One of the most valuable trades involved in the construction business is carpentry. Wood has been used as a building material for thousands of years, so carpentry is one of the world’s oldest professions. It was a skill that was passed on through apprenticeships and learning from person to person until the printing press was invented in the fifteenth century. Carpentry then became a skill that anyone with interest in it could learn how to do with the publication of construction and carpentry guides. Carpentry involves being able to prepare, cut, and fix timber in a variety of ways in the construction of a building, including the outside framework of a structure and the frames for doors and windows. It involves a large amount of skill, and many carpenters spend their lives honing their craft. With the evolution of the craft and the technology involved in it now to preserve labour and materials, there is specialised training classes and apprenticeships involved in becoming a master carpenter.
Three types of carpenters are involved in building construction projects: rough carpenters, finish carpenters, and cabinetmakers. All carpenters need to know how some basic skills, such as how to measure, cut, and construct with wood, reading blueprints, and the general building codes for the structure they are building. They should also have natural hand-eye coordination and a natural affinity for mathematics. Rough carpenters complete the structural frame of the building, while finish carpenters are involved in constructing interior finishes, crown moldings, paneling, and staircases. Cabinetmakers are a specialised trade of finish carpenter that can create cabinets, bookcases, and other wooden furniture for the building.
The type of tools and materials used by carpenters in building construction depends on the type of work they are completing. Many kinds of wood are used for a particular purpose in construction, and carpenters need to know which nails and fasteners complement the different types of wood. There are also a variety of hand and power tools that a carpenter needs to know how to use safely and efficiently. Hand tools such as tape measures, carpenter’s squares, the bubble level, and the laser level are all used to properly and accurately measure wood and cut it. Power tools such as drills, drivers, and saws are used to cut wood quickly and efficiently. Being able to use these tools is one of the many responsibilities of being a carpenter.
