Is there something wrong with the editor@apartmenttherapy.com e-mail address? I tried it with two separate e-mail accounts and they both bounced back.

My 3-yr old dining table has a wenge veneer top and it's held up relatively well. It shows some subtle scratches, but it's not too bad. I always use placemats, etc., but I tend to drop my purse or my cellphone on the table when I come in and this has caused more problems than actually using the table.

Part of my problem is not knowing what to clean it with. I tried furniture polish and that left the surface very cloudy. Usually I just wipe it down with a damp paper towel. I'd be interested to know if there is a better cleaning product for veneered surfaces.

This isn't that helpful - but I can commiserate. I have to say that the veneer situation isn't much to my liking either. It seems like you're paying for the design, and certainly not the materials... I can't help but feel like I'm being ripped off (i.e., those dining chairs that sell for many hundreds that are, i don't know, molded plastic or something).

Veneer is not a recent development, and is nothing to be really concerned about. Veneers have been used since at least the 17th century, and were quite common in colonial times.

You wouldn't want a solid table top (or one made up of solid strips of wood). If the top was solid, it would no only be prohibitivly more expensive than it already is, it would also be very prone to warping and splitting.

I had a dining table from Workbench with a veneer top several years ago. After enough spills the veneer began to separate from the table and get a sort of wavy look. It wasn't a high end table, but it wasn't Ikea either. I've moved up to a ligne roset glass top table, but I now have a couple scratches in the glass that bug me. Next time I'm going for solid wood or (in my dreams) a marble saarinen. There seem to be a few companies that focus on making modern solid wood furniture. I can't think of any off the top of my head. Maybe others can ...

I completely understand your frustration. However, a solid wood table would cost even more. The problem is the wood has to be dried out before creating furniture. This prevents warping. Time equals money though. Many solid wood tables being manufactured today warp due to insufficient preparation. The truth is solid wood can dent and scratch just as easily as a veneer. And with technology, most of the core products (i.e. Medium Density Fiberboard) are stronger, lighter and will last longer.

I have a "nice" veneer dining table, and I would recommend against puchasing one. Even though I try to be very careful not to scratch it, it inevitably gets scratched. In particular, there are a few heinous marks across the top from where my husband slid a ceramic bowl across the table. I suppose if you always used a tablecloth and were *ultra* careful, you might not have a problem, but that's not me.

Oh, I almost forgot...just wait until you have to move. The veneer is sure to be damaged, no matter how much of a nazi you are with your movers. And, unlike solid wood, it's not easily refinished or repaired.

Next time, I will purchase a solid wood table and chairs. I have seen some incredible teak tables on Craigslist that are priced at next to nothing and just need a little TLC. It pains me to think how much money I spent on crappy veneer when a little time and effort (and a lot less money!) could have produced something more beautiful AND more functional.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a veneer is wood, just very thin, correct? So wouldn't the only problem be with warping/chipping? Wouldn't the veneer be cleaned and scratched in the same way a soild wood table would?

Archie:

Yes, both solid wood and veneer will scratch. The difference is that a solid wood table can be stripped, sanded, and refinished to repair knicks and scratches. Veneer, not so much.

This makes me very glad that I bought a teak dining table on Craigslist for $400.

you can actually refinish veneer, however it takes a great deal of patience and balls of steel. You need to be very careful about taking the finish off, small dents can usually be repaired my misting the top with water and letting the grain repair its self.

I have a solid wood table that I have made for many years, it has not warped, split or anything else.
It wasn't an expensive table either, far cheaper then the "Designer" tables made out of chipboard and steel or other crap materials.

To the person who said MDF was stronger is wrong on that one, its dimensionally stable, but is not stronger then wood, it will also not last as long and will eventually absorb enough water from spills as the warp!

