To dismantle an extendable dining table, close and lock the extension first, clear and clean the surface, then turn the table upside down onto a blanket. Remove the leg or pedestal bolts, then release the mechanism from the underside of the top, keeping the leaf secured or removing it separately depending on the design. Bag and label every fitting as it comes off. Working in that order, with the top face down and supported, is what protects the surface and keeps reassembly straightforward.
Most tables come apart in twenty to forty minutes. The extension mechanism is the only part that varies significantly between designs, so identifying which type you have before you begin saves a good deal of guesswork.
Gather what you need. An allen key set, a socket or spanner set, a Phillips screwdriver, resealable bags, a marker pen and a thick blanket or several layers of cardboard. A cordless drill with a hex bit speeds things up but use it on low torque, since it is very easy to strip a threaded insert in engineered board.
Take photographs as you go. Three or four pictures of the underside before you remove anything will answer almost every question that comes up during reassembly. If the table came with instructions, reversing them is easier than working it out fresh.
Clear the room. You need space to lay the top face down and somewhere to put the legs and the leaf where they will not be stood on.
Always fully close the table before dismantling. A partly open mechanism has moving parts under tension and can pinch fingers when the top is inverted. If the table has locking catches under the top, engage them.
On butterfly leaf designs, the leaf folds and stores inside the table when closed, so it comes along with the top as one unit. On removable leaf designs, take the leaf out and set it aside first, since it is a separate loose panel. On draw leaf designs, where leaves slide out from under the main top, push them fully home.
Lay your blanket down and, with a second person, lift the table and invert it onto the blanket. Two people is not a formality here. Extendable tables carry extra weight in the mechanism and the load is unevenly distributed, and glass or stone tops are unforgiving of a knock.
If the top is glass, lift by the frame rather than the glass, and place foam or folded towels under any protruding fittings so the surface is not resting on a hard point.
Most legs attach with four bolts through a corner block, a metal plate or directly into threaded inserts. Loosen each bolt a few turns first, working around the leg, before removing any completely. Taking one bolt fully out while the others are tight puts the whole load onto the remaining fittings and can crack the mounting block.
Twin pedestal tables usually have a stretcher bar or beam connecting the two bases. Remove that after the pedestals are unbolted from the top, not before, since it is often holding the geometry square.
As each set of fittings comes off, put it straight into a bag and write on it what it came from. Bolts on dining tables are frequently different lengths in different positions, and mixing them up leads to a bolt punching through a visible surface later.
This is the stage that differs by design. Look at the underside and identify what you have.
The leaf sits folded on a hinged carrier inside the table. Usually the carrier can stay attached and the two halves of the top simply separate along their runners once the end stops are removed. Remove the stop screws at the ends of the runners, then slide the halves apart along the rails.
The runners are typically screwed to the underside of each half. Unscrew them from one half only if you want to keep the pairs matched, then slide the runner free. Keep the runner sets together and marked left and right, because they are often handed.
These have a folding top section on hinges, sometimes with a gas strut or a spring assist. Do not unscrew a strut under tension. Fold the top flat and locked first, then remove the hinge screws from the base side, leaving the hinge attached to the leaf.
Stand panels on their edge rather than laying them flat in a stack, and separate each with cardboard or blankets. Timber tops will bow if stored flat under weight for long periods, and high gloss and glass surfaces mark from grit trapped between layers.
Tape the fitting bags to the underside of the top so they travel with the table rather than in a box of miscellaneous items. This single habit prevents most reassembly problems.
Store somewhere dry and stable in temperature. A damp garage over a British winter will swell an engineered board core and the mechanism will bind when you reassemble.
Work in reverse, and start every bolt by hand before tightening any of them. Getting all the fittings started loosely allows the parts to align themselves, then you can tighten in a diagonal pattern.
Test the extension before you turn the table upright. It is far easier to correct a misaligned runner while you can see the underside than after the table is on its feet and loaded.
If a threaded insert has stripped, a longer bolt with a nut and washer, or a slightly larger insert, will usually recover it. Wood glue and a hardwood dowel plug is the traditional fix for a damaged screw hole in solid timber.
Some extendable tables are built as sealed units where the mechanism is riveted or glued rather than screwed. If you cannot see fittings on the underside, forcing the issue will damage it. In that case, the table moves as one piece and doorway measurements become the priority.
If the mechanism is already worn, sticking or missing parts, dismantling and reassembling rarely improves it. Replacing the table is often the more sensible route, and our modern extending dining tables UK sale range includes designs with butterfly and sliding mechanisms that are straightforward to service. Complete extending dining table sets UK are worth comparing too if the chairs are showing their age as well.
For anyone moving to a smaller property where an extending table no longer makes sense, a fixed design from our wooden dining tables UK range is simpler in every respect. You can browse the full dining range at Furniture in Fashion, and it is worth noting that returns are available up to 30 days if a piece does not suit the room once it arrives.
Most damage happens between the room and the van rather than during dismantling. Wrap the top in a moving blanket and tape the blanket to itself rather than to the surface, since tape adhesive can lift a lacquer or mark a high gloss finish. Corners are the vulnerable points, so add extra padding there even if the rest is only lightly covered.
Carry panels vertically. A large top carried flat flexes under its own weight, and a knock to the middle of a flat panel is far more damaging than one to an edge. In the vehicle, stand the top against a side wall and strap it, with a blanket between the panel and any strap.
High gloss and glass surfaces deserve particular care. Grit trapped between a blanket and a gloss finish will produce fine scratches that only appear in daylight, so shake out blankets before use and never rest a panel directly on a driveway or a gritty floor.
Once reassembled, the extension will work best if the runners stay clean and lightly lubricated. Wipe them with a dry cloth to remove dust, then apply a small amount of dry lubricant or paste wax. Avoid wet oils, which attract dust and eventually gum the runners.
Open and close the table fully every couple of months even if you are not entertaining. Mechanisms that sit unused for a year become stiff, and forcing a stiff runner is how the alignment gets bent. If the table has a locking catch, check it engages properly each time, since an unlocked extension can separate slightly under a heavy serving dish.
Finally, keep the fittings bag taped to the underside permanently rather than putting it in a drawer. The next time the table is moved, whether that is next year or in ten years, everything needed will still be attached to it.
For turning the table over and moving the top, yes. The removal of fittings can be done alone, but inverting a top single handed risks both the table and your back.
On removable leaf and draw leaf designs, yes, and it takes a minute. Butterfly leaves are attached to an internal carrier and are not intended to be taken out separately.
Apply steady pressure with a properly fitting key rather than increasing force with the wrong size, which rounds the head. A drop of penetrating oil and ten minutes of patience resolves most seized fittings on metal to metal joints.
Remove the glass panels entirely if they are separate, wrap each in blankets and transport them vertically, standing on edge. Never lay glass flat in a vehicle where something could be placed on top.
Normal disassembly for moving generally does not, since these tables are designed to be assembled at home. Damage caused during the process is a different matter, so work carefully and keep all original fittings.
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