Small Carpentry Tips to Tackle Before the Holiday Rush

For many businesses, the holidays offer the year’s biggest surge of activity. In order to make the most of this upcoming holiday rush, you’ll want to make sure your location is as appealing and sturdy as possible. We’ve discussed many times before how quality commercial painting can go a long way toward attracting new customers and reinforcing your brand. However, a fresh coat of paint shouldn’t be the only thing on your mind as you gear up for the year’s busy finale. If your business features several wooden components, you’ll want to make sure they’re in good shape for both aesthetic and structural reasons. Waiting too long to tackle these carpentry repairs and updates can leave you with larger issues in the future and diminish the amount of foot traffic you receive in the winter months. With that in mind, let’s go over some small and simple carpentry tips to heed before the holiday rush sets in.

Carpentry Tips for the Holidays

Get Rid of Rot

No one wants to deal with rot -- it’s unsightly and has the ability to soften and weaken wood until it loses its structural stability. Unfortunately, rot is a reality for wooden features, especially if they’re not properly protected and maintained. Moisture intrusion is the main conduit for rot and other fungal infestations. Sealing your outdoor wooden features with paint or stain will help prevent water from entering the surface’s pores, but rot can still occur over time despite your best efforts. The good news is that, if caught early enough, rot can be cut away and the affected wood replaced. If rot is left unchallenged, however, it can dig deeper into the wood and spread further across its surfaces, rendering the entire feature obsolete. Whatever the case, it’s important to inspect all of your wooden features both inside and outside your property for signs of rot and resolve any issues you come across. Even if you don’t find any rot, you might hire pressure washing services to thoroughly clean your exterior wooden components -- this will enhance their appearance and protect them from fungal growth.

Repair Wooden Features

Rot may be one of the main causes of damage to your wood, but it’s in good company with other hazards like impact, pests, temperature fluctuations, sunlight, and more. Simply put, wooden features are always in harm’s way, especially those that are exposed to the elements. As the holiday rush approaches, now’s a good time to assess your wooden features for any type of damage and make all necessary repairs. Some of these renovations might be mild and largely preventative, such as deck sanding and staining, while others may be a bit more severe, like re-fastening deck posts or replacing rails. The most important projects are those that involve structural components, as these are responsible for keeping your location upright and safe. Getting these repairs done now will prepare your property for the cold winter weather and revitalize its appearance for holiday traffic.

Install or Fix Door and Window Casings

Fashionable and functional, door and window casings frame and embellish the portals they surround while also stopping outdoor air from entering your building. So, the reasons for taking good care of these wooden features are self-evident: doing so makes your location’s exterior more eye-catching while better insulating its interior to ward off the holiday chill. If your door or window casings are damaged, coming loose, or otherwise in a state of disrepair, you should seriously consider fixing or replacing them in time for the holiday rush. And while you’re at it, you might think about refinishing your front entry door as well. After all, the entrance to your business makes an important first impression.

Introduce or Fortify Baseboards and Shoe Mouldings

Increased foot traffic doesn’t just translate to increased profits and attention -- it also means increased risk of scuffs and scratches from bustling shoes, especially if you have limited space. Baseboards and shoe mouldings are designed to prevent shoes and other low-hanging objects from making direct contact with the lower portions of your walls. Some scuffs and scrapes might not seem like such a big deal, but an abundance of these marks can bring down the overall appearance of your business’ interior. Moreover, if your walls are unprotected, these minor abrasions can begin to damage the paint and the walls themselves. Do your property and reputation a favor, then, by installing or updating your baseboards and shoe mouldings.

Consider Chair Rails

The aforementioned shoe mouldings and baseboards aren’t the only types of trim to consider installing or renovating inside your property. Chair rails help protect your walls from damage, too. These features are placed horizontally across the midsection of a wall and are primarily designed to stop the backs of chairs and other furniture from bumping directly into walls. Chair rails, much like baseboards, also provide some visual embellishment to a room, making it feel more complete. If you run a restaurant, cafe, or other kind of establishment that sees the regular movement of chairs and tables, installing chair rails can save your walls from countless knicks and bruises. And considering the likely increase in customer activity during the holiday season, now’s the time to start this project.

Refinish Your Fence

Not every business features fencing, but if yours does, make a point to inspect it from head to toe before the holiday rush. Most fences serve dual purposes: 1) to protect and distinguish a property from the outside world and 2) to decorate its exterior. With so much going on during the holidays, it’s important to guard your business from unwanted visitors and pests. Moreover, a fresh, sturdy fence will boost your place’s curb appeal, attracting more holiday shoppers to your location as they walk or drive past it. Plus, with colder weather on the way, you’ll want to make sure your fence is thoroughly sealed to withstand its environment.

Secure Your Stairs

There’s a lot to love about wooden stairs, but if you want to keep them, you need to make sure they remain in good shape. Loose, damaged stairs don’t just have a haunted look (and sound) to them -- they’re also a major safety hazard. To avoid injuries and liabilities before, during, and after the holiday rush, check each individual stair and, if necessary, repair those that are no longer secure. You’ll want to seek professional help if most of your staircase requires attention. Once your wooden stairs are secure once more, your customers and employees will be able to safely navigate your building.

Rushing to Get Ready for the Holidays

It won’t be long now until the holidays are in full force. Are you prepared for Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year’s? Not to worry; Nash Painting can help via commercial exterior painting, light carpentry, power washing, door refinishing, and so much more. We’ve helped protect and enhance countless businesses across Nashville, Franklin, and Brentwood, TN, and we work year-round. To learn more about us, our services, and our values, call us at 615-829-6858 today!