Mortise style lock sets vs the common cylindrical lock sets

Mortise style locks are the most secure form of an entry set. A special cut in the door allows a longer and thicker mortise to slide into the pocket in the door itself, providing superior protection. These types of locks require special door preparation. This kind of lock was commonly seen in homes prior to 1940 (before the introduction of bored cylindrical locks), but is still available today in single cylinder, double cylinder, and dummy set . In Europe they are widely use in all domestic properties and more recently they have been becoming more commmon in comercial and upmarket residential in north america.

Still the tubular style or cylindrical locks are more common in north america where they can be found on all types of doors, mostly in interior residential and office doors. They are quite easy to install, they not require expensive tools and much knowledge to install them.

Mortise locksets require a mortise in the edge of the door for installation purposes.

 The guts of the lockset are contained within a thin box or case which fits into the mortise. The mortise which needs to be created is often quite deep. It is not uncommon to create a cavity, 7/8 inch wide, six inches long and four inches deep. This mortise must be created with precision and requires a special tool and expertise to get it done right without damaging the door.

Mortise locksets are usually very durable and can often last the lifetime of a house. These locksets also offer a unique feature. Virtually every mortise lockset has a built-in heavy duty deadbolt. What's more, this deadbolt can be activated in conjunction with unlocking the standard door latch. You simply have to insert your key into one slot and turn the key a little more than one full turn. The locking mechanism is very substantial and all parts are precision milled, making the mortise lock superior in strength to a typical bored cylindrical lock.

The body of the lock houses the parts that actually work the lock, including workings for the knob or handle, latch, and deadbolt. When you look at the frame of a door with a mortise lock, you will see a solid metal plate that is flush with the frame and securely screwed in place. Within that plate is an opening, and the locking device on the door, usually a thick, steel bolt, slides into that opening (or mortise) when it is turned with a key. The result is a very secure doorway.

Like any lock, there are pros and cons to mortise locks. The biggest drawback to a mortise lock is the skill needed to install it. Because the frame of the door must be carved out to accommodate the lock body, familiarity with woodworking and the tools of the trade are a must in order to achieve a solid fit.



 From a historical perspective, with the development of bored cylindrical locking devices, the mortise lock began to fall out of favor. The primary reason was the skill required to install it. For quite some time these locks were mostly found on older buildings, doors and furniture which were constructed prior to the advent of newly developed locks. However, since the lock itself is so strong, its security potential couldn't be denied, and the use of the mortise lock is slowly returning in popularity in commercial structures and high end residential buildings.

Complete Condo Renovation

We have started this new year ( 2014 ) with a complete condo renovation.
This kind of work is one of those projects that  we really enjoy to undertake, it will include a total renew, from floors to walls and ceilings.












This first week included :

an almost total interior demolition that covered :
removing old flooring ( carpets and tiles )
dismantle existing kitchen cabinets and counters
removing all metal doors frame and interiors doors
one bathroom total demolition ( keeping second one functional for the time being )

During this week we also re-frame all doors openings for new doors, frame for an extension in the bathroom size and for a kitchen pantry and storage closet.


















There will be a bulkhead all around the open concept kitchen and we also started framing for the bulkhead following the blueprints for the new kitchen cabinets and kitchen island location.

The significance of projects in progress.

When choosing a contractor or a company for a home building or renovation, one of the most accurate screening the homeowner can use to evaluate those applying for the job is the viewing of others projects on progress under the expertise and directions of the same contractor. Nothing shows better how your future project is going to proceed that looking at a project in progress.

Most reputable contractors run several projects at the time or one right after the other with continuous work in order to keep the talented trades busy and avoid good valuables workers leaving during the down time between projects, so it should be always some work in progress to bring potential customer for a walk through.

Taking a walk through a similar project will really tell the homeowner how prepare and experience the contractor really is to successfully undertake the responsibility of his own project.
These are some points to remember when having the opportunity of viewing work in progress :

1- There are trade people working on site at the time of the visit or there are enough tools and machinery on site that demonstrate workers are coming back sooner than later. If you want your project to march continuously  from day one to complexion you will need a contractor that has enough man power to keep your project advancing on the daily bases, sometime trade people come and go to be able to cover many projects at the same time. Only a couple of working days a week can turn a month project into a long tiring enterprise that will feel as never ending.

