Measuring for a round glass table top

Round tops are ordered by diameter: the distance straight across the centre. Getting the centre right is the whole trick.

Finding the diameter of an existing table

1. Hook the tape on one edge and swing the other end slowly across the far side. The diameter is the largest reading you get as you swing through the centre.
2. Repeat at right angles to the first measurement.
3. If the two numbers are within a few millimetres, the table is round. If they differ by more, it is slightly oval; use the smaller number for a protector so the glass does not overhang anywhere.

Protector: flush or set back?

For a glass protector on a round timber table, most people choose one of two looks:

• Flush: glass the same diameter as the table. Clean, but the glass edge is exposed to knocks.
• Set back: glass 10 to 20mm smaller than the table, so a small ring of timber shows around the edge. This protects the glass edge and hides any small out-of-round.

Glass on a base: how much overhang?

For a round top on a pedestal or base, the glass is the table, so the diameter is really about how many people you want to seat. As a rough guide, 900mm seats four closely, 1050 to 1200mm seats four comfortably, and 1350 to 1500mm seats six. Check with the maker of your base what top size and thickness it is designed for.

Pricing note

Round pieces are cut from a square blank with a small margin around the circle, so a round top costs a little more than you might expect from its area alone. The calculator already includes this, and the round cut, in the price it shows.