- A -
Air-dried lumber
Lumber that has been piled in yards
or sheds for any length of time. For the United States as a whole, the minimum
moisture content of thoroughly air dried lumber is 12 to 15 percent and the
average is somewhat higher. In the South, air dried lumber may be no lower than
19 percent.
Airway
A space between roof insulation and roof boards
for movement of air.
Alligatoring
Coarse checking pattern characterized by
a slipping of the new paint coating over the old coating to the extent that the
old coating can be seen through the fissures.
Anchor
Anchoring
mass of concrete
Anchor bolts
Bolts to secure a wooden sill plate to
concrete , or masonry floor or wall.
Apron
The flat member of the inside trim of a window
placed against the wall immediately beneath the stool.
Areaway
An open subsurface space adjacent to a
building used to admit light or air or as a means of access to a basement.
Asphalt
Most native asphalt is a residue from
evaporated petroleum. It is insoluble in water but soluble in gave. line when
heated. Used widely in building for waterproofing roof coverings of many types,
exterior wall coverings, flooring tile, and the like.
Attic ventilators
In houses, screened opening)
provided to ventilate an attic space. They are located in the soffit
area as
inlet ventilators and in the gable end or along the ridge as
outlet ventilators.
They can also consist of power-driven fans used as an exhaust system. (See also
Louver)
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- B -
Backhand
A simple molding sometimes used around the
outer edge of plain rectangular casing as a decorative feature.
Backfill
The replacement of excavated earth into a
trench around and against a basement foundation.
Balusters
Usually small vertical members in a railing
used between a top rail and the stair treads or a bottom rail.
Balustrade. A railing made up of balusters, top rail,
and sometimes bottom rail, used on the edge of stairs, teal conies, and porches.
Barge board
A decorative board covering the projecting
rafter (fly rafter) of the gable end. At the cornice, this member is a facie
board.
Base or baseboard
A board placed against the wall
around a room next to the floor to finish properly between floor and plaster.
Base molding
Molding used to trim the upper edge of
interior baseboard.
Base shoe
Molding used next to the floor on interior
base board. Sometimes called a carpet strip.
Batten
Narrow strips of wood used to cover joints or
as decorative vertical members over plywood or wide boards.
Batter board
One of a pair of horizontal boards nailed
to posts set at the corners of an excavation, used to indicate the desired
level, also as a fastening for stretched strings to indicate outlines of
foundation walls.
Bay window
Any window space projecting outward from
the walls of a building, either square or polygonal in plan.
Beam
A
structural member supporting a load that is applied
across it
Bearing partition
A partition that supports any
vertical load in addition to its own weight.
Bearing wall
A wall that supports any vertical load in
addition to its own weight.
Bed molding
A molding in an angle, as between the over
hanging cornice, or eaves, of a building and the side walls.
Blind-nailing
Nailing in such a way that the nail
heads are not visible on the face of the work—usually at the tongue of matched
boards.
Blind stop
A rectangular molding, usually inches or more in width, used
in the assembly of a window frame. Serves as a stop for storm and screen or
combination windows and to resist air infiltration.
Blue stain
A bluish or grayish discoloration of the
sapwood caused the growth of certain mold like fungi on the surface and in the
interior of a piece, made possible by the same conditions that favor the growth
of other fungi.
Bodied linseed oil
Linseed oil that has been thickened
in viscosity by suitable processing with heat or chemicals. Bodied oils are
obtainable in a great range in viscosity from a little greater than that of raw
oil to just short of a jellied
condition.
Boiled linseed oil
Linseed oil in which enough lead,
manganese or cobalt salts have been incorporated to make the oil harden more
rapidly when spread in thin coatings.
Bolster
A short horizontal timber or steel beam on top
of a column to support and decrease the span of beams or girders.
Boston ridge
A method of applying asphalt or wood
shingles at the ridge or at the hips of a roof as a finish.
Brace
An inclined piece of framing lumber applied to
wall or floor to stifled the structure. Often used on walls as temporary bracing
until framing has been completed.
Brick veneer
A facing of brick laid against and
fastened to sheathing of a frame wall or tile wall construction.
Bridging
Small wood or metal members that are inserted
in a diagonal position between the floor joists at mid span to act both as
tension and compression members for the purpose of bracing the joists a
spreading the action of loads. Inserted crossways between
joists to brace them in order to stop them from
falling over.
Building
Inspection - Home inspection
A building or home inspection is the visual examination of the structure,
parts, components and systems of a building or home.
Building
Inspector - Home inspector
An inspector is an individual who has the capacity and expertise to
be able to see, inspect, recognize, recommend explain, suggest the
interrelation of different aspects and components of a property. He
can take a property in it's present condition and recommend what is
needed to improve the property and recognize latent defects which
would be detrimental to its soundness and to its inhabitants.
