# Warping after Sealing



## Flanjet (Mar 5, 2010)

Hi all,

I have a balau table which i just finished sealing with Rystix (deck sealer).
After the table was exposed to its first rainfall, the slated joints seemed to have expanded and are cupping as well as lifting the joint. (Hope that makes sense, if not check out the attached pics).
Some of the edging also seemed to shorten. I ssume i didnt spray enough sealer on the endgrain..

I sprayed on the finish, 4 coats on top, and 2 underneath.

Did i not seal the joints enough? is it because i didnt apply 4 coats underneath?
How can i fix it? It was worse the day before, but seems to be staying where it is now.

Any opinions would be appreciated.


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## Streamwinner (Nov 25, 2008)

I''m wondering if you know how dry the boards were before you started building (you mentioned that you just finished sealing it, but I don't know if that also means you just finished building it). Could it be the exposure to the sun that may have caused (or contributed to) the warping? How long was the table outside before the rainfall? 

Looks like a nice table, by the way, from what I can see.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Streamwinner said:


> I''m wondering if you know how dry the boards were before you started building


Ditto


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Balau is supposed to be even better than Teak for use in outdoor environments. Very dense, full of oil, and very tight grained. But it is only moderately stable. 

You said the wood expanded after the first rain . . . I'm wondering if the MC was too _low_? Did you give the wood time to reach EMC before sealing it? I wouldn't seal Teak or Balau (a.k.a. Taeng Wood) for a couple weeks if at all. Though I know you want to keep the rich color as long as possible so it's understandable. The natural oils in the wood prevent water saturation and that's what it so durable. 

Did all or most of the boards cup, or just a few? Where in the log a board comes from dictates to a great degree how much it's gonna move, and also how it was sawn. I'm like Stream I'd like to know when you bought the wood, if it was kiln dried - and almost certain that it was since it was exported from malaysia/indonesia etc. and must be dried and treated before imported here - and how long you let it acclimate. 

Just a bit of trivia. Balau is even more durable than Teak but Teak has always been the standard for marine applications. The decks of the Titanic are Teak, and beneath the barnacles and muck covering it, the Teak decks are said to be in as good shape as they day it sank. I don't know that firsthand though. The deepest I ever dove a wreck was 137' and they say the Titanic is a tad deeper than that. :stuart:


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## Old Skhool (Oct 31, 2009)

*Information still applies*

Sorry, I misread your post, and I thought it was a deck you were talking about... until I looked at the picture again and saw the chair, then reread and and it was right before my eyes Whoops, better put some coffee on. Still a little early for me in CA. *however the info still applies: *

I think the poblem you are experiencing is not from the structure, joists ... because wood expands and contracts very little along its length. It can move significantly in its width and thickness depending upon grain orientation. (radial and especially tangential) You can see in your pictures that the spacing between the deck boards have closed up due to the decking boards expanding in width. This force was great enough that it pushed the framing members, and opened up the long grained pieces, again shown in your pics.

If the deck boards are face nailed, or screwed, I think I would run a saw kerf through each joint (using a long straight edge, if that is possible. Then try using a "come a long" or other method to pull the framing back straight and reinforce. Finish by using a floor sander (after the wood has dried) then reseal.

It may end up being easier and better to pull up the deck boards, staighten up the framing/reinforce, then replace the decking with the cupped side down. BTW, when wood cups, it almost always cups in the opposite direction of the annual rings. In other words the annual rings viewed on the end grain tend to staighten on plane sawed wood. (Quartersawn is generally more stable and durable, and expensive and often not avilable)

As for the finish, coating the end grain with extra coats of sealer may slow the water absorbtion, but nothing will stop the wood from picking up moisture. Your problem stems from inadequate spacing of the deck boards, and not checking the end grain of each board for grain orientation.

Really sorry to see this happen, as it looks like it was a beautiful deck. Ugh I mean table.:huh::yes::laughing:


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## jlhaslip (Jan 16, 2010)

I built a cedar top for an outdoor deck table last summer where the joists 'raised' after the first rain, but they settled down once the table was outside for a few months. Today you can't sense the joints by feel whereas last summer you could have your coffee cup rocking on one.


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## Flanjet (Mar 5, 2010)

Thanks everyone for your replys.

I think you right, Slip. I'll give it some time and see what it does. its already looking better.

I cant take credit for building it, because i bought it. My building portfolio has been limited to a wall mounted entertainment centre cabinet and a DVD/CD cabinet so far, but with the hope of expanding it. So expect to hear from me alot. You guys have already given me plenty to read up on.


Was gonna build a table, but time being a factor i decided to buy when i found this one at a good price.

From what i can tell, the tables are premade in Vietnam, before been shipped to South Africa or where ever else they go, so im not sure on how and how long they allow the wood to dry. The wood is still raw, with no treatment, and as you said Texas, i wanted to keep the golden look for as long as possible.

From close inspection, the struts all seemed to "cup" and push up the edge of join.
Excuse my terminology, im not sure what you call this join. ive put some more pics on to help. (excuse my cat, he feels he has to be involved..)
It has got alot better. 

I assume it will keep on moving back and forth for a while..?

Is it worth getting sealer into the small gaps between each piece at the end or wont it make a difference?

Thanks again for helping out a newbie.


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