Blog: Selecting a Carpenter

So what it is that modern carpenters do and how can hiring a skilled carpenter benefit you?

Look around your home. Everywhere you look, the touch of a carpenter’s hands has shaped it in some way or form. From building the frame of your home, to hanging the doors, fitting the locks or assembling the bookshelves, none of it would be possible without the skilled hands of a carpenter. So often carpentry is a silent trade, one that is rarely seen. By the time the family moves into the home, or the furniture leaves the store, the carpenter has already been forgotten. Not many think about the hands that built it. When you stop to consider the profession, carpentry is one of the oldest professions out there. Before there were professions, career fields, jobs, there was carpentry.

Over 2000 years ago carpentry was essential to survival. Back even before written history, carpentry existed to help man protect himself from the elements and predators. As carpentry has evolved over time, it has became as much for decoration as it was for function.

Today carpenters specialize in many different skills. A framer or 1st fix carpenter is someone who focuses on the skeletal frame and roof structure of buildings. A trim or 2nd fix carpenter is where the carpenter focuses on skirting, architraves, cladding, doors, flooring and even sometimes cabinetry. Of course, a cabinetmaker can also just be called a cabinetmaker! A finish carpenter, also known as a joiner, works with the very fine art of finishing, where margins of error have to be minimal, and measurements must be precise they would also build stairs and balustrades. A conservation and or restoration carpenter is someone who predominately works in preserving and repairing buildings and furniture.

Beautiful carpentry can improve the value of your home, but poorly done carpentry can do much more damage. The popularity of DIY (Do-It-Yourself) programming has led a lot of homeowners to attempt to do home repairs and other woodworking projects themselves. However, their 30-minute programming lacks much of the basic instruction, and if done incorrectly can lead to disappointing results, if not dangerous ones. Online plans aren’t much better, as they can leave out vital steps that the writer assumes the reader knows. Inexperienced aspiring carpentry hobbyists should work under someone that knows what they are doing. DIY projects are a great way to get started with woodworking, but keep them simple to start with, and save your larger jobs for the professionals.

There are other concerns, specifically finding a legitimate carpenter. There are many hobbyists that claim to have carpentry skills. When advertising for a carpenter, it’s important to ensure that you are getting a skilled professional. You don’t want to pay professional prices for subpar work. Professionals will have access to a wider selection of knowledge, skill and better-quality tools, to help them do the job right. Additionally, a hobbyist isn’t going to be able to guarantee their work the way a professional can.

So here are some tips to finding a skilled carpenter.

1. Ask for recommendations. Don’t be afraid to ask other professionals in the field for suggestions. General contractors do a lot of work with carpenters, and depending on your needs they can recommend someone that is reliable and does good work.
2. Read online reviews. Be wary of those that claim to be professionals in the field, but don’t have an online footprint representing their work. A business page, customer reviews, and photos of their previous work are all solid signs of skilled worker.
3. Ask to see their certifications. Anyone who has gone through the proper channels for training is going to be proud of their accomplishments. They won’t consider it rude, instead they will appreciate a potential client showing due diligence to hire a professional worker.
4. Communicate clearly. When you communicate well with your carpenter, you are more apt to get the results you are looking for!
5. Find out if they guarantee their work. A true professional carpenter will offer a guarantee on their work, whereas others won’t be able to offer such a guarantee.
6. Sign a contract. While we would like to think that we live in a day and age where a man’s word and his handshake are enough to guarantee a professional relationship, the truth is that we don’t. Professionals aren’t going to bat an eye at signing a contract, and in fact they will likely insist upon it in order to protect themselves. You should insist on it as well.

Carpentry is an art form, and one that has withstood the test of time. From ancient civilisations to modern day, it has had a place in every single society. It’s an essential part of life that will never go away. Carpentry provides beauty, shelter, and protection. It’s a trade as old as time itself, and one that takes time, skill, and dedication to hone. Carpenters aren’t just woodworkers, they are tradesmen that commit their time to perfecting their craft. Honour the trade, honour the craft, and hire the best skilled professionals that you can.