Table Legs

Sets of four sit about 5cm in from each corner. For a pair, if you want to seat someone at the end of the table, allow between 30cm and 40cm of overhang so a chair fits; for side or bench seating they can sit close to the ends.

On a round table, match the leg count to the number of places, so a chair sits in the gap between each pair of legs. On a long table, resist adding a fifth leg in the middle. It is usually the wrong fix and it gets in the way of chairs. If the top flexes, an L-channel stiffening bar underneath solves it properly.

As a guide to stability, reckon on around 60kg for a classic hairpin set, around 120kg for the heavy duty version, and around 150kg for a box section pair or a frame.

In practice the top matters as much as the legs. The most common issue we see on a self-build is the top flexing rather than the legs moving.

Not directly, since these legs screw into the underside. Fix the glass or stone to a wooden carrier first and screw the legs into that, or use a self-supporting frame, which holds the top without needing fixings driven into it.

Some of them. Stainless steel is the best choice outdoors, though we currently stock it in hairpin legs only. Zinc electroplating is also hairpin-only.

Black powder coat holds up well outdoors, but keeping the coating intact is essential rather than optional. Any scratch through to bare steel lets rust start. It will not weaken the leg, but left untreated it spreads and looks poor over the years. Clear coat is not suitable outdoors at all.

Often, yes. We can make any of our legs in stainless steel to order, not just the ones we stock that way. If you need something outside the standard range, just contact us.

Measure the old leg from the floor to the underside of the piece, and check what the base is made of. A solid wood or plywood base takes a plate-mounted leg directly. Sofas and cabinets usually sit on 10cm to 20cm legs, and a sideboard or media unit can take up to 35cm.