How to Fix a Round Pedestal Table that Creaks
Smaller tables are often moved around in the home to different locations when a table is needed in an area for a short time. Unfortunately, people often drag smaller tables across the floor rather than lifting them. When you drag a table across a carpet, the carpet creates drag or resistance, which creates pressure at an angle among the joints and attachment points of the table. Over time, this causes the table to become loose and wiggly -- a table that will talk to you in creaks and groans. Fixing the table requires a little detective work and a lot of tightening.
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Place a piece of scrap carpet on a hard surface floor to protect both the table and the floor, and turn the table upside down on the carpet.
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Examine each connecting plate and bracket. Look for missing or loose screws, nails or staples. When you locate these items, try pressing on the pedestal to see if the squeak is coming from that location. Sometimes a table will not squeak on command. When possible, tighten existing screws and bolts.
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Remove screws that continue to turn in the screw hole without getting tight. Sometimes the wood wallows out, making a good connection with the existing screw size impossible. Purchase thicker screws of the same original length; make sure they are wood screws. Replace the missing screws.
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Dust the underside of the table with talcum powder. Lift the edge of the table and vibrate or tap the table to encourage the powder to move between any seams or cracks in the wood. Squeaking occurs when two hard surfaces rub together; talcum powder serves as a dry lubricant for them.
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Apply a liquid lubricant, the type that has a narrow tube for application. The product must say it is a lubricant, not a cleanser. Squirt the lubricant into the joints, brackets and cracks of the wood. This will offer the same kind of lubrication as the powder, but may work better for your specific table.
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Turn the table right side up and check the upper side of the pedestal leg for more missing screws, brackets or plates. Often pedestal styles may include carvings or other areas where mountings are hidden. Tighten, repair or replace your screws and bolts as necessary until your table is tight and ready to use.
Tips
- Lift your table when moving it. This will prevent further damage and problems with the stability of the table.
Writer Bio
F.R.R. Mallory has been published since 1996, writing books, short stories, articles and essays. She has worked as an architect, restored cars, designed clothing, renovated homes and makes crafts. She is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley with bachelor's degrees in psychology and English. Her fiction short story "Black Ice" recently won a National Space Society contest.
Photo Credits
- Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Getty Images
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