What is the difference between a carpenter and a joiner?
They’re both skilled professions that involve crafting with wood, but what is the difference between a carpenter and a joiner exactly? Let’s take a look.
What does a carpenter do?
A carpenter works on building sites, in homes and on home renovations managed by companies such as precisionbuildersltd.co.uk/services/home-renovations. The carpenter tends to work on site, measuring up, cutting wood and other materials to size and fitting everything to place in a real-world situation rather than a workshop. Carpentry covers first fix work such as flooring, roofing and plastering framework, and second fix work, including hanging doors and skirting.
Most carpenters use power tools and ancient skills. They must read plans, liaise closely with other trades and be able to respond to changing conditions, such as when a job doesn’t go to plan.
What does a joiner do?
A joiner typically works with wood in a workshop, producing items that are then installed on site. Joiners make doors, windows, fitted furniture, cabinets, staircases and all forms of crafted wood components that the carpenter will later fit into place. Joiners are experts in fine woodwork and precision joint making, using traditional techniques and secure fixing methods that don’t rely heavily on nails, screws or glue. They work in a precise way in a controlled workshop environment to get everything just right for perfect fits and the highest standard of finish.
Crucially, the two professionals work closely together. The joiner creates the pieces, designed to last a lifetime, and the carpenter will install them into the real world environment.
