When choosing what wood to go with for your dining table, there are many factors to consider. Let’s discuss all of the factors to take into consideration here.
Factors like size, and surrounding space all play an important factor with what’s the most durable wood to consider.
It would be a shame to purchase a dining table only to find out after a few short months that it doesn’t stand up to normal wear very well. This is why we wanted to address all those factors here.
Sometimes a larger table can look best with walnut, compared to the same style looking best with a different wood when choosing a smaller size.
Most of our dining tables are made with solid hardwoods and will all be durable enough stand the test of time for years to come. However, there are some significant factors to consider when choosing which wood is most durable for your dining table.
Durability of wood is measured by the “janka hardness scale” (link to a janka hardness scale)
The hardest wood on the Janka Hardness scale is Australian Buloke at 5,060 lbf and the softest is balsa wood at around 70 lbf.
The Janka hardness scale, used to determine whether or not a wood species is suitable for furniture, is the primary test for measuring wood’s resistance to wear and dentability. How does the test work? The Janka test measures the force required to embed an 11.28mm steel ball halfway into a piece of wood. The higher the amount of force needed, the higher the Janka score and the more durable the wood.
We usually do not recommend any hardwood less than 900 on the scale. Cherry will be towards the lower end, coming in right around 950 lbf while white oak is closer to 1300 lbf.
Maple is going to be on the higher end due to its straighter grain patterns with less knots.
While durability is the most important factor when considering a long lasting wood, there are some other considerations as we find out about them below.
DESIGN
Design is most likely the most important factor to consider in your dining table. There is not a single more important statement piece in your kitchen and dining rooms than the dining table.
We can put any base with any top, so don’t hesitate to reach out with any design considerations for us to take into account when building your dining table.
Color plays the most significant role here. WHen looking for a more neutral and muted table, we recommend white oak or maple. Both of these hardwoods are clean and very straight grain patterns.
Walnut will be more of a show-stopper. It is warm and unique. Unlike any other hardwood available.
Cherry hardwood is always a classic. This wood is warm and its reddish brown hues can play really in certain spaces.
SIZE
Size and design specifications are often close enough but there are some factors we wanted to mention here that are distinguishable enough to take into consideration.
Not all wood looks great in a bigger size. Sometimes a bigger table will look better with a more muted grain. And often, a smaller table can look great with a more characteristic wood like walnut.
Reach out to us here if you would like to start the dialog around what wood will look best for the size of your table. We would love to make the table of your dreams that you long to be at day after day.
USE
A more heavily used table would go best with hickory or white oak. When looking for a more unique dining table, we recommend considering walnut. Either common walnut or #1 grade walnut will provide a unique table that will be a joy to sit at for years to come.
Most hardwoods will do well under normal wear and tear but we recommend white oak and hickory the most in this category.
SUNLIGHT
One factor with dining tables is the light that will land on the table. Are there many windows around the dining space? Are they southern facing where sunlight will hit the table for many hours each day?
Sunlight can either wreak havoc on a hardwood or help it age better over its life. Some woods to consider when taking sunlight into account are maple and hickory. These 2 hardwood options will play really well with sunlight and not age poorly.
If you are looking for a walnut or cherry dining table, we add in a UV prohibitor to our finish process to help these woods stand a fighting chance against the sun taking its toll.
As you can see by now, there are many things to factor in when considering the most durable wood for your dining table. We tackled a few of the most important ones we continually answer for customers.
We thought it would be helpful to approach this question with a few things in mind, overall, instead of just telling you what the hardest wood is.
Sometimes the hardest wood isn’t always the best to choose.
As always, never a chore if you have any questions about your dining table and what hardwood is the most durable choice. We would love to help.
