First published: 20 January 2021 @ 7:35 pm
Only a few would actually know what a carpenter is and what they do. Many of us are not aware that carpenters play a vital role in construction and that they are one of the most important people in the construction industry.
Carpenters are people who work with wood and other raw materials to make houses, furniture, doors, cabinets and windows and other things. Most carpenters are self-employed but some work in the construction industry.
Carpenters in Singapore are known for their carpentry skills such as wooden flooring installation, wooden ceiling installation, wooden partition installation and other wood works related to construction.
In Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines a carpenter is called “pengangkut kayu” or “kayu tangkal”. The word “kayu” means wood in Indonesian language whereas the word “tangkal” comes from the word “tanggal”, which means to nail or hammer.
In short, pengangkut kayu means wood carrier or wood transporter just like the term “pengangkut beton”. In Indonesia, it means those who carry concrete materials like sand and gravel.
People know carpenters by different names all over the world which include: timber framer (UK), shipwright (UK), carpenter (US), building joiner (UK), cabinetmaker (UK), luthier (US) and boat builder (US).
We also know them as mastro dei mattoni or mastro dei travertini in Italy. The term craftsman is also common for carpenter but you should not confuse them with craftsmen because they execute different tasks. In Malaysia we have the term “tukang kayu”.
They derive it from “tukang kebun”, which means farmers who plant trees such as rubber trees but it also includes padi plantations too.
But nowadays carpenters commonly use it because most of them have worked at plantations before moving into the construction business on their own.
We can divide carpenters into two major categories, including:
1) Residential carpenter
2) Non-residential carpenter
Residential carpentry is the type of carpentry that involves installing doors, windows and wood flooring. It includes everything from cutting to building. Residential carpenters typically work in a small shop where they can work on their own or with one other person.
They may not work on buildings taller than three stories. Residential carpenters are typically more skilled than other types of carpenters.
They often make their own jigs and tools to ensure that they make the measurements correctly before cutting any wood.
Non-residential carpentry is the second type of carpentry. It involves building offices and schools, industrial work spaces, medical buildings and more.
Most non-residential carpenters work for construction companies. In order to become a non-residential carpenter in Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia the government must certify you to be able to work in these fields.
There are five basic steps that a carpenter needs to follow when he is building a house, which include:
1) Planning
2) Measuring
3) Cutting
4) Assembling
5) Finishing.
There are many different types of carpentry work. Some of them include:
1) Roof framing
2) Floor framing
3) Stair building
4) Wall framing
5) Framework for stairs, ladders and walkways.
Carpenters work with many different materials. Some of those materials include: hardwood, softwood, pine, cedar, mahogany and many other types of wood.
Another material that carpenters work with is plywood, which is a wood composite comprising two or more layers of thin sheets of veneer. People glue them together with adjacent layers and rotate their wood grain 180 degrees to provide strength and stability.
People commonly use plywood in the construction industry for making concrete formwork and other applications where a rigid base is necessary. Carpenters also work with concrete blocks, bricks and stones.
Visit HandyWork Blog to find out more article about handy everyday tips and tricks and also carpentry.