warped desktop -

Greetings all and a thanks to any vets out there on this Memorial Day!

I have a large solid wood desk - I have no idea what type of wood - that, due to life's interventions, has been stored in a shed in the Mojave desert of so. California for the past . . . 4? years. Anyway - the shed was basically a kiln in the summer with outside daily temps of 105 on ave. The top of the desk has warped and I'm wondering if there is a reasonable way to repair it. I have attached photos for your reference - 1 is rather blurred but is still a good photo of the separation of the top from the frame. I've read a couple other posts on this website about warped wood - I'm not really inclined to remove the top to repair it. Can it be done in place? The top is nearly an inch thick - looks to be planed slats glued together.

Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also, let me know if you have any questions.

Thank in advance for your time!

Kelly - aka hondochica

It seems, from the pics, that the top surface has had the moisture sucked out of it causing cell constriction, thus cupping the top. The easiest and quickest way to replace this moisture would be to strip the surface back and use it as an ironing board. Between ironings, weight the high edges to assist with flattening. Depending on the type of timber this may only take one application or in the case of more resiliant timber, several attempts may be required. Good luck.

Hi Rustynail;

Thanks for your reply. So I need to remove the stain in order for moisture to penetrate while I'm 'ironing' - ? Would that be literally 'ironing'?? hot item - maybe over a moist surface - like a towel? sorry but I'm not sure what you really mean. If the underside of the top is not stained - and I don't think it is but haven't run outside to check - could I maybe put a humidifier under the desktop to help it absorb moisture? and put weights on the top to flatten it? Would really rather avoid stripping and re-staining the desk at this time.

btw: I still live in the desert - what would be the best way to avoid this in the future - or will it not be a problem once the desk is in the house where there's higher humidity than outside or in that shed/kiln.

Kelly

Hi Kelly,
What needs to be removed is the sealer on the surface of the desk as this will prevent moistue from reentering the surface cells of the timber. No, you cant attack this from underneath the top as that would only make things worse. What has happened is the cells in the timber on the top surface of the desk have dried out more than the cells in the underside of the desk. This has caused the top to cup. By applying moisture to the underside would only increase the variance between the two surfaces, making the top cup even more. As for ironing, it can be the real deal or just iron a damp towel if you prefer. If the surface finish of the desk is old and peeling or cracking, you will get enough moisture penetration without having to strip back. Once the top is stabalized again, it should be fine inside the house. If you can survive in there, so can the desk. Good luck.