What is finish carpentry?

Carpenters are all skilled when it comes to woodwork, but as with most professions, there are different types and levels of skills within. Finish carpentry varies slightly from general carpentry and is something that you may want to consider if you're having work done in your home.

Many carpenters offer finish carpentry, but some may not, so before starting any work make sure you know what your contractor can offer. What exactly is finish carpentry? Read on to find out what it involves.

Different types of carpentry

Most people are familiar with two types of carpentry; rough and cabinetry. Rough carpentry involves basically everything that doesn't require much fine detail, such as building framework, roofing and other large scale jobs. Cabinetry is a skill requiring more attention to detail, yet many carpenters are qualified to construct cabinets. There are more niche forms, such as ship carpentry, which involves ship building and maintenance, as well as scenic carpentry, which is the construction of film sets and scenery.

Trim carpentry involves window trimming, mantles, ceiling trims and any other form of trim. Similarly, the profession in focus; finish carpentry, requires an eye for detail and great care when it comes to finishing touches.

What does a finish carpenter do?

As the name suggests, finish carpenters put the finishing touches on woodwork. They take care of the finer details that rough or cabinet carpenters do not specialise in. A finish carpenter's typical jobs include:

• Furniture making
• Instrument making
• Joinery
• Door detailing
• Stair rails
• Model building
• Fine woodwork

Any woodwork requiring some form of detail or artistry is generally the finish carpenter's job. If you're having work done on the home and you'd like any finish carpentry completed it is best to make sure that your general contractor can offer it first.