BlsdMama Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 DH is getting ready to build us a table (or two) and I love Ana White's farmhouse tables. But I have to wonder - SURELY someone other than me looks at that and says: "Do ALL the crumbs build up in the cracks?" http://www.iheartnaptime.net/diy-farmhouse-kitchen-table/ Experience anyone? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mbelle Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 Oh yeah! They sure would. I take a small paint spackler? and put a lysol wipe around it to clean out cracks around my stove. Maybe that would work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdrinca Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 In the comments of the post you link to, she says she filled the cracks with clear silicone before adding poly. This type of table is high on my to build list, so I was curious too! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 (edited) Yes, they do. I have a table with a board-top in my kitchen and it is awful to keep clean. Because wood expands and contracts with temperature and humidity I'm not sure how long the clear silicone would seal the cracks, and If you didn't get it just right it would make raised ridges between the boards which would be a problem when you need a flat surface. We got our table for free from someone who was likely getting rid of it for the same reason! But I am waiting for DH to build me a center island, so it will have to do. Edited March 25, 2016 by Amy in NH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 Yes. I grew up with a Victorian farmhouse table and that definitely happened. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meena Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 Both of our tables have grooves where the leaf fits in and crumbs collect in them, especially when the kids clean the tables and wipe any bits right over the seams. I use an old toothbrush to clean them out. I can pull the leaves out for further cleaning, but since you can't do that with the farmhouse style, I'd probably use a can of compressed air periodically to spray out any deep-set crumbs. BTW, that is a beautiful style of table! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 We have one that FIL built. White legs - though different design than in pic - and pine top. I love it. The pine top is solid one piece, smooth and shiny and easy to clean. I would not have slats with grooves. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 (edited) That's the reason I'm undecided about building the Anna White design(or buying, a guy in town here makes them for $350). If I do it myself I've considered using 1" appearance boards (cost$$) since they are better planed and will fit together tighter. Also thought about using cabinet grade plywood and ripping boards (or leave it uncut?) out of it then putting it on a base and frame it all out with 1"X's. Probably be expensive too. Edited March 25, 2016 by foxbridgeacademy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 (edited) That's why we don't have one. Amish-made furniture is widely available here, and I've never seen one without the gaps. Small family, but we actually use a smaller formica table that I bought 30+ years ago in our kitchen. No gaps! Edited March 25, 2016 by G5052 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 Canned air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 Our farmhouse table has a solid top. It's not as gorgeous as this one but yeah, no cracks. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 Our parish got some farmhouse tables with faux cracks and those tables are *so annoying* to clean. We gave up and use tablecloths. The thing is, it isn't just crumbs that get in the cracks. Spills get in there too...and on the floor underneath. It magnifies the cleaning process when lemonade gets spilled. Ugh. I had a table that looked a lot like the one you posted the link to, but it had a single-piece pine top. That looked quaint enough and it was easy to keep clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 I vacuum our kitchen table, how weird is that? I love the compressed air idea and don't know why I haven't thought of that...I use it for everything else. If we were to spill something sticky, I'd use a toothbrush. I worried about that, too, but then Sam's Club had a deal on one, so now I have it! I love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilma Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 I have a similar table and bought a big piece of glass to go over the top. It's super easy to clean, no worries about crumbs in the grooves or scratches in the finish. Sent from my XT1094 using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKim Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 Yep. I had a similar table. The cracks had been filled with clear silicone, but it had gotten soft and nasty looking with age. Looked rather like snot (sorry for the image). I scraped all that out, but then any time something was spilled, it was a huge mess. I finally got some very thin clear vinyl and made a table cloth for it. They do make table cloths like that, but they are thicker and don't lie down as well as the very thin stuff on the rolls at Walmart. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMS83 Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 (edited) Yes, yes they do. We build a bench from her site and I definitely would have either wood puttied the cracks or sprung for a solid board for the top. I use a putty knife about once a week to get most of the crumbs out. Great bench otherwise, though!! ETA: I used spar varnish on it, not polyurethane. Edited March 25, 2016 by CES2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 Yes, yes they do. We build a bench from her site and I definitely would have either wood puttied the cracks or sprung for a solid board for the top. I use a putty knife about once a week to get most of the crumbs out. Great bench otherwise, though!! ETA: I used spar varnish on it, not polyurethane. We had IKEA benches for a good long while. Big gaps - big, big, big. