The Difference Between Indoor and Outdoor Metal Table Legs

Certain products often use the term “outdoor” in their title, but what really is the difference and what makes one product suitable for outdoor applications and the other for indoor use only?

When looking for a set of metal table legs or a metal table base for an outdoor application, there are two main factors to consider: Material and finish. The type of metal the product is made from can drastically affect its long term outdoor durability. Same with the finish applied to the metal table legs. Certain finishes can prolong a products lifespan in the outdoor elements, and some finishes can actually accelerate corrosion when exposed to moisture. Below, we’ll talk about the different options and which should be used and when.

Material

The specific metal a product is made from is probably the most obvious determining factor when considering outdoor suitability. Most people understand that steel will rust if left unprotected. A raw steel product will develop a deep, dark brown and textured rusty finish if left outside in just a matter of months, possibly weeks or even days depending on the weather conditions. This is not the case with stainless steel and aluminum. While they will both corrode over time, they do not “rust” like steel does. Stainless steel and aluminum will typically develop a light white finish on the surface that can be easily cleaned off.

Each material type has its own set of pros and cons. Steel is significantly less expensive to purchase and work on. But it is also the least corrosion resistant. Aluminum is only marginally more expensive, but it is more expensive to work on, and the metal is relatively soft, and easy to scratch and dent. However it is much lighter, and significantly more corrosion resistant than steel. Stainless steel has similar mechanical properties to steel, it is similar in weight and strength, but it is the most expensive material choice, and is a little more expensive to work with as well, but it also has a significantly higher level of corrosion resistance.

Generally speaking the weight of the table legs or metal table base is not part of the consideration. So if budget allows, going with stainless steel material is your best choice here. You will maintain superior strength and corrosion resistance with this choice. We only recommend aluminum in certain cases, mainly where the weight is of consideration, such as with outdoor coffee tables or side tables that are frequently relocated based on seating arrangements. You can see our Outdoor Patio Furniture category to see some of our standard design methods for products specifically designed for exterior applications.

Steel can still be used for outdoor applications if it is finished properly, which leads to the next topic:

Finish

Most people think of stainless steel as either brushed or polished stainless steel. But if budget allows, there is no reason why you can’t get a set of stainless steel table legs and still have them painted or powder coated any color you choose. The same is true with aluminum. The finish may still get damaged, but with the base metal being stainless steel or aluminum, the metal will not start to rust if the finish is damaged.

For a more budget friendly option, steel can be used for outdoor applications as long as it is finished properly. We only recommend powder coated finishes on our steel table legs or bases. Powder coating is graded and rated based on its weather resistant properties, and is usually made to resist the elements. However this is not true for all finish options. Powder coated finish with metallic elements will actually start rusting on top of the metal base, since the metallic elements in the powder are made from iron. This rusting on the surface of the metal legs can allow the base metal to start rusting even quicker and faster. That is why we do not recommend metallic powder coated finishes for exterior applications. You can read more about powder coating here.

Other Considerations for Exterior Applications

While material and finish are by far the most common topics to touch on when selecting a set of metal table legs, there are some other unique applications that warrant additional consideration.

If your metal base will be under direct rainfall, such as under a slatted tabletop, or any other application where waterfall will be in direct contact with the metal should not use a steel table base. Most of our products are made from square or rectangular tubing, and when these are painted or powder coated, the finish does not coat the inside of the steel tubing. Water will find its way inside the metal tubing and start to cause the metal to rust from the inside out. You will usually start to see brown staining at the corners and joints of the design, and rusty water will leak out of the bottom of the base and stain your patio. These applications should use a different material choice.

Certain saltwater applications should also consider using a different material. Standard grade 304 stainless steel is typically not the best option for saltwater corrosion resistance. Grade 316 stainless steel is considered “marine grade”, and has superior corrosion resistance for saltwater applications. Many beachfront property owners get disappointed when their stainless steel products start to rust after they are exposed to saltwater. However grade 316 stainless steel comes with a much higher price tag. Aluminum is often the best choice here since the cost for a set of 316 stainless steel table legs is usually out of reach for most customers.

If you have any questions or concerns about your particular application, we always recommend reaching out to us to get our opinion and recommendation for the best suited product and finish.

Metal Table Legs and Bases: Made in the USA vs Overseas

Products made overseas tend to have a negative stigma applied to them, whereas people are often willing to pay considerable more for a product made in the United States, but is that mentality warranted?