In order to do so, the inspector does a complete home or building
inspection. He does a visual inspection of the house from top to bottom
and recommends repairs, improvements, maintenance, modernization priorities
to protect and improve the property.
Buck
Often used in reference to rough frame opening
members. Door bucks used in reference to metal door frame.
Built-up roof
A roofing composed of three to five
layers of asphalt felt laminated with coal tar, pitch, or asphalt. The top is
finished with crushed slag or gravel. Generally used on flat or low-pitched
roofs.
Butt joint
The junction where the ends of two timbers
or other members meet in a square-cut joint.
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- C -
Cant strip
A triangular shaped piece of lumber used at
the junction of a flat deck and a wall to prevent cracking of the roofing which
is applied over it.
Cap
The upper member of a column, pilaster, door
cornice molding, and the like.
Casement frames and sash
Frames of wood or metal
enclosing part or all of the sash, which may be opened by means of hinges
affixed to the vertical edges.
Casing
Molding of various widths and thicknesses used
to trim door and window openings at the jambs.
CATHEDRAL CEILING
A ceiling that provides a large, vaulted space by eliminating the
attic between the living area and the rafters, which may or may not
be exposed; cathedral ceilings are usually insulated with
high-performance batts or special, foam-filled panels.
Caulking
Seal
to make a watertight and air tight joint Also the
material used for this joint.
Cement, Keene’s
A white finish plaster that produces
an extremely durable wall. Because of its density, it excels for use in
bathrooms and kitchens and is also used
extensively for the finish coat in auditoriums, public buildings, and other
places where walls may be subjected to unusually hard wear or abuse.
CFM
This is an abbreviation for "cubic feet per minute," a rating that applies to power attic ventilators and other attic ventilation products.
Checking
Fissures that appear with age in many
exterior paint coatings, at first superficial, but which in time may penetrate
entirely through the coating.
Check rails
Meeting rails sufficiently thicker than a
window to fill the opening between the top and bottom sash made by the parting
stop in the frame of double-hung windows. They are usually beveled.
Circuit
breaker
Safety
device to "trip", or shut down an electrical
circuit in case of malfunction such as a short or
overload.
Collar beam
A
member normally of one or two inches thick by four
to six inches wide connecting opposite roof rafters
at or near the ridge board, It is also a beam to
stiffen the roof structure
Column
In architecture: A perpendicular supporting
member, circular or rectangular in section, usually consisting of a base, shaft,
and capital. In engineering: A vertical structural compression member which
supports loads acting in the direction of its longitudinal axis.
Combination doors or windows
Combination doors or
windows used over regular openings. They provide winter insulation and summer
protection and often have self storing or removable glass and screen inserts.
This eliminates the need for handling a different unit each season.
Concrete plain
Concrete either without reinforcement,
or reinforced only for shrinkage or temperature changes.
Condensation
In a building: Beads or drops of water
(and frequently frost in extremely cold weather) that accumulate on the inside
of the exterior covering of a building when warm, moisture-laden air from the
interior reaches a point where the temperature no longer permits the air to
sustain the moisture it holds. Use of louvers or attic ventilators will reduce
moisture condensation in attics. A vapor barrier under the gypsum lath or dry
wall on exposed walls will reduce condensation in them.
Conduit, electrical
A pipe, usually metal, in which
wire is installed.
Construction dry-wall
A type of construction in which
the interior wall finish is applied in a dry condition, generally in the form of
sheet materials or wood paneling as contrasted to plaster.
Construction, frame
A type of construction in which
the structural parts are wood or depend upon a wood frame for support. In codes,
if masonry veneer is applied to the exterior walls, the classification of this
type of construction is usually unchanged.
Coped joint
See Scribing
Corbel out
To build out one or more courses of brick
or stone from the face of a wall, to form a support for timbers.
Corner bead
A strip of formed sheet metal, sometimes
combined with a strip of metal lath, placed on corners before plastering to
reinforce them. Also, a strip of wood finish three-quarters-round or angular
placed over a plastered corner for protection.
Corner boards
Used as trim for the external corners of
a house or other frame structure against which the ends of the siding are
finished.
Corner braces
Diagonal braces at the corners of frame
structure to stiffen and strengthen the wall.
Let-in brace
Nominal 1 inch-thick boards applied into
notched studs diagonally.
Cut-in brace
Nominal 2-inch-thick members, usually 2
by 4’s, cut in between each stud diagonally.
Cornerite
Metal-mesh lath cut into strips and bent to
a right angle. Used in interior corners of walls and ceilings on lath to prevent
cracks in plastering.
Cornice
Overhang
of a pitched roof at the eaves line consisting of a
fascia board (the vertical part) a soffit ( the
horizontal part under) and molding. There may be
gutters attached to the fascia to collect rain
water.
Cornice return
That portion of the cornice that
returns on the gable end of a house.
