Can I use a door as a table?
July 6, 2022 10:55 AM Subscribe
We are trying to get a tabletop that's approximately 36 inches wide and 70+ inches long to use as a both a dining table and a cutting table for sewing and doors fit that description. We have a set of height adjustable legs that attach with screws that we'd like to use with it. One idea we are considering is getting a solid door. Is that a workable idea and how do we find the right kind of door?
A lot of doors are bumpy -- they have decorative panels in them or carved sections -- and that's not great for a table. A lot of doors are hollow inside and that won't work with attaching the legs, but it seems like sometimes you can get "solid core" doors, as well. We want a flat / smooth door, that is made of solid something (not necessarily solid wood, veneer over MDF or whatever doors are made of when they aren't hollow would be fine), which has a finished surface if possible, but doesn't have holes drilled into it for a door handle to fit in.
Question 1 is: is this a workable idea or is there some reason why doors don't work for this purpose?
Question 2: how do I search and find doors that will work for a tabletop -- are there specific keywords I should be using? Or do you have any (relatively inexpensive) suggestions available in Vancouver, BC?
Question 3: Is there another alternative we're not thinking of? Finding tabletops that are big enough for this seems really difficult, especially with supply chain problems. We've also looked at kitchen island countertops, but all the wood veneer ones we're able to find online have terrible reviews about them cracking and breaking in pieces after a few months, and they usually require a complicated finishing routine to keep them oiled every month until hell freezes over which is not ideal.
A lot of doors are bumpy -- they have decorative panels in them or carved sections -- and that's not great for a table. A lot of doors are hollow inside and that won't work with attaching the legs, but it seems like sometimes you can get "solid core" doors, as well. We want a flat / smooth door, that is made of solid something (not necessarily solid wood, veneer over MDF or whatever doors are made of when they aren't hollow would be fine), which has a finished surface if possible, but doesn't have holes drilled into it for a door handle to fit in.
Question 1 is: is this a workable idea or is there some reason why doors don't work for this purpose?
Question 2: how do I search and find doors that will work for a tabletop -- are there specific keywords I should be using? Or do you have any (relatively inexpensive) suggestions available in Vancouver, BC?
Question 3: Is there another alternative we're not thinking of? Finding tabletops that are big enough for this seems really difficult, especially with supply chain problems. We've also looked at kitchen island countertops, but all the wood veneer ones we're able to find online have terrible reviews about them cracking and breaking in pieces after a few months, and they usually require a complicated finishing routine to keep them oiled every month until hell freezes over which is not ideal.
Looks like you have 3 Habitat for Humanity ReStores in the greater Vancouver BC area, and probably a number of other surplus/recycled building materials places. When I've needed something like this I've gone to one of those places (we have one associated with our local waste transfer (aka "dump") station, and a Habitat ReStore, and a few surplus yards) and dug through their door selection 'til I found something suitable to purpose.
And last time I picked up one, gas to and from cost more than the door...
Also, often the edges on hollow-core doors are solid deep enough that 3 of your 4 door leg screws will hold just fine, and that may be sufficient to your purpose. Ikea sells a table that's essentially this.
posted by straw at 11:09 AM on July 6, 2022 [10 favorites]
And last time I picked up one, gas to and from cost more than the door...
Also, often the edges on hollow-core doors are solid deep enough that 3 of your 4 door leg screws will hold just fine, and that may be sufficient to your purpose. Ikea sells a table that's essentially this.
posted by straw at 11:09 AM on July 6, 2022 [10 favorites]
I use an Ikea tabletop as my sewing table. At this point it's several years old so I don't know what model it is, but on the Ikea website I see Lagkapten, which is 78x23, and my experience with Ikea is that there's always a bigger selection in the store than online.
My tabletop has held up just fine -- now that I think about it, it's been in place for about 16-18 years. I'm sure there are more elegant solutions but this was cheap and easy for me.
posted by BlahLaLa at 11:11 AM on July 6, 2022 [2 favorites]
My tabletop has held up just fine -- now that I think about it, it's been in place for about 16-18 years. I'm sure there are more elegant solutions but this was cheap and easy for me.
posted by BlahLaLa at 11:11 AM on July 6, 2022 [2 favorites]
I've eaten or worked at many tables that began life as a door. They can be great!
If you can't find a used *unwarped* solid door, one option is to place a piece of tempered glass over a decorative door. That can look really cool; the church where my wife works has one made from the building's original door. However, the expense of sourcing the right glass at that size (tempered, edges smoothed, etc.) and getting it in place may be prohibitive.
Be aware that if you get a used one, it will almost certainly have at least one hole it in for the doorknob, plus maybe another for a lock. Also, it will have pockets for the hinges. If you're handy, those can be fixed in lots of ways.
