Preparing to Finish

CarolinaNomad · Mar 9, 2015

I'm working out contracts with the trim carpenter and the painters for a new residential home. The one detail that keeps escaping me whose responsibilities to prep the work. Painters stated all joints wood to wood is the responsibility of the trim carpenter. The trim carpenter says all the prep work is the responsibility of the painters. Is all the responsibility of the prep the painters? The only reason why I think the trim carpenters would have the responsibility of the caulking the joints (wood to wood), is enforcing tighter joints from the trim carpenter. But I'm only guessing at why the trim carpenter would share in the responsibility of the prep work.

JCLP · Mar 9, 2015

Typically on most projects, it is the painters responsibility to fill all of the brad/nail holes and fill in gaps with caulking. I don't agree with that myself, but it seems to be the norm.
On one project I worked very closely with the client and had them stipulate in the contract that all trim must be installed ready to paint. All holes, cracks, gaps etc must be filled by the trim carpenter. The painters will prime and paint only. It seems different trades have different definitions for " ready to paint". Dry wallers/tapers, they always fill in gaps and screw holes and sand ready to paint. Trim carpenter's definition of " Ready to Paint" is different then everyone else. This is why it must be stipulated in the contract.

Cheers,
JC

John Beauchamp · Mar 9, 2015

My solution to this is do both jobs myself. Trim carpenters who do high quailty work are not hard to follow as a painter, so maybe get your painter to give recommendations on trimmers who they like to follow. If a trim carpenter is afraid of doing stained trim I would not use him for paint either.

Scott B. · Mar 9, 2015

We have always asked carpenters to do the carpentry. This would include doing their own joint sanding, and doing a final sand at 120 on paint grade. We've always been diligent in asking carpenters to double check that all nails are set, as that is the installers responsibility. Oddly, we still carry hammers and nail sets.

Then, we (the painters) do all filling, priming, caulking, painting. When the two trades overlap, good rarely comes of it.

Jeffonebuck · Mar 9, 2015

It depends on what the job is paying or my window of completion. I've never had a contractor ask me to do caulking or spackeling. As far as running joints, I would always sand them smooth as painters would botch that up and make my work look bad. I've always caulked crown as I moved forward on scaffolding. The price per sq ft has not progressed with the years. When I quit in 2000 I was working for $1.45 sq ft and crown, built ins and stairs were extras. That was tops around here. Now tops is running $1.25, Makes no sense. ! When running stained or clear trim it would be dead wrong to putty till sealer has been run or you will have blotching, so saying that it would make sense to have painters do that for sure.

roblg3 · Mar 10, 2015

That is easily taken care of ahead of time by telling the carpenter what you expect. "I want this to be like this when you are finished, and you're not finished until it is. Price the job appropriately" is usually how I ask for pricing on a job. Then my expectations are clear and the scope of work is set. As my own quality control agent, if I see something that will need "work" to make look right, I do it myself. If I feel like I'm leaving something for the next guy to fix I know it's not right and fix it myself. If the joint is supposed to be caulked prior to paint that is paint prep, painters "job". if the joint isnt supposed to be caulked prior to paint and needs caulk then I have done a poor job and need to make it right before I'm finished.

John Beauchamp · Mar 10, 2015

Rob, I like your attitude.

roblg3 · Mar 10, 2015

Thanks John, It's 1 of the 2 things in the entire world that I actually have control of. The other is my actions....