If you are a novice, then you will definitely think carpentry and joinery as two sides of the same coin. But in reality there are vast differences between carpentry and joinery. In the wide sense, both refer to woodwork. From a technical point of view however, differences exist between them. Carpentry has to do with large-scale timber works like building formworks, which are wooden skeletons of apartments, framing roofs, timber scaffolding etc.
 |
| Stunning Roof Lanterns |
Joinery works can be workshop type timber works. Usually, joinery products are staircases, roof lanterns, windows, doors etc. Some of the tools used for both Carpentry and joinery, while some are used exclusively for heavy construction works. Tie rod, wing nut, different types of couplers etc. fall on the second category, while instruments like hammer and mallet, saws, rulers, planes are found both in carpentry and joinery works.
 |
| Fitted-furniture |
Like the differences, there are some similarities carpentry and joinery too. First, both highlight the benefits of wood like carbon neutrality, bio-degradability and easy repairing options. Other than this, there are tasks that are common for both carpentry and joinery. These tasks are cutting, joining and finishing. Timber cutting, timber measurement and specification are done almost in the same way for joinery works as well as carpentry works. For cutting, timber is purchased in bulk. Next, the timber is shaped according to the requirement. For measurement, body-foot is used. Carpentry and joinery both rely on the same dimensions for measurement such as 1 inch for height and breadth and 1 foot for length. The purpose behind cutting is same; reducing the size of the timber so that it comes into a consumable range. Cutting can however be different as per the work and cutting instruments like table mounted power saws or cross-cutter can be used for cutting.
The woods used for carpentry and joinery have variations; they can be softwood or hardwood. Softwood is obtained from trees which don’t live long and are not strong enough compared to other trees because they mature quite fast. The problem with softwood is that it’s vulnerable to weather conditions and pests. Hardwood is needed for large and well-built manufacturing like the formwork, before setting up a building. If the wood used isn’t hard, then the formwork structure won’t be able to support the construction. For making furniture also, hardwood is used. Carpentry and joinery works require both types of wood depending upon the object to be manufactured.
When it comes to finishing, one important distinction between carpentry and joinery can be noticed. Since joinery products are mostly furniture, doors and staircases, finishing is very important. For making the product aesthetically appealing, finishing should be done carefully. That’s why bespoke joinery services assure good finishing. Carpenters are however, not good finishers, because they often perform large construction works, where trimming isn’t important.
The borderline between Carpentry and joinery is quite thin in my opinion. A major reason is, large-scale works kept aside, both carpenters and joiners work on wooden products. Joinery is comparatively a more suave term than carpentry.