2- Materials keeping : the way construction materials are kept and organize in the job site is a good indicator for the way they are gonna be handle at your project. Remember you gonna be paying for those materials.

3- A verbal or even better a written plan that describes and outlines in a timely order all the different tasks to achieve complexion. Every step in a renovation or building project has a particular time for execution and the organization of these tasks will have a direct impact in the final product as far as time, cost and quality. Good contractors know how to implement a critical path method for every project as a more efficient approach to achieve good quality work in a suitable time.

4- Cleanness and tidiness. Clean and organize work places are an indication of professionalism and good workmanship.

Breakers Panel and water meter cover cabinet.

There are projects hard to quote because they seem too simple and straight forward to justify its hidden but real cost to bring it successfully to complexion without incurring in a financial lost.
Most people would think that few hundred dollars could be an excessive cost for such a simple task,
but most of the time, experience will tell me that these " simple projects " are impossible to complete without a break down and properly costing all the materials and labor to complete that "simple project" without the assumption that is an straight forward task and it should not cost much.
Building for example this cover cabinet for the electric breaker panel and water meter is without a doubt a very simple and straight forward task, but lets break down this simple project in materials and labor to calculate its cost.
materials :
2 sheets 4x8 mdf   ( 80 dollars ) mdf materials was chosen due to its finishing properties because the cabinet would be painted same color as the wall.
Mouldings ( 19.00 )  12 feet of two different mouldings profiles to be use at the bottom of the cabinet and as an astragal piece between the doors.
Hinges   ( 24.00 dollars )  4 pairs of European cabinet type hinges to facilitated the easily removing of the doors in case electricians or plumbers needed total clearance when working.
Miscellaneous ( 20.00 dollars ) nails, screws, gas, wood filler ... )
Paint ( 15.00 )
Nobs ( 8.00 )

Total materials cost : 166.00 dollars

Approximately labor cost : 480.00 dollars  ( base in 12 hours )

Minimum project cost : 646.00  ( this amount represents only the cost of materials and labor but not included the general contractor expenses and cost to arrange and manage the project )

In a superficial, unknowing analyses of this small project is hard to imagine it could cost hundred of dollars, but experience shows this is the true cost to build this " simple project "

Tongue and groove ceiling work

Ceiling works are in with my favored projects and T&G ceilings are among these jobs that I am always glad to undertake.

In this particular project, we decided to stain the knotty pines boards before installing them in order to be able to play with the different tones and shades of the wood at the time of the installation.

Having the use of the proper scaffold allowed me to set up the miter saw on top of the platform and turn this task into a one man project.

Kitchen Installation

Kitchen installation, the most common of the millwork installation projects.

Kitchen installation is the most common of all types of millwork installations projects. Installing millwork requires a good level of finishing carpentry experience and better yet some practical knowledge of cabinet making. Having considerable knowledge of these trades will help to understand and resolve unforeseen problematic situations that could happen during an installation project.

Installing millwork is a task very difficult to improvise, the consequences of a considerable lack of experience will show long before the project is completed, very often with irreversible consequences and damaged materials.

Good millwork installers have the experience gained through many kinds of installations, after working with different types of materials, designs, finishing, they get to know all the procedures and tricks to achieve better results in each project.

The installation is a continuity and final stage of the cabinet making process, that's why very high end custom projects require properly qualify labour or the supervision of the same cabinets makers involved in the designing and building of the cabinets.

An updated set of drawings with all the changes and notes will be an starting point for an installation project. I usually request my installation drawings ahead of time to be able to make my own installation notes and prepare for possible unforeseen needs for the installation process.

Opening all wrapped pieces and identifying the location of every component and cabinet before starting to attach them is a always a secure way to proceed.

Calculating the high of the top line for the uppers cabinets, allows us to mark the bottom line for the uppers cabinets and double checking for proper high between counter top and the bottom of the uppers cabinets. A minimum of 18 to 21 inches will leave room for more kitchen appliances that could sit on the counter top of a finished kitchen without touching the light balance, of course that distance is limited in some cases for the ceiling high or a faulty kitchen design.

Some installer, including myself, prefer to start installing the uppers cabinets first, that way we do not have the base cabinets on the way and there is not chance of damaging them while we work in top of them.

No floor, wall or ceiling can be trusted and use as an straight line or reference to fix cabinets together, the use of shims are a necessity in the installation.