Good luck with the project!
posted by Caxton1476 at 11:17 AM on July 6, 2022 [2 favorites]
If you can't find a used *unwarped* solid door, one option is to place a piece of tempered glass over a decorative door. That can look really cool; the church where my wife works has one made from the building's original door. However, the expense of sourcing the right glass at that size (tempered, edges smoothed, etc.) and getting it in place may be prohibitive.
Be aware that if you get a used one, it will almost certainly have at least one hole it in for the doorknob, plus maybe another for a lock. Also, it will have pockets for the hinges. If you're handy, those can be fixed in lots of ways.
Good luck with the project!
posted by Caxton1476 at 11:17 AM on July 6, 2022 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Unfortunately, IKEA is the place where we got the legs but we have been trying to get a wide tabletop or an island countertop from them for months and haven't been able to get one because of supply chain issues. They're simply never actually in stock.
posted by jacquilynne at 11:17 AM on July 6, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by jacquilynne at 11:17 AM on July 6, 2022 [2 favorites]
My desk has been 2 filing cabinets and a door for years!! My dad planed down the edge that faces me so it’s slightly rounded. For me it works great.
posted by capnsue at 11:24 AM on July 6, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by capnsue at 11:24 AM on July 6, 2022 [3 favorites]
Did this once, just got a solid core door (that's the search term) at the big orange home improvement store. I think it was < $60 USD for the door and they came in a couple sizes but that was a long time ago - prices are certainly different now. It was totally unfinished, both in terms of lacquer/shellac/etc. and in terms of mounting "stuff" (no holes for knobs or carveouts for hinges). You will want to put a finish on it if it's not finished already, but that can be fairly easy. (I did not do this and it was a mistake.) This setup lasted roughly 8 years or so. I only got rid of it due to a move; it wouldn't have worked in the new space (and lack of finish and my poor engineering of the leg setup was problematic).
Potential alternative: standing desk companies will just sell you a desktop. Uplift Desk has an 80x30 in their laminated desktop line. Other companies may do this. (I recall Flexispot being one but they don't seem to have any actually big ones in stock at the moment.) Quite a bit more money, though, but it'll be finished, will (probably) have some mount points for legs already (such as embedded metal screwdown points), and won't be as thick as a door.
posted by mrg at 11:30 AM on July 6, 2022 [3 favorites]
Potential alternative: standing desk companies will just sell you a desktop. Uplift Desk has an 80x30 in their laminated desktop line. Other companies may do this. (I recall Flexispot being one but they don't seem to have any actually big ones in stock at the moment.) Quite a bit more money, though, but it'll be finished, will (probably) have some mount points for legs already (such as embedded metal screwdown points), and won't be as thick as a door.
posted by mrg at 11:30 AM on July 6, 2022 [3 favorites]
Yeah, I grew up with a solid flat door as a table.
You could also use a not-flat door and get glass cut to cover it.
posted by greta simone at 11:32 AM on July 6, 2022 [2 favorites]
You could also use a not-flat door and get glass cut to cover it.
posted by greta simone at 11:32 AM on July 6, 2022 [2 favorites]
Seconding the suggestion to check out your local building salvage spots. I found what's now my desk at one of these spots. They had a TON of doors to look through, so you could find just what you need. Mine actually ended up being an ikea tabletop that they put in with the doors. It was covered in a sticky sap, but that came up nicely with a lot of rubbing alcohol.
posted by hydra77 at 11:36 AM on July 6, 2022
posted by hydra77 at 11:36 AM on July 6, 2022
Yeah, absolutely a thing. In addition to the ReStore (which is great), look at architectural salvage. It's hit or miss, but if you hit, it's awesome. And if you can't find a solid door, a glass top will smooth out the surface.
posted by kevinbelt at 11:37 AM on July 6, 2022
posted by kevinbelt at 11:37 AM on July 6, 2022
FYI I successfully turned a hollow door into a giant coffee table. There's enough solid wood around the edge for attaching legs, if they're the right kind of design. I did this because I happened to have a free hollow door which didn't fit any of the doorways in my flat (no idea why; it was in the garage when I bought it). I didn't want to spend a lot of money on legs, so I DIYed a simple design from some wooden planks, which also allowed me to ensure that all the screws were going into solid wood.
posted by confluency at 11:47 AM on July 6, 2022
posted by confluency at 11:47 AM on July 6, 2022
Depending on what tools you have or have available, making a veneer or laminate on MDF table/countertop is a pretty straightforward project and you can get whatever look you want.
posted by sevenless at 11:51 AM on July 6, 2022
posted by sevenless at 11:51 AM on July 6, 2022
Two other options worth considering are the salvage stuff area at Ikea (for big, flat things not originally intended as counter tops) or thick plywood. The hard part is making it not wobbly. Standing height with legs that don't have braces is very hard to do well. (Don't ask me how I know...)
posted by eotvos at 11:53 AM on July 6, 2022
posted by eotvos at 11:53 AM on July 6, 2022
Yes, this is definitely a thing that people do. I haven't, because I don't have the space for that big a desk/table, and I lucked out on a used Ikea table/desk for super cheap early in the pandemic.
