Carpenters are artisans who saw, shape, fit and erect wooden frameworks, roof timbers and boarding for the construction of and fitting out of buildings.
Unlike some other trades, carpentry has not become highly mechanised. Apart from certain portable electric tools, the traditional tools, the hammer, saw and plane, are still used extensively.
The work of carpenters starts at the planning stage with the study of the architectural drawings, so that they can select the correct type of timber for the work. They have to be able to recognise and utilise the different types of timber to their best advantage.
Carpentry can be divided into two main sections: construction and finishing carpentry.
Construction carpentry: here carpenters prepare moulds (shuttering) for concrete work, erect wooden roof-trusses, fix corrugated steel or similar sheeting used in construction, construct floors and drill and plug walls for the electrical supply. Once the wood has been selected, it is then marked, sawn, planed, shaped and joined.
As soon as the walls are high enough, doors and window frames are built into openings. Doors are then fitted with locks and bolts. Carpenters also lay wood and block flooring, fit kitchen dressers to walls and repair damaged woodwork in buildings. They work closely with other construction workers such as bricklayers, plasterers, and tilers. For example, before concrete slabs can be laid, they have to build wooden moulds (shuttering) into which the concrete is poured.
Finishing carpentry: carpenters do the finer work of putting the finishing touches to the interior of a building. They hang doors, erect panels, picture rails and ceilings, make built-in cupboards and install carved ornamental woodwork.