Wood is plentiful, affordable, aesthetically pleasing, strong and eco-friendly material. All of which make wood an excellent choice for building. Despite all of its benefits, wood, it has one major drawback. Wood is naturally prone to wood warping.
Warping is when wood loses its flatness and begins to bend or twist. Wood can warp for a number of reasons. If it is exposed to high temperatures or absorbs too much moisture, wood may warp. Warping is when the fibers found within wood are altered by the temperature or moisture. You’ve probably experienced wood warping at home. During the summer when the temperature is high, your garden shed door may have felt harder to open. This is because the wood is expanding in the heat and not fitting perfectly to the frame that it was built for.
Do All Woods Warp The Same?
Despite woods being commonly referred to as “hardwood” and “softwood”, all wood types are susceptible to warping. Despite this, some wood types are more resistant to warping than others, such as redwood, cedar or fir. These wood types are resistant to warping because of the natural chemicals found within these woods, offering higher levels of stiffness.
The Different Kinds Of Warps
Wood warps in different ways depending on the temperature, moisture level or uneven finishing. The types of warping are as follows:
Bow – A bend in the wood running along the length of the wood face.
Cup – A warp on the width of the wood causing the edges to curl up.
Crook – Similar to a Bow Warp but runs along the edge of the wood.
Kink – A confined sharp bend in the wood.
Twist – The ends of the wood do not lie flat, both are upturned in different directions.
Benefits of Wood Warping
Warping may sound negative, but it does have some creative applications in woodworking. Have you ever seen a wooden arch? This is created by manipulating the natural properties of wood. By submerging wood in water or exposing it to steam, a skilled carpenters will intentionally warp wood. This is a skill often found in creative focused woodworking workshops.
How to Prevent Wood Warping
Wood warping is a natural process that is impossible to prevent. It happens with all natural wood and is at the whim of the natural environment. However, there are things you can do to prevent wood warping.
- Apply a varnish or stain once you receive the garden shed. This will limit the impact the natural enviornment will have of the wood by acting as a sealant.
- Buy wood from a local supplier. Wood that has been freshly sourced from across Europe or the world requires time to climatise to our Irish conditions. By working freshly imported wood, your garden shed, log cabin or wooden building will warp in the typically more humid Irish weather conditions. By buying wood from a local supplier, you are reducing the likelihood of the wood warping to any large extent.
- Purchase Pressure Treated Timber. Pressure Treated Timber contains an addition that repels moisture to ensure water lasts longer. To learn more about Pressure Treated Timber, Click Here.
Every MCD Garden Shed come as standard with fully pressure treated timber, a steel roof and a waterproof internal membrane. All of our products are built and assembled on site by our team of in-house expert carpenters. To view our range, click below to learn more about some of our quality handmade garden sheds. Click Here to Contact one of our team.