Just because a product is made overseas does not necessarily mean it is any different than a product made in the USA. In fact, there are some commodities that are only made overseas due to availability of certain raw materials. However having products shipped from a different hemisphere is very expensive, so why do people buy products manufactured overseas? It all comes down to price. Most people will associate this cheaper price due to lower labor wages in other countries, and while this is true, the average percentage of a product price manufactured in the USA is roughly 12%. So that means apples to apples, a product made overseas vs a product made in the USA should only be able to be 12% less, and that’s not even taking intercontinental shipping charges into account. So how are products made overseas able to be so much cheaper?

Subsidized by their Government

In many underdeveloped, and even in some developed, countries, if laborers don’t have any work to do, their family starves. It is in their countries best interest to keep these workers working, and getting paid. It is common to see part of a products cost or the shipping costs paid for by the government so the manufacturer can offer a lower price to the consumer. While this aspect doesn’t directly affect the quality of a manufactured product, it definitely sets a standard of quantity over quality. This is true even for metal table legs.

Cutting costs wherever possible

We are frequently contacted by overseas suppliers of metal table legs trying to get us to buy and resell their products here. There are products they are offering to us for $17/Each for something that we sell for $140/Each. Even with cheaper labor rates and government funding, how can these companies offer a product that is almost 90% cheaper than our products? Some of the biggest differences are in the quality of the materials. We have seen products that based on the spec sheet are apples to apples identical to our product, but you can see the metal flexing under any amount of applied weight on the foreign product. We even had one that you could dent and bend the metal just by pressing it hard enough with a finger. These manufactures use very low grade materials, usually scrap metal that does not comply with any kind of standard. In 2023, China used more than 3x the amount of scrap metal produced in the United States alone. What do you think they are doing with all this scrap metal?

Mass Production

Most people understand that making 100,000 of a piece is going to have a cheaper cost per item than simply making 1. Overseas manufacturers try to constantly keep their workers and machines running to avoid downtime. Many of these manufacturing facilities surprisingly use state of the art machinery and technology, but this equipment is selected and implemented to increase production, even if it is as the expense of product quality. Think about how many novelty toys or trinkets kids get from easter eggs, goodie bags, etc that simply do not work. These are cheap, mass produced items that are manufactured knowingly as non-functional items and people buy them because they are cheap but have little to no expectations that these items will even work. Mass production does not always mean a compromise on quality, but with lower priced metal table legs and bases, the equipment utilized is design to get the product in the desired shape and hold it there as quickly as possible. The joints are often sloppy and very pronounced. We’ve seen foreign products where the welds missed the seam, and some where the products were glued together instead of being welded. Don’t expect any kind of longevity on a product like that.

Sales Support and Product Warranty

Generally speaking, when someone buys the cheapest price they can find on a certain product, they are not expecting any kind of support or warranty on their purchase. If the product fails, or is defective, they will often throw the product away and try again somewhere else. Product and sales support costs money, so cutting these out of your business offering will allow you to offer a lower product price to your customer.

How are we Different?

Here at ECon Welding, all of our metal table legs and bases are hand-made here in the United States. The material we use is also sourced and made in the USA, conforming to standards in the metal industry. We don’t cut corners and our products are not mass-produced. Each item is custom made by a metalworker who takes pride in their work. We all love to see our products in use and know that we can be part of supplying a high end, heirloom quality piece of metal furniture to your custom build. We go the extra mile in making sure you are completely satisfied with your purchase. That is why we offer a LIFETIME ECon Satisfaction Guarantee. We know we aren’t the cheapest, but we guarantee you will be completely satisfied with your order from us.

Browse through our Metal Table Legs or our Metal Table Bases to see which design will work the best for your application or Contact Us with any questions.

Metal Table Legs or a Metal Table Base: Which is right for you?

The terms “Metal Table Legs” and “Metal Table Base” get tossed around a lot, sometimes interchangeably, but what really is the difference and is one better suited than the other?

Terminology and Definitions

“Metal Table Legs” and “Metal Table Base” can refer to the exact same thing. One refers to “legs” for a table and one refers to a “base” for a table, but the base can be legs and legs can be a base, so the terms can be used interchangeably. However, unofficial industry standards typically will refer to “metal table legs” as individual pieces that make up the support for a tabletop and a “metal table base” as a single piece base that the tabletop can rest on or is secured to. Hairpin legs, post legs, or H or X-Frame metal table legs would fall under the “Metal Table Legs” category, for example. Similarly, a parsons table base, spider base, or pedestal bases all would fall under the “Metal Table Base” category. For simplicity, we here at ECon Welding will typically refer to any product that is a free-standing design as a “base”, and any product that relies on the connection to the tabletop to maintain stability as “legs”.