Counter flashing
A flashing usually used on chimneys at
the roof line to cover shingle flashing and to prevent moisture entry.
Course
a
continuous horizontal line of bricks, concrete
blocks, siding boards, or shingles.
Cove molding
A molding with a concave face used as
trim or to finish interior corners.
Cracks
A crack is a clear separation between two sides. It can be a perfect
face to face separation or it can be with movement in 2 or 3 directions.
Up or down, backward or frontward movement or away from the other side.
There can also be toppling of one side in relation to the other.
Crawl space
A shallow space below the living quarters
of a basementless house, normally enclosed by the foundation walls.
Cricket
A small drainage-diverting roof structure of
single or double slope placed at the junction of larger surfaces that meet at an
angle, such as above a chimney.
Cross-bridging
Diagonal bracing between adjacent floor
joists, placed near the center of the joist span to prevent joists from
twisting.
Crown molding
A molding used on cornice or wherever an
interior angle is to be covered.
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Dado
A rectangular groove across the width of a board
or plank. In interior decoration, a special type of wall treatment.
Decay
Disintegration of wood or other substance
through the action of fungi.
Deck paint
An enamel with a high degree of resistance
to mechanical wear, designed for use on such surfaces as porch floors.
Density
The mass of substance in a unit volume. When
expressed in the metric system, it is numerically equal to the specific gravity
of the same substance.
Depression
or sinking
The decent or sinking of localized area in relation to the surroundings.
Dewpoint
Temperature at which a vapor begins to
deposit as a liquid. Applies especially to water in the atmosphere. See Lumber dimension.
Direct nailing
To nail perpendicular to the initial
surface or to the junction of the pieces joined. Also termed face nailing.
Doorjamb, interior
The surrounding case into which and
out of which a door closes and opens. It consists of two upright pieces, called
side jambs, and a horizontal head jamb.
Dormer
A
roofed projection from a sloped roof into which a
dormer window or vent opening is set. An opening in a sloping roof, the framing of
which projects out to form a vertical wall suitable for windows, a door or other
openings.
Downspout
A pipe
for carrying water from the roofs
gutters.
Drainpipe
Any of
the pipes in the plumbing system that carry waste
water as opposed to human wastes from the
toilet.
Dressed and matched (tongued and grooved)
Boards or
planks machined in such a matter that there is a groove on one edge and a
corresponding tongue on the other.
Drier paint
Usually oil-soluble soaps of such metals
as lead manganese, or cobalt, which, in small proportions, hasten the oxidation
and hardening (drying) of the drying oils in paints.
Drip
(a) A member of a cornice or other horizontal
exterior finish course that has a projection beyond the other parts for throwing
off water.
(b) A groove in the under-side of a sill or drip cap to cause water
to drop off on the outer edge instead of drawing back and running down the face
of the building.
Drip cap
A molding placed on the exterior top side of
a door or window frame to cause water to drip beyond the outside of the frame.
Drywall
Interior
covering material that is applied in large sheets
or panels. The name has become synonymous with
gypsum wallboard, most commonly known under the
brand name Sheetrock or gyp-rock, or
gypsrock.
Ducts
Round
or rectangular galvanized metal pipes for
circulating warm or cold air in forced-air heating
or air-conditioning systems. Also the return conduits to
the furnace.
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Eaves
The
lower margin of a roof that projects over the
wall.
Exhaust vent
Located at the ridge of a roof or in gables, exhaust vents are designed
to permit an efficient, unobstructed outflow of attic air.
Expansion joint
A bituminous fiber strip used to
separate blocks or units of concrete to prevent cracking due to expansion as a
result of temperature changes. Also used on concrete slabs.
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Facia or fascia
A flat board, band, or face, used
sometimes by itself but usually in combination with moldings,
often located at
the vertical outer face of the cornice.
Filler (wood)
A heavily pigmented preparation used for
fining and leveling off the pores in open-pored woods.
Fire-resistive
In the absence of a specific
ruling by the authority having jurisdiction, applies to materials for
construction not combustible in the temperatures of ordinary fires and that will
withstand such fires without serious impairment of their usefulness for at least
1 hour.
Fire retardant chemical
A chemical or preparation of
chemicals used to reduce flammability or to retard spread of flame.
Fire stop
A solid, tight closure of a concealed space,
placed to prevent the spread of fire and smoke through such a space. In a frame
wall, this will usually consist of 2 by 4 cross blocking between studs.
Fishplate
A wood or plywood piece used to fasten the
ends of two members together at a butt joint with nails or bolts. Sometimes used
at the junction of opposite rafters near the ridge line.
Flagstone (flagging or flags)
Flat stones, from 1 to 4
inches thick, used for rustic walks, steps, floors, and the like.
Flashing
Sheet metal or other material used in roof
and wall construction to protect a building from water seepage.
Flat paint
An interior paint that contains a high
proportion of pigment and dries to a flat or lusterless finish.
