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Service / CARPENTRY

Carpentry.

Cedar tongue-and-groove siding, custom steel-railed exterior stairs, fence and gate work, and decorative wood feature walls — rowhouse and residential exterior wood across the Philadelphia metro.

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JL crew member kneeling on a freshly-built cedar tongue-and-groove exterior stair landing, fabricating a black powder-coated steel railing connection, urban rowhouse setting
FILE / 2026 Carpentry

The work

How carpentry actually goes on a JL job.

/01

Exterior wood is the trade where weatherproofing, structural integrity, and finish quality all intersect. Work done well lasts decades; work done with shortcuts on substrate prep or end-grain sealing starts visibly failing within the first winter. The services under this category — cedar tongue-and-groove (T&G) siding, custom exterior stair construction with steel railings, fence and gate work, decorative wood feature walls — share a common skill set in detail carpentry. The work has to be straight, plumb, weather-sealed at every joint, and finished in a way that resists the freeze-thaw cycling, UV exposure, and moisture intrusion that defines the Mid-Atlantic exterior environment.

/02

Cedar is the primary species for the work shown in JL's portfolio. Western Red Cedar (the standard in the Philadelphia metro) has natural rot and insect resistance from its high tannin content, dimensional stability when properly acclimated, and a workable finish profile that takes both clear oils and pigmented stains. JL installs cedar in three primary configurations: vertical T&G siding for full-wall exteriors and architectural feature walls, horizontal lap or T&G siding for traditional rowhouse fronts and additions, and tight-margin cedar paneling that wraps stair stringers, deck framing, and rail caps. End-grain sealing is non-negotiable on every cut — exposed cedar end-grain wicks moisture five to ten times faster than face grain, and most cedar work that "just rotted out" within three years failed at unsealed end-grain joints.

/03

Exterior stair construction in the urban Philadelphia rowhouse market is a common JL specialty. The typical scope is a stair that connects two grade levels (street to first floor, first to second, or yard to deck level) and has to meet the local building code for rise/run uniformity, total run length, and railing height — typically 36-inch residential rail height in PA. JL fabricates and installs the structural framing (pressure-treated stringers, or steel angle stringers for higher load applications), the tread and riser assembly (cedar, ipe, or composite per the design), and the railing system. Railing options range from welded steel fabricated to spec to commercially-prepared powder-coated rail and post systems (Trex Signature, Fortress, or similar). The cedar surround that wraps the stair structure ties it visually to the building.

/04

Finishing exterior wood is the deciding factor for how long the work looks new before maintenance is required. Western Red Cedar can be: left to weather to a uniform silver patina (zero maintenance after install, 12–24 months to fully patina, requires acceptance that the wood will not retain its original honey-amber tone), treated with a clear penetrating oil like Penofin Hardwood or Cabot Australian Timber Oil (preserves the original cedar color tone, requires recoat every 24–36 months on exposed walls), finished with a semi-transparent or semi-solid stain (more pigment loading, longer recoat interval of 4–6 years, slight obscuration of the wood grain), or finished with solid (opaque) stain in a specified color (longest recoat interval but the hardest to maintain when failure begins). JL specifies the finish based on the wall's exposure profile — south- and west-facing cedar in full sun degrades twice as fast as north-facing cedar — and the homeowner's maintenance commitment.

/05

Service area covers Montgomery County and the broader Philadelphia metropolitan area, with significant project history in the urban rowhouse market where cedar T&G and steel-rail stair construction is particularly common. JL handles the work end-to-end as a single-trade scope: structural framing, carpentry, railing fabrication or install, and finish application. For larger projects involving demolition of existing stair structures, foundation modifications, or work that requires building permits, JL coordinates with the homeowner on the permit application process and works to the approved drawings. Every estimate walk includes a substrate condition assessment (any existing structure that will be modified or attached to), code clearance for the local jurisdiction if applicable, and a written scope before any material is ordered.

Finished cedar tongue-and-groove exterior stair with welded black steel railings, cedar siding wrapping the surround walls, urban rowhouse setting in late afternoon sunlight
Carpentry · process detail

Frequently asked

About carpentry.

/01 What cedar species do you use, and why?

Standard for the Philadelphia metro is Western Red Cedar, which is the most common species sold through commercial lumberyards and has the right combination of natural rot resistance, dimensional stability, and finish workability for exterior applications. Eastern White Cedar is available as a less expensive alternative but is softer and shows wear faster on horizontal-surface applications like decks and stair treads. Alaskan Yellow Cedar is used on premium projects where dimensional stability under freeze-thaw cycling is critical, but the cost runs about 60–80% higher than Western Red. JL specifies the species during the design conversation based on the application and the project budget — there is no universal best answer.

/02 Do you install the steel railings yourself, or do you sub that out?

Both depending on the project. For commercially-prepared powder-coated rail and post systems (Trex Signature, Fortress Pure View, AFCO PRO), JL installs the rail and post assemblies in-house — these are designed for field assembly with consistent attachment hardware. For welded steel railings fabricated to a specific design, JL works with local metal shops on the fabrication and handles the install with the homeowner's drawings or a design developed jointly during the estimate. The metal fabricator handles the welding and powder coating; JL handles the substrate prep, attachment, and any cedar surround that wraps the railing structure.

/03 How long does cedar last before it needs refinishing?

Depends entirely on the finish choice and the wall exposure. Cedar left to weather requires no refinishing — it patinas to silver and stays there indefinitely. Cedar finished with clear penetrating oils typically needs recoating every 24–36 months on directly-exposed walls, longer on protected or covered installations. Semi-transparent stains last 4–6 years; semi-solid stains 5–7 years; solid (opaque) stains 7–10 years but the recoat process is more involved because failing opaque coats require full stripping before reapplication. South- and west-facing walls degrade roughly twice as fast as north-facing walls. JL provides a finish-specific maintenance schedule with each project so the homeowner knows the realistic recoat interval.

/04 Can you match an existing cedar finish on a partial repair or addition?

Yes, but with realistic expectations. New cedar will not perfectly match weathered or pre-finished existing cedar even with the same product applied — the existing wood has aged tannin content and surface profile that changes how it accepts finish. The matching protocol is: identify the existing finish (penetrating oil, stain, solid coat), apply the same product family to a cedar sample, evaluate side-by-side in the same lighting conditions as the install, adjust pigment loading if available. Cedar that has weathered to full silver patina cannot be matched with new cedar except by accelerating the patina on the new piece (oxalic acid wash or salt-based weathering accelerator) or by accepting a 12–18-month interim period during which the new piece transitions to match.

/05 Do you handle the building permit for stair construction?

Permits for exterior stair construction are required in most Montgomery County and Philadelphia jurisdictions, particularly when the stair connects two grade levels, exceeds a certain rise height, or attaches to an existing structure. JL handles the permit application process when the project scope requires it — preparing the drawings or working from the homeowner's existing drawings, coordinating any required inspections during construction (footing inspection, framing inspection, final), and documenting the work for the building inspector's record. For replacement-only work on an existing stair structure where the rise/run dimensions and railing locations stay identical, a permit may not be required — Jose reviews this with the local jurisdiction during the estimate.

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