Metal Table Legs

As stated above, metal table legs rely on the connection to the tabletop for the assembly to work. For example, our H-Frame style metal table legs could not be used for a glass top application. Even if you could balance the legs to keep them standing up with the glass on top, as soon as the table is bumped into, the entire assembly would come crashing to the ground catastrophically. However since a connection to the tabletop is assumed, table legs can be made much smaller in profile since they don’t need to be free-standing. This usually allows for the legs to be able to be flat packed, and shipped via common courier, which equates to a more budget friendly product.

Generally speaking, table legs are usually sold in sets of 2 or 4 depending on the design. Hairpin legs and post legs are designed to put one leg towards each corner of the top, needing 4 per table. More contemporary designs of metal table legs such as the H-Frame or X-Frame style legs only need 2 per table, one towards each end.

Since multiple pieces are needed to fully support the tabletop, table legs are significantly more versatile than a table base, as the leg location can be fine-tuned during final assembly to fit in the exact location that works best for your application. They can also be removed and reused on various length (and sometimes various width) tabletops.

There are some significant disadvantages with using metal table legs instead of a metal table base. Since the stability of the table relies on the connection to the tabletop, the overall rigidity of the table is dependent on how secure the connection to the tabletop is. Soft wood or plywood surfaces that the legs are mounted to will almost always have a small amount of flex to them, which causes the whole table to sway back and forth with the flexing surface.

Installation of the legs to the top is also significantly more time consuming with table legs, as typically the legs need to be installed on the top upside down, then the entire table needs to be flipped over.

Lastly, with any kind of lateral force or racking on the table assembly, the forces go directly through the fasteners holding the legs to the tabletop. This may not be an issue, especially at first, but typical installations using only wood screws to secure the legs to the top will almost always gradually loosen over time, creating more and more sway in the table. The solution to this problem is to use threaded inserts in the wood top and bolts to create a stronger connection. However this adds an additional expense and significantly more time and potential for error during the table assembly.

Metal Table Bases

Metal table bases as we manufacture them are typically single piece, fully welded bases that are completely free standing in design. The bases are made to work as-is, and do not rely on any other component of the final assembly to maintain their stability or rigidity. Table bases typically have an inverse list of pros and cons to metal table legs. The installation of a metal table base is about as simple as it gets: Simply set it in place, and place the top on the base. We don’t recommend relying on gravity alone to hold the top in place, so it’s still recommended to secure the top to the base either with a few screws or an adhesive. Glass top applications use a rubber bumper that goes in between the glass and the metal base to keep it from sliding around.

Our bases are fully welded, and do not rely on nuts and bolts to hold the base together, which creates a very rigid table that will never loosen or weaken over time with use. Since our bases are free standing, they are often used in applications where the tabletop requires additional support from the base.

Metal table legs typically only support the top where the legs are positioned, but a metal table base can have a full support frame, or contain significantly more contact points with the top, which can provide much more uniform support to the top. This can be especially useful for glass tops, thin stone tops, and thin or soft wood tops that may sag or break with a long unsupported span.

Unlike the advantages to table legs, table bases are usually large pieces that are costly to ship. They will have very little versatility to their application use since the base is manufactured to fit a specific size and type of top. They can also be difficult to maneuver to get in place, and we’ve had projects in the past where a customer ordered a base that was too large to fit through their doorway!

Should I Buy a Set of Metal Table Legs or a Metal Table Base?

There are some applications where one option is the obvious solution. Glass top applications or stone tops without a plywood underlayment are almost always recommended to be paired with a metal table base. Staging applications, products used strictly in photo shoots, projects on a tight budget, or any application requiring a total knock-down assembly should use metal table legs. But other than that, we tend to lean towards recommending metal tables bases for most applications. Most people who purchase custom made furniture do not plan on changing out the top only in the future, so the cons of a choosing a base over a set of legs are usually narrowed down to space constraints and upfront costs. The upfront cost difference of a metal table base over a set of metal table legs may seem substantial, but in the long run the long-term durability of a metal table base and the added support it gives your tabletop will likely more than make up for the difference in price. The extra cost is negligible considering the long-term application. Assuming the base can fit inside your doorway, we can almost guarantee you will be much more satisfied with a metal table base over a set of metal table legs.