I don't usually think of veneer as being a problem. As with all things furniture related, there are good veneers and ultra thin cheap veneers. In any case, I can see why you would be concerned about a dining room table if it sees a lot of use. Why not one of the tables from de la espada's Atlantico division? They are made of solid white oak planks (both surface and structure) and have a very clean simple profile that could easily blend with a modern interior. The prices start at under $1395 for 60X30 or 40" round. For a few hundred more, you can also get the tables in cherry. Check atlantico-usa.com and see if they might work.

One major issue is the type of finish that is involved with either a veneer or a solid wood. With good protection warping and scratching is reduced.

My childhood kitchen table was a '50's (or early '60's) plastic-y laminate-looking veneer. In retrospect, a gorgeous design that I wish I had today.
And it wore like iron with kids and constant use.

So there's hope.
I have quite a bit of old furniture that is "good" wood veneer and inlay, and it's all worn pretty well, unless I got it already junked. I'm not sure what it is that people do to furniture to destroy it; normal use is not a problem.

Pros: you can get a 'cherry' or 'walnut' table for the fraction of the cost of a solid wood table. You can usually have more standardization and availability of a veneer table top should you need to replace it.

Cons: Veneer is more easily damaged than solid wood, can chip in ways that solid wood doesnt. And is usually bonded to some inferior substrates. I have an Eames table that has no top because the mdf had sustained more water damage than the veneer. I'm probably going to replace it with a homemade veneered plywood top. (or a 50$ Ikea top)

I left a water bottle on my solid wood coffee table. The bottle condensed and left a 2' water stain on it. For about 15$ I was able to sand down the surface and put a new coat of stain and varnish on it.

MDF is much less likely to warp than wood.

WOW! Thank you everyone (and AT for posting my query) for all your helpful comments!!! You saved me a couple thousand bucks!

:) Holly

Hello- I've had a Baronet dining table previously. It's seems they provide a "thicker" veneer on their products...mind you it's only millimeters, but none the less they claim their veneers are thicker than most. They say that it is thicker for the reason that if the veneer gets scratched you'd be able to sand it down a bit without going through the veneer and onto the frame. I've not tried this yet so this would be for you to try at your own discretion. The base or framing of the table and other pieces is solid maple so the table itself is very sturdy and looks and feels of good solid materials. As far as cleaners are concerned, Baronet recommends not using any type of chemical cleaner on their furniture. What I did was use a warm, slightly damp cloth and wiped dry any moisture left behind. And, on ocassion, I'd use a Lysol wipe to clean the surface as well. This was only done maybe twice a week. The finish on the table never seemed to have any effect with the wipes. So, with this said, I guess your best bet is to do some comparisons between tables you're deciding to get and compare materials used. I hope this helps you out a bit.

I'm not knocking anyone else's decisions, but I would always be worried about ruining a wood tabletop -- veneer or solid -- because they seem so fragile. Plus, I really like the idea of a durable table that can stand up to some minor abuse during beerdrinking get-togethers, poker games, rowdy pictionary games, etc.
I've been eyeing the granite and limestone tabletops that Room and Board sells in multiple sizes that you can have added to the table bottom of your choice. I'd be willing to pay a premium to not spend every party worrying about one of my knucklehead friends scratching my table with his plate or whatever.
Plus, I used to hang out at a friend's house where they had a limestone-topped dining table and everything looked gorgeous sitting on that thing. The naturally-occuring variations within the stone were like a beautiful work of art. Sitting around that giant slab of stone with some wine glasses, it felt like being at an ancient Roman Bachanalian party.

No wood for me, either solid or veneer. No glass either. Too many scratches.
I have a noguchi cyclone, and laminate can take much more abuse and is easy to clean.

I Agre with loki. The white Saarinen table we have is bullet proof. These days everything is veneer. You will be lucky to find a solid wood furniture on Crate -n- Barrel (but we found a pair of nightstands made of solid wood there!) I started to gorget what solid wood looks like!
Plywood veneer and MDF veneer when done properly will last a lot of time. Just don't let anything wet stay for long time. It will warp.

regards,

joel

Veneer can be find, you just have to find good construction. For example, I have a modern teak dining table. The legs, bracing, and all the edges are solid teak. The surface of the table (not counting 3" or so of solid teak around the edges) is teak veneer. There's little danger of chipping as all the edges are solid.