Some family of mine have done the whole decorative resin-pour thing for countertops... I could see it being used in just "clear", to surface a door that you liked the looks of, but weren't quite satisfied with the smoothness of.
posted by stormyteal at 11:57 AM on July 6, 2022
Some family of mine have done the whole decorative resin-pour thing for countertops... I could see it being used in just "clear", to surface a door that you liked the looks of, but weren't quite satisfied with the smoothness of.
posted by stormyteal at 11:57 AM on July 6, 2022
If you can't readily find a solid core door but there's a hollow* core one that suits you, attaching the legs to a subframe is an easy option if you won't/can't mount the legs right at the corners where there's solid wood.
Four planks, an inch or so thick and as wide as the mounts for the legs, two as long as you want the legs to be apart lengthwise, the other two as the leg distance crosswise. Lay out the planks as a rectangle, shortest on top, and mount the legs at the corners (pointing up as the frame lies on the floor so that when you turn the frame over the door will be resting on the long planks).
If you want to fix the door to the frame you just use a gazillion screws so that you spread the load on each screw and the cardboard-ish door panel they bite into, else a set of bumps on the underside of the door to keep it from sliding around.
* usually there's a honeycomb core inside made of thin cardboard. This would allow marking the holes for the legs, drilling them, then filling each of the honeycomb chambers behind those holes with woodfiller putty or, cheaper, a woodglue/sawdust mass, and finally screwing the legs into that after it has cured.
posted by Stoneshop at 12:01 PM on July 6, 2022 [2 favorites]
Four planks, an inch or so thick and as wide as the mounts for the legs, two as long as you want the legs to be apart lengthwise, the other two as the leg distance crosswise. Lay out the planks as a rectangle, shortest on top, and mount the legs at the corners (pointing up as the frame lies on the floor so that when you turn the frame over the door will be resting on the long planks).
If you want to fix the door to the frame you just use a gazillion screws so that you spread the load on each screw and the cardboard-ish door panel they bite into, else a set of bumps on the underside of the door to keep it from sliding around.
* usually there's a honeycomb core inside made of thin cardboard. This would allow marking the holes for the legs, drilling them, then filling each of the honeycomb chambers behind those holes with woodfiller putty or, cheaper, a woodglue/sawdust mass, and finally screwing the legs into that after it has cured.
posted by Stoneshop at 12:01 PM on July 6, 2022 [2 favorites]
Are you planning to use 4 legs, or an extra pair or so in the middle?
How much weight would you want the table to be able to support?
I was in a kind of similar situation recently in that I wanted a work table of a specific size that was no longer being sold by Ikea and which I couldn't find elsewhere for a reasonable price. I ended up just looking at secondhand sites for a few weeks until I found exactly the dimensions I was looking for.
posted by trig at 12:07 PM on July 6, 2022
How much weight would you want the table to be able to support?
I was in a kind of similar situation recently in that I wanted a work table of a specific size that was no longer being sold by Ikea and which I couldn't find elsewhere for a reasonable price. I ended up just looking at secondhand sites for a few weeks until I found exactly the dimensions I was looking for.
posted by trig at 12:07 PM on July 6, 2022
My desk is a hollow door on four standard steel legs. I did order it from a carpenter, who bought it from a door manufacturer but was able to make the specifications that I needed. This was 29 years ago (the carpenter ended up giving it to me as a baby shower gift, that's how I remember), so I don't remember what the specifications were. Maybe there are solid parts where the legs go, or maybe the bottom side is plywood. Anyway, I am sentimentally attached to my desk and it also works very well as a dinner table when we need that.
posted by mumimor at 12:35 PM on July 6, 2022
posted by mumimor at 12:35 PM on July 6, 2022
Response by poster: GRRRARRR. Since I posted this thread, the Ikea countertop we wanted to use in the first place has come back into stock, and I successfully ordered it for delivery, and then my mom realized that she had a $50 coupon for IKEA so I cancelled my order so we could order it on her account and in the 10 minutes between those two things happening, it has gone out of stock again. This is not necessary or helpful for you all in answering my question but I feel the need TO BE VERY FRUSTRATED ON THE INTERNET ABOUT IT. GRRRRARRRRRRR.
