Let’s face it, after the lockdown, all of us have a new-found appreciation for outdoor spaces in our homes. And whether you have a small city terrace or a whole outdoor garden, there is nothing that can make an outdoor space shine like the right choice of furniture. And with their compact size, excellent design, and versatility, there is no better choice for outdoor furniture than a natural wood bar table.
But with so many material and size choices available, choosing the right one can be a bit of a task. This is why, in this article, we will guide you through all the questions you need to answer so you can choose the perfect wood bar table for your outdoor spaces.
What Do You Want It For?
The first decision you need to make when planning for an outdoor wood bar table is what you’re going to use it as since that will determine the size, type, cost, and materials of the table you’ll eventually get. For example, if you’re looking to make yourself an outdoor bar, you’ll be looking toward the more stylish but smaller side of things.
But, by comparison, if you want to use a bar table as part of an outdoor dining set, a small one simply won’t suffice. Another thing to consider is how many people will be using it, and how frequently it will be used. All of these will factor into the size and quality of the table you’re looking for.
What Kind is Right for You?
Once you know what you’re going to be using the table for, you can then pick what kind you need. The most obvious choice is a standard, rectangular, high table with a couple of stools next to it. Then there are other shapes you can get, with circles becoming more popular because of their versatile design and increased counter space.
And if you have enough space and don’t need anything that is refined, you can go for a DIY wood bar top on a simple frame. In fact, that is not even the only DIY approach as an increasingly trendy approach is to use giant wooden spools placed on their sides as tables, which not only look trendy but are an effective use of usually cheap materials.
What Size Should You Get?
Having selected the kind of table you need, the next, and probably most important thing you need to select is the size of the table you want to buy. Now, this is something that can vary wildly, but it’s actually pretty easy to narrow down if you follow the right steps.
As a rule of thumb, standard bar tables are around 40 inches tall, 24 inches wide, and 60 inches long. This allows them to seat at most around 3 people with enough space to have a few drinks. However, that is not ideal for a few reasons.
First, the 24-inch width is not enough to comfortably hold food and other items, and secondly, the height, although fine for stand-alone applications, for example, as a simple outdoor table, is not ideal if you want to pair your table with other pieces of furniture like outdoor sofas and grills.
This is why we would recommend that you go with a table in the 36 to 40 inches tall, and 28 to 36-inch wide range so you can actually get some use out of it.
What Material Should It Be?
Like with all other pieces of furniture, picking the right material for patio outdoor decor is very important as it impacts not only the table’s longevity but also how it will match with the rest of your home furniture.
The exact choice of material will obviously depend on your budget, the weather conditions in your area, and also the kind of table you chose, but as a rule of thumb, you should be avoiding softwoods like spruce and instead focus more on harder, weather-resistant woods like oak, acacia, cedar, and teak.
It is also good practice to look for compound tables that combine different materials, for example, by having a metal frame but a wooden countertop, or a wooden construction with a glass inlay, which adds durability and style to your wood bar table.
How Much Will You Pay?
As with any decorative piece of furniture, especially one that requires special construction and treatment, outdoor bar tables aren’t always super cheap, but you can still end up getting a good deal out of them if you make the right choice.
One important thing to consider when budgeting is whether you’re going to buy a table on its own, or if you want to go for a proper outdoor bar set. Depending on your choice, you could end up paying 2 or 3 times more.
It is also important not to underpay, as with cheap finishes, these furniture pieces can end up costing you a lot more down the line in maintenance and repair. Overall, keep a decent budget in mind and remember to look at a lot of options before you make your choice.
Bottom Line
All in all, while the selection of the perfect wood bar table for your outdoor space requires careful consideration, as long as you keep the things we’ve mentioned in mind, you should be able to find the right table for you in no time.
And that covers our guide on choosing the wood bar table. We hope you found the guide helpful, and if you did, remember to share this with your friends. With that, stay curious, guys, and thanks for reading.
FAQs
Q: How much maintenance does an outdoor wood bar table require?
A: Although the maintenance required for an outdoor wood bar table depends on the material used and state of storage, if you use good quality materials and plain rain covers, you will only need to clean and maintain your furniture once every 12-18 months.
Q: How long do outdoor tables last?
While this can vary wildly depending on how they are treated as well as their construction and maintenance, with adequate care, good patio furniture can easily last more than 15 years.
Q: What protective coatings should an outdoor wooden table have?
Most outdoor tables have to be protected against water, dust, and even UV light, so wooden pieces require extensive protection, which usually takes the form of polyurethane coats, weather-resistant paints, resins, or traditional varnishes and lacquers.
Q: Can I repair my own outdoor wood tables?
Yes, it is possible and quite easy to conduct minor repairs like splinters, small cracks, and separated legs using common household tools. That being said, you will need to hire the help of a professional woodworker for more complex repairs like fixing structural damage or extensive rot.
Q: Can I use an indoor wood bar table for my outdoor space?
Indoor wood bar tables are usually not built with an outdoor space in mind, and as such don’t have the required protection or construction that can withstand the elements, and so should not be used in outdoor spaces. Make sure to choose a table specifically designed for outdoor use.
