• Looking after your Norrgavel dining table

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    Facts & general advice about our dining tables

    Here we’ve put together some useful facts and advice about our solid wood dining tables. Find the answers to questions such as: Why does the shape and size of the gap between the table tops change over time? Are there any good tips on the easiest way to make extendable tables bigger or smaller? What’s the best way of storing my extra leaves? What do I do with the extra supporting leg when I don’t need it? Can I do anything to make the wooden extension mechanism move more smoothly?


    Table top gaps

    Norrgavel’s dining tables, with their space for extra leaves, clearly show that wood is a living material. You can tell this because the surfaces where the leaves join can become convex or concave depending on the time of year/humidity. When there is high humidity (in Scandinavia this is usually in the summer), the table swells more quickly closest to the edges. This means there will be a wider gap in the middle, while close to the edges the gap will be tight or even non-existent. In dry weather (in the Scandinavian winter), the opposite happens and you get a concave gap, which means there will be a visible gap at the edges of the table but the table tops will meet in the middle. It’s fascinating to see how solid wood moves with the seasons.

    Frame gap

    Solid wood is an exclusive natural material that lives and changes with the seasons. Because of this, the Round Dining Table is designed with a gap in the frame which prevents the table top from shrinking inside the frame when humidity is low. In low humidity conditions, the gap in the frame will reduce, while it will be at its widest when humidity is high. Working with solid wood takes a great deal of expertise and well thought-out technical design solutions – it’s a unique material! And this is where a lot of the charm of solid wood comes in, compared with veneer furniture, say.

    Extending your table

    Don’t lift the ends of the table up when pulling the table apart as there is a risk the extra leaf will wedge itself stuck. The easiest way of pulling the table apart is to pull each short end straight back (not sideways), with the whole table top on a horizontal plane. With the right technique, it will easily slide apart – try it out and practise and get to know your table. Bear in mind the fact that wood is a “living” material and how easy it is to pull the table apart or push it together will depend on the surrounding humidity level on that particular day. You can think of it as if your table has its own moods – on some days it’s happy to cooperate and on others it’s a bit stubborn. It’s all part of the charm of surrounding yourself with furniture made from natural materials.

    Note! Don’t keep the supporting leg folded down when pulling the table apart/pushing it together as it can get stuck against the floor or carpet and be damaged.

    EXTENDABLE TABLE

    Remember! Unscrew the wing nuts when extending the table and tighten them once the extra leaf is inserted.

    WIDE DINING TABLE

    The assembly instructions contain information/pictures that show how to pull the table apart, fold down the supporting leg and tighten and close the latches.

    ROUND DINING TABLE

    Make sure you tighten and close the latches on the table – when the extra leaf is being used and when it isn’t. See separate assembly instructions.

    Extension mechanism

    Our dining tables are made of solid wood and in our Wide Dining Table & Round Dining Table, even the extension mechanism is designed on traditional lines in wood (instead of metal as is common in newer tables). Wood shrinks and swells with the seasons, and friction is also created when wood moves against wood. To make it easier to pull the table apart when adding or removing extra leaves, we recommend rubbing all the moving parts of the extension mechanism with an ordinary candle. Shape the end of the candle with a knife so that you can get into the tracks of the extension mechanism too. Repeat as necessary – how frequently you will need to add a new layer of candle wax will depend on how often you pull apart the table and push it together as it will wear away every time you slide the runners against each other.

    Storing extra leaves

    Store your extra leaves in a place with as little variation in humidity and temperature as possible to avoid the wood cracking. Extra leaves must not be stored directly on a concrete floor because concrete floors are often damp and the wood will absorb the moisture from the floor. If the extra leaves are stored in a dark place while the table is in daylight, you will usually see differences between the colour of the table and the extra leaf over time.
    Two extra leaves can be stored inside the Extendable Table and the Wide Dining Table.

    Supporting leg

    The design of the Round Dining Table and Wide Dining Table means they come with supporting legs. Always use the supporting leg when the extra leaf is fitted, otherwise the extra leaf will place too heavy a load on the structure of the table and there’s a risk it will be damaged. However, you don’t need to use the supporting leg when there is no extra leaf fitted. Don’t keep the supporting leg folded down when pulling the table apart/pushing it together as it can get stuck against the floor or carpet and be damaged.

    Solid wood furniture

    Here at Norrgavel, we love using solid wood for our furniture – it’s a living, hardwearing and uniquely beautiful natural material. No two pieces of furniture are identical, precisely because every individual tree leaves its own unique imprint on every piece of furniture. 

    Dining tables & kitchen tables

    A kitchen table is so much more than somewhere to eat. It’s where you come together for special occasions and everyday socialising. A place that is ultra-visible and used several times a day.

    Manufacturing & materials

    Ever since the start in 1993, Norrgavel has consistently chosen to manufacture furniture from pure natural materials created with the help of photosynthesis.

    Chairs & benches

    We have a wide range of comfortable chairs, stools and benches to be used across the home for different purposes.

    Surface treatment & furniture paint

    Most of our furniture allows you to choose between different surface treatments. We mainly use “open” furniture treatments that allow the wood to continue to live and breathe, such as egg oil tempera, soap, oil and white oil.