Custom hardwood trim: Mention these words to
finish carpenters and watch their eyes light up as
they imagine awestruck homeowners fawning over
their finish work. This is the realm of glory grabbers.
Get it right, and you're a hero; get it wrong,
and you've got an angry customer and an expensive
fix.
But good craftsmanship isn't the whole story.
Dealing with hardwoods requires a familiarity with
various wood species, longer lead times, and more
attention to costs. You also have to be well organized.
When working with stock pine, you can
drive to the lumberyard for a couple of extra
boards if you run short. Not so with hardwood,
where material shortages can turn