Finished Carpentry

A fireplace with marble surround and white walls.

Finish Carpentry

The General Contractors or Finish Carpenters pull up their sleeves and get to work once the house has a roof and windows, drywall is up, and the flooring is placed. Finish carpentry, which includes the installation of trim, cabinets and shelves, stairs, and other features, turns a house from a work-in-progress to a finished residence.

Finish work is typically about the finer points, and carpenters use their years of knowledge to perform them flawlessly. Whether it's crown moulding, baseboard, or a built-in bathroom cabinet, the finished product will be one of the first things someone notices when they walk into a space. The bane of any finish carpenter is flawed like mismatched grain or joints that don't line up exactly the way they're supposed to.

As a result, most finish carpenters have picked up a few pointers on how to make it right. Is there a quick and easy way to draw an elliptical doorway? Yes. Is it possible to attach a shelf to the wall without any obvious support such that it appears to float? Yes, of course. Is it possible to build a bespoke cabinet that can be rolled under a nearby counter when not in use? Yes, absolutely. The writers of Fine Homebuilding have been there.

It's one thing to build a new house. Of course, restoration carpenters and remodelers face vastly different obstacles. They're dealing with an existing structure that has a lot of uneven floors and walls that aren't completely plumb. Finish carpenters must understand not just the fundamentals, but also how to adapt these procedures to a home that is far from flawless.

Fine Homebuilding's collection of articles and videos will properly point you, whether the house is old or new, and regardless of the materials or architectural style used in the project.