Bread Board Ends on Reclaimed Wood Tables | Furniture From The Barn Blog

Breadboard Ends: Understanding the Pros and Cons for Your Custom Table

There are pros and cons to breadboard ends, and understanding them will help you make the best choice for your custom table.

What Are Breadboard Ends?

Breadboard ends are 2 to 3-inch strips of wood attached to the ends of the table. The grain runs perpendicular to the grain of the table. Breadboard ends can help stabilize the tabletop and keep it from bowing, which rarely occurs. Due to color variations characteristic of reclaimed wood, as well as the grain going the other way, the color of the breadboard ends may not be an exact match to the rest of the table. However, our shop artisans are quite skillful in getting everything to closely match.

Understanding Wood Movement

Wood is a fibrous material and naturally expands and contracts with temperature and humidity changes. We see this expansion and contraction the most during the first year as the table acclimates to your home environment. Since expansion and contraction of the wood on a table is most noticeable at the breadboard ends, tables often have a V-groove routed where the breadboard end meets the table. This helps minimize the appearance of the wood 'movement' at the breadboard ends.

Note: New wood tables come with or without breadboard ends and tend to expand and contract less than reclaimed wood tables.

Style Considerations

Breadboard ends give our reclaimed wood tables a 'country' farmhouse look, while tables without breadboard ends have a more 'modern' farmhouse look to them.

Tables Without Breadboard Ends

Chestnut trestle table without breadboard ends showing clean modern lines — Chestnut trestle table without breadboard ends - modern farmhouse style

White pine loose board farmhouse table without breadboard ends

V-Groove Details at Breadboard Ends

Chestnut table top showing V-groove detail at breadboard end — Chestnut table top with V-groove at breadboard end

Red oak tabletop with V-groove at breadboard end

Tables With Breadboard Ends

White pine farmhouse table with breadboard ends showing country style — White pine farmhouse table with breadboard ends - country farmhouse style

White oak farmhouse table with breadboard ends

Breadboard End Extension Options

Breadboard end extending beyond the tabletop edge — Breadboard end extending beyond tabletop for added visual interest

Oak table top showing breadboard end extension detail — Oak table top showing how a breadboard end can extend past the tabletop

Company Boards: Expandable Seating Options

White pine farmhouse table without breadboard ends and company boards

White pine farmhouse table with breadboard ends and company boards for extra seating

Making Your Decision

The choice between breadboard ends or not comes down to your style preference and functional needs:

Choose breadboard ends if: You prefer a traditional country farmhouse look and want maximum table stability
Skip breadboard ends if: You prefer a cleaner, more modern farmhouse aesthetic

Either way, our craftsmen will ensure your custom table is built to last for generations. Contact us to discuss which option is best for your home and style preferences.