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 I have a similar table and bought a big piece of glass to go over the top. It's super easy to clean, no worries about crumbs in the grooves or scratches in the finish. Sent from my XT1094 using Tapatalk This is a really good idea.... I wonder how much it would be? Hm. This has to be a big table. Our current is 84" and we put it in the closet in favor of restaurant booths. But the booths are driving me CRAZY. They wipe up beautifully. They are sturdy. They are smooth. But we eat at four separate booths every night... More aggravating than you might think. And we can't fit a boardgame with pieces or more than four players. That is death to the idea. It's beyond annoying to set up the big table to play a boardgame. But, when I think about the gaps I'm also thinking it would bug us to write on them too - don't your pencils put holes in the paper? I don't like the look of a smooth top for a few reasons. (I mean, I LIKE the smooth top, but not now - later, after littles.) If we go pine, it may as well kiss the nice, smooth like good-bye immediately. And if we don't - then you're talking fairly thin because even oak plywood is what? An inch at best. Between hard printers and toddlers stabbing forks, it would be hideous. It's exactly the rough, banged up look I'm going for just because I need it to hide damage from short people for the next 5-10 years until I'm done with littles. We've refinished the current table about 18 months ago and it has marks. Because? Well, life. Thinking out loud. Feel free to argue with my thoughts. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted March 26, 2016 Author Share Posted March 26, 2016 (edited) Found a place online... $535. And the longest piece I could get would be 120." Hmm... That's prohibitive. Back to the great debate of making ONE table or two tables. So this is our current seating arrangement. It is the world's best arrangement for homeschooling - many separate tables. It allows for puzzles at one, a small game at another, schoolwork at another. Love that. Stinks for dinner and is horrible for family boardgames. But I wonder.... What if one table under each lighting fixture? The area to the right is supposed to be (some day) an area with bar stools and I'm not sure it's wide enough. And when I'm feeling lazy, I like a loveseat under the windows to the left. That would pretty much veto both of those......... But it would be functional? Edited March 26, 2016 by BlsdMama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Don't buy glass online, you can most likely find a place locally that will do it for less. You could also get a plexi glass, which would not have to be as thick as a standard glass top cover. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 This is...probably not workable, but just brainstorming-- Could you put your tables and booths on wheels (with locks) so that you could line them up in a row? Two in a row would make it easier for board games. Or maybe just the tables, and when you wanted to do games, roll them to the center aisle and add chairs? IDK--lots of work. What if you ditched the booth chairs and kept the tables, and did chairs? You could still put all the tables together for dinner (one long table) or games, but keep them separate for homeschooling. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusyMom5 Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 I love the look of the booths! I am looking for a new table for a large family, too. Bassett has a 120" farmhouse table that (as far as I can tell) doesn't have grooves in it. I'm hoping to go look at some Amish made furniture soon, before making any decisions. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted March 26, 2016 Author Share Posted March 26, 2016 (edited) This is...probably not workable, but just brainstorming-- Could you put your tables and booths on wheels (with locks) so that you could line them up in a row? Two in a row would make it easier for board games. Or maybe just the tables, and when you wanted to do games, roll them to the center aisle and add chairs? IDK--lots of work. What if you ditched the booth chairs and kept the tables, and did chairs? You could still put all the tables together for dinner (one long table) or games, but keep them separate for homeschooling. Thank you for brainstorming! The tables are super narrow - only about 24" - so they can't hold the boards. :( And the benches are permanently attached. Each side is one whole piece. We did think about moving them the other way. The problem we run into is that when we have company that isn't slim - the benches not being moveable causes an embarassing problem. More than that, older company cannot readily get in and out of the benches. I like having them. They are quirky. They're fun. They make for entertaining conversations.... But functionally? Boardgames are a big part of our life. I'll bet that seems weird........... I wonder - do I just suck it up and set up a big table down the basement for boardgames? Whine, whine, whine. But I'm not sure how useful that is because it means big people boardgames ONLY at naptime then. Agricola is officially out forever. Edited March 26, 2016 by BlsdMama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Thank you for brainstorming! The tables are super narrow - only about 24" - so they can't hold the boards. :( And the benches are permanently attached. Each side is one whole piece. We did think about moving them the other way. The problem we run into is that when we have company that isn't slim - the benches not being moveable causes an embarassing problem. More than that, older company cannot readily get in and out of the benches. I like having them. They are quirky. They're fun. They make for entertaining conversations.... But functionally? Boardgames are a big part of our life. I'll bet that seems weird........... haha--not weird--I love when families do stuff like board games! (We play cards). Maybe a compromise--keep two sets on the left (they seem bigger?), put a table on the right? As long as the wall? I missed where, exactly, you were planning on putting the table your hubs is building...was it in the middle, or was it instead of the booths (tearing them out>)? