Inaccuracies within timber step joints are a perennial problem of the wood construction industry. Even perfectly constructed carpentry step joints can become imperfect due to a change in moisture content. The predominant question when looking at step joints with gaps is to what extent the load-bearing behaviour is influenced by these inaccuracies. The authors look beyond this question and investigate if intentionally manufactured gaps could have a positive influence on the load-bearing behaviour and the failure mode of regular and newly designed carpentry joints.