You can turn a dining table into an outdoor table only if the frame and top can cope with damp, sunlight and temperature swings. In practice that means solid hardwood, powder coated metal, or a top you are willing to seal and protect. Prepare it by cleaning the surface thoroughly, sanding lightly where needed, applying an exterior grade oil, sealer or varnish, protecting the feet from wet ground, and covering the table whenever it is not in use.<\/p>\n
Some tables should stay indoors. Chipboard and MDF cores, veneered tops, high gloss lacquer and untreated softwood will swell, lift or split once moisture gets in, and no amount of surface treatment fully prevents it. Knowing which camp your table falls into is the first job.<\/p>\n
Look at the underside and at any exposed edge. Solid timber shows continuous grain running through the thickness of the board. A veneered or laminated top shows a thin decorative layer over a denser, uniform core, and that core is the weak point outdoors, because water travels along it and pushes the surface layer away.<\/p>\n
Metal frames are usually fine if they are powder coated, since the coating is the barrier. Bare steel will rust at every scratch and weld. Aluminium copes well with British weather without much help at all.<\/p>\n
Glass tops are stable in the rain but need checking for how they are held: rubber pads and clamps can perish in sunlight, and a loose glass top on a windy patio is a genuine hazard. Stone and marble are weather tolerant but porous, so they stain from leaf tannins and spills and can suffer in a hard frost if water sits in the surface.<\/p>\n
Start by cleaning the whole table with warm water and a mild detergent, then let it dry completely. Any old indoor wax or polish should come off, because exterior finishes will not bond over it.<\/p>\n
Sand lightly along the grain to open the surface and remove sheen. Pay attention to end grain, the cut ends of the boards and legs, because that is where water enters fastest. Vacuum and wipe away all dust.<\/p>\n
Now seal it. Exterior decking oil suits hardwoods such as oak, teak and acacia and keeps a natural look, though it needs reapplying once or twice a year. Exterior varnish or yacht grade lacquer forms a harder film and lasts longer, but when it eventually fails you have to strip it back rather than simply top it up. Whichever you choose, treat every surface including the underside, the inner faces of the legs and the feet. A table sealed only on top will still draw moisture from below.<\/p>\n
Leave each coat to cure properly before adding the next, and give the finished table a full day in a dry space before it meets the garden. If your existing table is not a suitable candidate, a purpose built option from our outdoor garden dining tables UK sale<\/a> range is built for exposure from the start.<\/p>\n Feet fail before tops do. A leg standing on a damp patio wicks water upwards continuously, and that slow saturation is what splits joints and lifts finishes. Fit rubber or plastic glides so the timber never touches the ground directly, and check they stay in place through the season.<\/p>\n On grass or gravel, put something solid under the table: paving slabs, decking boards or a hard standing area. Uneven ground also racks the frame every time someone leans on the table, which loosens joints faster than weather ever will.<\/p>\n A breathable, waterproof cover is the single most effective thing you can do. Look for one that reaches the ground, has a vent or two to release trapped moisture, and ties or elasticates underneath so it stays put in wind.<\/p>\n Avoid wrapping a table tightly in plastic sheeting. Water condenses inside, cannot escape, and you end up with a warm damp box that is worse than leaving the table uncovered. If you have somewhere sheltered, standing the table under a canopy, in a porch or inside a shed over winter will always beat any cover.<\/p>\n A parasol or an overhead shelter also helps in summer. Strong sunlight bleaches timber and dries it out until it checks and cracks, which is a less obvious form of damage than rain but just as permanent.<\/p>\n Indoor dining chairs rarely survive outside. Upholstered seats hold water in the foam and go mouldy, plywood shells delaminate, and screw fixings rust from inside the frame. It is usually more sensible to keep your indoor chairs indoors and use dedicated garden seating with the table, then bring cushions in after each use. Our outdoor garden benches UK<\/a> selection is a straightforward way to seat several people around a converted table without exposing indoor furniture.<\/p>\n If you do use indoor chairs for a single afternoon, wipe them down and bring them straight back in. Occasional short exposure on a dry day is very different from leaving them out all summer.<\/p>\n Many households get the best result by treating the table as movable rather than permanently outdoor. A lightweight table that lives inside and comes out for warm days needs far less preparation, keeps its finish, and lasts years longer. Folding and stackable designs make this practical, and a table on castors can be wheeled through wide doors in seconds.<\/p>\n This suits open plan homes where the dining area sits beside garden doors. The table serves indoor meals most of the year, then moves out for a handful of weekends. If you want the indoor table to stay pristine, keeping a separate set for the garden is the simpler answer, and our outdoor garden dining sets UK<\/a> pair a weather ready table with matching seating.<\/p>\n In spring, wash the table, check for lifted finish and reapply oil where the surface looks dry or pale. In summer, keep it shaded during the hottest part of the day and wipe spills quickly. In autumn, clear leaves promptly, since wet leaves leave tannin stains that are difficult to remove. Before winter, either bring the table indoors or dry it thoroughly and cover it.<\/p>\n Tighten every bolt and fixing once a season. Outdoor temperature changes make timber expand and contract, and a joint that is snug in June can be noticeably loose by September.<\/p>\n If the top is veneered, if the core is chipboard, if the frame is stapled rather than jointed, or if the finish is high gloss lacquer, leave the table indoors. You will spend time and money on a conversion that fails within a season, and a swollen top cannot be repaired. In that situation the table is better repurposed inside, perhaps as a desk or a hallway console, and replaced outside with something designed for the job. You can shop modern furniture UK across indoor and garden ranges at Furniture in Fashion<\/a>, with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.<\/p>\n Only if it is solid hardwood, properly sealed on every surface, raised off wet ground and covered when not in use. Even then, British winters are hard on furniture, so storing it under cover will noticeably extend its life.<\/p>\n Exterior decking oil keeps a natural look and is easy to refresh. Exterior varnish or yacht lacquer gives a tougher film that lasts longer but needs stripping when it eventually fails. Never use interior wax or polish.<\/p>\n Tempered glass handles rain and sun well, but the fixings and rubber seals degrade in sunlight and wind can lift an unsecured top. Check the mountings regularly and store the table somewhere sheltered during storms.<\/p>\n Marble tolerates weather but stains easily and can be damaged if water freezes inside the surface. If you use it outdoors, seal it, keep it covered and bring it in before winter.<\/p>\n Converting a suitable hardwood table can be worthwhile because the materials are inexpensive. If the table is veneered or made with a board core, buying a table built for outdoor use is the more economical choice over time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Turning an indoor dining table into a garden table is possible, but only with the right materials and preparation. This guide explains how to identify whether your table can cope with damp, sun and frost by checking the top and frame construction, and why veneered…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":59153,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[845],"tags":[15,902,344,1660],"class_list":["post-59152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-outdoor-furniture","tag-dining-tables","tag-furniture-care","tag-garden-furniture","tag-outdoor-dining"],"acf":[],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59152","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59152"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59152\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furnitureinfashion.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Protect the Feet and the Ground Contact<\/h3>\n
Cover It, and Cover It Properly<\/h3>\n
Chairs, Cushions and the Rest of the Set<\/h3>\n
A Seasonal Approach That Works Better<\/h3>\n
Maintenance Through the Year<\/h3>\n
Knowing When Not to Convert<\/h3>\n
Frequently Asked Questions<\/h3>\n
Can I leave a treated wooden dining table outside all year?<\/h3>\n
What finish should I use on a table going outdoors?<\/h3>\n
Will a glass dining table survive in the garden?<\/h3>\n
Can marble be used outside?<\/h3>\n
Is it cheaper to convert a table or buy a garden table?<\/h3>\n