Abstract: A building-construction panel includes a tongue on one edge and a groove on an opposite edge that receives the tongue of an adjacent panel. A shoulder on the tongue-side edge defines an abutted surface that is contacted by an abutting surface on the groove-side edge to limit panel travel during installation and maintain a gap between upper edge portions of the adjacent panels. A bottom transition is formed on the groove-side edge so that the groove-side abutting surface is smaller than the tongue-side shoulder abutted surface. In this way, the relatively smaller groove-side abutting surface structurally maintains the gap but also minimizes frictional interpanel contact area to minimize squeaking. And the relatively larger tongue-side shoulder abutted surface helps keep the shoulder from being collapsed into the groove from overdriving the panels together during installation. In typical embodiments, the panel is a high-performance structural wood subflooring panel.

Abstract: A composite engineered wood panel comprising a top surface layer and a bottom surface layer. The layers comprise amounts of lignocellulosic material with particular densities. The bottom layer comprises more lignocellulosic material and lignocellulosic material moisture in amounts effective to produce an essentially symmetrical vertical density profile through the panel upon consolidation of a formed panel. The panel can further comprise at least one core layer. The top surface layer preferably comprises primarily softwood, and the other layers preferably comprise primarily hardwood. Also disclosed is a method of making the panel.