What is a Live Edge Epoxy Table? Here's What You Need to Know
Living in the Instagram age, style and aesthetics play a significant role when it comes to what people sell, buy, and make. New furniture design and home décor trends come and go every year, and sometimes those trends cross over into the woodworking industry.
Two trends have risen at the same time in popularity: epoxy resin and live edge designs. From bar tops to coasters to live edge epoxy tables, epoxy resin and live edge wood are a perfect combination, but is the trend here to stay?
What is a Live Edge Epoxy Table?
Working with live edge wood is a design style that incorporates a wood slab's organic, natural edge and character. Compared to most tables' straight, perfectly even edges, a live edge river table looks like it has come straight from the tree.
Live edge leaves you with a rustic look that you won't find anywhere else and has gained popularity with the recent home décor trend of modern farmhouse meets industrial that can be seen in many homes today. You're likely to see live edge designs in many restaurants, businesses, and stores. But there are some drawbacks to live edge tables.
One of the most common drawbacks is that the irregularities in the live edge wood can lead to sharp edges and weak spots that can cause the wood to break off and crack. Another reason is that not every live edge table has a smooth top for eating, writing, and other activities that need a flat surface.
Because of these drawbacks, many woodworkers have taken to making a live edge epoxy table design that utilizes a synthetic adhesive, epoxy resin. This substance is used to bind objects together or coat them to give them a nice finish. Using epoxy resin to fill in the gaps between live edge pieces of wood is one of the most common ways to make the piece reinforced and durable against potential damage and uneven surface.
Live edge epoxy tables with a stream of colorful epoxy running through the middle are often referred to as a "river table." Many woodworkers use this live edge epoxy table style because it makes the pieces last longer and helps them stand out amongst other live edge tables.
What You Need to Know About Your Live Edge Epoxy Table
Now that you have a better idea of what a live edge epoxy table is, let's talk about the top six things you need to know when you purchase one.
1. Live Edge Epoxy Tables Are More Like Art Than Furniture
What do we mean by this? Think about it: no two live edge epoxy tables will be the same because they're all going to have their own unique characteristics. Additionally, there's room for creative interpretation when an epoxy river table is made.
Because of this, when you ask for a custom order, you need to provide as many references as possible to match the design in your head. Otherwise, you'll get an amazingly unique piece of furniture that might not match what you wanted.
Since live edge tables use the natural contours of the wood, you won't always find a perfect rectangle, square, or round shape as you would more commercially inspired furniture pieces. The wood edges natural contours give each river table a more sculptured quality.
2. You Can Have Objects Cast in Your Live Edge Epoxy Table
If you want a live edge epoxy table that will tell more of a story and have more meaning, you can cast objects in the epoxy. For example, if you love the beach, you could create a piece that encases seashells and sand in blue epoxy resin to create an "ocean table."
3. You Can Use a Variety of Colors
The epoxy that makes up your epoxy river table starts clear when it's first mixed, but you can add color pigment or liquid dyes to your epoxy to create any color you want. If you're going to get technical, you could use more than one color and use different levels of transparency.
4. Look For Examples of Live Edge Epoxy Tables You Like
This ties back to the first point. If you love the look of a particular live edge epoxy table, contact us to see if we can make a table that's like what you've found in your research.
5. Think About What Kind of Base You Want
The live edge epoxy tables that we create are customizable down to the shape of the legs we attach to the table. Our legs are generally metal because they offer enough strength and durability to hold up the heavy table.
6. Know What Size You Want
This is relatively simple to figure out, but you must know what sized live edge epoxy table you want from the beginning. Remember that these tables use live edge slab of wood, so there's no standard size. Some slabs can be cut short due to the size of the tree, and others can be extremely long – perfect for conference tables!
The best way to figure out the size you need is to know how many people you want to be able to sit at the table and how much room you'll have for the live edge epoxy table. We offer various sizes, and if you're unsure what size you need, you can always contact us for help.
Wrapping Up
Live edge furniture pieces are great additions to any home, especially if you want something unique in every way possible. But there are things that you need to know about live edge epoxy tables that will help guide you when you purchase one for yourself.
Some of those things include what size you want your table to be, what kind of legs you want, what colors you want to use, and more. Knowing these things before purchasing your live edge epoxy table will help our woodworkers design a table that's perfect for you.
FAQ
How Much Does a Live Edge Epoxy Table Cost?
A large live edge epoxy table for your dining room, for example, will typically cost you around $3,125-$7,300, depending on the size and legs you choose for your table.
If you want a custom piece, the cost will depend on several other factors, including labor, but we can give you a quote before purchasing a custom live edge epoxy table.
Why Are Live Edge Epoxy Tables Expensive?
A live edge epoxy resin river table is more expensive than other tables because the materials to create a river table are much more expensive. In addition, the process can be complicated and time-consuming, so we have to consider how much work our woodworkers have to put into making your live edge epoxy table.
Can You Leave the Bark on My Live Edge Epoxy Table?
No, we must remove the bark from your live edge epoxy table. The bark removal is done to ensure that the epoxy will adhere to the wood without any complications. Bark can chip off over time, and if we don't remove it before pouring epoxy, the epoxy can chip away. This causes damage to your live edge epoxy table and makes it less durable.