How to Fix a Bowed Dining Table

Cover a flat area in your yard that receives the most sunlight throughout the day with a plastic tarp. Ideally, a sidewalk or paved driveways offer the most stable conditions to prevent a wheeled table from rolling or tipping over.

Move the table outdoors and set it on the plastic tarp. Dampen at least two to three towels with warm water. Layer the damp towels over the table’s warped section.

Set a chunk of plywood on top of the damp towels. Choose a piece that is close to the table’s size. Secure the plywood to the table with woodworking clamps. Place at least two to three clamps on both sides of the table to ensure the plywood is secure against the damp towels.

Set a weighted object, such as a brick or a stack of books, on top of the plywood. Avoid overweighting the plywood to prevent damaging the tabletop even further.

Allow the table to remain clamped in the sun for at least three to four hours. Disengage the clamps, remove the towels and examine the table. If the warped section isn’t completely flattened, repeat dampening the towels, clamping down the plywood and placing weighted objects on top.

Continue to check the table every three hours, repeating the clamping process, until the warp is completely eliminated. Once the warped area is flattened, bring the table indoors, cover the previously warped area with the plywood and tighten the woodworking clamps. Allow the plywood to remain until the tabletop is completely dry, which takes several days or weeks depending on the air temperature and wood’s thickness.

Remove the clamps and plywood once the table is completely dry.