We met Octavio Salcedo, carpenter in his workshop. When he's not on a building site or in consultation, that's where he works. Surrounded by modern and electric tools, but also by hand tools, he gives us some renovation tips, before meeting him next February for our Lessons on Renovation.
Can you start by telling us about your background?
It's a long enough process to become a carpenter. The first important thing is to have a taste for the trade. I had an excellent carpenter with me, that's more or less how you learn. Then I developed my own skills and I also took courses to become a master.
Do you have a specialization?
I am a Quebec-trained master carpenter-joiner. You must complete a minimum of 6000 hours of apprenticeship before taking competency evaluation exams. You then obtain a journeyperson's licence.
Do you find that a lot of young people are interested in crafts?
Unfortunately not. Lately, woodworking's been a dead art. I would say to young people to try, to connect the interests of the moment, for example good design, with the will to do things oneself.
What are the main problems encountered by your customers?
Climate and maintenance. Nowadays, there is a rotation of owners, you just stay a few years in a house, and probably you don't have time to see the particularities of the building or to do maintenance. So lack of maintenance is a major problem.
What renovation tips would you give homeowners?
The first one is that sometimes it's incredible, just one coat of paint can make a huge difference! The second one is knowing where to put the weatherstripping. We always tend to want to protect ourselves from the cold, but we need to seal just the inside to let the outside wood breathe and avoid condensation.
The last one, knowing when and from whom to ask for help and what budget we have. Sometimes you have ambitious plans, but probably not all the elements of the house are in the same condition. Try to make small projects from year to year, starting with what is urgent.
Lack of knowledge can sometimes be a limitation.Héritage Montréal coursesHéritage Montréal very positive in this regard.
Octavio salcedo
How do you integrate the dsustainable development to your practice ?
Assembled pieces of wood are used to make large pieces, but of lesser thickness. That means we use smaller trees, second or third growth. Unlike in the past, when we used first-growth, 100-year-old trees. We also use local species.
Always respect the style of the building, especially its original architecture. I think the ideal is to do a good research to see if the elements have already been changed to go back to something close to what we had.
octavio salcedo
Would you like to add anything?
It would be ideal to be able to have money that doesn't just come from the client. The heritage, hopefully it will last, so most of the owners will be gone when the building continues to exist. It would be ideal to have some help from the government or an association. It would help more owners to do renovations and it would benefit the conservation of the building in the long term. It is the responsibility of the community and society.
To learn more, come and meet Octavio Salcedo during our lesson "Doors, Windows and Exterior Woodwork" , February 22 and 24, 2021 . Click here to register.
We would like to thank Octavio Salcedo for allowing us to conduct this interview and the photo shoot.
All the photos are of Vivien Gaumand.
Thanks to our major partner
Héritage Montréal a proud partner of the Ville de Montréal.
