Grand Finishes for Carpentry: Home Installation Projects 101

This book had thorough and very straight-forward instructions for basics like crown and base molding and more complicated things like wainscoting and windows and doors. We used it to put in a wainscoting trim in our dining room: there was no bull or misleading steps. We followed the author's instructions exactly and had no surprises! It all went in great! Our neighbors think I should become a carpenter now! It's a wonderful book for a beginner.

I know very little about working with wood or the tools needed and GRAND FINISHES FOR CARPENTRY was a perfect choice for me. It didn't insult my intelligence and was never condescending yet explained everything so clearly. I have two other molding books but this one pointed out several of the problems I might have encountered, whereas the others glossed over them. Though not a lot of pictures I thought there were just enough for me to accomplish creating and installing my own wainscoting in our diningroom. My wife even helped, and we both enjoyed the whole process.

I was surprised to read the earlier negative reviews. I found the instruction thorough and very clear: I've put in base molding before but got a lot out of the crown installation step-by-steps. The book's VOICE OF EXPERIENCES had many helpful hints that added a little levity to my projects but also pointed out several pitfalls I might not have ordinarilly known about. This is the third book of Nikitas's that I've purchased and I use them ("GRAND FINISHES FOR WALLS AND FLOORS" and "GRAND FINISHES FOR TILE") religiously as reference books. Definitely a keeper.