuffs. She puts photos, reminders, maps, etc. under the plexiglass. I would love to do the same thing with my table!

[ThisIsTheDay]

I'd be curious to know how glass works in real life as a school table topper. Anyone care to comment? Does it get dull or scratched/scuffed up?

 

We had it on our school/dining room table for three years. As I posted earlier, this was our kitchen table during that time, no dining room. My youngest was 9 when we began using the glass; I say that because younger kids may be a bit harder on the glass. It may also depend on your family. I've always been very strict about matters such as NO touching the walls, NO jumping on furniture, and being grateful that you are privileged enough to have things.

 

The glass top has definitely not dulled or scuffed. It has a few small scratches. We figured that was the point, better the glass scratched than the table top. We have since moved and the table is now in our dining room. We recently put the glass top back on the table top; it's easier than pulling out the pads, and we can enjoy the pretty finish instead of needing to cover it up when we eat in there. My dh is v.e.r.y. particular; a perfectionist who prefers our home look completely unlived in. Although the glass has a few small scratches, he has no troubles with continuing to use the same piece--it's held up very well.

[Renthead Mommy]

Thanks everyone. Some great ideas.

 

I would love glass, but the table is 4 1/2 feet by 4 1/2 feet with curved in sides. I have a hard time seeing that making the next move well. LOL! Plexiglass is a thought, but again those curved in sides.

 

I think I am going to see if I can find a brown in a close shade to the wood, put elastic in it like a fitted sheed so it pulls under the table top, then lay a short sided plastic on top with the maps and things in between. I think that is probably a better choice than the plastic right on top of the wood/maps.

 

Now if only the actual homeschooling, teaching, grading, planning, state paperworking, assining, and cleaning up of it all were half as fun as the "Schoolroom decorating!"