Repair Wood Furniture: How to Steam Out Dents

Level deep dents on flat surfaces of wood furniture with this steam method.

By Jeff Jewitt

Cover courtesy The Taunton Press

Old furniture, whether a family heirloom or consignment shop find, is often better made than anything you can buy today. Transform your old or new-to-you furniture into beautiful, functional pieces with Refinishing Furniture Made Simple (The Taunton Press, 2012) by Jeff Jewitt. The following excerpt shows you how to remove dents that are too large or deep for sanding.

This book can be purchased from the MOTHER EARTH NEWS store: Refinishing Furniture Made Simple.

How to Steam Out a Dent

Dents that are too large and deep to sand out can usually be steamed level with the surface using a household iron and distilled water. My rule of thumb is that any dent larger than a pencil eraser should be steamed out.