Where we started
Finish Carpentry in Southampton and Hampshire
VIP Walls started in finish carpentry. Good skirting, architrave and mouldings make a clear difference to the finished room.
We fit skirting, architrave, cornice, rails and doors in older houses and new builds. Every piece is cut to the room as it stands.
Skirting, architrave, cornice, dado and picture rails, door hanging and second fix carpentry.
Older Hampshire houses are rarely square or level. We cut the mouldings to fit the building as it is.
Work is left ready for decoration.
What finish carpentry covers
- Skirting, architrave, cornice and rails
- Door hanging and ironmongery
- Scribed to walls and floors that are out of square
- Ready for decoration
Skirting board fitting and replacement
We fit new skirting boards and replace old or damaged ones. New boards are scribed to the floor, mitred at the corners and left ready to paint.
The cost depends on the length of skirting, the profile and the number of corners.
See also: skirting and architrave replacement cost, skirting board fitting and replacement, gaps under skirting.
Coving and cornice installation
Coving and cornice cover the join between the wall and the ceiling. We fit plain coving and deeper period cornice, cut to the corners of the room. In older houses we can match a new length to the profile already there.
Second fix carpentry
Second fix is the carpentry done after plastering. It covers skirting, architrave, rails, door hanging and ironmongery. We do it in renovations and new builds.
A carpenter in Southampton
We work across Southampton and the rest of Hampshire. Finish carpentry is often booked alongside wall panelling or a staircase update.
See also: wall panelling, hallway panelling, staircase transformations.
Finish carpentry questions
- Can you match new skirting to what is already in the house?
- Yes, we can match profiles so new work does not stand out from the old.
- Do you hang doors as well as fit mouldings?
- Yes, door hanging and ironmongery are part of our second fix work.
- What happens if the walls or floors are not level?
- We scribe the mouldings to fit the walls and floors as they are.
- Is the work left ready to paint?
- Yes, everything is left filled and ready for decoration.
- Do you fit coving?
- Yes. We fit coving and cornice, cut to the corners of the room.
- What is second fix carpentry?
- It is the carpentry done after plastering. It covers skirting, architrave, rails, door hanging and ironmongery.
Finish carpentry we have fitted
Second fix carpentry across Hampshire
Terraces and semis in the older Southampton suburbs are rarely square. We scribe the skirting and architrave to fit.
Where we work
Based in Hampshire since 2007 and working across the county.
Houses we work in
- Victorian terraces
- 1930s semis
- renovated period houses
- new-build homes
Get a price for carpentry
Skirting, architrave, cornice, rails and door hanging, cut to the building as it is.
Guides that answer the usual questions
- Panelling over plaster: what your wall needs to be able to take it
Testing the wall, when to batten, lath and plaster, artex, wallpaper and damp.
- Dado rail vs full-height panelling: how to choose
Proportions, ceiling heights, cost and which rooms suit each approach.
- Skirting and Architrave Replacement Cost: What to Expect
A practical look at replacing skirting boards and architrave, covering profile choice, height, dealing with uneven floors, and guide pricing per metre.
- Gaps Under Skirting Boards and What Uneven Floors Do to Them
Why gaps appear beneath skirting boards, particularly in older Hampshire houses with sloping floors, and when scribing and packing beat a tube of caulk.
Work we often pair with it
To sum up
Finish carpentry is where the business began. We scribe the mouldings to the walls and floors, then leave the work ready for decorating.
Get a price for carpentry
Let us know which rooms need skirting, architrave or cornice and we will price it.