moisture

makes the wood “swell”

In our opinion, you are always right when you decide to buy a natural product made of wood. However, a natural product also means that you have not bought a dead piece of board, but a kitchen tool that continues to work thanks to its positive property of adaptation. This can be very helpful, for example, with the antibacterial property by closing scratches in the board. However, it is all the more important to choose the right one. Cutting board to avoid unpleasant side effects such as bending or warping of the board.

One reason for a wooden board to become deformed can be too much moisture in one spot. The board swells in the wet or permanently damp spot and forms an unsightly curve that prevents the board from lying flat on your work surface.

warmth

dries out the wood

On the other hand, heat, e.g. excessive sunlight, can also cause drying out. The wood releases moisture in places and can warp in this case too.

At this point we would like to mention that the combination of water and heat can also be used specifically for dents in wood: Put a hot cloth on the damaged area and a warm iron over it. The combination of Water  and heat  causes the wood fibers to swell, which then adapt to the surface. You can find this and other tips also in this article.

Counter bending

if necessary, also with weight

You don't need to make an appointment in our workshop to straighten your wooden cutting board 😉. With a little patience and the right technique, you can do it yourself:

You can straighten your curved board by watering the curved surface and then laying it flat to dry. This will allow the wood to pull itself back into the right position. To increase the effect, you can also add weight to your board. 

Dry

evenly and precisely

It is important to dry the wood in a targeted manner to guide your board in the right direction. It is best to moisten or water only the side that is curved upwards and let the other side dry. You can also cover one side with a damp cloth and fix it with an additional heavy object.

Grind

 Shortening the wood fibers and preparing for care 

We have already in this article explains in detail how you can properly care for your wooden products. Here we will summarize the most important things again so that you know how to minimize deformation of the wood. Since these are natural products and wood is always alive, bending can never be completely ruled out.

If you have your Cutting board If you sand it down at regular intervals (we recommend a 180 grit), you will shorten the wood fibres that have become raised due to the moisture. These will lie down again and are no longer as absorbent to moisture.

Oil

 The nourishing finish 

By oiling the wood as the next step, you seal the wood structure even further and prevent excessive penetration of any environmental influences. Please make sure to give the oil time to penetrate deep into the wood.