Stop using pocket screws for face frames and pretending it’s fine

I spent last Tuesday fixing a kitchen from a guy who used nothing but pocket screws on his face frames and every joint had shifted by 1/8 inch after two seasons.

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luna_jackson281mo ago

I watched a video from the guy at Fine Homebuilding last month where he tested different cabinet joints with a moisture meter and a come-along. He put pocket screws, dowels, and mortise and tenon on the same plywood frame and then hit them with steam. The pocket screws moved 1/8 inch in one day, not even two seasons. The dowels held at 1/16 inch and the mortise and tenon barely budged. It really showed how much that joint relies on the screw staying tight, which never happens once wood starts shrinking and swelling. People swear by them for speed, but they're just not built for the long haul on anything that sees real weather changes.