Should You Use Glass to Protect a Wood Table?
About a year ago we purchased a new wooden kitchen table. Upon its arrival, I noticed that it didn’t have a thick clear coat like tables I’ve owned previously. My children are SUPER messy when they eat, especially with their cereal for some reason, so that means we have a constant mess on our kitchen table. Naturally, I started looking for a way to protect our new wood table from the mess. I searched around the internet a bit to see if you should use glass to protect a wood table, but didn’t come up with much information. I decided it would be the best solution anyway, ordered a custom piece of glass, and regretted it since day one. After reading this, you may still decide a glass table protector is right for your situation. I’m just here to tell you some of the reasons you might not want to go that route.
So let’s get straight into the “should you use glass to protect a wood table?” question.
I’ll answer that question with some other questions: Would you want a mirror as your tabletop? What would cleaning and maintaining that be like? Well, I don’t know if it’s just because the wood on my table is dark, but that’s what it felt and looked like to me. The highly reflective surface with the dark background means it shows every fingerprint, every crumb, and every streak even after cleaning it. I’ve got four kids that are constantly touching the table and putting dishes on it, which means my pretty table looked like garbage 24/7.
The only way to get it really clean was to use window cleaner, and even then it was still streaky and ugly. Some of this is on the surface, but a lot of it is also trapped underneath the glass that I couldn’t even get to for cleaning.
When the glass company first brought the glass over, they brought some clear spacers to go underneath. The spacers are supposed to allow airflow under the glass so it doesn’t ruin the tabletop. Well, that just made the top look even uglier, and the kids kept spilling stuff that would slide under the glass. I thought taking the spacers out would help, but it didn’t at all. No matter what I did, the food, especially anything liquid, still got under the glass. That spot on the left where the spill goes all the way to the edge goes under the glass, and the spot below it is actually under the glass. This happened daily with my kids.
Those wet spots mean I had to slide the heavy glass, carefully lift it, and clean and dry under it any time there was a spill. It was seriously the biggest pain, and sounds way easier said than done!!! And even after all that, the edges still had a constant supply of crumbs that somehow managed to make their way UNDER the glass! How does this even happen?! There were no spacers being used when I took these photos!
What did I do about it?
So I finally decided about a month ago that I’d had enough of fighting with this thing, and I’d rather have a ruined table. I took the glass off and gave it away on marketplace. I put a clear coat of something on it that I actually don’t recommend, so I won’t tell you what it was. Even though the clear coat I put on it doesn’t make it look great, it still looks a million times better than that stupid piece of glass that I had on it for a year. It’s so much easier to clean! Now we are using place mats and the the spills actually wipe up much easier. It’s not a perfect solution, but better than the glass.
What should I have done instead?
Bought a different table! Seriously though, I wish I had done a little more research and gotten something that had a better clear coat on the top to begin with. If you’re already stuck with a table that doesn’t have that, try looking up finishes you can apply yourself. I think I probably should have gone with a coat of polyurethane or varnish instead, but I was too irritated to research any more options. Glass for the table should NOT have been something I considered with my messy kids, so maybe it would work if you don’t have kids?? …but then you probably wouldn’t need to protect your table anyway, so maybe it should just never be an option.
Have you tried glass on a wood table? Did you love it? Hate it? Think I’m crazy and my kids are slobs? One or both of those might be right. Anyway, leave a comment with your suggestions and maybe we can collectively come up with a solution to have a nice looking kitchen table with kids. I’d love some other options!
We have a light colored table with a glass topper. I’ve always used the clear spacers and they don’t bother me. I slip a piece of paper towel under the edge if needed to quickly absorb spills. After years it has gotten some scratches, but I feel it’s easier and I feel the tabletop is cleaner.
We have an antique wooden round table. We had a local glass shop make a size to match round glass top for it. It’s been beautiful! No more worries of a spill that will ruin the original finish. We also are in our 70’s so we don’t have the sloppy kids with constant messes. My girlfriend just finished a round crocheted tablecloth to fit that we are going to put between the tabletop and the glass for display.
We love the glass top. We use placemats. A quick cleaning with glass cleaner after meals and it looks great.
I have a glass dining room table that extends over the wooden table so no crumbs or spills ever reach the wood. I love the ease of cleaning the glass and the beaty of the wood underneath. Several other clever ideas here as well.
@Dee Kaye, how far does the glass overhang? I have a 54” round table. Should I order a 55” glass top? And would it be helpful to have a beveled edge?
Thank you for this post/info you gave… I was thinking of buying a wooden table with a glass top because I figured it would protect the wood nicely and make the table so much more easy to clean. But after reading your post, I realize that is not the case. Everything you said made complete sense, and I appreciate you saving me from the headache.
