How to Fix Warped Wood From Water

A deformed wood is not uncommon especially when you are seeing lumber all around you. There are many reasons why a wood can warp. One of the biggest reasons is the moisture that is being absorbed and released by the wood.

The uneven absorption of the moisture is the main reason why wood tends to warp. This can also be caused by a number of different factors like the grain orientation, the species of the wood, air flow, uneven finish on the wood, and sunlight and temperature.

What you need:

• Moist towels
• Steam iron
• Clamps

Ways on how to fix warped wood

Using an iron

Image credit: CuttingBoard.com

1. If you will choose to do this method then you can start by wrapping the wood in relatively large moist towels. You need to see to it that the warped section is fully covered. Make sure that you will be choosing a towel that can withstand the temperatures of the iron.
2. Soak the towels thoroughly as you take out the excess water. See to it that you will be using damp and not wet towels.
3. You need to place the wood in a flat surface with the concave surface facing down.
4. Set the iron to the highest setting. Allow it to heat up for 2-5 minutes. If you would want to do this method then a steam iron is much better.
5. Press the iron the warped surface. You need to slide the iron on the surfer of the wood applying an even pressure. Hold the iron in each position for around 6-10 seconds.

You need to check the wood and see if the warping has stopped. Once it has stopped then you can now stop this process and let the wood dry before using it. You can opt for another need once this method will not be working.

Using the sunlight

Image credit: NZ Farm Forestry Association

This method of fixing a warped wood also similar to the one that uses iron as this one also uses moist towels. You need to choose a towel that should be able to retain moisture.

1. Soak the towel in water and squeeze the excess off.
2. You need to place the wood in a flat deck. You can also choose to place it on your lawn. You need to see to it that the area to where you will be placing it will have a soft surface.
3. Place it directly under the sunlight. You need to place the convex part facing up while the concave part of the wood should be placed facing down.
4. If there is a need to add more water then spray the wood on the warped section.
5. Keep the wood under the sun for around 2-4 days depending on the degree of warping that it has. You need to make sure that you will be constantly spraying the towels with water to keep it damp. The sunlight is the one that will encourage to absorb the moisture from the towel to the wood. During the night, place the wood in a warm room.
   

Using Pressure

Image credit: keepsakestorage.info

1. The first thing that you need to do when opting for this method is to moist a towel and cover the warped section of the wood. You can use paper to well in this method as it works better. You need to see to it though that you will choose a large one enough to cover the warped area. See to it that you will place the moist towels in the concave section of the wood to bring it back to normal.
2. In order to make sure of the tightness of the towel then you can use plastic to wrap it securely. This will help in reducing the evaporation and keeps the wood moist at the same time.
3. You then need to clamp the wood and make sure that you will over tighten it until you can see some straightening on the warp region. You need to be careful though as overdoing it might cause the wood to split.
   

After one week, you can remove the towel and the clamp from the wood. If the warping has been addressed then you can already use the wood after it has been dried. If there is still warping, place the wood in an area that is relatively cooler at around 25 degrees. Check the wood from time to time and area of the warping has been rectified.

Conclusion 

Warping of wood has caused damage. This is in relation not just on the structure but also on the business side. Getting to know the various ways on how you can address wood warping though can help reduce these damages. They might need some elbow grease on your part but they will be worth it once you are able to correct the damage that warping has caused.