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Hi everyone. If you're at home reading this, quickly lift your head up and look around. I bet you see a lot of wood. Not only is wood durable, but when done properly, can make any home more beautiful, and increase the resale price.

 

Here are some of the wooden items you may see in your home:

  • Crown Moulding
  • Wainscoting
  • Wall Panels
  • Chair Rails
  • Shadow Boxes
  • Door Casings
  • Window Trim
  • Mantels
  • Beadboard
  • Doorway Headers
  • Raised Baseboards
  • Ceiling Permiter trim outs

If you are looking at adding these classic features to your home, or repair what you have, you will need a master carpenter to do it properly. We take a holistic approach to carpentry: we look at things like the type of wood, if the area is high traffic, humidity, if you have pets or not. We want to take the right approach for your home. Not many carpenters will consider the style of your furniture or the overall appearance of your home. We do. I do. Take a good look at our carpentry gallery... I am sure you will find something interesting in the gallery that will look good in your home.

For example, let's briefly discuss choosing the right wood. There are real differences, other than appearance, and you need a skilled carpenter to ensure the right choice is made.

There are many different types of wood available. There are softer woods like Pine, Ash, Hickory, Beech, Birch, Cedar, Redwood, Hemlock, Fir and Spruce. And there are harder woods like Oak, Mahogany, Cherry, Walnut, Rosewood and Teak. Both are easy to work with, but sometimes you want the durability of a hardwood, or the design requires the properties of a softer wood. In addition, hard woods are better in humid environments.

Choosing the best stain to enhance the chosen wood does take some knowledge. Not only do you have to consider the type of wood, but also the environment. The best wood to stain is Oak, although some may find it expensive. Ash is an excellent alternative. It stains well like Oak, but the overall cost is lower.
If you're going to paint the wood instead of staining it, you may wish to look at Poplar.
Mahogany and Walnut are great woods to finish and varnish.

Finally, you want to choose the right type of wood for your trim. The various types of materials used for trim packages on interior jobs are composite, MDF and polyurethane. Most trim jobs are softer woods, giving greater flexibility and control for workmanship.

Exterior jobs often require a more durable wood, ,although many of the popular interior grades of wood will work. When extra-durability is required, consider Azek. Azek is a mold, moisture and insect protected trim. It is maintenance free, but expensive. There is no painting needed. However, after installation, nail holes and caulk areas should be filled. We leave the option to the customer. If you have a home near the harsh environment of the Jersey Shore, Azek is an excellent choice when durability is important.

So now you can see why SJD is a great choice for your carpentry needs. Contact us for a quote, and you will be surprised how inexpensive we can be. We do all the work. We do not use subcontractors. This ensures a quality service because we are responsible for it. You won't hear us trying to blame someone else.