When it comes to refurbishing your property, or looking for a way to create that standout feature in your home, you’ll be on the lookout for a professional, but when it comes to such woodwork, will you require a carpenter or a joiner? As both carpentry and joinery are woodwork construction trades, they are often faced with confusion. Whilst many believe that the terms joiner and carpenter vary upon location, such as southerners in the UK using carpenter whilst northerners use joiner, there are a surprising number of differences in their skills.
What is joinery?
Joinery is a woodwork trade that specialises in the use of heavy machinery, such as circular saws and sanding wheels to cut their wood, before binding without the use of metal fasteners, such as screws and nails. Due to the heavy weight of the machinery, most work will need to be carried out within their dedicated facilities. Examples of the work of a joiner could include the construction of interior and exterior doors, window frames and built-in features such as wardrobes, bookshelves and staircases.
What is carpentry?
Carpentry is a trade that works with wood, as well as metal. Utilising lightweight tools provides the ability for their workplace to vary, allowing customers to have work done within their premises, as well as within the carpenters dedicated facility. Examples of the work of a carpenter could include the construction of roof timbers, partition walls and cupboards.
The difference between the work of a joiner and a carpenter
Whilst the skills of both highly-skilled professionals may still seem to overlap, there is one main difference between the work of the two. This is simply that they can both be relied upon for different stages of a project. For example, if you are looking to create a structure for your home from scratch, you could employ the work of a joiner who will construct the required components off-site in their facilities. The work of a carpenter could then be employed to work on your premises, installing components together or mending a failing structure that is already on-site.
Choosing between a joiner and a carpenter
When it comes to choosing the craftsman for your home project, there may be no right or wrong. We would suggest asking for trusted recommendations, or speaking to craftsmen within the trade, seeking their experience relating to the project you are requiring. You may decide to hire both for either end of the project, which is increasingly common, or stick with one throughout. You could also find that some tradespeople offer both skills, allowing you to keep your project in with one company.
Here at A.G. Kerr Carpentry and Construction, that is exactly what we do. With a team of joiners and carpenters, we provide the ability to construct and install bespoke pieces within a single team. For more information on our processes, or advice on your bespoke renovation piece, get in touch – we will be happy to help! Give us a call on 01342 822 750 or send us an email at info@agkerrcarpentry.co.uk today.
