This table used to sit in our living/dining room, but as our family at home has gotten smaller, we've needed more space and less table, so we moved it to the back patio. I refinished it with some poly just last spring, or maybe the spring before, but it got absolutely trashed over the winter. Whatever I used on it just wasn't very protective and it was in bad shape.
Yesterday I resanded it, put on a stain (used the leftover from my beautiful desk), and put down two coats of poly (with sanding). I was going to put on another coat if it dried, but it rained all night long, so that didn't get done. The good news is, the water was all beaded up on top of the table, so it looks like it was keeping from soaking into the wood.
We are going to tarp the table this winter, and just uncover it if we need to use it. It seems that the combination of harsh weather, wind, and frigid temperatures is a little tough on stuff.
