dining-tables-guide
 

Extendable Dining Table

An extendable dining table is a functional furniture unit that saves you space by its extending tabletop mechanism. It is also known as the table with supplementary tabletops. Therefore, you can easily convert your table from a smaller to bigger table.  

Types

In the market, there are many types of extendable dining tables, characterized by shapes and material.

Rectangle

By far, this is the most common shape you will find. You can extend your rectangle table's length for a longer table.

Round

The alternative to rectangular tables are the round ones. Its original tabletop shape is round. After you extend the tabletop, the end result is an oval shaped tabletop. This way, you make your round table longer into an oval table.

Modern

You can also find the modern extendable dining table type easily because the demand for extending tables are huge. Manufacturers have noticed this and served you, the customer a wider range of choices and provide you with the contemporary design. Now you don't have to settle with old-looking wood tables that can extend anymore. Go for the modern look and expect them to come in black and white high gloss colors and glass tabletops.

Glass

Yes. You can have choose to buy glass extendable dining tables. In this type, the tabletop is made from glass, in which you can see through the tabletop. All the delicate folding and sliding mechanism will be visible to you. Sometimes, the glass is opaque and you can't see through it. Most of the time, they have a metal frame for the table legs. Note that you should only go for them if you are very into the modern perspective.

Wood

Finally, you have the wooden extending tables. They are the most common material and are usually made from oak. Some models even combine both glass and wood to form the tabletop. For the most part, they will be made from 100% wood.

Butterfly

Butterfly dining tables are also predominantly made from wood. It take more effort to extend this type of table. The difference is you have to extend both leaves at the sides first, then only you unfold the 2 center pieces.

Benefits

The best advantage you get from the extending dining table is more space for your kitchen. For example, if you have a tight or small kitchen area, it only makes sense to buy a smaller table.

What happens when you have visitors to your home? Then you can simply extend your small kitchen table by sliding the tabletop and voila, you have a bigger dining table instantly. This way, you only convert the table only if necessary.

More suitable for larger number of people, 6 and above. Compared to the square flip top dining table, an extension dining table has far more length. The former may only cater between 4 to 6 people at most. But your extension table can easily extend and cater for as many as 10 or 12 persons.

Instructions: how it works

There are 2 types of extending mechanisms. The first requires a little bit more effort from your part because it is a butterfly dining table. The second mechanism type cuts your workload into half. Here are 2 short videos to show illustrate these 2 points.

  

Tips

Since you will extend and unfold the table for quite a number of times, you will have to be concerned about the quality of the table joints. There is a solution to this worry. Find extending dining tables that are made from oak wood.

This is a reason why the most common material oak. It is because the wood is very suitable for making interior table joints. This is also true for other carpentry joint work. Therefore, when you stumble across an oak extending dining table, you know it is a good extension table.

When buying one, make sure you test it repeatedly. Don't be satisfied with just one go at the extension mechanism. Work (open and close) the table repeatedly as many as 5 to 10 times before you buy it.

Check whether there are visible, open lines in the center when the tabletop is extended. A good unit should not have any lines or gaps in the middle.

Again, you don't have to worry about not finding manufacturers for the extendable dining table. They are pretty common to find due to its popularity.

 

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