Visit a job site during the final weeks of finishes and you'll witness chains of events that rival any Three Stooges skit. You'll see the tile setter dumping water on the path the finish carpenter travels from his saw. The carpenter tracks mud on the wood flooring, sending the installer to the nearest faucet, which has been turned off by the plumber who just accidentally broke a tile. Every trade hates the other during the finish frenzy.

Walk into Artéfice's 15,000-square-foot manufacturing facility where the air and surfaces are systematically being cleaned through a dust collection system. See finish coats being applied in a paint booth. Watch a finish line as it sands and finishes. Welcome to a controlled environment where you can achieve the highest quality finish at a reasonable cost.

With factory finishing, general contractors can either install finishes themselves or hire us. Installers need to be well trained as to how to install pre-finished materials or they'll destroy our work.

General contractors who install our factory finished millwork have the option of hiring Artéfice to touch up following the installation. Because we know the products and procedures used for the finish, our craftsmen can more efficiently complete the touch up process.

Large, complex renovations with fine finishes generally require total involvement of the manufacturer, including scheduling, installation and touch-up. For example, Artéfice was key to the contractor renovating the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, where we manufactured more than 73,000 board feet of wood products. With a 5-month schedule, millwork production had to run concurrently with construction. Because some finish dimensions couldn't be finalized until they were constructed, Artéfice manufactured wood paneling and stair railings in advance to be tailored later. Millwork was stored on site in trailers until it was needed. Critical field measurements for the custom-made triangular window frames in ash and teak had to be crafted as soon as dimension became available. Craftsmen visited the site weekly to get the latest measurements.

When a project features a large, complex finish package, our millwork facility can keep the project on schedule by being able to orchestrate manufacturing, installation and touch up. For projects of all sizes, factory finishing ensures the highest quality for your money.

Some general contractors still mill and finish in the field despite the lower quality and higher cost. All I can figure is that they enjoy watching those subcontractors slug it out like the Three Stooges during the finish frenzy.