Can I use regular furniture polish on it?

You should stick to a good quality beeswax polish. Apply it sparingly every few months. Silicone sprays will leave a cloudy residue on antique surfaces. A soft cloth and a gentle buff is all most dining tables need.

My dining room floor is slightly uneven and I am worried that an extending table with multiple leaves will sit badly and rock when we eat. How did makers deal with this problem back then?

Most Victorian extending tables have brass castors fitted to the legs. Some of these include a thread that lets you adjust the height slightly to cope with uneven floors. If a table lacks adjustable castors, you can slide felt pads under the feet. Old houses rarely had flat floors, so heavy timber frames were built to settle. Adding the central leaves often helps stabilise the frame. The extra weight pushes the legs down onto the floorboards.

Do the extra leaves need supporting?

It depends on the size of the table. Small leaf extensions are usually supported by the main telescopic runners or by wooden bearers pulling out from the frieze. Long tables require extra help. Makers often provided a separate central leg that drops down when the table is fully extended to stop the middle from bowing.

We want to buy a large oak table for everyday family meals, but I am worried about whether the timber will split if the dining room gets too warm during the winter heating season. What should we do?

Central heating is tough on antique furniture. The dry air shrinks old timber, which can cause the joints to loosen and the main boards to crack along the grain. Keep the table away from direct heat sources like radiators. Using a humidifier in the room during the winter months helps maintain a stable moisture level in the wood. Oak is a dense timber and most period tables have survived centuries of temperature changes. A slight opening of the grain is normal and rarely affects the structural integrity of a thick top.