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 (edited) Another idea-- For times you are working on the table, or eating, could you get the large, felt-backed pads some people (me!) have to protect their good dining room tables? They are wipeable (you use with a table cloth) and fold away. We just keep them on all the time (I haven't used my table without them, like, ever), but they could come off when you just have cleaned up and want to play a game or when you won't be writing or eating at the table. ETA: Oh, just checked--these are pretty expensive. We bought them years ago when we first moved here and were flush with cash. (hahahaha) Edited March 26, 2016 by Chris in VA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 (edited) Is it not possible to build the table without the cracks? This may not help, but I went through some similar considerations when I bought a table last year. Really, I had been working on this project for years and first bought a table I wasn't happy with from some guy back east. Last year, I ended up ordering a custom table from Montanatable.com and we are very happy (no grooves - it was not the "farmhouse" model - among other things, but I did not go with pine - thought that would be too soft - ash instead). FWIW, we ended up not getting the polyurethane on top. It's treated with tung oil and that seems to be much easier to deal with in terms of scratches, etc. It is smooth enough for our dining room, and for doing homework on, but not so smooth that scratches would be noticeable. Edited March 26, 2016 by wapiti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted March 26, 2016 Author Share Posted March 26, 2016 I'm starting to wonder.... DH has this kreg thing.... I wonder if he does pockets if all the pieces will fit together as though they are one piece? Geez... Maybe I should have asked HIM this from the get go. :P 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 I'm starting to wonder.... DH has this kreg thing.... I wonder if he does pockets if all the pieces will fit together as though they are one piece? Geez... Maybe I should have asked HIM this from the get go. :p That's why I'm considering using the 1" boards instead of the 2" because our local lowes the 2" boards have a curve on the corners so no amount of pocket hole screwing will erase the divot where the boards meet. The 1" boards are pre-planed with a sharper edge and should fit together well especially if pocket hole screwed together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storygirl Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 We had a farmhouse style table custom built by the Amish (we live only about an hour away from Amish country). It has a solid maple top but is finished with very shallow lines carved across the top to look like it was made out of planks. They are so shallow that crumbs and food do not get caught there. I love it! I've had other tables with cracks that filled with food, and I deliberately wanted to avoid that. The drawbacks are that it was very expensive and that we had to wait three months to receive it after ordering. If you can find a glass top for a table that your husband can make for you, it might be a good option for you. My parents had a pretty tile-topped kitchen table for awhile, and they disliked having things get caught in the grout lines, so they got glass for the top; it worked well for them for years. I think in your case, I might go for two tables that you can either push together or separate, because it gives you the most options. I do love your booths, but I can see that they would be a pain for family gatherings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdrinca Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 Bonus for a glass or plexi top is that you could strew interesting items (maps? artwork? memory work?) under the glass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 But, when I think about the gaps I'm also thinking it would bug us to write on them too - don't your pencils put holes in the paper? That was my first thought when I saw it. Dd draws/writes for hours a day at our kitchen table, and a table with planks and grooves would drive her completely insane. Before we bought our patio set last year, she tried to draw a few times out on the deck and got so frustrated I was worried she was going to light it on fire or something. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 I like your booths, very cute and fun! my dh built me a farmhouse table out of very weathered spalted maple wood. I asked him to make the joining of the planks smooth and like one piece, because I didn't want crumbs in the cracks, but the wood had many cracks, termite holes and knots...which makes it very interesting -he wanted to preserve those so he used clear epoxy (said it's called system 3 clear epoxy) and it is not rubbery, he said you have to mix the proportions right so it won't be rubbery. here's the table http://www.homeiswhereyoustartfrom.com/home-is-where-you-start-from/2012/05/my-rustic-farmhouse-table?rq=farmhouse%20table Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 I like your booths, very cute and fun! my dh built me a farmhouse table out of very weathered spalted maple wood. I asked him to make the joining of the planks smooth and like one piece, because I didn't want crumbs in the cracks, but the wood had many cracks, termite holes and knots...which makes it very interesting -he wanted to preserve those so he used clear epoxy (said it's called system 3 clear epoxy) and it is not rubbery, he said you have to mix the proportions right so it won't be rubbery. here's the table http://www.homeiswhereyoustartfrom.com/home-is-where-you-start-from/2012/05/my-rustic-farmhouse-table?rq=farmhouse%20table Your table is gorgeous! Your DH really did a great job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.