Caring for Wooden Table Slides
Table slides are an integral part of extendable tables. Without them, you lose the ability to extend your table and make room for extra guests, as well as the ability to condense your table down after guests have left. But once you have them, you also want to maintain them. Here are 5 ways to properly care for your table slides.
1. Keep excess moisture out of the slides’ inner workings
If you have a spill at your dinner table, be sure to clean it up before it drips down through the cracks between your table top and leaves or gets into your slides’ inner workings. If that happens, your slides can become sticky and their function may be affected.
2. If you’re making your own table, be mindful of how you seal your slides
When sealing slides, it’s important to be mindful of the slides’ inner workings. Some sealant is okay, but too much can damage them. If the sealant you use gets into the inner workings, it can interfere with the slides’ ability to function. Depending on how much sealant gets in there, they could even end up glued together and completely non-functional! We do not recommend using glue on table slides as it can interfere with the slide mechanism.
3. Use appropriate cleaners and lubricants
If something does end up spilling and getting into your table slides, it’s important to use the appropriate kinds of cleaners and lubricants. Wood soaps or cleaners are recommended, as well as lubricants such as a light wax to help improve movement. Using inappropriate cleaners may end up leaving a waxy or sticky build-up that could make the problem worse instead of better.
4. Our slides are NOT recommended for outdoor use
If you’re building an extending table that’s intended for outdoor use, our slides are not ideal. In order to use them outdoors, they would need to be sealed thoroughly, but in order to properly seal them for outdoor use, you’d run into the same issue as in #2.
5. Replace your slide if it’s beyond repair
If you’ve tried everything you can think of, but your slides just won’t work the way you’d like them to, then there’s always the option of replacing them. We offer different kinds of slides to accommodate your needs so be sure you are using the correct slide type:
- Standard slides – for tables with a base that moves with the table top as it opens (such as 4-legged tables)
- Equalizer slides – for tables with a stationary base (such as pedestal tables)
- Standard Equalizing slides – for 4-legged tables that require a 5th support leg in the middle
- Breadboard table slides – used to create breadboard end extensions rather than extending the entire table.
You can check out our full selection of slides at the links above, and for more information on choosing your slides you can view our table slide information page.
Have questions about our slides? Contact us today! You can email [email protected], or call 800-849-8876 and talk to one of our friendly customer service representatives.