There are quite possibly, more ways to join wood together, than any other widely used building material. This natural and versatile product can be joined very effectively using mechanical fasteners and adhesives, in many cases, when constructing a timber joint, a combination of both is used. Metal fasteners such as screws, nails and bolts are a fast and effective method of joining wood but care has to be taken to prevent splitting and weakening of the base material, this is especially so when using board substrates manufactured from wood derivatives. The use of these metal fasteners has one distinct advantage insofar the fastener pulls the two materials together without the need for adhesive or clamping.

Wood jointing systems such as dowels, dominos and biscuit joints use pieces of specially-shaped or compressed timber to act as the reinforcing component in a wood joint that is ultimately held together with adhesive. In all methods that use a timber fitting to form the joint, part of the existing base material is removed and replaced with the wooden fitting which is inserted into both materials to be joined. The advantages of these systems, is it places no stress on the original base material as there is no expansion, displacement or cutting of fibres within the fastener recess and any holes or voids created, are filled with a suitably strong timber fitting; the fasteners are also hidden within the workpiece providing a discreet fixing solution that needs no caps, fillers or plugs.

The disadvantage of dowels, dominos and biscuits is their inability to pull both materials together without clamps and a permanent secure joint cannot be made without adhesive. New timber jointing methods have been pioneered by the likes of Lamello who invented the original wooden biscuit in 1956. Lamello’s introduction of the P-System in 2009 used a plastic composite and combined elements of the original timber laminated biscuit with an inbuilt clamping system. Despite a small hole being required to tighten the unique Clamex fitting it succeeded in being a wood jointing system that was almost hidden, required no adhesive and was detachable.

Further innovation followed under the P-System family and fittings like the Tenso were launched which did away with the pilot hole, clamped autonomously but did require adhesive. Lamello has developed more wood jointing fittings such as the Divario and Cabineo fittings.

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