Flue
The space or passage in a chimney through which
smoke, gas, or fumes ascend. Each passage is called a flue, which together with
any others and the surrounding masonry make up the chimney.
Flue lining
Fire clay or terra-cotta pipe, round or
square, usually made in all ordinary flue sizes and in 2-foot lengths, used for
the inner lining of chimneys with the brick or masonry work around the outside.
Flue lining in chimneys runs from about a foot below the flue connection to the
top of the chimney.
Fly rafters
End rafters of the gable overhang
supported by roof sheathing and lookouts.
Footing
A masonry section, usually concrete, in
a rectangular form wider than the bottom of the foundation wall, column or pier it
supports.
Foundation
The supporting portion of a structure below
the first floor construction, or below grade, including the footings.
Framing, balloon
A system of framing a building in
which all vertical structural elements of the bearing walls and partitions
consist of single pieces extending from the top of the foundation sin plate to
the roofplate and to which all floor joists are fastened.
Framing, platform
A system of framing a building in
which floor joists of each story rest on the top plates of the story below or on
the foundation sill for the first story, and the bearing walls and partitions
rest on the subfloor of each story.
Frieze
In house construction a horizontal member
connecting the top of the siding with the soffit of the cornice.
Frostline
The depth of frost penetration in soil. This
depth varies in different parts of the country. Footings should be placed below
this depth to prevent movement.
Fungi, wood
Microscopic plants that live in damp wood
and cause mold, stain, and decay.
Fungicide
A chemical that is poisonous to fungi.
Furring
Strips of wood or metal applied to a
wall or other surface to even it and normally to serve as a fastening base for
finish material.
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Gable
In house construction, the portion of the roof
above the eave line of a double-sloped roof or the vertical triangular
end of a house, extending from the eaves to the ridge.
Gable end
An end wall having a gable.
Gable roof
The most common roof design consisting of two planes that meet
at a central peak and slope down to the building's long walls.
Gloss enamel
A finishing material made of varnish and
sufficient pigments to provide opacity and color, but little or no pigment of
low opacity. Such an enamel forms a hard coating with maximum smoothness of
surface and a high degree of gloss.
Gloss (paint or enamel)
A paint or enamel that
contains a relatively low proportion of pigment and dries to a sheen or luster.
Girder
A large or principal beam of wood or steel used
to support concentrated loads at isolated points along its length.
Grain
The direction, size, arrangement, appearance, or
quality of the fibers in wood.
Grain, edge (vertical)
Edge-grain lumber has been
sawed parallel to the pith of the log and approximately at right angles to the
growth rings; i.e., the rings form an angle of 45Á or more with the surface of
the piece.
Grain, flat
Flat-grain lumber has been sawed parallel
to the pith of the log and approximately tangent to the growth rings, i.e., the
rings form an angle of less than 45Á with the surface of the piece.
Grain, quartersawn
Another term for edge grain.
Grounds
Guides used around openings and at the
floorline to strike off plaster. They can consist of narrow strips of wood or of
wide subjambs at interior doorways. They provide a level plaster line for
installation of casing and other trim.
Grout
Mortar made of such consistency (by adding
water) that it will just flow into the joints and cavities of the masonry work
and fill them solid.
Gusset
A flat wood, plywood, or similar type member
used to provide a connection at intersection of wood members. Most commonly used
at joints of wood trusses. They are fastened by nails, screws, bolts, or
adhesives.
Gutter or nave trough
A shallow channel or conduit of
metal or wood set below and along the eaves of a house to catch and carry off
rainwater from the roof.
Gypsum plaster
Gypsum formulated to be used with the
addition of sand and water for base-coat plaster.
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- H -
Header
(a) A beam placed perpendicular to joists and
to which joists are nailed in framing for chimney, stairway, or other opening.
(b) A wood lintel.
Hearth
The inner or outer floor of a fireplace,
usually made of brick, tile, or stone.
Heartwood
The wood extending from the pith to the
sapwood, the cells of which no longer participate in the life processes of the
tree.
Hip
The external angle formed by the meeting of two
sloping sides of a roof.
Hip roof
A roof that rises by inclined planes from all
four sides of a building.
Humidifier
A device designed to increase the humidity
within a room or a house by means of the discharge of water vapor. They may
consist of individual room size units or larger units attached to the heating
plant to condition the entire house.
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- I -
I-beam
A steel beam with a cross section resembling
the letter I. It is used for long spans as basement beams or over wide wall
openings, such as a double garage door, when wall and roof loads are imposed on
the opening.
Ice dam
Condition formed at the lower roof edge by the thawing and refreezing of melted snow on the overhang. Ice dams can force water up and under shingles, causing leaks.
Intake vent
Usually located on the underside of an eave or in soffits, an intake vent allows needed air to enter the attic.
