Protect Your Glass Conference Table from Chips and Scratches

We hope you have never had the sinking feeling of looking at your glass conference table or glass dining table and discovering a chip in the edge or scratch in the surface. Unfortunately, once a chip or scratch has occurred, there's usually no way to repair it. In most cases your options are to conceal the scratch or replace the glass.

That's why it's important to protect your glass table and avoid chips or scratches in the first place. For the most part, this is simply common sense. Avoid roughhousing near the table, or dropping heavy or sharp objects on the glass top. If you have small children in your home, consider padding the edges of the table with foam. This will protect both the table and your children! You can always remove the padding when you have guests.

If you have to move a large object on the glass top, for instance a laser printer or desktop computer sitting on a glass desk, lift and carry it rather than dragging or pushing it across the surface. If this is impossible -- for example it is a home office, you live alone and it's just too darn heavy -- place the heavy object on a sturdy cloth and pull the cloth. Never allow a heavy or sharp object to scrape across the surface of the glass.

If you have objects with sharp edges which you need to place on your glass table, place them on a cloth rather than directly on the glass. If this happens often, for instance a family dining table where you do kitchen prep work or set kitchen tools, make sure there is always a cloth or pad on the table. You can use a table runner or placemats to incorporate the protective cloth into your room decor.

Your chair selection matters as well. Metal backed chairs can easily chip the edge of a glass table top if they are not properly padded. Before you buy those sophisticated metal chairs to go with your glass table, imagine a rushed conference where people jump up from the table and push their chairs out of the way in a hurry. Or imagine tripping in your dining room and shoving a chair back against the edge of the table. Make sure all parts of the chair which come in contact with the table top are padded. (Any other metal furniture that moves -- a wheeled coffee stand or file cart, etc -- should also be padded or kept well away from the edge of a glass table.)

The steps above will go a long way towards protecting your glass table. If you do end up with a minor chip or scratch in your table, you can sometimes turn or move the table so the light does not catch the scratch and it isn't as noticeable. If the damage is too severe for that, well, there's always strategically placed coasters and potted plants.

Glass Conference Table Care: Tips to Protect Your Glass Table Top

A glass conference table is an investment which will pay off for years to come if properly cared for. Follow these easy tips to preserve the appearance of your glass conference table top.

Clear Glass: No special care is necessary with a clear glass table top. Simply clean the surface of the glass with glass cleaner and paper towels. Do not use abrasive cleansers or rough materials which might scratch the glass. If a sticky substance like wax, gum or tape residue is stuck to the glass, use a solvent to remove it or carefully scrape the substance away with a razor blade.

Frosted or "Scratched" Glass: If your glass table features a finish like Frosted glass or our "Scratched" glass, special care is required. The smooth side (usually the top) can be cleaned as above. But take care when handling and cleaning the treated side.

When necessary, wash the Frosted or "Scratched" surface gently with glass cleaner and a paper towel to remove finger prints and dirt. A solvent or degreasing kitchen cleanser should not be used on the Frosted or "Scratched" surface, as they can cut through the sealer and remove pigment. Also, aggressive rubbing or scrubbing can remove tiny particles of glass and pigment from the textured surface.

A difficult smudge or tape residue can be removed from the "Scratched" glass surface by picking out the dirt from the pores with the tip of an exacto knife. Remove debris from the glass with attention to the existing scratch pattern as you will be adding tiny new scratches.

Chips and Minor Damage: Nothing is more frustrating than to discover a scratch or chip in your prized glass table. Unfortunately, once the damage is done there isn't much you can do to repair it. In some conference rooms you may be able to turn or move the table so the scratch does not reflect sunlight and is less prominent. Glass finishes like our "Scratched" glass, and some frosted glass finishes, create a visual texture which helps trick the eye and mask minor scratches. If the scratch is large and your table top is in multiple sections, you may choose to replace the damaged section. And if all else fails ...there's always strategically placed coasters.

Moving Your Glass Conference Table: Always arrange to have adequate staff on hand to move your conference table. A large table top made of 3/4" thick glass is heavy! This is especially important when moving a frosted or "Scratched" glass top, as the movers should take care not to leave smudges on the textured surface of the glass. Movers who are straining under too heavy of a load will be so focused on not dropping the glass, they won't have the energy to mind their fingerprints. If the conference table is to be moved more than a few feet, or turned on its side (to go through a doorway or around a corner), use padded blankets to protect the glass.