Best protection for hardwood table

[Nappa283]

Hello,

We have a hardwood dining room table (solid oak) which up till now has been covered by a practical, but not beautiful, plastic cover. We’d like to be able to have the table uncovered but it is bare untreated wood - we’re wondering what others have done and found to be both durable and easily maintained (if these are indeed both possible?!).
As it’s a dinning room table, some food and drink is likely to be spilt even with using place mats and similar.
Thanks

 

[domdee]

glass top perhaps?

 

[Nappa283]

Thanks domdee for your reply,

I had thought about a glass top - easy to clean and you still get to see the wood. The missus isn’t as keen... why? apparently ‘because’ is a perfectly legitimate response

 

[JohnD]

solid oak can be oiled and waxed. This will give your partner something to do every day after blackleading the grates and scrubbing the front doorstep.

Most woods could be treated with a matt (not gloss) varnish. I find the "diamond" floor varnishes very durable. For some reason I don't recall, oak is traditionally not varnished.

Glass table tops are reputedly indicators of cultural or social background.

 

[Nappa283]

Thanks JohnD,

I’ll pass on your recommendations to the missus. If I suddenly stop replying to any future posts, it’s almost certainly due to a new patio appearing in the back garden (and me under it).

I do like the idea of a glass top and I’ve used oil for oak for outdoor projects to good effect but I’m not sure about the food and drink aspect as the Osmo Oil I’ve used definitely wasn’t for indoor use