Methods for improving joinder between a surface-mount package and a printed circuit board are disclosed. The warpage at a corner of the surface-mount package and at a corresponding corner of a joint area on the printed circuit board are measured to determine the degree of mismatch. A mini-pad is applied to the corner between the surface-mount package and the joint area on the printed circuit board. The thickness of the mini-pad pushes against the surface-mount package and the printed circuit board, reducing the degree of mismatch below a critical dimension of a ball grid array of the surface-mount package. The surface-mount package can then be soldered to the joint area, reducing or preventing the formation of solder bridges and short circuits.