Where can I get tempered glass for my 150cm (across the table) round Dining table, please. From Wellington Hutt Porirua areas please. After reading comments. Yes, I would put a nice tablecloth under the glass to protect the wood from the streaks and moisture people mention. But on top of the glass, a normal tablecloth or place mates for regular washing. Thankyou in advance.
regards cheryl
Has anyone tried the 80 mil plastic covers for your table. We had glass on our table with some hand sketches under neath, we loved the look, and then the glass had gotten broken. We are now debating on the plastic or the glass.
@Mike, YES!! I HATE IT!! Looks like one of those 70’s couches wrapped in plastic. I bought a farm house table & matching island from Ashley’s few yrs back and didn’t realize it has groves in both tops. Which collects every crumb, every peice of play dough from my grandkids. It cheapest the look of both peices although I don’t have anymore crumbs in my grooves the vynyl toppers lift at the ends and they have humps in it along the edges where it refuses to lay flat. I will prob sell this table and a very reduced price and go with a flat top one else where.
@Mike, I had plastic on my black kitchen table. That was more of a nightmare. The plastic started to smell, plus every smudge showed on it. I googled it and it said never put plastic on wood, wood has to breathe.
I just have placemats on it. Good luck
No, do not use glass to protect a wooden table. I purchased a glass overlay for my dining room table because I was afraid our cats would jump on it and scratch the wood. Sadly, they were over 20 years old and did not live long after I put the glass on. Now, I’m stuck with this ugly top on my beautiful table. I can clean the top with glass cleaner all I want and the back of the glass is still cloudy. There must be dust underneath. I live alone and am afraid to take the class off myself because I don’t want to slide it off and have it chip or scratch the edges of the table. If I ever could get it off I don’t know what to do with it. I can’t just throw it away without breaking it up and then it would be a danger to the garbage man. Do not do it.
Ugh, I feel your pain! I gave mine away to someone on Facebook marketplace. Not sure what they used it for, but I don’t care. Haha!
I am so happy to have found this post.
I too have a piece of glass on top of my wooden dining room table and just like most of the comments it’s impossible to clean the dust and grime that has accumulated underneath the glass. Needless to say, it looks terrible, so I plan to remove the glass. I think applying a wax to the table or purchasing a table pad which was suggested by April. (See April’s comment dated October 8, 2021) is a better option. Plus, it will be so much easier to clean.
I put a tablecloth on the table, and then covered the tablecloth with glass. It looks incredible. The table underneath stays clean, the tablecloth stays clean, the glass looks clean – everything just looks better.
I just purchased the dining table of my dreams (secondhand). I immediately ordered custom glass to protect the top, got it home and placed; I HATE IT!
I see what you mean about “Would you put a mirror on your table?” No! I regret this decision but don’t want to waste the $350 I just spent.
I got the little silicone bumpers too and it really makes it look cheap, so I am not going to use them.
What a waste of time and money.
Ugh! I feel your pain! I gave my glass away on facebook marketplace, so at least I didn’t feel bad about throwing it away. Maybe you could sell it? My table is holding up so nicely without it. I put a wax coating on it, which is a little cloudy, but looks much nicer than the glass did. My kids spill all over it and leave cups, and it’s still fine.
For glass tops to not get the yucky stuff under, you need to have an overhang of about 1-2 inches from the wood surface. I do this for the table in rental unit. I on the other hand since I love wood surfaces and I do take extra care and use table cloths and placemats for daily use I did not opt for a glass top.. The only time I let the wood show is when I have guests and well kids are almost grown.. youngest is 11 so maybe in a couple more years I can just do placemats.. But no you are not weird… I hate yucky looking surfaces and yes if no kids then all would be fine.. but I still wanted kids so had to sort of learn to live with the mess and try to manage it best I can.. LOL
I’m am definitely learning to live with some of the mess with all of my kids. I put a wax coating on the top of the table, and it has surprisingly held up really well. No scratches, heat damage, or anything. The place mats are super gross, but I just take them off when company comes over.
@Jessica @ Cutesy Crafts, Jessica, are you ready to divulge the specifics of what type of wax coating you used, even if it wasn’t perfect? I am extremely curious! I recently bought a used table on Marketplace and it needs a little additional protection. I want to see the pretty wood rather than covering it, but I’m not expecting to keep it pristine.
I used clear Briwax because I had it sitting around from a previous furniture makeover. So far my table is doing great even with my kids abusing it. We just use some thick place mats, and I take them off when we aren’t eating. I may need to apply another wax coat soon as I think it wears off over time.
I LOVE MY GLASS TABLE!
20 years ago we bought a beautiful wood table for our kitchen. With 5 young kids I knew it would quickly get ruined so I decided to have a custom piece of glass made to protect it.
It was the best decision ever!
