Expert: Jamie Yocono - 2/9/2009

Question
QUESTION: we have a maple poker table made by max furniture. the top has warped. i have called them and they told me we have had the table over 2 years so they cant help us. ya i know thats not right. but it did happen. we love our table. i need to know i we can fix it. is there anything we can put on it?. thank you for your time... anne

ANSWER: Anne,

Before I can help with your warped table problem, I'll need a little more information. What is the top made of - solid wood, or some composite material, like MDF or plywood?

How is it attached on the underside to it's base?

Is the top treated the same way as the bottom? Like - if there's felt on the top, is the bottom bare wood, or does it have some sort of covering on it, too?

Is it in a room that is climate controlled? Or in an unheated patio room, in which there is no heat/air conditioning?

Wood tends to warp for a couple of reasons, the main culprit is humidity in the air. That's why a drawer or door might be hard to open at certain times of the year, and easier other times. I suspect that your poker table top is moving with possible heat in your home. It's drying out, and as that moisture leaves, it's warping.

Look under the table to see how it is attached to it's base. Is there any way to press the table into being flat again, and then adding some screws to hold it that way? Keep in mind if it's solid wood and you do this, it might crack apart.

If this table is located too close to a heating duct, it might be getting the full force of that heated air, thus drying it out and making it warp.

I suggest you think about where this table is placed, and consider that to be the culprit of the warpage. If you can't figure it out, write back to me, with specifics about where this table sits, and I'll try to help more. But for right now, this is only a guess until I have more info.

It's quite possible this table might flatten out when the season chages and the humidity in your home adjusts. Simply putting something on it won't make it go back to normal, but if you do manage to make it flat again, adding some screws or brackets to the underside (attaching the top to the base better) might help somewhat.

Good luck.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
www.wooditis.com
Las Vegas, NV

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: it is one of those that you can turn over and it is a dinning table. so it is not bolted down. and yes i looked up the vent is right above it. do you think thats what happened> and i think it is solid wood. i have put clamps on it that did not work. how can i get it flat again? i will move it so the air don't blow right on it. thank you... anne

Answer
Anne,

If I'm understanding this correctly, your table top is reversible, right? That means that there is no way to clamp and screw the table down flat, as it would put holes into one side of the table, am I correct? That's not good.  :(

I'm afraid that there isn't much you can do, short of getting the table away from that HVAC duct. I think the damage is already done. The table might revert to a somewhat flatter state, but as long as you can't fasten down the top to the apron, you may be out of luck for any permanent solution.

Have you ever thought about getting someone to make you a new top? If you write back with your city and state, I may be able to recommend a woodworker in your area. That's about all I can do at this point.

You might want to decide if you can make one side the "permanent" side. If you can do this, I would clamp the table top down, then screw it from underneath with some angle brackets and attach it to the apron. This will probably help a great deal, although you effectively negate the use of the other side.


Sorry I can't help you a little more with this problem. Good luck,

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com