Top 5 Tips to Take Care of Your Kitchen Table | Phil In Furniture

Top 5 Tips to Take Care of Your Kitchen Table | Phil In Furniture

So I’m guessing that you don’t have the time to read through all of my posts.  I’ll do you a favor and give you a quick synopsis on how to care for your kitchen table.

1. Cleaning: It’s typically best to use a damp cloth followed by a dry cloth.  If  you need to step it up a notch try adding a mild soap to the damp cloth.
2. Leaf Storage: Do not store the leaf on end.  Lay it flat under a bed, this will avoid warping.
3. Chairs: Put glides on the chair legs.  If your floor surface is hard you should use felt glides, if your set is on carpet go with the vinyl glides. I prefer the ones that peel and stick.
4. Chairs 2.0: Don’t lean back in them. Leaning back in your chair regularly will reduce it’s life by about 80%.
5. Avoid Damage: When you put a coffee mug, pizza box or hot dish on the table, check to the heat. If it is too hot to touch, then it is too hot for the table.

There are more things to consider, but these are the highlights.  If you have any questions, let me know by leaving a comment below.

Canadel Furniture vs Bermex... FIGHT!

Canadel vs Bermex

Canadel Furniture and Bermex Dining are two competing dining furniture lines.  They are both made in Canada and they both have nice products.  If you are in the market and can’t decide which of these manufactures fit your needs best, maybe I can help.
Quality of Finish: Both companies have a Catalyzed finish. Bermex features a catalyzed varnish where Canadel has a catalyzed lacquer.  Most experts will tell you that a varnish is better, but it is usually thinner than the lacquer. Bermex +1

Quality of Table Construction: Both companies use a high-quality birch.  However, Canadel uses anti-warp boards on the underside of the table top. Canadel +1
Quality of Chair Construction: This one is a wash in my opinion.  You can expect the chair to last a lifetime (if not abused) from either manufacture.  EVEN
Fabric Options: Canadel-over 300   Bermex-186 Canadel +.5

Wood Finish Options: Candel-120   Bermex-114 EVEN
Shipping Time: This varies quite a bit.  Depending on the time of year you may wait 3 weeks or over 2 months.  Canada has a mandatory shut down for the factories every summer, and the timing depends on where your custom set is in the production cycle. EVEN
Style Options: Both factories have several options on table shape, table size, chairs, buffets and hutches.  I side with Canadel on this one because of their Udesign software that lets you create your combination and it displays it to you on their website. Canadel +1
Price: Both companies are pricey, but well worth the value.  This furniture, if cared for, will last for generations.  Canadel in general is a little less expensive, but they also have a Champlain collection that is higher than Bermex.  Canadel +.5
So, according to my formula here Canadel wins by 2. So, why do I have a Bermex table, chairs and buffet in my dining room at home? Because they had the look that I wanted.  You can look for opinions of everyone you know and it won’t matter.  Go with the set and manufacture that you like best and you’ll be happy with it, after all you’re the one that get to eat there.

Floor Protection, Chair Longevity

So let's take a look at how to make your chairs last longer and at the same time protect your floor. Watch this video on how to do that.

Update: All Four on the Floor!

Reposting as a favor to all of our friends at Chairs Quick (http://chairs-quick.com)

How many times have you heard it from mom when you're sitting at the kitchen table and you lean back in one of your chairs to have only two chair legs touching, and she says, "Four on the floor!" Well there is actually something to that old saying. Safety aside, some in the furniture industry estimate that you will lessen the life of that chair. Some estimate 50-75% of the life a chair is lost when you regularly lean back. Of course the heavier we Americans get the less likely our chairs will hold out like they did for grandma, especially when we jeopardize the structural integrity by leaning back on two legs.