Unusual Table Top

[jrjoeyg12]

Hi Everyone! Here is a new challenge we have been presented with. This lady built her deck around a tree stump and wants to put a piece of granite on top of it. Do you think that the wood needs to be sealed? Should we just use silicone to glue it down? Or maybe thin set? I want to keep it simple. Any suggestions? Thanks!!

[dustinbraudway]

Why would you put a PC of stone over that. Tell her she needs a PC of glass over it to show the beauty and style of that tree

[Ken Lago]

Antolini petrified wood slab would look great, anything else and I will agree with Dustin. As far as your question I would use a big blob of construction adhesive in the center only. I would not use silicone in this instance.

[Joshua Hopkins]

If it were mine I would put a couple of heavy coats of Thompsons on it and use a pc of 3/8 or 1/2 tempered glass. If you are going to use granite I would do the same but set it in silicone.

[Dan R.]

If the lady wants a piece of stone, you can bet that I would get her one. I would use silicone or construction adhesive.

[dustinbraudway]

[VThartzog]

If the lady wants a piece of stone, you can bet that I would get her one. I would use silicone or construction adhesive.

x2 why would you try steer her away from your business.....stumps me

[Dan R.]

Josh, great question.

In sales, it is important to listen to the customer and try and give them what THEY want, not what we want. It is harder for some people to understand that not everyone wants exactly what they want, no matter how silly the choice.

I think Dustin may be a closet designer. I think he just cares a lot about the aesthetics of things.

Not every job has to be the Mona Lisa, some are dogs playing poker on black velvet.


I trust that my clients are smart enough to make coin to spend with me, then they can figure out what they want. I am really in business to make money, when it is all said and done.

[dustinbraudway]

So you can't make money selling a glass table top

[Dan R.]

I run a company selling natural stone and quartz( ).

I could source and sell and warranty a glass table top, but I wouldn't make as much money, wouldn't want to warranty or repair it or spend the extra time outside my wheelhouse. But that is just me.

Do you carry that mirror with the veining in 12 x 12? I could sell that.

[Ken Lago]

I'm 100% with Dustin on this one, he may make a lot more money selling his creativity and design than just selling a granite top + he wouldn't have to get dirty doing it.

[Todd Luster]

I agree with what you are saying Ken, but actually have to agree with Dan here.
I don't have Dustin's skills, nor much of a source to sell glass.
I am a stone guy?
I would actually even tell someone not to put glass on, but stone.
My kids toys are expensive, put stone everywhere!

Actually we have done several types of these tree base tables.
A few that we just made look to be a big raw slab and set it on 2 as a picnic table.
If it needs to be stuck, same as Dan suggested too.

[Joshua Hopkins]

We make money doing either one, more so on the glass.

[Dan R.]

Joshua, you don't count....you are a glass shop TOO!

If you can make enough to be happy with, great. For me, I would have stone out there lickety split and on to next job.


FWIW I do think a glass top would be cool on there, but I am a stone guy.

[Joe Little]

Get a large lazy susan base, screw it to the tree, bolt a large diameter steel plate to it, then silicone a granite top to it

Hours of fun for the kids

Glass tops suck outside, IMO , always dirty looking unless you live where it does not rain much

[jrjoeyg12]

Honestly never really thought of using glass. If we did talk her in to that, would you use silicone? With clear glass you would see right through and I know that I wouldn't want to see any type of adhesive.

If I do use liquid nails, would you worry about the adhesive bleeding through? I guess only if she chooses a lighter stone (she hasn't chosen a color yet.)

[DavidL]

Honestly never really thought of using glass. If we did talk her in to that, would you use silicone? With clear glass you would see right through and I know that I wouldn't want to see any type of adhesive.

Bingo !!!!

You will see the silicone, even with aquarium clear. The adhesive would be UV cured glass to stone adhesive some Bohle. Yes you would make money on it, but you would have to invest in the glue kit as well. Which, if you want to do more glass - go for it. BUt if this is a one off, do stone, or outsource the glass and handle the sale.

[Ken Lago]

I really think you are over thinking this the base is plenty big enough to not require glue regardless of you putting granite on or glass. Have you everr seen glass tops glued done? I haven't

[Dan R.]

Ken, you are correct in your partial assumption.
I have never seen an exterior glass top that was not secured by channel or some means.

[Matt Lansing]

I would up sell a steel sub top that was bolted to the stump and the stone siliconed to that.

Money both ways.

Nothing will bond to that stump as the roots are still in the ground so moisture is going to be coming up through the veining in the wood. Only way is to bolt a stainless subtop to the tree stump or a sheet of rubber between the stump and a painted steel plate.

[markplaza]

If I do use liquid nails, would you worry about the adhesive bleeding through? I guess only if she chooses a lighter stone (she hasn't chosen a color yet.)

If you use PL Premium polyurethane or Liquid Nails for Marble and granite which also is a poly, it won't bleed. But Matt makes a good point about adhesion.

Mark Plaza
San Jose Stoneworks

[Omni Cubed Larry]

Clear glass would look nice, but then sitting outside, you would have to clean the underside often. That is why patio furniture with glass is often frosted or textured. A plain piece of glass will cause the water to run off the top and then back along the bottom and maybe even to the stump because of the smoothness and surface tension of the water.

Granite will look nice and will be easier to deal with for the homeowner. This is my standpoint from a practicality point of view.

[Omni Cubed Larry]

I have a 4' x 4' granite table just sitting on a steel frame that has some rubber feet on top, and the stone won't budge. It stays put just fine (unless someone heavy sits on the edge I suppose). So you could just sit it on the stump, but it might slide too easily, and adhesive might not stick well due to moisture... So, you could use some rubber feet (to keep it from sliding) that screw into the top of the stump that you can just set the stone on. You can use washers under the feet to shim it level. Something like this... http://www.homedepot.com/p/Shepherd-7-8 ... lMV_hApj9M

[Scruffy]

Clear glass will look nice short term. As the moisture keeps coming out of the stump there will be a "science project" happening under the glass. As the tree is dead it does not have any resistance to bugs and stuff. They will be under the bark soon, and then the bark will dry out and fall off.

[Joshua Hopkins]

Just dig the stump up.