Few things are as beautiful as those made of natural wood – cabinets, flooring, moldings, furniture and more. However, wood is a porous, organic material constantly changing based on the amount of moisture in the environment. This can lead to wood shrinking and expanding creating unsightly floors, cabinets and furniture. In this post we will explore why wood warps and what can be done to reduce it.
Perhaps the most common warping is when cabinet center panels shrink in the winter. The center panel of a typical 5-piece door is designed to float in the stiles and rails, as humidity decreases or increases the size of the panel. If this was not the case, the panel might crack.
Center Panel Shrinking Left-Hand Side in a 5-Piece Cabinet Panel
Close-Up of Center Panel Pulling Away from the Stile
The Purple Painted Lady does a nice job of explaining how change in humidity affects the sizes of door panels and what you can do to reduce the probability on this type of warping.
Center Panel Shrinking
Cracked Center Panel
However, there are other types of wood warp. Let’s take a quick look at those before we discuss how to reduce wood warp.
An article on Wikipedia outlines some types of warping as illustrated above:
- Bow: Warp along the length of the face of the wood
- Crook: Warp along the length of the edge of the wood
- Kink: Localized crook, often due to a knot
- Cup: Warp across the width of the face, in which the edges are higher or lower than the center of the wood
- Twist or Wind: A distortion in which the two ends do not lie on the same plane. Winding sticks assist in viewing this defect.
- Curl: While not pictured above, it is a warp in the center that creates a warp similar to a bow
Primary Causes of Warping
The primary warping culprit is the change in humidity levels. Wood is hygroscopic. That means it absorbs moisture in humid air and releases moisture in dry air.
Warp is most notable in the winter months. Humidity levels drop in the winter. This causes the wood to release moisture and shrink. To the contrary, in the spring as humidity picks up wood takes in more moisture and expands.
Fluctuating temperatures means wood shrinks and swells. Here are some common outcomes as wood changes:
- Bowing: Notably wood cabinet doors will bow in the winter as moisture is released from the wood due to low humidity. You may also see a kink in your furniture or a cup in wood floors.
- Cracked Joints: Areas where wood furniture components meet can crack creating an unsightly, albeit natural, blemish.
- Paint Wear: As the wood expands and contracts, it can wear the paint off of the wood. In the winter as wood contracts, unpainted or unstained areas may appear on cabinets and furniture.
Cabinet Door Bow Warp
Flooring with a Cup Warp
Joint Warp in Furniture
How To Minimize Warping
The good news is that there are things you can do to minimize warping.
#1 Humidity Control: This is the most crucial factor. Use a humidifier to add moisture to the air during dry winter months. 50% humidity is ideal. Today humidity control can be a part of your HVAC system. HVAC manufacturers, such as Carrier and Trane, offer a variety of solutions.
#2 Proper Finishing: Use a high-quality sealant thus creating a barrier to moisture fluctuations.
#3 Air Circulation: Proper air circulation around your cabinets, floors and furniture will reduce uneven moisture distribution.
#4 Temperature Control: A consistent home temperature, while not as critical as humidity, will minimize wood expansion and contraction. The ideal temperature is 70 degrees.
#5 Wood Species: Choose a wood species that will hold up better in environmental changes. In North America oak, maple and cherry are the best species for minimizing warp.
#6 Avoid Direct Heat Sources: Make sure heat sources like vents are a reasonable distance from furniture and cabinets. This will prevent one area being dryer than the other. Temperature imbalance increases warping.
Bishop Cabinets offers some of the most stable wood species, including oak, maple, cherry among others. We hold our vendors to standards requiring that we receive materials within specific moisture ranges. We are constantly measuring temperature and humidity levels in the plant.
The probability of wood warp can be further reduced by choosing from our Modern Materials line. While not “real wood” these beautiful finishes mimic stain and paint while eliminating many of the issues with “real wood”. Often homeowners can’t tell the difference between our Modern Materials line and “real wood”. If you would like to learn more, please contact us.
Wood warp, however, mostly comes down to how well the humidity is controlled in the environment that the cabinets are installed. Follow the guidelines above, and you will have fewer issues with wood shrinking, expanding and warping in general.
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