Carpentry that setsthe standardfor the whole build

First fix covers floor joists and decking, engineered joists where spans demand them, trimming around stair openings, cut roofs and trussed roofs, dormer framing, flat roof firrings set to falls, stud partitions with correct noggins for fixings, and door linings set plumb and square. It also includes the timber support needed by other trades: bath cradles, boxing for services and grounds for heavy wall fixings.

Materials are structurally graded softwood, engineered timber where spans or stability require it, and treated timber wherever there is a moisture risk. Fixings and connections, joist hangers, straps, restraint straps at wall plates, are as important as the timber itself and are inspected as part of building control.

Second fix runs internal doors hung with correct clearances, skirting and architrave scribed and mitred, window boards, loft hatches, ironmongery and finishing trims. Staircases are built or supplied to the measured opening, with treads, risers, strings, newels, handrails and spindles set out to comply with building regulations and to sit right visually.

Fitted joinery covers wardrobes, alcove shelving, understairs storage, media units, window seats and boot rooms, made either from painted MDF for a sprayed finish or from hardwood and veneered board where the timber is on show. External work covers cladding, fascias, soffits, gates, decking and porches in cedar, thermally modified timber or treated softwood, detailed to shed water and allow movement.

Carpentry is normally delivered within a wider extension, loft, refurbishment or new build contract, sequenced against plastering, electrics, plumbing and decoration. That coordination is the point of a single contract: the carpenter is not waiting on someone else's trade, and their work is not cut into afterwards.

We do consider carpentry-only work depending on scope and programme: staircases, fitted joinery or a defined first fix package. Send the details and we will tell you whether it fits.

Timber choice is a technical decision, not just a cost one. Structurally graded softwood is used where load matters, engineered joists where spans or stability demand consistency, and treated timber anywhere moisture is a risk: sole plates, external framing, anything in contact with masonry. Internally, painted MDF gives a flatter sprayed finish on fitted joinery, while hardwood and veneered board are used where the grain is meant to be seen.

Tolerances are what separate good carpentry from adequate carpentry. Studwork plumb and in plane so plaster thickness stays even, joists level so floors do not dip, door linings square so doors close with consistent gaps, and skirting scribed to the floor rather than filled. On older houses nothing is square, so second fix is scribed to what is actually there instead of cut to a nominal dimension.

Moisture content matters too. Internal joinery fitted into a building that is still drying will shrink and open at the joints, so second fix is programmed after the wet trades have dried out rather than squeezed in early to hit a date. That sequencing is only possible when one team controls the whole programme, which is how our contracts are set up.

External timber, cladding, fascias, soffits, gates, decking and porches, is detailed to shed water, ventilate behind and protect end grain, using cedar, thermally modified timber or treated softwood according to exposure and the finish you want. Fixings are specified in stainless or appropriately coated steel so they do not stain the timber within a season.