I’ve been a builder and know the satisfaction that comes from doing a job as close to perfectly as I can. Not every carpenter or other tradesperson cares about the little touches that separate perfect from good enough, but craft still matters to many in the building trades. Those few perfectionists would prefer clients that appreciate the extra touches, but unfortunately, an appreciation for the fine points of framing and finish carpentry isn’t developed in school.
Compounding the problem, almost all of us live in housing built with budgets and schedules in mind. It’s difficult to find examples of tract home detail work that make you want to reach out and touch the corner or piece of trim that exemplifies exceptional care.
Two of my fellow Healdsburg Sotheby’s International Realty agents took us on a tour of a Healdsburg home they are putting on the market. There were more details to admire than I can talk about on a short post, but I wanted to share my appreciation for an external corner done just right.
The picture on the top of this post shows more detail, but this image is a good indicator of a carpenter executing a wall corner perfectly. A typical home might use corner boards to hide the joints or they might butt siding into corner boards. It’s very rare to see a detail where the siding is mitered and fit with absolute precision. The siding wraps around all four sides of this studio outbuilding in perfect precision with each joint, each horizontal line of siding perfectly aligned. This result is not an accident, but a willingness of the clients and builder to take the time to do it right. Still, without a craftsperson of deep skill, results like this don’t happen even if you want them.