IIC
A new system utilized in the Federal Housing
Administration recommended criteria for impact sound insulation.
INR
(Impact Noise Rating). A single figure rating which
provides an estimate of the impact sound insulating performance of a
floor-ceiling assembly.
Insulation board, rigid
A structural building board
made of coarse wood or cane fiber in 1ò2- and 25/32-inch thickness It can be
obtained in various size sheets, in various densities, and with several
treatments.
Insulation, thermal
Any material high in resistance to
heat transmission that, when placed in the walls, ceiling, or floors of a
structure, will reduce the rate of heat flow.
Interior finish
Material used to cover the interior
framed areas, or materials of walls and ceilings
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- J -
Jack rafter
A rafter that spans the distance
from the wall plate to a hip, or from a valley to a ridge.
Jamb
The side and head lining of a doorway, window, or
other opening.
Joint
The space between the adjacent surfaces of two
members or components joined and held together by nails, glue, cement, mortar,
or other means.
Joint cement
A powder that is usually mixed with water
and used for joint treatment in gypsum-wallboard finish. Often called
"spackle."
Joist
One of a series of parallel beams, usually 2
inches in thickness, used to support floor and ceiling loads, and supported in
turn by larger beams, girders, or bearing walls.
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Kiln dried lumber
Lumber that has been kiln dried
often to a moisture content of 6 to 12 percent. Common varieties of softwood
lumber, such as framing lumber are dried to a somewhat higher moisture content.
Knot
In lumber, the portion of a branch or limb of a
tree that appears on the edge or face of the piece.
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- L -
Landing
A platform between flights of stairs or at the
termination of a flight of stairs.
Lath
A building material of wood, metal, gypsum, or
insulating board that is fastened to the frame of a building to act as a plaster
base.
Lattice
A framework of crossed wood or metal strips.
Leader
See Downspout
Ledger strip
A strip of lumber nailed along the bottom
of the side of a girder on which joists rest.
Light
Space in a window sash for a single pane of
glass. Also, a pane of glass.
Lintel
A horizontal structural member that supports
the load over an opening such as a door or window.
Lookout
A short wood bracket or cantilever to support
an overhang portion of a roof or the like, usually concealed from view
Louver
An opening with a series of horizontal slats so
an ranged as to permit ventilation but to exclude rain, sun. light, or vision.
See also
Attic ventilators
Lumber
Lumber is the product of the sawmill and
planing mill not further manufactured other than by sawing, resawing, and
passing lengthwise through a standard planing machine, crosscutting to length,
and matching.
Lumber, boards
Yard lumber less than 2 inches thick
and 2 or more inches wide.
Lumber, dimension
Yard lumber from 2 inches to, but
not including, 5 inches thick and 2 or more inches wide. Includes joists,
rafters, studs, plank, and small timbers.
Lumber, dressed size
The dimension of lumber after
shrinking from green dimension and after machining to size or pattern.
Lumber, matched
Lumber that is dressed and shaped on
one edge in a grooved pattern and on the other in a tongued pattern.
Lumber, shiplap
Lumber that is edge-dressed to make a
close rabbeted or lapped joint.
Lumber, timbers
Yard lumber 5 or more inches in least
dimension. Includes beams, stringers, posts, caps, sills, girders, and purlins
Lumber, yard
Lumber of those grades, sizes, and
patterns which are generally intended for ordinary construction, such as
framework and rough coverage of houses.
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- M -
Mantel
The shelf above a fireplace. Also used in
referring to the decorative trim around a fireplace opening.
Masonry
Stone, brick, concrete, hollow-tile, concrete
block, gypsum block, or other similar building units or materials or a
combination of the same, bonded together with mortar to form a wall, pier,
buttress, or similar mass
Mastic
A pasty material used as a cement (as for
setting tile) or a protective coating (as for thermal insulation or
waterproofing)
Metal lath
Sheets of metal that are slit and drawn out
to form openings. Used as a plaster base for walls and ceilings and as
reinforcing over other forms of plaster base.
Millwork
Generally all building materials made
of finished wood and manufactured in millwork plants and planing mills are
included under the term "millwork." It includes such items as inside
and outside doors, window and doorframes, blinds, porchwork, mantels, panelwork,
stairways, moldings, and interior trim. It normally does not include flooring,
ceiling, or siding.
Miter joint
The joint of two pieces at an angle that
bisects the joining angle. For example, the miter joint at the side and head
casing at a door opening is made at a 45Á angle.
Moisture content of wood
Weight of the water contained
in the wood, usually expressed as a percentage of the weight of the ovendry
wood.
Molding
A wood strip having a coned or projecting
surface used for decorative purposes.
Mortise
A slot cut into a board, plank, or timber,
usually edgewise, to receive tenon of another board, plank, or timber to form a
joint.
Mullion
A vertical bar or divider in the frame between
windows, doors, or other openings.
