Care center / Tables / Live edge & single slab tops
Tables
Live edge & single slab tops
A live edge top is one board from one tree, so it behaves like a tree: it takes on and gives off moisture with the seasons. None of that is a defect, and almost all of it is manageable once you know what you are looking at.
Seasonal movement
Expect a wide slab to gain and lose a few millimetres across its width between a humid August and a dry January. Our tops are fixed to their bases with slotted hardware that lets this happen without splitting the board — never replace those fixings with rigid screws.
Keep the room between roughly 40% and 60% relative humidity. If your winters are very dry, a humidifier in the same room does more for the table than any polish.
The epoxy fills
Natural voids, knots and old checks are filled with clear epoxy before finishing. The fill is harder than the wood around it, so over years it can end up standing a hair proud as the timber moves. A light sand with 320 grit and a wipe of oil brings it level again.
The edge itself
The bark is off and the edge is sealed, but it is still the outside of a tree — knock a chair into it hard enough and it will chip. Dust it with a soft brush rather than a cloth, which snags on the texture.
Give the edge the same annual coat of oil as the top. It absorbs more than the flat surface, so do not be surprised if it drinks two passes.
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