There are many factors that cause a wood to warp. One of the main reasons though is the uneven distribution of moisture among the wood cells. Once the wood fibers dry out then they tend to shrink. There will now be various warping patterns that will develop depending on the part of the wood that dried quickly.
Kinds of Warping
The ends of the boards will curl up or been sideways once there will be uneven drying.
Cupping happens once the edge of the board will curl toward each other.
Bowing, on the other hand, happens once the ends curl upwards. Corking can also happen pretty much like bowing.
There is more curling though on one end than the other. The warping that the board sustains will also depend on factors like the tree species. The location of the trunk from which the board has been sawed and the method of drying that has been done.
What is bowing?
Once the board will come from the center of the funk then it will have more tendency to bow than the ones that have been from the ousted. The one side of that bard is what is called as heartwood while the other side is known as the sapwood.
The heartwood is the one that contains more water since it is much younger. That is why it is also the one that shrinks more when it has dried out. The sided of the heartwood board is also the one that will be connecting more than the other used.
A wood that also comes from a branch or a log that is not straight can also warp. This is due to the irregularities in the grain of the wood from which it has been sawed.
What you need:
- High strength catches
- Electric blanket
- Clamps
- Steamer
Ways on how to fix warped furniture
If you are planning to fix a warped furniture then you need to look at first the role of the object. Once you are able to determine this one then you can now decide what action you deem necessary.
The next thing to do is to determine how to access the warped components.
You also need to consider the relationship of any other components that are involved. See to it that you will find ways on how you are able to stabilize the furniture to its new shape. If you will be taking different parts apart then you need to also know how to reassemble them afterwards.
Using single or multiple high strength catches
Image credit: Essentra Components
- The first thing that you need to do is to locate the area where the warp is.
- Attach single or multiple catches to the warped end of the furniture. You need to make sure that you will use the one with a good holding strength.
You need to remember though that this method is just a temporary fix since it will not actually be able to correct the warp but will just help in aligning the furniture.
Using moisture to your advantage
Image credit: wikiHow
Another non-invasive treatment that one can also do is to extract more moisture on the convex side or add moisture on the concave side. The cells will partially soften in the wood with the help of humidity and heat. This will allow the wood fibers to slide along each other.
- Locate the warped area of the furniture
- Apply heat to the area using a hair dryer or a blower.
- use clamps in order to position the furniture in place
- Check the area every now and then to determine if the warped area has been corrected.
- Once the warped area has straightened, let the wood cool down.
Using an electric blanket
Image credit: Briscoes
- Locate the area where warping is happening
- Prepare the electric blanket
- Hold the furniture in place using a clamp
- Check every now and then to see if the warping has been corrected
Steam is being used once the panel is a thick one. A steamer is needed once you will opt to do this process.
Conclusion
Repairing a furniture that has warped might need more work than expected. That is why when you are purchasing furniture to always see to it that they have been dried well to prevent these things from happening.