Muntin
A small member which divides the glass or
openings of sash or doors.
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- N -
Natural finish
A transparent finish which does not
seriously alter the original color or grain of the natural wood. Natural
finishes are usually provided by sealers, oils, varnishes, water-repellent
preservatives, and other similar materials.
Net free Area
Total unobstructed area through which air can enter or exhaust.
Newel
A post to which the end of a stair railing or
balustrade is fastened. Also, any post to which a railing or balustrade is
fastened.
Nonbearing wall
A wall supporting no load other than
its own weight.
Nosing
The projecting edge of a molding or drip.
Usually applied to the projecting molding on the edge of a stair tread.
Notch
A crosswise rabbet at the end of a board.
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- O -
On center
The measurement of spacing for
studs, rafters, joists, and the like in a building from the center of one member
to the center of the next.
O. G.,
or ogee
A molding with a profile in the
form of a letter S; having the outline of a reversed curve.
Outrigger
An extension of a rafter beyond the wall
line. Usually a smaller member nailed to a larger rafter to form a cornice or
roof overhang.
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- P -
Paint
A combination of pigments with suitable thinners
or oils to provide decorative and protective coatings.
Panel
In house construction, a thin flat piece of wood,
plywood, or similar material, framed by stiles and rails as in a door or
fitted into grooves of thicker material with molded edges for decorative wall
treatment.
Paper, building
A general term for papers, felts, and
similar sheet materials used in buildings without reference to their properties
or uses.
Paper, sheathing
A building material, generally paper
or felt, used in wall and roof construction as a protection against the passage
of air and sometimes moisture.
Parting stop or strip
A small wood piece used in the
side and head jambs of double-hung windows to separate upper and lower sash.
Partition
A wall that subdivides spaces within any
story of a building.
Penny
As applied to nails, it originally indicated the
price per hundred. The term now series as a measure of nail length and is
abbreviated by the letter d.
Perm
A measure of water vapor movement through a
material (grains per square foot per hour per inch of mercury difference in
vapor pressure).
Pier
A column of masonry, usually rectangular in
horizontal cross section, used to support other structural members.
Pigment
A powdered solid in suitable degree of
subdivision for use in paint or enamel.
Pitch
The incline slope of a roof or the ratio of the
total rise to the total width of a house, i.e., an 8-foot rise and 24-foot width
is a one-third pitch roof. Roof slope is expressed in the inches of rise per
foot of run.
Pitch pocket
An opening extending parallel to the
annual rings of growth, that usually contains, or has contained, either solid or
liquid pitch
Pith
The small, soft core at the original center of a
tree around which wood formation takes place.
Plaster grounds
Strips of wood used as guides or
strike off edges around window and door openings and at base of walls.
Plate
Sill plate: a horizontal member anchored to a
masonry wall. Sole plate: bottom horizontal member of a frame wall. Top plate:
top horizontal member of a frame wall supporting ceiling joists, rafters, or
other members.
Plough
To cut a lengthwise groove in a board or plank.
Plumb
Exactly perpendicular; vertical.
Pl
A term to denote the number of thicknesses or
layers of roofing felt, veneer in plywood, or layers in built-up materials, in
any finished piece of such material.
Plywood
A piece of wood made of three or more layers
of veneer joined with glue, and usually laid with the grain of adjoining plies
at right angles. Almost always an odd number of plies are used to provide
balanced construction.
Pores
Wood cells of comparatively large diameter that
have open ends and are set one above the other to form continuous tubes. The
openings of the vessels on the surface of a piece of wood are referred to as
pores.
POWER VENTILATORS
A powered fan that can be installed on the roof or gable end of the house. A thermostat turns the fan on and off to ventilate the attic. Some power ventilators also have a humidistat to vent excess moisture from the attic.
Preservative
Any substance that, for a reasonable
length of time, will prevent the action of wood-destroying fungi, borers of
various kinds, and similar destructive agents when the wood has been properly
coated or impregnated with it.
Primer
The first coat of paint in a paint job that
consists of two or more coats; also the paint used for such a first coat.
Putty
A type of cement usually made of whiting and
boiled linseed oil, beaten or kneaded to the consistency of dough, and used in
sealing glass in sash, filling small holes and crevices in wood, and for similar
purposes.
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Quarter round
A small molding that has the cross
section of a quarter circle.
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Rabbet
A rectangular longitudinal groove cut in the
corner edge of a board or plank.
Radiant heating
A method of heating, usually
consisting of a forced hot water system with pipes placed in the floor, wall, or
ceiling; or with electrically heated panels.
Rafter
One of a series of structural members of a roof
designed to support roof loads. The rafters of a flat roof are sometimes called
roof joists.
Rafter, hip
A rafter that forms the intersection of an
external roof angle.
Rafter, valley
A rafter that forms the intersection of
an internal roof angle. The valley rafter is normally made of double
2-inch-thick members.
