What Joinery is Best for High-Quality Custom Wood Doors

June 3, 2025

The smallest details in a custom wood garage door often have the greatest impact. Nowhere is this truer than in the construction of custom wood garage and entry doors. While design choices often take center stage, the integrity and longevity of a door start beneath the surface; it’s in the craftsmanship of its joinery. For architects and designers working with discerning clients, understanding joinery when specifying a door can help you explain to them just how this door will stand the test of time.

At CAMBEK, we rely on the time-honored mortise and tenon joint, a technique with centuries of proven performance. But what sets it apart from other joinery methods, and why should it matter to you?

What Is Joinery, and Why Does It Matter?

Joinery refers to the technique used to connect two pieces of wood together. In the context of wood doors, it determines how well the frame holds up against time, weather, and usage. A well-executed joint ensures strength, durability, and precision alignment. A poorly executed or inferior joint? It compromises the entire door.

When a luxury wood garage or entry door is expected to perform year after year—in climates that test its mettle and settings that demand architectural distinction—the method of joinery becomes more than a technicality. It becomes the backbone of the door’s structural integrity.

Exploring Joinery Types in Custom Door Design

Several joinery methods are commonly used in the construction of wood doors. While each has its place in woodworking, not all are suitable for doors that must endure heavy daily use, outdoor exposure, and fluctuating humidity. Let’s look at the most common options:

Pocket Screw Joinery

This method involves drilling a hole at an angle into one piece of wood and joining it to another with a screw. It’s quick, simple, and popular in mass production.

Pros: fast and inexpensive to produce; requires minimal clamping time.

Cons: poor long-term durability, prone to loosening over time, and not suitable for doors under stress or exposure.

Dowel Joinery

Dowel joints use wooden pegs inserted into matching holes in adjoining pieces of wood. This method can create a clean and hidden joint.

Pros: more durable than pocket screws; aesthetically clean with no visible hardware.

Cons: alignment must be perfect; can weaken if glue fails; limited strength under lateral force.

Biscuit Joinery

This technique uses oval-shaped wooden biscuits inserted into slots, which swell with glue to form a bond.

Pros: ideal for panel alignment; quick and efficient in cabinetry.

Cons: lacks strength for structural components like door frames; vulnerable to moisture changes.

Mortise and Tenon: Time-Tested and Architect-Approved

The mortise and tenon joint has been used for thousands of years in fine woodworking, from ancient temples to colonial-era homes. Its enduring use in architectural millwork is a testament to its unmatched strength and resilience.

How does it work? One piece of wood (the tenon) is shaped to fit precisely into a cavity (the mortise) in the adjoining piece. When glued and clamped, the joint becomes a single, unified structure. Unlike fasteners or surface-glued joints, mortise and tenon joinery provides mechanical strength. The tenon locks into the mortise, resisting racking and shear forces naturally. It creates a tight, load-bearing connection that can withstand decades of use and environmental changes.

The CAMBEK Standard

At CAMBEK, we use mortise and tenon joinery in our custom wood doors because we believe in building doors that last for generations. We combine this old-world technique with modern engineering and precision CNC machining to ensure each joint is flawless and consistent.

Our team of skilled artisans pairs this structural excellence with hand-selected wood species, fine detailing, and premium finishes. Whether you’re designing a classic carriage house door or a contemporary statement piece, the internal construction must match the design’s ambition. That’s why we never compromise on joinery.

The Architectural Advantage

For architects and designers, specifying a door with mortise and tenon construction brings durability and ensures:

Structural longevity in extreme climates
Precision fit and alignment for a seamless look
Superior resistance to warping, twisting, or sagging
Support for heavy door panels and custom design features
Craftsmanship that reflects your design intent

Luxury homes deserve doors that perform as beautifully as they look. When your design calls for authenticity, endurance, and unparalleled attention to detail, mortise and tenon joinery provides the foundation.

Beyond the Surface: Hidden Strength for Visible Impact

At CAMBEK, every door we build tells a story of intentionality, artistry, and enduring quality. While the surface finish and custom design often steal the spotlight, the invisible elements, like our joinery, do the heavy lifting. Mortise and tenon joints are the unsung heroes behind the elegance.

When you specify CAMBEK, you’re choosing the industry’s highest standard for craftsmanship and performance. From design consultation to final installation, we partner with architects and builders who share our vision: timeless design, built to last.