On a more informative note, for tools, we basically have a drill. Anything that requires more complicated work like cutting things or sanding things or filling holes is going to be outside our experience and available equipment.
posted by jacquilynne at 12:40 PM on July 6, 2022 [5 favorites]
On a more informative note, for tools, we basically have a drill. Anything that requires more complicated work like cutting things or sanding things or filling holes is going to be outside our experience and available equipment.
posted by jacquilynne at 12:40 PM on July 6, 2022 [5 favorites]
Not only is this a thing but it is part of lore surrounding the founding of Amazon.
posted by mmascolino at 12:59 PM on July 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by mmascolino at 12:59 PM on July 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
If you wanted to get something massive (and pricey), there are Grizzly Maple Workbench tops available in 36" x 72" or 120" (and many other sizes too), they come pre-finished.
You'll need to pre-drill the holes for the screws when you attach the legs b/c the wood is dense/hard. And you'll need at least 2 strong people to carry the top around and get the legs mounted.
posted by jpeacock at 2:18 PM on July 6, 2022
You'll need to pre-drill the holes for the screws when you attach the legs b/c the wood is dense/hard. And you'll need at least 2 strong people to carry the top around and get the legs mounted.
posted by jpeacock at 2:18 PM on July 6, 2022
Or get 2 pieces of 3/4" sanded plywood and screw them together. You can usually get your local home center to do simple cuts, so they can cut them from 48" wide to 36" (and they are 96" long, cut shorter if needed). Then stack them on top of each other and join with a bunch of 1-1/4" screws from the bottom side so you still have a smooth top.
You can apply any finish, or just cover with contact paper, or leave it raw, depending on your needs.
posted by jpeacock at 2:19 PM on July 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
You can apply any finish, or just cover with contact paper, or leave it raw, depending on your needs.
posted by jpeacock at 2:19 PM on July 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
Post on freecycle, Buy Nothing group, fb Marketplace, check Craigslist. I see doors and old countertops and old tables a lot. yeah plywood will work, too.
posted by theora55 at 2:21 PM on July 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 2:21 PM on July 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
I have done this with both a solid core door and a big chunk of maple “butcher block” and both worked great. You’ll find it easier to salvage the door, there were several that would have been perfect for this last time I went to the salvage yard.
posted by aspersioncast at 5:00 PM on July 6, 2022
posted by aspersioncast at 5:00 PM on July 6, 2022
I did this with a sheet of 1" plywood and put a table/bar epoxy resin on top of that. I used two saw horses as legs.
(I also have an Ikea Island top as a desk, but I do not want to bring up a sore subject.)
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:21 PM on July 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
(I also have an Ikea Island top as a desk, but I do not want to bring up a sore subject.)
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:21 PM on July 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: GUYS! GUYS!
The IKEA counter came back into stock, presumably once their system caught up to the fact that I had cancelled my original order and it is being delivered on Saturday!
posted by jacquilynne at 10:04 PM on July 6, 2022 [7 favorites]
The IKEA counter came back into stock, presumably once their system caught up to the fact that I had cancelled my original order and it is being delivered on Saturday!
posted by jacquilynne at 10:04 PM on July 6, 2022 [7 favorites]
an Ikea Island
Is that a kit with a shovel, a map and a small palm tree to put on it when you're done?
posted by Stoneshop at 1:50 AM on July 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
Is that a kit with a shovel, a map and a small palm tree to put on it when you're done?
posted by Stoneshop at 1:50 AM on July 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
Something like that.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 11:15 AM on July 7, 2022
posted by JohnnyGunn at 11:15 AM on July 7, 2022
I have used a hollow core door as a desk and it worked fine - there was enough timber around the corners to screw legs on to. But, over a couple of years, the door/desk sagged in the middle. Hollow doors just don't have any ability to stay straight when in that position. A solid core door would work fine, though.
if your Ikea countertop is made from chipboard or MDF, it will likely suffer the same fate as a hollow door. Countertops are generally designed to be supported by the cabinets and don't have much structural integrity.
posted by dg at 4:27 PM on July 7, 2022
if your Ikea countertop is made from chipboard or MDF, it will likely suffer the same fate as a hollow door. Countertops are generally designed to be supported by the cabinets and don't have much structural integrity.
posted by dg at 4:27 PM on July 7, 2022
Response by poster: We are hoping the fact that the frame and legs we are mounting it on will not be at the four corners will mitigate any propensity to sag, because it will have more support closer to the middle rather than just in the end but we know it is a risk.
posted by jacquilynne at 9:02 PM on July 7, 2022
posted by jacquilynne at 9:02 PM on July 7, 2022
Ah, if you're putting a frame under it you should be fine and putting the legs in from the ends will help also. You can't securely screw legs straight to a hollow door anywhere except at the corners, because the timber frame inside it is too narrow.
posted by dg at 11:12 PM on July 7, 2022
posted by dg at 11:12 PM on July 7, 2022
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