I absolutely love it! I put a beautiful table cloth over the wood table that matches the valences in my kitchen perfectly. Then I put placemats on top of the table cloth. Then I put the glass over both the table cloth and placemats. It looks absolutely beautiful and decorative and is so easy to keep clean. When crumbs get under the glass, I just slide the glass and table cloth to one side and brush the crumbs out. Then I slide it to the other side and brush them out on the other side. I don’t even need to do this too often. Most times I can even just brush it out without moving the glass. As far as spills, when this happens, I lift the glass slightly and put a towel between the wood table and the table cloth until morning when it dries. This prevents the wood from getting ruined. If there is anything other than water that needs to be cleaned from under the glass, like milk, I just slide the glass slightly off the table and clean under the glass with windex. It’s very simple. The top of glass table itself is super easy to keep clean. I just spray it with windex. Every six months or more, two of us take the glass off the table (it is a large table for 8) and I lean it against the couch clean both sides with windex and put a new table cloth or rotate the table cloths because I always have an extra one in the linen closet. I love the combination of the linen with the placemats because it looks so decorative without having to wipe every placemat and put it through the wash every night which I hate doing. I also like that there are no gross food stains everywhere (especially with kids) because the glass prevents stains.
I absolutely love my kitchen table with the table cloth placemats and glass!!
It protects the wood, it’s looks beautiful and it’s very easy to keep clean. It was the best decision ever and I would do it again!!
Oh, I’m glad you love yours! Maybe putting a tablecloth under makes a difference. I wanted to see the wood though. Luckily I think the wax coating I put on it is protecting it from my crazy kids pretty well. 🙂
@Dana,
With the table cloth and placemats under the glass top, don’t you have a problem with uneven surface under the glass top? I mean does the glass top sit well under placemats
I actually feel relieved to have found your post, bc it lets me know I’m not crazy. The smudges, the liquid trapped beneath, windex(only to see more smudge marks after), and recently, Iv been able to add another issue to my list of “why not to pay (a ridiculous amount btw)for a custom glass top to be made for your KITCHEN table”. While lifting this heavy piece of glass with one arm and simultaneously trying to turn it and wipe underneath (which still never looked clean, and I could never reach the middle anyway bc my arms weren’t long enough) but the entire piece of glass cracked right down the middle! So now I have an ugly, dirty, grimy looking, cracked piece of glass that looks like I don’t clean, when in reality I spend every day in constant battle with it!
Soooo frustrating! I’m so glad I got rid of mine, and my wood table hasn’t gotten damaged from my kids at all.
We had an old laminate table for years (that we got used in graduate school). EVERYTHING came off of that table including sharpies that my toddler found. I thought we were all grown up when we replaced that old table with an expensive beautiful wooden table. I wish I had just kept the laminate table. Our wood is dotted with paint since it isn’t a smooth surface and the stain is scratched off in multiple places. I was thinking a plastic cover after I refinish the table but maybe it is just a mute point and I should just learn to love a multi colored scratched table. Haha.
Oh, that’s so frustrating! Yes, I think we just have to get used to a ruined table when kids are involved. Haha!
I am so glad you wrote this. My dining table scratches so easily and already looks terrible in 18 months. I was researching glass table tops and am so glad I came across this post. It doesn’t feel worth it at all.
It’s not! Look around for a clear coat that you can put on it.
I too, have a large piece of glass for my table. All of you wrote IS ME and my table. I am 66 and have no kids and you cannot clean underneath. I will never do this again!. I am at my wits end looking at the foggy no longer clean underneath my table and I am one inch of breaking it to get it off my table.
Glad it wasn’t just me, but sorry you are dealing with it. I am SOOOO happy that I took it off my table. I found someone on FB marketplace to take it. Just sorry I spent so much money on the dumb thing!
Our table had a finish on it years ago. I’m not sure what it is. 8 years later with 3 kids using it for eatinng, school works, arts, crafts, and other misc uses, it is scratched, stained, and scarred. It looks awful from a cosmetic standpoint honestly. My solution for the past few years is to buy seasonal tablecloths that are plastic coated on top and cloth like underneath to cover the table. By time it is ruined, it is the next season and I replace it. It cost about $20 a year and saved me a ton of work while keeping my table decent looking. We are finally replacing it with a custom built wood table(that will have two coats of poly)because our kids are all teens now who mostly know not to destroy furniture gaster than we can buy it.
I love the idea of seasonal tablecloths, especially plastic coated!
The first part of our marriage we (not by choice) didn’t have kids. When we bought our house all of the trim was white, we already had a white sectional, and, since we finally had a real dining room we bought a light oak table with white chairs. In the next six years we adopted older children -2 and finally had a baby. Said house was growing smaller by the day since I was beginning to homeschool.
When buying the next, bigger house, the dining room white chairs were done for and were pitched. They not only cosmetic damage, but also structural damage. From then on, everything we replaced was “tuf” enough for my kids. However, the light oak table was never replaced.
