diff --git a/src/file/styles/external-styles-factory.spec.ts b/src/file/styles/external-styles-factory.spec.ts
index 802b6c8bb0..0957c25d9f 100644
--- a/src/file/styles/external-styles-factory.spec.ts
+++ b/src/file/styles/external-styles-factory.spec.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ describe("External styles factory", () => {
 
             expect(importedStyle.root.length).to.equal(5);
             expect(importedStyle.root[1]).to.eql({
+                deleted: false,
                 root: [],
                 rootKey: "w:docDefaults",
             });
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ describe("External styles factory", () => {
                     "w:defLockedState": "1",
                     "w:defUIPriority": "99",
                 },
+                deleted: false,
                 root: [],
                 rootKey: "w:latentStyles",
             });
@@ -74,15 +76,18 @@ describe("External styles factory", () => {
                     "w:styleId": "Normal",
                     "w:type": "paragraph",
                 },
+                deleted: false,
                 root: [
                     {
                         _attr: {
                             "w:val": "Normal",
                         },
+                        deleted: false,
                         root: [],
                         rootKey: "w:name",
                     },
                     {
+                        deleted: false,
                         root: [],
                         rootKey: "w:qFormat",
                     },
@@ -95,11 +100,13 @@ describe("External styles factory", () => {
                     "w:styleId": "Heading1",
                     "w:type": "paragraph",
                 },
+                deleted: false,
                 root: [
                     {
                         _attr: {
                             "w:val": "heading 1",
                         },
+                        deleted: false,
                         root: [],
                         rootKey: "w:name",
                     },
@@ -107,20 +114,25 @@ describe("External styles factory", () => {
                         _attr: {
                             "w:val": "Normal",
                         },
+                        deleted: false,
                         root: [],
                         rootKey: "w:basedOn",
                     },
                     {
+                        deleted: false,
                         root: [
                             {
+                                deleted: false,
                                 root: [],
                                 rootKey: "w:keepNext",
                             },
                             {
+                                deleted: false,
                                 root: [],
                                 rootKey: "w:keepLines",
                             },
                             {
+                                deleted: false,
                                 root: [
                                     {
                                         _attr: {
@@ -129,6 +141,7 @@ describe("External styles factory", () => {
                                             "w:sz": "4",
                                             "w:val": "single",
                                         },
+                                        deleted: false,
                                         root: [],
                                         rootKey: "w:bottom",
                                     },
diff --git a/src/file/table/table.ts b/src/file/table/table.ts
index 6a7bb1a928..aa6e760d27 100644
--- a/src/file/table/table.ts
+++ b/src/file/table/table.ts
@@ -8,26 +8,31 @@ export class Table extends XmlComponent {
     private readonly rows: TableRow[];
     private readonly grid: TableGrid;
 
-    constructor(rows: number, cols: number) {
+    constructor(rows: number, cols: number, colSizes?: number[]) {
         super("w:tbl");
         this.properties = new TableProperties();
         this.root.push(this.properties);
 
-        const gridCols: number[] = [];
-        for (let i = 0; i < cols; i++) {
-            /*
-              0-width columns don't get rendered correctly, so we need
-              to give them some value. A reasonable default would be
-              ~6in / numCols, but if we do that it becomes very hard
-              to resize the table using setWidth, unless the layout
-              algorithm is set to 'fixed'. Instead, the approach here
-              means even in 'auto' layout, setting a width on the
-              table will make it look reasonable, as the layout
-              algorithm will expand columns to fit its content
-             */
-            gridCols.push(1);
+        if (colSizes && colSizes.length > 0) {
+            this.grid = new TableGrid(colSizes);
+        } else {
+            const gridCols: number[] = [];
+            for (let i = 0; i < cols; i++) {
+                /*
+                  0-width columns don't get rendered correctly, so we need
+                  to give them some value. A reasonable default would be
+                  ~6in / numCols, but if we do that it becomes very hard
+                  to resize the table using setWidth, unless the layout
+                  algorithm is set to 'fixed'. Instead, the approach here
+                  means even in 'auto' layout, setting a width on the
+                  table will make it look reasonable, as the layout
+                  algorithm will expand columns to fit its content
+                 */
+                gridCols.push(1);
+            }
+            this.grid = new TableGrid(gridCols);
         }
-        this.grid = new TableGrid(gridCols);
+
         this.root.push(this.grid);
 
         this.rows = [];
@@ -111,6 +116,10 @@ export class TableCell extends XmlComponent {
         this.addContent(para);
         return para;
     }
+
+    get cellProperties() {
+        return this.properties;
+    }
 }
 
 export class TableCellProperties extends XmlComponent {
diff --git a/src/file/xml-components/base.ts b/src/file/xml-components/base.ts
index d634a418a9..f6382f5e7e 100644
--- a/src/file/xml-components/base.ts
+++ b/src/file/xml-components/base.ts
@@ -2,10 +2,15 @@ import { IXmlableObject } from "./xmlable-object";
 
 export abstract class BaseXmlComponent {
     protected rootKey: string;
+    protected deleted: boolean = false;
 
     constructor(rootKey: string) {
         this.rootKey = rootKey;
     }
 
     public abstract prepForXml(): IXmlableObject;
+
+    get isDeleted() {
+        return this.deleted;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/file/xml-components/xml-component.spec.ts b/src/file/xml-components/xml-component.spec.ts
index 17d3d4d1cb..25bf442bc9 100644
--- a/src/file/xml-components/xml-component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/file/xml-components/xml-component.spec.ts
@@ -18,4 +18,15 @@ describe("XmlComponent", () => {
             assert.equal(newJson.rootKey, "w:test");
         });
     });
+
+    describe("#prepForXml()", () => {
+        it("should skip deleted elements", () => {
+            const child = new TestComponent("w:test1");
+            child.delete();
+            xmlComponent.addChildElement(child);
+           
+            const xml = xmlComponent.prepForXml();
+            assert.equal(xml['w:test'].length, 0); 
+        });
+    });
 });
diff --git a/src/file/xml-components/xml-component.ts b/src/file/xml-components/xml-component.ts
index 833e368f23..b41bb01267 100644
--- a/src/file/xml-components/xml-component.ts
+++ b/src/file/xml-components/xml-component.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@ export abstract class XmlComponent extends BaseXmlComponent {
 
     public prepForXml(): IXmlableObject {
         const children = this.root
+            .filter(c => {
+                if (c instanceof BaseXmlComponent) {
+                    return !c.isDeleted;
+                }
+                return true;
+            })
             .map((comp) => {
                 if (comp instanceof BaseXmlComponent) {
                     return comp.prepForXml();
@@ -27,4 +33,8 @@ export abstract class XmlComponent extends BaseXmlComponent {
     public addChildElement(child: XmlComponent | string) {
         this.root.push(child);
     }
+
+    public delete() {
+        this.deleted = true;
+    }
 }