If you like the idea of a base vs a set of legs, but are cautious about your ability to properly size the base for your table build, you can read through our Base Sizing Guide to be able to make a confident decision or Contact Us for our recommendation.

Importance of Slotted Mounting Holes on Metal Table Legs

Depending on the manufacturer, you will see the term “slotted mounting holes” tossed around quite a bit. In short, the gold rule is that slotted mounting holes on a set of metal table legs or base are a necessity for any kind of wood tabletop, but can still be very useful for other types of top materials.

What are slotted mounting holes?

This seems like a simple question, but believe it or not it is a common question we are asked. A slotted mounting hole is exactly as it sounds. Instead of a round hole for mounting the metal table legs or base to a tabletop, we include holes that are more of a “racetrack” shape. Adding this shape of hole to a piece of metal typically requires specialized metalworking equipment. Depending on the material and application, we will typically either punch out the hole using a punch and die in an iron worker which works very similar to a paper hole punch, or we will use a CNC plasma cutter which burns out the shape we input into the computer from the desired material.

What is Wood Expansion and Contraction?

It is a somewhat known fact that wood expands and contracts with varying levels of humidity. The specifics of this can be pretty complicated, and a lot of variables play into the amount, and rate at which the wood expands and contracts, such as wood species, thickness, temperature, exposed edge, and any finish/stain applied to the wood. A good example of an extreme visual shown in

hyperlapse can be seen here from the Oregon State University:

Maple veneer shrinkage – OSU MediaSpace (oregonstate.edu)

A roughly 12″ square piece of thin maple was exposed to extreme variations of humidity and contracted about 3% in under 1 hour. This doesn’t sound like much, but on a standard 42″ wide top, that equates to over 1″ of contraction. The forces of wood expansion and contraction CAN NOT be stopped by a stout set of metal table legs or bracing. The wood is going to move, and it will find a direction to go, no matter how securely it is held down. “Bowing” and “cupping” or common terms in the woodworking industry that describe a piece of wood expanding or contracting in a non-uniform direction, which causes the wood to bow (think of a rainbow). Selecting a wood top from a woodworker who knows what they are doing is the most important step here. Instead of ignoring, or trying to prevent the wood from expanding or contracting, a good wood worker will build a tabletop that can expand and contract naturally and uniformly to maintain a flat profile.

So Why are Slotted Mounting Holes Important?

If a wood top is constructed and sealed properly, you should see expansion and contraction of less than 1%. Which for a 42″ wide top, still works out to almost 1/2″ of movement. It is crucial for any set of metal table legs or a metal table base being paired with a wood top to have allowance built into the mounting holes for the top to expand and contract. The golden standard we go by is to include slotted mounted holes on almost all of our products, to allow the wood and screw to slide side-to-side in the mounting hole to move with the expansion and contraction of the wood. If this is not taken into account with the build, the top will expand or contract and either break the mounting screws, split the wood, or bend and deform the metal base. There are thousands of manufacturers and builders of metal table legs and bases out there, and by far the most common mistake we see with their builds is the lack of consideration for expansion and contraction.

If you have a tabletop that is stone, acrylic, or some other material that the metal table legs or base will be mounted to, it’s not critical for the mounting holes to be slotted since the top is likely not going to expand or contract at all, but the slotted mounting holes can still be beneficial to allow for some error in the pilot hole or threaded inserts used in the top for the legs to mount to.

Are Slotted Mounting Holes the Only Solution?

We offer some products that are either impossible or impractical to get slotted mounting holes. Such as products with a top plate that is too thick to punch the hole out or plasma cut the slot. Or

some products don’t have a defined mounting orientation, so there is no way for us to predict the direction of the mounting slots. In these cases, an oversized round hole and a large washer can be used with the mounting screws. This same option can be applied for existing legs where the manufacturer did not account for expansion and contraction of a wood top. If you have a set of metal table legs with a screw hole size not much larger than the screw diameter, we strongly recommend drilling the holes to a larger diameter, at least 3/8″ when used with standard #8 or #10 wood screws. A fender washer sized for the screw size you are using can be used with the screw to get a good grip on the mounting plate of the metal base.

