Table Advice From Kevin Worthington of Worthington Direct

Tables

By Kevin Worthington

Need folding tables or banquet tables for your worship facility? How about a harder-to-find round folding table? In today's market, you can choose from plywood core, laminate, or plastic tops in a variety of attractive colors and finishes for your folding tables or banquet tables.

Need help getting started? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions by churches when evaluating and purchasing tables. Visit http://www.worthingtondirect.com/ today for a full selection of table options.

What are the various table top materials? Tables are available with a variety of tabletop options. High-Pressure Laminate (HPL), blow molded plastic, ABS plastic, and plywood are the primary materials for the majority of activity and folding tables.

High Pressure Laminate: HPL tops have a particleboard core and are superior to thermofused melamine and to non-thermofused melamine tops. HPL tops will not bubble up when exposed to water and are more resistant upon impact. Tables with HPL tops offer a variety of color choices and have a completely smooth finish. This is an added plus for classrooms, which would include writing and art projects.

Plywood-Core: These reliable tabletops have a plywood core at the center with a sheet of high-pressure laminate on top. They have the same benefits of the HPL tabletops, but they also have a superior core strength and stability. They are lighter weight than the full plywood top, which makes them much easier to set up and break down.

Blow Molded: The newest design to enter the production line is the blow molded tabletops, which are extremely lightweight and can be easily set up and stored. The lighter the weight of the table, the less likely damage can occur in delivery. The tabletop does have a slightly textured surface compared to a smooth HPL top.

What are the various table heights? Tables are offered in a fixed or adjustable height option. If a table has a fixed height, it is most likely to be 29 inches to 30 inches high for a standard adult height. Adjustable height tables usually move in one-inch increments for added flexibility when working with children or youth. Some adjustable tables offer a smaller height range just for smaller children.

What about the table legs? When choosing a table, consider the standard four-leg table, the T-Leg pedestal table, the standard classroom table, and the folding table. The legs and frames of a table are often made of steel. Remember, the lower the gauges of steel, the stronger the table.

How do you determine the seating capacity of a table? Choosing tables can be tricky. Since size is the most important factor, remember that the smaller the chair, the greater the seating capacity around a table. However, knowing how the table will be used can also determine the amount of room that each person around the table will need.

Seating capacity depends on the size of the person and the size of the chair. Full-size student stack chairs are usually 18 inches to 21 inches wide. If you are using a standard folding chair for seating, then plan for 18 inches of width per seat. Allowing for a liberal 26 inches per person gets the "comfortable" designation, while allowing a tight 20 inches per person gets you the "maximum" designation.

Kevin Worthington is president of Worthington Direct, http://www.worthingtondirect.com/.

Worthington Direct Now Stocking Select School Furniture Products for Prompt Delivery

Worthington Direct (http://worthingtondirect.com/), a supplier of school, church and early childhood furniture and equipment for over 10 years has announced the launch of their new Ready-To-Ship Program. Select school furniture products such as Virco stack chairs, student desks and classroom tables are now being warehoused and are ready for immediate shipment. Schools can now save even more and have their furniture shipped in 24 hours.

Worthington Direct has selected some of the most popular products made by Virco that are commonly purchased by schools. The 9000 Series Stack Chair is available in navy and in four sizes; 12", 14", 16" and 18". They feature soft-plastic shells and tubular steel frames with a contoured design to promote good posture. The stack chairs are lightweight and have ventilation slits on the back to ensure continuous air circulation.

The 785 Open Front Desks by Virco feature spacious desktops made of high-pressure particleboard laminate, available for immediate shipment in medium oak. The desk comes with a plastic bookbox for accommodating books and stationery and a tubular steel frame assembly to ensure durability. Versatility is the strength of these school desks. They can be placed in any classroom and the adjustable height feature makes them suitable for all grade levels.

If a school needs both student stack chairs and student desks, the 9400BR Combo Desk is a great option that combines both pieces to create neat classroom rows. The combo desk boosts a spacious 18"x24" laminated top in medium oak with an arm connecting the desktop to the navy chair seat for sturdiness. The heavy gauge steel bookrack comes handy and is stylishly placed underneath the seat.

Adjustable height tables are great for any purpose and are now ready to ship in 24 hours. Quality activity tables by Virco with medium oak laminates are available in two height ranges that make them perfect for schools and colleges to daycare centers and after-school programs. Three rectangular shaped tables are great for art projects or study groups while the kidney shaped and round tables create an optimum space for group learning.

Worthington Direct has always offered low prices for quality school furniture, and are excited to offer low turnaround time with the new Ready-To-Ship Program. When a school has an unexpected transfer student, they can order from the Ready-To-Ship Program and welcome their new student without stress. Should an emergency occur, a temporary classroom can be outfitted and get students back to their studies.