I finally got the dining room table I have wanted for years and I hate it. It has a 6' round glass top and it is always smudged. To make matters worse, the chairs are on casters so we end up grabbing the edges of the table to pull ourselves to the table so it is also smudged under the table to. I keep a table cloth on it all the time now and it is hard to say which is more trouble keeping clean.
So, I was wondering if a frosted glass top would be a bit better? Does anyone have one that could answer that? On the same thought, could I do that myself with an orbital sander?
Ain't this always the way? Let me tell you about my brass bed...
Can the glass be removed? Or is it enclosed in moldings?
Of course, a regularly-used table, whether high-sheen wood or glass is bound to get smudgy. People! That's the problem! Get rid of the people, and everything can remain pristine (dusty, but not smudgy).
Remove casters from chairs? But then you'll have scoot-marks on the floor/carpet/whatever. I would say that fingermarks on the
*underside* of a table wouldn't be at the top of my list, but your priorities may be different.
Table coverings include cloths, placemats, and placemats on cloths. If you can't tolerate *any* smudges on glass or evidence of use on cloth, you are in trouble. The business of living is inherently messy. I would suggest a few easily washable, perm-press tablecloths
Frosted/pebbled glass is probably a lot *harder* to keep clean. It may not show fingerprints, but *anything* that spills will be more difficult to remove thoroughly.
If you can bear it, there are many styles of vinyl 'oilcloth' fabrics and cloths that appear to be fairly easy-clean.
Frosted glass would probably be a bit better, but would show oily spots from your fingers. You might try looking for film that can be applied to the bottom of the glass to give it a frosted appearance. If you don't like it, the film could be removed. Another alternative for DIY frosting is to use some etching gel on it (available from craft stores). If only the edge is a problem you could mask off the center and etch just the edge. You could also stencil a design on the bottom with the etching gel -- maybe a pattern that you could pull from some fabric or area rug.
I like the idea of sand etching the glass. I don't know if you should do the top of underneath side--I think you'll have to experiment on a piece of glass--I think it'll look GREAT!!
I think that sanding the glass will just result in a lot of random, inconsistent scratches. If deep enough, the scratches could end up propagating a break in the glass. I would definitely experiment first. I still think that the etching solution would produce a better result. If the table is high-end, I would take it to a shop and have them sand blast or etch it.
I passed a shop today that specialised in etching. Some of the glass on display looked lovely. meanwhile up in my attic I have a piece of antique glass that has been painted with Victorian figures, I don't know what type of paint has been used but it looks ok and seems durable
Ahh. The light dawns. It's not a table with glass on top, but a table thats top *is* glass. Which explains why underneath fingermarks are a problem. Good luck with it.
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