08/24/2026
Eight doors. Eight different openings.
This Hamilton basement project looked straightforward at first: install the interior doors, casing and baseboards, then trim two recessed shelves.
But basement openings rarely follow one standard measurement.
Every door had to be resized and fitted individually. Several doors were reduced to approximately 74 inches, while the storage door had to be cut down to only 56 inches.
I installed the doors using non-mortise butterfly hinges, then prepared the latch and strike plate locations according to the final position of each door. This was important because the floor level—and therefore the finished height—changed from one opening to another.
The homeowner chose flat-stock casing in a Craftsman-style layout to match the existing window trim. The two shelves built into the drywall were framed with the same casing detail, helping them feel like part of the finished room rather than unfinished wall openings.
New flat-stock baseboards completed the hallway and rooms. Butt joints were used at the inside corners—the appropriate installation method for square, flat-stock trim and a practical choice for long-term movement.
The completed walkthrough shows how all those individually fitted details finally came together.
📍 Hamilton, Ontario
Interior doors, custom fitting, casing, recessed shelf trim and baseboards by Wood Job Finish Carpentry.