Trim carpentry, also called finish carpentry, is the art of minor yet intricate woodworking that makes a house into a home. Trim carpentry adds appeal and character to any home. Trim carpentry creates a sense of completion and proportion.
From baseboards to window and door casings, trim carpentry is everywhere in a home. Crown molding in your living room to give it an elegant accent is typical trim carpentry. A new hand railing along your staircase is an excellent example of advanced trim work. Finish carpenters even build and repair roofs. Nearly any home improvement project you begin can not be finished without the services of a trim carpenter. A trim carpenter's job is to make the doors, windows, and cabinets work smoothly while making the home look good.
Any woodwork that a homeowner can see in a home is the handiwork of a trim carpenter. The framing of the house was done by other carpenters, and all of that stuff is behind drywall anyway. Veteran trim carpenters will tell you that trim work is essentially a visual exercise. The carpenter must be able to clearly visualize the finished project and move incrementally toward that goal. Interior doors must hang parallel to the floor. The casing around doors must appear level and flush, even if it is not. Tiny gaps at the edges of wood flooring are made invisible. Baseboards and crown molding are used to cover imperfections in drywall as well as add an elegant accent to a room.
Some basic pieces of trim carpentry advice are commonplace. For example, when nailing hardwoods, avoid nailing knots in the wood, as this can lead to splitting. Also, never nail to close to the edge of a piece of wood, as this will cause splitting also. A good trim carpenter also matches their trim woods. Even the same species of wood can have a large range of colors and variations in wood grains. Matching the color and grain of your trim wood will give you a superior finished product. For perfect measurements with small pieces of wood, set the wood in place and mark the wood itself. This is more exact than using a tape measure.
In the end, unless you have professional experience, trim carpentry is not a do-it-yourself job. Most trim carpenters have graduated up to trim carpentry from more basic work, like frame carpentry. It takes an aesthetic sense coupled with honed skill. There are many jobs you can do on your own to improve your home. The bulk of home remodeling can be done by a dedicated amateur. But when the time comes to finish your project, do some homework and find yourself a skilled trim carpenter. You be glad you did.
How to find a good trim carpenter.
First, determine the extent of your trim carpentry job. Do you need door and window casings? Do you need more basics like molding? Or do you need more advanced trim carpentry like raised panel wainscoting, a new stairway handrail, or some built in shelving? Perhaps you would like to install hardwood flooring in a previously carpeted room. Look over your project and get a good sense of how much and what type of trim carpentry you will be needing.
Next, acquire a working knowledge of the materials you will need for your project. Price different kinds of wood for your trim carpentry. Keep in mind that woods come in less expensive paint grades and more expensive stain grades, like oak.
Then find a trim carpenter. Ask friends and business associates for some recommendations. Invite several contractors over to your home to give you an estimate. Speak with each contractor in depth. You are not just looking for the best price here. You are looking for a professional that is skilled, informative and a good communicator. Find a trim carpenter that will go over your plan with you and work out any potential misunderstandings about the scope of your project. Look at samples of the contractors work. Ask for a list of previous customers as references for the contractor. Go ahead and give these customers a call. Ask them how they like the carpentry and the carpenter. In the end, you will be glad you made an informed decision.
When you've chosen your contractor, draw up a contract that includes a start and finish date for the job, a complete description of the work to be done (including materials to be used), the cost of the job, and the payment schedule. If you stick to these basic guidelines you'll be on your way to a finished remodeling job with the kind of artful trim carpentry that makes you proud of your efforts.
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