Repair Wood Furniture: How to Steam Out Dents

Learn how you can level deep dents on flat surfaces of wood furniture with this steam method and have your furniture looking great no matter the age.

By Jeff Jewitt
Updated on November 13, 2021
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by Adobestock/shangarey

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.

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.

drop of water on a dent in a wood table

1. Pour a little puddle of distilled water into the dent.

iron on a piece of cloth on a wet portion of a table

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