Replacing the top of your garden table: how to go about it
Has your garden table top warped or weathered while the base still stands firm? How to check the base, measure the new top and choose a material that can stay outdoors.
Has the top of your garden table warped, cracked or weathered while the base still stands firm? Then you do not need a whole new table. A new table top on the existing base works, provided you check four things first.
Quick guide
- Base sturdy, straight and free of rust: just a new top.
- Base wobbles, rusts through or carries little weight: a new top with a new base.
- Least upkeep outdoors: ceramic. Real natural stone: granite.
When is a new top worth it?
A garden table top is usually replaced for one of these reasons. The wood has warped or cracked, the slats have come loose, or mould grows on the underside where water collects.
With a plastic or glass top it is often the look: faded by the sun or full of scratches. In all these cases the top is worn out, while the base can often last for years.
Taking the old top off
Undo the fixings first and lift the top off with two people. Then clean the top of the base, so you can see where the new top will rest.
This is also the moment to photograph the fixing points. On an empty frame you see best how the top is supported.
Step 1: check the base
First check whether the base stands straight and sturdy: press on the corners and see whether it wobbles.
Then look for rust, loose welds and bent legs. A base that is already in poor shape will not improve with a heavier top.
Can your base carry a stone top?
A ceramic or granite top is heavier than wood. A base made for a light wooden or glass top is not automatically suitable for it.
Look at the support: does the frame carry the top only on the legs, or along a rim or crossbars? If in doubt, send photos of the top of the base and the fixing points.
Step 2: measure the new top
Measure the old top in length and width, in millimetres. Then measure the base: the outer size of the frame and the position of the fixing points.
If you want the top larger than the old one, allow 700 to 750 mm of table edge per person. For six people, three on each long side, that is a top of 2100 to 2250 mm long.
Measuring checklist
- Length and width of the old top.
- Outer size of the base.
- Shape: rectangular, round or oval.
- Photos of the top of the base and the fixing points.
Step 3: choose a material that can stay outdoors
Outdoors a top gets rain, frost and sun. Not every material can handle that, and that is usually why the old top needs replacing.
Ceramic table top for outdoors
Ceramic is frost resistant according to EN ISO 10545-12 and absorbs less than 0.1 % water. It is UV resistant, so the colour does not fade in the sun.
Sealing is not needed and neither is a cover. Ceramic comes in 29 colours, 12 mm or 20 mm thick.
The drawback: it is heavy, and a hard knock on the edge can cause a chip. More about that in the disadvantages of a ceramic table.
Granite table top for outdoors
Granite is real natural stone with its own pattern in every top, 30 mm thick and at most 2400 × 1000 mm. It can stand outside.
Granite needs sealing on arrival and again every two to three years. Use a pH-neutral cleaner and always put a hot pan on a trivet.
And a wooden top?
Many garden tables had a wooden top, and that is often the one that is now warped or grey. Oak and walnut are not suitable for outdoor use; those tops are made for indoors only.
If you want a top outdoors that stays the same for years, ceramic or granite is the choice.
| Ceramic | Granite | Oak or walnut | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outdoors | Yes, in winter too | Yes | No |
| Care | Damp cloth | Seal on arrival and every 2 to 3 years | Indoors only |
| Sun | Does not fade | Natural stone, own pattern | Indoors only |
| Thickness | 12 or 20 mm | 30 mm | 40 mm |
| Colours | 29 | 4 types | Stained in the chosen colour |
Step 4: a top only or a complete table?
If the base is sound, order just a top from the outdoor table tops. You set the size to the millimetre and see the price straight away.
If you are unsure about the base, send the measurements and photos before you order. An existing base is not automatically suitable for a heavy ceramic or granite top.
A new base as well
If the old frame is worn out, choose a new custom stainless steel base or a steel base. Stainless steel 304 is naturally corrosion resistant; a steel base gets an extra primer layer under the powder coating for outdoor use.
Steel with primer and stainless steel can both stand outside; on steel, damage to the coating can start to rust. Both bases are welded in the workshop in Maasbree.
Rather a whole garden table?
Top and base together are under the ceramic garden tables, the granite garden tables and the stainless steel garden tables. Matching chairs are under garden chairs.
Choosing a colour and delivery
Daylight changes a colour more than you would think. Order material samples and lay them on your terrace before you choose.
Tables, table tops and bases are delivered within 4 weeks, or at a lower rate within 8 weeks. Collection in Maasbree is also possible, and in the showroom you see the materials for real.
