Carpenter in Brookline, MA

Rough Carpentry

Older Brookline homes often hide framing surprises: joists notched by a century of plumbing updates, walls that were moved in past renovations and floors that have settled. We sister joists, install beams where walls are opened up, frame new bathrooms and closets in condo renovations, and repair rotted sills. In multi-unit buildings, structural work has to respect shared walls and neighbors, so we plan carefully and keep the work area contained.

Brookline basements and attics are also being converted into living space, which means new framing, stairs and ceilings built to fit carefully into an older structure. Work areas are sealed off to limit dust.

• Home Framing & Additions
• Structural Remodeling & Modifications
• Roof & Ceiling Framing
• Sub-Flooring

Finish Carpentry

Brookline homes often have tall baseboards, wide casings, built-up crown and paneled wainscoting that newer trim does not match off the shelf. We combine stock moldings to recreate built-up profiles, patch in new trim where walls were changed, and install new crown, wainscoting and picture-frame molding in rooms that never had it. Staircases in Victorian homes often need railing repairs, new balusters or tread replacement, which we handle with care for the original woodwork.

Picture rails, once common in Brookline homes, are also worth adding back in rooms with plaster walls. Plaster walls are handled carefully so cracking stays to a minimum.

• Interior Trim & Molding
• Doors & Window Casing
• Staircases & Railings

Cabinetry & Storage

Built-in bookshelves fit naturally into Brookline living rooms and libraries, often around fireplaces and windows. We build bookshelves, window seats, media walls and bars, install kitchen and bath cabinets in condo and house renovations, and turn small closets in older homes into efficient storage. Built-ins are trimmed to match the surrounding woodwork so they look original.

Condo owners near Coolidge Corner and Brookline Village often have small kitchens and few closets, so every built-in has to earn its space. Media walls, wardrobes built into alcoves and window seats with drawers are good ways to add storage without making rooms feel crowded.

• Kitchen & Bath Cabinetry
• Built-Ins & Bookshelves
• Closets & Storage

Exterior Carpentry

Brookline exteriors range from shingled Victorians to clapboard colonials with porches. We repair and rebuild porches and entry steps, replace rotted trim, soffits and fascia, and build decks, pergolas and fences sized for smaller city lots. For homes in local historic districts, exterior changes may need review by the town before work begins, so we plan with that in mind.

Many Brookline porches are original to the house, with turned posts, railings and trim details that give the home its character. When the framing underneath fails, we rebuild the structure to today's code and reproduce the visible details so the porch still looks like it belongs.

• Deck & Porch Framing
• Backyard Structures

Doors & Windows

Original doors and windows in older Brookline homes often stick, rattle or no longer latch. We rehang and adjust interior doors, install new entry and patio doors with proper flashing, repair window sills and jambs, and install hardware. When new doors go into older openings, we scribe and plane them to fit rather than forcing the jamb.

Original paneled interior doors are worth keeping in many Brookline homes. We can rehang them, swap worn hinges, plane edges that rub and add new hardware so they work smoothly again, which preserves the look of the house while fixing the everyday annoyance of a door that will not close.

Flooring

Many Brookline homes have original oak or maple floors, sometimes with borders and inlays. When rooms are renovated, we install new solid hardwood that matches the existing species and width as closely as possible, weave it into existing floors where walls were removed, and level subfloors in condos before engineered flooring goes down.

Condo buildings in Brookline sometimes have association rules for underlayment and sound control, which we follow when we install new floors. In houses, we match original strip widths and can extend existing floors into new rooms or hallways so the transition is hard to spot. Stair parts are matched as well.