Rail
Cross members of panel doors or of a sash. Also
the upper and lower members of a balustrade or staircase extending from one
vertical support, such as a post, to another.
Rake
Trim members that run parallel to the roof slope
and form the finish between the wall and a gable roof extension.
Raw linseed oil
The crude product processed from
flaxseed and usually without much subsequent treatment.
Reflective insulation
Sheet material with one or both
sun faces of comparatively low heat emissivity, such as aluminum foil. When used
in building construction the surfaces face air spaces, reducing the radiation
across the air space.
Reinforcing
Steel rods or metal fabric placed in
concrete slabs, beams, or columns to increase their strength.
Relative humidity
The amount of water vapor in the
atmosphere, expressed as a percentage of the maximum quantity that could be
present at a given temperature. (The actual amount of water vapor that can be
held in space increases with the temperature.)
Resorcinol Glue
A glue that is >high
in both wet and dry strength and resistant to high temperatures. It is used for
gluing lumber or assembly joints that must withstand severe service conditions.
Ribbon (Girt)
Normally a 1- by 4-inch board let into
the studs horizontally to support ceiling or second-floor joists.
Ridge
The horizontal line at the junction of the top
edges of two sloping roof surfaces.
Ridge board
The board placed on edge at the ridge of
the roof into which the upper ends of the rafters are fastened.
Rise
In stairs, the vertical height of a step or
flight of stairs.
Riser
Each of the vertical boards closing the spaces
between the treads of stairways.
Roll roofing
Roofing material, composed of fiber and
satin rated with asphalt, that is supplied in 36-inch wide rolls with 108 square
feet of material. Weights are generally 45 to 90 pounds per roll.
Roof sheathing
The boards or sheet material fastened
to the roof rafters on which the shingle or other roof covering is laid.
Rubber-emulsion paint
Paint, the vehicle of which
consists of rubber or synthetic rubber dispersed in fine droplets in water.
Run
In stairs, the net width of a step or the
horizontal distance covered by a flight of stairs.
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Saddle
Two sloping surfaces meeting in a horizontal
ridge, used between the back side of a chimney, or other vertical surface, and a
sloping roof.
Sand float finish
Lime mixed with sand, resulting in a
textured finish.
Sapwood
The outer zone of wood, next to the bark. In
the living tree it contains some living cells (the heartwood contains none), as
well as dead and dying cells. In most species, it is lighter colored than the
heartwood. In all species, it is lacking in decay resistance.
Sash
A single light frame containing one or more
lights of glass.
Sash balance
A device, usually operated by a spring or
tensioned weather-stripping designed to counterbalance double-hung window sash.
Saturated felt
A felt which is impregnated with tar or
asphalt.
Scratch coat
The first coat of plaster, which is
scratched to form a bond for the second coat.
Screed
A small strip of wood, usually the thickness of
the plaster coat, used as a guide for plastering.
Scribing
Fitting woodwork to an irregular surface. In
moldings, cutting the end of one piece to fit the molded face of the other at an
interior angle to replace a miter joint.
Sealer
A finishing material, either clear or
pigmented, that is usually applied directly over uncoated wood for the purpose
of sealing the surface.
Seasoning
Removing moisture from green wood in order
to improve its serviceability.
Semigloss paint or enamel
A paint or enamel made with
a slight insufficiency of nonvolatile vehicle so that its coating, when dry, has
some luster but is not very glossy.
Shake
A thick handsplit shingle, resawed to form two
shakes; usually edge-grained.
Sheathing
The structural covering, usually wood boards
or plywood, used over studs or rafters of a structure. Structural building board
is normally described only as wall sheathing.
Sheathing paper
See Paper, sheathing.
Sheet metal work
All components of a house employing
sheet metal, such as flashing, gutters, and downspouts.
Shellac
A transparent coating made by dissolving a resinous secretion of the lac bug (a scale insect that thrives in tropical
countries, especially India), in alcohol.
Shingles
Roof covering of asphalt, asbestos, wood,
tile, slate, or other material cut to stock lengths, widths, and thicknesses.
Shingles, siding
Various kinds of shingles, such as
wood shingles or shakes and nonwood shingles, that are used over sheathing for
exterior sidewall covering of a structure.
Shiplap
See Lumber, shiplap.
Shutter
Usually lightweight louvered or flush wood or
nonwood frames in the form of doors located at each side of a window. Some are
made to close over the window for protection; others are fastened to the wall as
a decorative device.
Siding
The finish covering of the outside wall of a
frame building, whether made of horizontal weatherboards, vertical boards with
battens, shingles, or other material.
Siding, bevel
Wedge-shaped boards
used as horizontal siding in a lapped pattern. This siding varies in butt
thickness from 1ò2 to 3ò4 inch and in widths up to 12 inches. Normally used over
some type of sheathing.