My kids are long grown and gone, but if I sit at that table I can still see the writing and the math problems whenever they forgot to write on the placemat or just held the pencil too hard. That “damage” gives me more joy than all the sparkling, clean, brand new tables of the world.
Oh, I love that so much! I need to learn to cherish those things more than be annoyed by them. Thank you for sharing!
I had glass and got rid of it for the same reasons!
So glad I’m not the only one! I had to write this post to warn people. Haha!
Hello Jessica! Thank you for sharing your thought’s about your glass table topper. It reminded me of why I didn’t get one, like I wanted to, year’s ago. I was aware of the liquid and crumb’s getting under the glass no matter what you did to try to prevent. My dinner table has a polyurethane coat on it. I am not too thrilled with it because, like you, I want my table to stay pretty. You can see the scratches on it clearly, it doesn’t like standing water for too long and a warm mug or plate seems to kind of melt the polyurethane a bit. Anyway, these thing’s put mark’s on the table. When I get around to it, was thinking I might sand the table down and put an oil varnish on it and protect it with a wood polishing compound. I really appreciate feeling the wood texture of a table and not the weird feel of a polyurethane coating. Am hoping this process will stand up better to warm dishes and condensation, from cup’s and glasses, sitting on table. I do use coaster’s, hot pad’s and trivet’s but, every now and then, you have that someone who either doesn’t or forgets to use them. Hope you figure out a solution that makes you happy and your life with four children a little easier. Appreciate your insight on this topic, and thank you for all the great crafty link’s. Wishing you a fine day!
~ Veronica
Glad it was helpful and good to know that the poly didn’t work out for you either. I put wax on, and I’m having the same problem with marks and scratches. Oh well, still way better than the glass!
Dear Jessica, Personally, leaving the table as is, is perfect. Over the years, the art work marks, homework marks, etc. from my siblings and myself made our dining room table so very special! And when it comes time to sell your table, if the table has good bones someone will come along like me who loves to refinish furniture. The new re-finish will then allow for someone else to tell their family table stories.
By the way, thank you for introducing me to the world of embroidery. You helped me to make terrific 60th birthday gifts for my twin sisters. You are so very talented both in your work and your teaching explanation. Very best to you, Julie
I love thinking about it like that! I’m so glad you are enjoying my embroidery tutorials. Thank you for the kind words!!
Or, put a table cloth over it. That’s what I do. And then you can toss the tablecloth in the washer easily and it works as a nice rag to clean up spills. Ready in an instant.
Yeah, I’m thinking I might need to find a cute tablecloth.
I had the same issue back in the 90’s when my children were young. I did apply 3 coats of polyurethane on the brand new wood table. It stayed in the garage for about 2 weeks until the smell of the polyurethane disappeared. It was the perfect solution. To this day, we still have the same wood table.
I knew I should have used some polyurethane! Next time!
I have a Formica kitchen table bought in 1975 & still in great condition. It is brown around the oval sides on top and has a design of white and brown on the top also. I do have a table near my bed that has a glass on top on it. No kids now but I’m in a 2 bedroom apartment with my husband. I use a Swiffer Duster to get the dust off of it. Every so often, I need to clean off things that don’t come off with the Swiffer Duster. I use the Wet Ones in that case. I bought a pine wooden coffee table in Ensenada in the 80’s w/ beautiful carvings on top. I always wanted to put a piece of glass on the top- but now, after reading your story, I’m glad I didn’t.
I would never, especially when there a small children – young adults in the home. I purchased a beautiful lacquer cherry dining room set over 40 years ago when my children were under 13yrs old, and wanted to protect the surface of the table, i purchased a thick clear vinyl cover, and used polyester table cloths and plastic placemats. Today over 40 years later, the table’s lacquer finish is as beautiful as the day it was purchased.
You need a table pad! Yeah, they may be a bit fusty/old lady, but they are a heat protective surface, so your entire table just became a trivet! I use this company and love them! https://superiortablepad.com/
FWIW, I don’t have kids, but there are at least 3 messy adults eating most of the time and my vintage table doesn’t have any wear on it. Way easier to move than glass too.
Oh wow, those are so cool! Gonna go spend some time looking at what they have. Laughing at your 3 messy adults. Haha!
Thanks so much for the information and suggestion, April. I just took a look at the link that you provided, and the table pad seems to be a much better idea than glass. I am so ready to get rid of the glass that sits on top of our dining room table due to the fact that I too find it impossible to clean underneath the glass. It looks terrible!
I do have a glass top over the wooden table, I also but a thick table cloth then a pretty table cloth on top of that not a problem at all. Wash and dry put a clean table cloth on for different seasons.
Yeah, I think a table cloth might be the solution I need.