How to Clean Brushed Stainless Steel

Brushed stainless steel often has a bad reputation for showing fingerprints, and smudges very easily. This is true on stainless kitchen appliances as well as metal table legs. The best way to understand how to keep it spot free is to first understand how a brushed stainless finish is made, and why it shows fingerprints so well.

What is a brushed stainless finish?

A brushed stainless finish is made by scratching the stainless steel, but controlling the scratches to all go in the same, linear direction. Typically, a relatively coarse grit sandpaper is used for the scratches, usually around 120 grit. The removes the mill finish on the raw stainless and exposes fresh cut material. The finer the grit of sandpaper used to create the brushed finish, the smoother, and more polished the finish will look. The coarser the sandpaper, the more “brushed” the finish will look, but the rougher it will feel. 120 grit is the industry standard as it shows prominent grain lines, but still feels smooth to the touch. We apply our brushed finishes on our metal table legs and bases in house with a specially formulated, custom-made abrasive belt that cuts like a 120 grit abrasive, but smooths it out to feel like a finer, 200 grit finish.

Why are fingerprints and smudges so bad on brushed stainless finishes?

Even though the brushed finish may feel smooth, it is composed of countless small gouges and scratches in the surface of the metal. No matter what cleaning supply you use or how hard you scrub, it is nearly impossible to clean every angle and groove of each microscopic scratch in the metal. Dry debris, such as crumbs or other materials, are easy to clean as they can simply be wiped off. Especially with brushed stainless metal table legs, it is easy to get food debris on the metal legs. But anything greasy will sit on the metal and create a small wet spot that will not dry out. The wet spot looks darker than the surrounding dry metal, so it stands out as a dirty smudge on the finish. Even products designed to remove grease will have a very hard time completely removing all the grease from the scratches in the metal. Our body creates a natural oil-like substance called Sebum to keep our skin from drying out, but this oil acts as another grease-like contaminate that will cause a smudge on brushed stainless finishes by simply touching it. To make matters worse, this natural oil is less affected by household degreasers, so fingerprints can be one of the hardest marks to remove. Metal table legs and bases are a common touch-point while sitting at a table, so it’s expected that any metal furniture base with a brushed stainless finish will show frequent fingerprints and smudges.

So how do I clean smudges and keep them from coming back?

There are 2 common ways we like to address this problem, each with its own set of pros and cons:

1. The first solution is more of a proactive solution and that is to coat the brushed stainless finish with a clear powder coated finish. This fills in all the scratches with a clear coat and leaves a smooth surface on top to easily wipe off and clean. This is essentially what appliance manufacturers do when you see them offering “smudge-proof” or “fingerprint shield” options to their brushed finish options. This option adds an additional expense to your project, and while it is a maintenance free solution, it can potentially cause significantly more problems if the clear coated finish gets damaged, as there is no easy way to repair a small section of damaged powder coat. If you are considering purchasing on of our Brushed Stainless Metal Table Legs or Bases and are reading this first and would like the clear powder coated option, Contact Us for an estimate on the cost for powder coating.
2. The second option goes along with the saying: “If you can’t beat them, join them”. Instead of constantly fighting to remove the grease or oil stains, it can be much easier to simply cover the product with an oily finish, to give the entire product a uniform finish. Chances are, if you’re reading this, you already have brushed stainless metal table legs or a base, or any other brushed stainless product that you are trying to clean, so the proactive solution of coating this is probably no longer possible. Wiping an oily substance over the entire product seems counterproductive, but it actually creates a uniform finish that looks brand new and freshly cleaned. This does require re-doing on occasion, but it’s such a quick and easy process, and as long as the finish is on the metal, you won’t see new smudges or fingerprints. WD-40 is the magic ingredient here. Simply spray the WD-40 onto the brushed stainless and rub it in with a clean, microfiber towel. You’ll have a brand-new, fresh-looking piece in no time! Olive oil also works, but in our experience doesn’t work as well, requires more oil, and requires more frequent applications. But it is a much more common household item, so if you’re in a rush and don’t have any WD-40, give olive oil a try.

If you have a set of brushed stainless table legs or a brushed stainless base and are sick of the fingerprints and smudges and the idea of olive oil or WD-40 going on the base doesn’t sound appealing to you, reach out to us to see if powder coating your existing base is an option. Even if you didn’t purchase the product from us, we may still be able to apply a clear powder coated finish to your metal furniture base to prevent future markings on the brushed finish. You can read about some of the general benefits of powder coating in our Powder Coating Guide if powder coating is new to you.