Rent A Carpenter

Dale began working with wood at Kitty Hawk Junior High School in 1976 (instructed by Shop Teacher Robert Opdycke). He built bookends, bookcases, cabinets, tables, skateboard decks and numerous other projects, using a miter saw, band saw, scroll saw, table saw, belt & disc sander, drill press, jointer, router, and many other woodworking tools.

 

In the summer of 1978, he began building waterbed frames, bookcase headboards and under-bed drawers (sold by Waterbeds, Etc.) for J. C. Ivy Construction Company.

 

While in High School at Judson, he worked summers and after school as a trim carpenters’ helper and then lead trimmer (1979-1981, employed by Larry Gray Construction) doing finish carpentry for Schaffer and Morton Southwest Homes in and around the San Antonio & Bexar County area.

 

Dale worked for A & H Greenhouse Products (1981-1982), fabricating aluminum frames and cutting fiberglass for the greenhouses they assembled for customers. Commercial and residential greenhouses were built for homeowners and nurseries.

 

While living in Tulsa, Oklahoma (1983-1985) and attending college courses at night, he worked as a trim carpenter for Ron Poplin Construction in high-end homes during the day. Learning to hone his skills and advance his knowledge of the craft and trade, he worked with a variety of hard and soft woods (ash, oaks, maple, cherry, walnuts, birch, cedars, firs, pines) and completed projects such as fireplace mantels, staircases (standard, curved & suspended), libraries with judge’s panel bookcases and built-in roll-top desks, wainscoting, coffered & Hershey ceilings, cabinets, furniture, and more.

 

From 1986-1990, Dale was self-employed, doing business as D. G. D. Construction and working for several realtors & builders in Bexar and surrounding counties, performing many duties such as framing, roofing, remodeling, room additions, decks, patio covers, carports, and interior and exterior carpentry repairs. He performed trim carpentry in $500K+ homes (Parade Homes in Deerfield & the Dominion) and also in gated communities and neighborhoods such as Fair Oaks, Cross Mountain Ranch, Sonterra, Shavano Park, Stone Oak, Olympia, Windcrest, Castle Hills, and many more. During this time, he did commercial work as well, installing FRP (fiberglass paneling) with plastic trim, shelf and rack assembly in 7-Eleven Stores. He also opened up walls and installed doors to connect classrooms at St. John Newman’s Catholic Church in Windcrest and did finish carpentry for offices, lobbies, and rooms for apartment complexes, motels and hotels. He contracted with Hastings Records (and Books), doing store remodels (store fronts, service counters, metal stud framing, suspended ceilings, interior trim, vinyl sheet rock, space wall panels, bronze Plexiglas mirror with frames, etc.) at Central Park, Ingram and Windsor Park Malls in San Antonio and new construction in Abilene, Texas.

 

In 1991, he began working under his new D.B.A., “Rent A Carpenter”. Taking a break from trim carpentry and cabinets, he turned his attention toward decks and outdoor structures (retaining walls, garden bridges, shade covers, greenhouses, storage sheds, fences, etc.) and more (working with “Rice Irrigation and Landscaping”), later returning to the indoor fine carpentry he knew so well.

 

From 1993 to 1996, he worked in a $10 million+ home that had an enormous amount of unique and unusual details incorporated into it, requiring a great deal of craft and ingenuity to complete the project. (3.5 years to complete the 30,000 square foot home with 7-car garage, cabana, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, maintenance building, etc.)

 

From 1999-2001, he worked with a landscape architect and irrigation specialist, Prestige Specialized Irrigation, building decks and garden structures.

 

2002 to the present has been spent on both interior and exterior carpentry projects, both normal and artistic.

 

From 2005-2009, Dale worked for one builder (Cariola Homes) as a finish carpenter, custom door builder and installer, an all-around “problem-solver” and superintendent in Fossil Ridge, a gated community off Evans Road in Bexar County.

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Rent A Carpenter looks forward to serving the greater San Antonio and surrounding areas for years to come. We are a Carpenter for Hire. Whatever your need may be… no matter how large or small the job… if we are available, we can take care of it for you.

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There have been many clients that have called upon our services in the years past and the years ahead will bring many more…

 

                                    I would like to say “Thanks to you all!”