Frame and Panel

The concept of frame-and-panel construction was developed centuries ago. This pertains to the designs you see in most doors and cabinets among which a wooden panel (or several) is fit unglued within a frame, producing an elegant configuration that allows this panel to expand and contract in heat and humidity without causing unmanageable swelling. Wood is porous and adheres to its environment, thus the grain expands when faced with enough heat and moisture. A single-slab panel would move so considerably that the wood would then warp over time and cause cracks. The frame-and-panel structure grants endurance and wood integrity.