Expand-To grow bigger,
to enlarge.
Contract-To shrink in
size.Step 2
With all the panels cut to size and assembled you’ve probably noticed
that they are a little flimsy. The tongue and groove joint is not enough to
hold the panels together. We need some type of backing to stiffen the
panels up. That’s where the braces come in. If you haven’t cut the
braces to size yet go on and do that. The longer braces are for the wider
panels and the short ones are for the narrower panels. The reason that
the braces don’t go all the way across is to keep them from getting in the
way when the panels come together. Measure over 1” from both edges
and place a mark. The braces on the wide and narrow panels should fit
in-between these marks. The braces need to be placed somewhere in the
middle of each panel so we measured down roughly 7” from the top
edge of each panel and place the top of the brace at this mark.
Once you have the braces marked where they
should go clamp them in place and with your
brace drill pilot holes using a 1/8” bit through the
brace and into the center of each board. By
drilling into the center of each board you allow
the panel to expand and contract along the width.
Remember wood is constantly moving. Wood moves in response to how
much moisture is in the air. If the air is dry wood will contract, if the air
is damp, wood will soak up this moisture and expand. Most of wood’s
movement is across the width of the board, (very little movement is seen