I could have purchased the same table in solid teak, but it would have run me over $900 more and been far heavier. Absent a serious gouging (which would likely do real damage to even a solid wood table) the surface is pretty bullet-proof.

When it's rowdy part time I put down table pads and a tablecloth, which I would do even with a solid table.

On a side note, the first time I ever felt like I had finally become an adult was when I purchased table pads. It may or may not be a coincidence that later that week I splurged on video games.

Also, wouldn't veneer be more environmentally (sustainable)friendly. Instead of chopping down timber to make 10 tables, you can use the veneer strips from the same amount of timer to make 500 tables.

Different woods whether solid or veneer, behave in different ways. Cherry is rather soft and prone to denting, Rift Cut Oak is tougher, but cross-grain scratches are really visible. Stained Maple with a high-gloss finish scratches like crazy!

Use coasters and placemats! Or go for stone, concrete, etc if the table's going to always be bare and take a beating.

Care--don't use any wax cleaning or dusting products on new wood furniture--modern finishes are very hard, the wax just sits on the surface and makes it look cloudy. A damp, clean cloth is all you need to wipe it down. Use Guardsman or Howards every so often if you really need to.

I've been using Method Home's Good For Wood on my wooden surface, and it seems to do a good job - even my friend who refinished most of my furniture (he makes art furniture and has pieces in the Smithsonian, so I trust him when it comes to wood products) says they're holding up well.

http://www.methodhome.com/products/detail.php?prodName=wood_spray

For the record, I have three wooden pieces that get cleaned with the MethodHome spray and wipes regularly: a refinished vintage rosewood dining table, a large African mahogany desk, and vintage McCobb dresser. All of them look great and fresh. Of course, I allow for natural wear and tear on the desk and table which I use a lot, but the Method Home stuff seems to do a good job, and they look naturally shiny as opposed to overly lacquered.

From a retailer's perspective, I can assure you that if veneered furniture was a problem, we wouldn't be selling it. Approximately 80-85% of our inventory is veneered somewhere. People naturally assume that solid wood is a better choice, but there are many drawbacks to having solid wood. Solid wood is prone to cracking and warping, whereas veneers are generally not. Also, if the piece of furniture isn't one solid chunk of wood, you're going to have a blockboard effect (think cutting boards) which isn't very appealing.

Veneers have a couple upsides to them. First off, they are more flexible in the manufacturing process. This essentially makes way for more dynamic designs not to mention a better finished product. Secondly, they create a more appealing look by using one continuous cut which repeats the wood grain as nature grew it.

We are not advocating that you should always buy veneered furniture, but it's not a bad thing. Make sure that the veneer is glued to something substantial such as MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) or Masonite and not cheap particle board. Regardless of veneer or not, you really shouldn't buy anything with particle board. It's just not made for furniture.

Good Luck!

Jensen-Lewis - New York City's source for Contemporary Furniture and Modern Furniture for your Bedroom, Dining Room and Living Room.

I love my IKEA table with a solid wood birch top that cost CAN$300 and seats up to 8! We use our tabletop for eating, crafts, work, etc. We can sand it down and refinish it when the patina of heavy use eventually gets to be too much.

I don't have room for a dining table in my new place but I have an Eames elliptical coffee table. Does anybody know how they hold up & have any tips to protect them? It is a laminate on a 7 layer birch plywood top.

Just to chime in on the MDF talk. MDF is inferior to wood in nearly every aspect except for cost and maybe regularity. And if you have access to a good planer or jointer, regularity is a non-issue.

MDF swells if it absorbs water. There are sealants that you can use to protect it from water, but the sealants will eventually give way. And when MDF absorbs water (I write from experience) the swelling can be extremely pronounced.

With the problems that come from veneer table tops has anyone tryed puting a glass top on the table ?