Carpenter in Cambridge, MA

Rough Carpentry

Renovations in older Cambridge homes often uncover joists cut for old plumbing, walls removed without proper beams and porch framing that has deteriorated. We sister joists, install beams, frame new layouts for condo renovations and repair rot. Cambridge requires permits for structural work, and some projects involving older buildings may need review by the Cambridge Historical Commission, which we help you check.

Where single-family homes in West Cambridge or Huron Village are being expanded, we frame additions and dormers built to fit the scale of the neighborhood. Work areas are sealed and cleaned daily, which matters when neighbors share the building.

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

Finish Carpentry

Cambridge homes often have original trim, staircases and paneling worth preserving. We match profiles, repair stairs and railings and install new crown, wainscoting, shiplap and casing. In condo units where earlier renovations stripped out character, new finish carpentry can bring it back.

Many Cambridge homes have stairways shared between units, with railings and balusters that have loosened over a century of use. We tighten or rebuild railings, replace worn treads and add handrails where they are missing. Inside units, we install picture rails and wainscoting suited to older plaster rooms. New trim is primed and nailed off so your painter can finish quickly.

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

Cabinetry & Storage

Small Cambridge kitchens and condos need every inch to work. We install kitchen and bath cabinets set level on uneven floors, and build built-in bookshelves, window seats, closet systems and storage under stairs and eaves. Built-ins are a great way to add storage in rooms without closets, which are common in older homes.

Many Cambridge households include academics and readers with large book collections, and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves are one of the most requested built-ins we see. We build them with short spans and solid shelves so they will not sag, and trim them to match the room. Every shelf is fastened into the framing.

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

Exterior Carpentry

We rebuild porches, decks and stairs on triple-deckers and two-families, replace rotted trim, soffits and fascia, and build fences and small backyard structures sized for city lots. Porches on multi-family homes need to meet building code for structure and railings.

Many Cambridge two-families and triple-deckers have stacked back porches that serve as a second exit. When porch framing fails, we rebuild it with new posts, beams, joists, decking, stairs and railings, built to carry the loads the code requires. We also replace rotted clapboard trim, corner boards and window casing. Rot-resistant materials and proper flashing help the new work last through New England winters.

• Deck & Porch Framing
• Backyard Structures

Doors & Windows

We hang and adjust interior doors in older homes, install new entry and back doors with proper flashing and secure hardware, and repair rotted window sills and jambs. Doors in older Cambridge buildings often need to be scribed to fit openings that are no longer square.

In multi-family buildings, we also install sturdy unit entry doors and back doors with good locks. When new windows go into older Cambridge homes, we add extension jambs and new interior trim so they look finished, and repair rotted sills and framing found when the old windows come out. Every door is adjusted before we leave.

Flooring

Many Cambridge homes have original hardwood floors. We install new solid and engineered hardwood, weave new boards into old floors where walls moved, level old subfloors and match stair parts. Engineered hardwood is a good fit for condo units.

Older Cambridge floors often slope where the building has settled, so we flatten the subfloor where practical before new flooring goes down. We also follow condo association rules for underlayment and sound control in multi-unit buildings, and finish thresholds and stair nosing so each unit looks complete. Engineered hardwood is often the best fit over concrete or radiant heat in lower-level units.