Welcome

The Master Carpenter web site is easy to navigate. Just use the white buttons in the title block.  This Home Page is used to bring you tips, bits of advice, and news of current projects.

Portfolio is a gallery filled with pictures of Master Carpenter past projects.

About TMC has information about the company and the owner.

Let’s Meet provides you with Master Carpenter phone numbers and address.

An Interesting Year

Just Finished!

A Pergola for Two Garden Lovers

Dorene has a green thumb, and Marvin likes to recline under the sun. Their idea was to make a Pergola, with a stone patio and built-in brick planter. Here are some details of the finished project.

This has been a big year for woodworking. Some projects include adding or moving walls and utilities to achieve a nicer space. Other projects can be achieved by bulding the new woodwork artfully into an existing space. Here are a few “before and after” photos.

One end of the room was converted into a mudroom area. The other end was converted into a recycle and laundry center with easy roll-out bins. Now the room is easy to keep neat and orderly (not easy to do with a new-born), and it is a comfortable place on laundry day.

This Pergola is a post and beam structure with oversized timbers

I used a good grade of cedar called FOHC (free of heart center) which makes this a more durable and attractive installation.

Impressive work from a master stone mason.

We added a skylight and three windows to bring light into the room. The woodwork is true built-in carpentry. Parts of it were constructed in my shop but assembly and final touches were all done on-site. The color choices by the home owner helped to make this attic room a wonderful place to spend time.

Code Questions

When is a permit required?

The Pergola was done with a permit because it required caissons and was attached to the house. Here are the inspections that were required: steel, framing, grading, and final inspections.

The Laundry room was done without a permit, although had the electrical work been more extension an electrical permit would have been required.

The attic remodel permit included: rough and final framing, rough and final electrical, drywall, insulation, rough and final HVAC, and an overall final inspection.

If a project includes any electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or framing, it will doubtless require a permit. Although many cities do not require a permit if you are only replacing (not moving) fixtures, or installing cabinets, or painting, or installing tile, you really must call your own building department to see what is required.

Recently Finished!

A Remodeled Laundry Room

Jennifer not only wanted to make better use of existing space in her laundry room, she wanted to create a standard for the rest of her house. After she decided on a door style we determined that custom built-ins would be the best solution.

Recently Finished!

A Remodeled attic

Lise wanted a room that could serve many purposes, including being a place to sleep. To accomplish this we needed to add an egress window to meet building codes. She likes the Cottage style of carpentry which was common in the early 20th century.