Garden tables

Garden tables: outdoor design and extendable models

People have always set up living rooms and dining areas even outside their home. However, in the past, garden tables and outdoor furniture did not exist as we understand them today: simply, indoor furnishings were transferred to the outside to recreate the same comforts as the interiors. As you can imagine, this solution was not at all functional, mainly because the wood of these furnishings was not able to resist atmospheric agents, primarily humidity.

Over time, the need to specifically create garden furniture made of multiple materials, weatherproof and also used for balconies, terraces, verandas has made its way. In particular, garden tables are among the most loved and sold outdoor furniture because among the most loved activities there are outdoor lunches and dinners and, as for the dining area inside the house, even the en plein air one wants its part in terms of aesthetics.

The position of a garden table is important and it must be assessed before purchasing: it is easy to imagine a table under a porch not suffering the action of rain or frost, while a pool lounger is easy to face invasive atmospheric agents.

Garden tables: Types and features

Garden tables are not only used to eat meals in the company of relatives and friends. Indeed, many of us also use it to carry out chores or activities such as studying or a pleasant game of cards. As already said, garden tables are indispensable if you have a large balcony, a terrace or a garden, but choosing the most suitable one is indispensable for this furniture to last over time, especially if we talk about spaces such as a garden without roofs any kind like marquees or gazebos.

There are many factors to consider and needs to evaluate before buying a garden table. Style and materials are decisive elements to better enjoy the outdoor spaces, so it is necessary to find the right compromise between the two.

As with modern and indoor design tables, even a garden table can be fixed, with four, six or eight seats, or an extendable garden table, which allows you to expand its sizes if necessary. The shapes are so varied that it is possible to set up your own outdoor dining area and make it suitable to your needs. There are garden tables with an oval, rectangular, square or circular top, which in turn can be made with a smooth or decorated surface. Obviously a garden table is useless if without seats, better if made in the same material as the outdoor table.

For fixed garden tables, we recommend the brands: BONTEMPI - CATTELAN ITALIA - NARDI - SCAB - SERRALUNGA - SLIDE - TWENTYFIRST LIVINGART

For extendable garden tables, we recommend the brands: NARDI - SCAB

The best materials for outdoor tables

If we talk about materials, then it is good to choose a garden table, but this also applies to outdoor furniture in general (chairs, deckchairs, armchairs, tables etc.), which is made with high quality materials, which guarantee durability and resistance. Over the decades, the manufacture of outdoor furniture has evolved by focusing on design and quality of materials: today you can find design garden tables that stand out for the sober and elegant lines, perfect for setting up gardens and terraces in the name of absolute elegance, as well as resistant to temperatures and bad weather.

It should also be considered that both with regard to the type of garden table and the material used for production, the price  is decisive for understanding the costs that can be faced.

Among the best materials for garden tables we find:

- Wood: it is a very popular material in all areas of use. In outdoor furniture, wood can be extremely functional, especially if you choose essences such as Taek. It is a type of wood from Asia and the forests of Latin America, known for its high resistance to the action of water and the consequent ability to maintain colour and brilliance unaltered. Still, we find larch as very suitable for use as wood for outdoor furniture because it is compact and with insulating qualities, but attention to humidity and mold, sworn enemies of this wood.

For wooden garden tables, we recommend: SERRALUNGA

- Steel: it is an alloy consisting of iron and carbon (the latter not exceeding 2.6%), treated with a galvanizing process so that it does not undergo corrosion by atmospheric agents. A steel garden table will have features such as handling and robustness, but despite being treated with anti-rust, care must be taken not to damage the surface with chipping, otherwise rust will inevitably form.

For steel garden tables, we recommend the brands: BONTEMPI - CATTELAN ITALIA - DRIADE - SERRALUNGA

- Glass: this material, in spite of what you can imagine, is also used to furnish spaces en plain air: obviously you should not expect tables of this type completely made of glass just like many models of design tables. The glass is used only for the shelf which, as you know, will be so delicate with respect to impacts, but not to atmospheric agents. At least not in the short term. In any case, care must be taken with specific products for the glass, which remove water stains and dust.

For glass garden tables, we recommend: SLIDE

- Ceramics: another timeless classic are the garden tables with ceramic top. Usually these are small coffee tables, ideal for decorating balconies and terraces. Ceramics can be treated with detergents that are used for cleaning inner coatings. The only drawback: they generally have a cast iron structure, so they are not easy to move.

For ceramic garden tables, we recommend: CATTELAN ITALIA

- Aluminum: it is one of the most popular materials in the field of outdoor furniture. Aluminum today is made with cutting-edge die-casting technologies, which improve its quality and aesthetics. Having an aluminum garden table means having a solid, handy, immune to oxidation furniture.

For garden tables in aluminum, we recommend the brands: DRIADE - NARDI - SCAB

- Polyethylene: this material is also known in the form of initials (PE) and it is a derivative of plastic materials. Polyethylene is one of the most used synthetic polymers of the last decades in many fields, including garden furniture. It has insulating properties that make it perfect for being outdoors, even in contact with water, humidity or sunlight.

For polyethylene garden tables, we recommend the brands: DRIADE - PLUST - SERRALUNGA - SLIDE - TWENTYFIRST LIVINGART