It would help if you examined several factors before buying a table. We’re sure you don’t want one that’ll easily break into tiny pieces. So, it’s better to invest in a table that will last longer and tolerate heavyweights. The best way to ensure that is by learning the wood it’s made from.
Once you know the wood type used to make a specific table, you’ll automatically know its quality. The legs of your table need to be as strong as possible as that’ll determine the table’s longevity. It’s all right if you do not know what to expect from the wood; that’s what we’re here for!
This article aims to help you understand the several factors you need to look into before buying a table and the best wood type that can build the sturdiest one.
What to Consider Before Buying a Table?
When you’re shopping for the perfect table, it would be best if you had a checklist entailing all the features it should have. You can begin ticking the checkboxes as you learn more about the table. The more boxes you fill, the easier your decision will become. Below is a list of all the factors (features) you should have on your list.
Strength
This is the most essential feature of the table. It would be best to inquire about the strength the table’s legs contain. While there’s no precise measure of measuring strength, you can always use Janka’s hardness rating system. Another way is to tap against the wood around the legs to see how sturdy it is. The tapping noise will automatically tell you about the quality.
Grade of Wood
It’s not news that a table’s beauty is on the top rather than the bottom. When someone first sees your table, they’ll immediately notice the tabletop and not its legs. So, the table’s top needs to reflect beauty and quality. The higher the grade of the wood used to make the table, the more aesthetic and top-notch it’ll come across.
Wood Grain
A table looks more appealing with specific curves, especially in the legs. If you wish to carve more curves in the legs, it’s better to have closed-grain wood as it will allow you to get more curves. Experts claim that a decent table must be made from closed-grain wood to help with the aesthetics and the quality.
Stain-Absorption
You should know the more stain absorbing the wood is, the better your table’s quality. This is why primarily, it’s better to get closed-grain wood as it’s highly stain-absorbent. If you want your table to accept stains easily, you should undoubtedly focus on the staining aspect. The more stainable the wood is, the more you can experiment, allowing you to have a versatile table.
Best Wood for Table Legs
Now that you know what you should look into while buying a table, let us take you through some of the best wood types for table legs. These wood types have excellent features as they guarantee your table legs will stay intact and sturdy for years. Let’s explore these pieces of wood that make excellent-quality table legs.
Alder
This piece of wood has a smooth texture with even grains and resembles cherry wood. However, alder has much richer tones than cherry, giving it a darker look. Alder mostly comes in reddish-brown hues, providing plenty of aesthetic to the eye.
This wood type is commonly used to make numerous furniture pieces, including cabinets, shelves, floors, and doors. So, it’s pretty fitting to use alder to make a table’s base (legs). One of the best qualities of alder is its stain absorption. Alder accepts stains openly, allowing you to experiment with different tones and shades.
Cherry
If you’re involved in furniture making, you will know how significant cherrywood is. This piece of wood is super sturdy and lasts longer than you would imagine. Yes, you will have to oil it now and then to maintain it. Once you get into the habit of doing so, you’ll find your cherrywood to provide excellent value.
This reddish-brown wood is exceptional at accepting stains. The more you stain it, the darker it will get. The closed-grain of this wood offers a shiny polish, giving it a glass-like appearance. Hence, investing in cherrywood will benefit you plenty.
Hard Maple
Hard maple is an excellent choice to make the sturdiest table legs. It’s also considered one of the most expensive pieces of wood, probably because it provides exceptional quality. However, you should know that working with hard maple is difficult, given it hails from the hardwood family.
Maple may be challenging to work with, but as long as you’re not the one working with it, you don’t have to worry. As far as you’re concerned, you only have to purchase a table made from maple and not worry about its construction. Overall, hard maple is a quality piece of wood that will make your investment worth it.
Hickory
Hickory is one of the most used wood pieces many professional woodworkers use to build wooden furniture. This wood type belongs to the softwood family, making it easy to cut. This is why carpenters mainly love working with hickory.
Also, this piece of wood has incredible stain-absorbing qualities, making it a versatile wood type. You want sturdiness, durability, and a stunning polish, and you get all three with this wood! Hickory will deliver nothing but quality, so we suggest you purchase a table made from this specific wood type.
Red Oak
Oak is considered one of the most exemplary wood types in the wood market, and red oak is no different as it belongs to the same species. However, you should know that red oak doesn’t come cheap, so only invest in a table made from red oak if you have a flexible budget.
It will deliver a stunning overall appearance, being the reason people invest in it. Also, you will have to keep oiling and polishing it if you don’t want it to rust away sooner. Hence, red oak is a highly recommended wood type as many people prefer it.