Fillers pieces against the wall, between cabinets or creating room in a corner help to maintain consistence cabinets lines and create the room for doors and drawers to open clear of obstacles.

One of the main reasons why a good installation job can not be improvise is due to the requirement of specialize tools to carry out such a task. Specific levelling, drilling, nailing and cutting tools intended for this kind of carpentry work will contribute with a professional finishing.

Identifying the lowest and highest spot in the floor area cover for the installation will help to offset the difference at he time for installing the base cabinets following an straight levelled line.

Most base kitchen cabinets will include a 4.5 inches high of toe kick space and a cabinet 30 inches high. 34.5 inches should be the rough high before counter tops and 36 inches total finished counter top high.

Toe kicks can be prepare and cut at any time but should be done in way that can be remove to install the rooms floor or simply install them after the floor is completed

Perfectly located and tied drilling holes for pipes, outlets and wires are signs of a neat installation job.

Countersinking all the attaching screws and hidden them when possible behind the hinges and shelf's lines help to maintain a clean finishing look inside the cabinet boxes.

Panels and gables should be scribe to the wall to eliminate gaps between the panels and the wall due to unplumbed walls.

The installation of the crown and light balance mouldings will require the use of a good quality chop saw with a fresh sharpened finishing blade to be able to obtain straight and tied mitter joints. I keep a saw with the proper blade that I only use to cut mitters.

Instead of regular carpenter glue I prefer to use a profesional wood adhesive with a fast set and cure time in my crown and light balance mitter joints, the stregnth of a professional adhesive allows me to avoid using nails to reinforce the joints.

The use of clamps, shims and laser level lines allows us to fastening the cabinets boxes together following straight leveled lines while paying attention not to force cabinets out of square. All joints lines should be flush and straight.

Handling and moving cabinets should always be done with extreme care, avoiding to damage the edgebanding edges and corners

Selecting and using the proper screw sizes will prevent breaking through to the other side of panels and cabinets. I use 1 inch # 8 screws for 5/8 gables and 1 1/8 # 8 screws for ¾ gables. Cabinets should be always screwed to the walls studs or plywood blocking previously installed inside the walls for cabinets installation. I use 2, 2.5 or 3 inches screws to attach cabinets to the studs or blocking. Its always a good idea to be aware of a shower, bathroom or laundry room in the other side of the wall in order to be carefull about water lines running inside the walls when we are screwing the cabinets in.

Adopting the habit of blowing out clean all the drawers sliders before inserting the drawers back into the cabinets will prevent the saw dust or dirt from getting inside the sliders and intering with the proper functioning of the tracks.

Lining up and adjusting all doors and drawers faces is maybe one of the last things to do before completing the installation. Drawers faces should always be line up before drilling holes for the handles installation.

Installing the doors and drawers handles should be done with extreme care, paying attention to consistency and symetry.

Every type of millwork installation has its own unique particularity and details but from the simplest to the most elaborated and complex, all demand the same concentration and use of the carpenters knowlegde at every step of the installation project.

Stairs Treatment

Stairway Treatment

Renovating an stairway could add considerable value to a house.

Threads and Risers

Replacing carpet or hardwood floor threads for one piece solid threads can be laborious but a very straight forward task if you are well prepare for the project.

Home depot usually carries solid maple threads that come combine in a package with a piece of maple veneer plywood to be install as the raiser. The package sales for less than 40.00 dollars for step.

Others suppliers sell oak for about the same price.

This price is only for pieces approximately 40 inches long, longer threads will be more expensive of course. I have some suppliers that will give us a very good price for custom sizes and woods.

Railings

Railings bring beauty to the stairs.

There are many designs to choose from at the time to replace the balusters.

Newels add beauty and strength to the railings

Often a good refinishing brings back all the charm of an old railing. I often disassemble the railing and bring the pieces to the shop for a good sanding job and spray painting or finishing.

When the task calls for the use of bull noses and floor transitions a well plan design and the use of good measurements will help with the final result.

The installation of a designed wainscoting on wall side of the stairs will add elegance to the stairways and it will replace with its chair rail molding at the top the use of a bad looking hand rail fasten to the wall.

Task complexity : medium

Please feel free to contact me to inquire about building procedures, materials, cost or any other question related to the work we do. I will be happy to answer all questions.

The practical use of the space under the stairs is a custom feature that add storage space to a home.