Latest posts on Ask the Experts...Hot tub A1hottub.com as brought to you the latest ...
NARI Professional Remodelers Directories:
Bucks/Mont Chapter
Del/Chester Chapter
|
|
Custom Woodworking Transform Woodwork From Standard To Stunning |
|
|
|
|
Written by Beth Puliti
|
|
Monday, 23 November 2009 |
|
 Did you ever dream of converting the kitchen into a culinary work of art or transforming the living room with distinctive trim work and custom-designed built-ins? Well, choosing to incorporate custom woodworking raises the bar and offers homeowners the distinctive difference between quality work and industry standard.
Professional woodworkers never settle for less—and these days neither do homeowners. Recent years have brought an increase in homeowners who understand, appreciate and request quality carpentry work. It takes a skilled carpenter, however, to enhance and enrich a home.
Paint, paper or furniture alone won’t cut it, notes Jeff Degenshein, owner of Deacon Home Enhancement, LLC, a privately-owned, Christian-based company serving southeastern Pennsylvania and the surrounding areas. “Homeowners are not satisfied with the standards that make their house look like everyone else's. They see their existing home’s trim work as bland and generic and understand that custom finished carpentry really can and does make a significant difference in enhancing their interior design,” he says.
In Demand
 Currently, Degenshein notices a trend toward replacing builder-installed trim with larger, more proportional baseboards, impactful window and door surrounds, impressive ceiling treatments, multi-piece crown builds, and wainscoting. He notes an increase in built-in bookcases and mantle installations as well.
“Homeowners are seeking solutions to the soaring two-story foyer and family rooms that will give them a feeling of greater finished intimacy and welcoming in those spaces instead of the current cold, cavernous void,” Degenshein says.
Window trim, large baseboards and simple shadow boxes are also in demand, note Dominick Natoli and Roland Csenker owners/operators of Quality Paint & Trim. They point out that semi or high-gloss off-white is the color of choice for some homeowners, as opposed to darker painted moldings.
Dan Callahan, owner of Callahan Woodworking, notes that entertainment centers—specifically designed for flat-screen TVs—are also a popular item at the moment. Homeowners who used to house large TVs in armoires are now mounting their TVs to the wall, reconfiguring the space and requesting smaller custom cabinetry for audio and video equipment.
“With a lot of the built-ins, the trend seems to be more for painted cabinetry,” Callahan reveals. But cherry still seems to be popular with other types of custom woodwork, he notes.
Glenn Auker, owner of County Line Wood Products says his customers choose cherry as their wood of choice as well.
“We do a lot of cherry wood with a medium to deep red color and feathered glazing—which is shading the corners of the door panels a little bit darker than the rest of the cabinet to make the center panel pop out,” he explains.
Some homeowners choose to have custom woodwork throughout their entire house. Recently, County Line Wood Products installed wainscoting, window trim, door trim, a staircase, kitchen and home theater woodwork, and created a dining set, among other items, for a home in Limerick. “It was quite a house,” Auker admits. But beauty didn’t come without a few barriers.
“We had to install fake trusses up in the great room. We built those, put scaffolds in the house and lifted them up into place, but that was a challenge,” he recalls. “The staircases—banisters with wrought iron pickets—were a little bit of a challenge, too.”
The finished product is a one-of-a-kind custom woodworking work of art—and well worth any obstacle County Line Wood Products tackled.
Unique Offerings
In addition to quality and meticulousness, another advantage to going the custom woodworking route is having access to unique materials.
Callahan recently returned from training at The Windsor Institute in New Hampshire and is now able to offer hand-built Windsor chairs. He also offers original turned wood bowls and interpretations of reproduction pieces.
“The interpretations are unique because instead of a true reproduction that’s been scaled down or slightly modified for a different purpose, you are able to use it for something else other than what it was designed for,” Callahan says.
He notes that much of the wood he uses is harvested locally and doesn’t have to be shipped into the area. “I use a lot of my own lumber that I collect in the area, harvest it and then dry it,” he explains.
Halkett Woodworking offers homeowners exclusive ceiling details, adds owner Trey Halkett. One of the most unique ceilings he installs looks like a Gothic truss system that might be seen in a church or a castle.
“As far as I know, no one else is doing this type of work,” he says.
Sometimes service, in addition to products, is what keeps homeowners coming back. For Deacon Home Enhancement, LLC, attention to detail is key. Degenshein hand cops all of the inside joints for a tight fit that won’t open or crack and lasts longer. He also uses premium wood-based products, caulks appropriate edges and fills nail holes.
Custom Care
Keep in mind, there are different types of finishes used on woodwork. The type of finish used varies from project to project. Typically, it is determined by what type of wood is used, the desired effect and ease of application, among other factors.
Common woodwork finishes are shellac, lacquer, varnish and oil. Each one functions differently on wood. Shellac, lacquer and varnish can all be considered surface finishes; they don’t penetrate past the surface. Oil, a penetrating finish, seeps deep into the wood.
Lacquer, the favored finish of many professionals, gives way to a clear, hard finish that is nearly immune to abuse. It also highlights the natural beauty of wood.
Most of the finishes Callahan uses are tongue oil or shellac. “I don’t use a lot of stains; I just let the natural color of the wood come through,” he discloses. “So it’s really easy to repair the finish just by a little bit of steel wool, a little bit of tongue oil on top of it and just a regular coating of wax periodically.”
Once Deacon Home Enhancement, LLC, is finished installing the woodwork, all that is needed is painting by an experienced, high-quality painter, notes Degenshein. Maintenance doesn’t extend beyond the usual dusting and cleaning.
“Customers are constantly amazed at just how much of a positive impact finished carpentry makes in each and every area of their home and how it even elevates the appearance of existing furnishings,” concludes Degenshein.
Resources:
Callahan Woodworking
West Chester
610-430-1535
www.callahanwoodworking.com
County Line Wood Products
Myerstown
717-933-5224
Deacon Home Enhancement, LLC
Collegeville
610-831-1169
www.thedeacondifference.com
Halkett Woodworking
Souderton
215-721-9331
www.halkettwoodworking.com
Quality Paint & Trim
Princeton, NJ
732-821-0067
www.qualitypaintandtrim.com
|
|
Last Updated ( Friday, 14 May 2010 )
|
Ask The Experts
Need some help with your next project? Ask the Experts online FREE! Have some
advice to share about home renovations? Share it with other readers online. Click Here to view
the Ask The Experts.
Contests, Enter to WIN NOW!
 WIN, WIN, WIN!! Enter every month to win great prizes FREE!! This month, sign up to win a $150 dinner for two! Each month H&H awards prizes to readers! Be our next lucky winner. Click Here to sign up NOW FREE!.
Sign up FREE design Newsletter!
 Each month House & Home will deliver to your in-box some great design tips, cost saving advice and the latest on home design and renovation. This is 100% FREE! Click Here to sign up FREE right now!
|
