Joining Wood Planks

There are many reasons why joining wood planks is essential in woodworking and carpentry. For example, you may wish to create a larger surface area when making wide, flat tops for tables, countertops, or workbenches. Also, to create a continuous and seamless floor surface from multiple planks, or to make larger panels for cabinets, doors, and other pieces of furniture.

Structural integrity is an important consideration when joining planks of wood together, as enhancing the strength and stability of a structure will make it more durable and able to bear more weight.

To prevent warping, you should ensure that the planks are joined properly. By doing this, they are less likely to warp or twist over time compared to a single, wide board. To decide which type of joint you need for your project, please refer to our guide on How to Join Timber.

Consider your desired design and aesthetic when joining planks of wood in specific patterns. Parquet flooring or butcher block countertops for example, can create aesthetically pleasing designs.

You may need to restore damaged sections of wood by joining new planks to existing wood to replace damaged or decayed sections. Repairing or reinforcing furniture by joining new wood to the existing structure can extend its usable life.

In specialist woodworking projects, such as boat building, joining planks of wood together is crucial in constructing hulls and decks of wooden boats. When making musical instruments, this often requires the joining of wood to create the body and other components of the instrument.

For more information on the best methods for joining planks of wood together, we have created a How to Join Timber Guide as a PDF which can be saved to your device or printed.