Construction Carpentry Course

Lesson 1 • Workplace Safety and Regulations

Covers mandatory safety standards, personal protective equipment, and hazard recognition. Compliance with safety regulations is reinforced throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Lumber and Building Materials

Examines wood species, grades, engineered lumber, and common sheet goods. Material knowledge directly informs purchasing, cutting, and structural decisions.

Lesson 3 • The Carpentry Trade Overview

Defines carpentry's scope within construction and its relationship to other trades. Establishes context for all subsequent technical learning.

Lesson 4 • Reading Construction Documents

Teaches interpretation of blueprints, plans, and specifications relevant to carpentry work. Accurate plan reading is prerequisite to all layout and framing tasks.

Lesson 1 • Marking and Scribing Methods

Teaches marking lumber for cuts, joints, and assemblies with precision. Consistent marking habits reduce waste and rework throughout the project.

Lesson 2 • Units of Measurement in Carpentry

Reviews imperial and metric systems as applied to carpentry dimensions and conversions. Accurate unit use prevents costly material errors downstream.

Lesson 3 • Layout Tools and Techniques

Covers squares, levels, chalk lines, and laser tools for transferring measurements to materials. Proper layout is the foundation of plumb, level, and square construction.

Lesson 1 • Cutting with Hand Saws

Covers crosscut, rip, and back saw techniques for accurate manual cutting. Hand saw skill remains essential when power tools are impractical or unavailable.

Lesson 2 • Drilling, Fastening, and Nailing

Covers drill/driver operation, nail gun types, and manual nailing for structural and finish work. Proper fastening technique directly affects structural integrity.

Lesson 3 • Planes, Chisels, and Rasps

Develops skill with edge-forming tools for fitting, trimming, and joinery preparation. These tools are critical for precision fitting in finish carpentry work.

Lesson 4 • Miter Saw and Table Saw Use

Introduces compound miter cuts and repetitive crosscuts on a miter saw and ripping operations on a table saw. These tools are central to finish and framing carpentry.

Lesson 1 • Pocket Hole and Biscuit Joinery

Introduces jig-based joinery systems for fast, strong connections in cabinetry and trim work. These methods are widely used in production finish carpentry environments.

Lesson 2 • Basic Wood Joints

Teaches butt, lap, dado, rabbet, and mortise-and-tenon joints through hands-on practice. Each joint type is matched to its structural or finish application.

Lesson 3 • Adhesives and Gluing Techniques

Covers wood glue types, surface preparation, clamping pressure, and cure times. Proper gluing technique strengthens joints and reduces reliance on mechanical fasteners.

Lesson 4 • Dowel and Domino Joinery

Covers alignment-based joinery using dowels and floating tenons for furniture and millwork. Precision alignment is critical to flat, gap-free assemblies.

Lesson 1 • Subfloor Installation

Covers layout, fastening, and gluing of structural panel subfloor over floor joists. A properly installed subfloor eliminates squeaks and provides a flat base for finishes.

Lesson 2 • Openings: Doors and Windows

Covers header sizing, king studs, trimmers, and rough sill framing for openings. Correct opening framing transfers loads around windows and doors safely.

Lesson 3 • Wall Framing Fundamentals

Teaches plate layout, stud spacing, and assembly of exterior and interior bearing walls. Wall framing accuracy determines plumb and square of the entire structure.

Lesson 4 • Sheathing and Wall Bracing

Applies structural sheathing panels and let-in bracing to resist lateral racking forces. Proper bracing is essential for structural stability under wind and seismic loads.

Lesson 1 • Roof Types and Terminology

Defines gable, hip, shed, and gambrel roofs along with span, rise, run, and pitch. Terminology mastery is required before any rafter calculation or layout begins.

Lesson 2 • Hip and Valley Rafters

Calculates and cuts hip and valley rafters using unit length and backing angle methods. Hip and valley rafters are the most geometrically complex members in roof framing.

Lesson 3 • Common Rafter Layout and Cutting

Uses the framing square and rafter tables to lay out plumb, seat, and tail cuts on common rafters. Common rafter accuracy sets the template for all other rafter types.

Lesson 4 • Roof Sheathing and Decking

Covers panel layout, fastening schedules, and edge blocking for structural roof sheathing. Properly sheathed roofs resist uplift and provide the base for roofing materials.

Lesson 1 • Exterior Trim and Casing

Teaches cutting and installing fascia, frieze, corner boards, and window casing. Trim profiles unify the exterior appearance and protect framing from moisture.

Lesson 2 • Lap Siding Installation

Applies layout lines, starter strips, and overlap gauges to install horizontal lap siding. Consistent exposure and alignment are critical to weather resistance and appearance.

Lesson 3 • Decks and Exterior Stairs

Frames deck structures, installs decking boards, and builds code-compliant exterior stairs. Structural connections and railing heights must meet safety standards.

Lesson 4 • Panel and Vertical Siding Systems

Installs board-and-batten, T1-11, and fiber cement panel siding with correct joint treatment. Panel systems require precise vertical layout and proper gap allowances.

Lesson 1 • Cabinet and Shelving Installation

Locates studs, levels, and secures base and wall cabinets with correct scribing and shimming. Accurate cabinet installation ensures functional doors, drawers, and countertops.

Lesson 2 • Crown Molding Installation

Lays out and cuts crown molding using spring angle and compound miter techniques. Crown molding requires mastery of compound angles and precise wall-to-ceiling fitting.

Lesson 3 • Hardwood and Engineered Flooring

Installs nail-down, glue-down, and floating hardwood and engineered flooring systems. Proper acclimation, layout, and fastening prevent gaps, buckling, and squeaks.

Lesson 4 • Interior Door Installation

Installs pre-hung interior doors plumb and square with correct reveal and hardware prep. Door installation integrates framing accuracy with finish quality.