Siding, Dolly Varden
Beveled wood siding which is
rabbeted on the bottom edge.
Siding, drop
Usually 3ò4 inch thick and 6 and 8 inches
wide with tongued-and-grooved or shiplap edges. Often used as siding without
sheathing in secondary buildings.
Sill
The lowest member of the frame of a structure,
resting on the foundation and supporting the floor joists or the uprights of the
wall. The member forming the lower side of an opening, as a door sill, window
sill, etc.
Sleeper
Usually, a wood member embedded in concrete,
as in a floor, that serves to support and to fasten subfloor or flooring.
Soffit
Usually the underside of an overhanging
part of a roof that extends beyond a home's exterior
walls.
Soil cover (ground cover)
A light covering of plastic
film, roll roofing, or similar material used over the soil in crawl spaces of
buildings to minimize moisture permeation of the area.
Soil
pipe
Pipe
in waste system that carries liquid waste and
excrement
Soil stack
A general term for the vertical main of a
system of soil, waste, or vent piping.
Sole or sole plate
See Plate
Solid bridging
A solid member placed between adjacent
floor joists near the center of the span to prevent joists from twisting.
Span
The distance between structural supports such as
walls, columns, piers, beams, girders, and trusses.
Splash block
A small masonry block laid with the top
close to the ground surface to receive roof drainage from downspouts and to
carry it away from the building.
Square
A unit of measure—100 square feet—usually
applied to roofing material. Sidewall coverings are sometimes packed to cover
100 square feet and are sold on that basis.
Stain, shingle
A form of oil paint, very thin in
consistency, intended for coloring wood with rough surfaces, such as shingles,
without forming a coating of significant thickness or gloss.
Stair carriage
Supporting member for stair treads.
Usually a 2-inch plank notched to receive the treads; sometimes called a
"rough horse."
Stair landing
See Landing.
Stair rise. See Rise
STC. (Sound Transmission Class)
A measure of sound
stopping of ordinary noise.
Stile
An upright framing member in a panel door.
Stool
A flat molding fitted over the window sill
between jambs and contacting the bottom rail of the lower sash.
Storm sash or storm window
An extra window usually
placed outside of an existing one, as additional protection
against cold weather.
Story
That part of a building between any floor and
the floor or roof next above.
Strip flooring
Wood flooring consisting of narrow,
matched strips.
String
or stringer
String, stringer
A timber or other support for cross
members in floors or ceilings. In stairs, the support on which the stair treads
rest; also stringboard.
Stucco
A
plaster for exterior use, made with cement as a
base for Stucco and finishes. Most commonly refers to an outside plaster made
with Portland cement as its base.
Stud
One of a series of slender wood or metal vertical
structural members placed as supporting elements in walls and partitions.
(Plural: studs or studding.)
Subfloor
Boards or plywood laid on joists over which a
finish floor is to be laid.
Suspended ceiling
A ceiling system supported by
hanging it from the overhead structural framing.
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Tail beam
A relatively short beam or joist supported
in a wall on one end and by a header at the other.
Termites
Insects that superficially resemble ants in size, general appearance, and habit of living in colonies; hence, they
are frequently called "white ants." Subterranean termites establish
themselves in buildings not by being carried in with lumber, but by entering
from ground nests after the building has been constructed. If
unmolested, they eat out the woodwork, leaving a shell of sound wood to conceal
their activities, and damage may proceed so far as to cause collapse of parts of
a structure before discovery. There are about 56 species of termites known in
the United States; but the two major ones, classified by the manner in which
they attack wood, are ground inhabiting or subterranean termites (the most
common) and dry wood termites, which are found almost exclusively along the
extreme southern border and the Gulf of Mexico in the United States.
Note: Termites have not been found yet in Montreal.
Termite shield
A shield, usually of noncorrosive metal placed in or on a foundation wall or other mass of masonry or
around pipes to prevent passage of termites.
Terneplate
Sheet iron or steel coated with an alloy of
lead and tin.
Threshold
A strip of wood or metal with beveled edges
used over the finish floor and the sill of exterior doors.
Toenailing
To drive a nail at a slant with the initial
surface in order to permit it to penetrate into a second member.]
Tongued and grooved
See Dressed and matched.
Tread
The horizontal board in a stairway on which the
foot is placed.
Trim
The finish materials in a building, such as
moldings applied around openings (window trim, door trim) or at the floor and
ceiling of rooms (baseboard, cornice, and other moldings)
Trimmer
A beam or joist to which a header is nailed in
framing for a chimney, stairway, or other opening.
Truss
A frame or jointed structure designed to act as
a beam of long span, while each member is usually subjected to longitudinal
stress only, either tension or compression.
Turpentine
A volatile oil used as a thinner in paints
and as a solvent in varnishes. Chemically, it is a mixture of terpenes.
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Undercoat
A coating applied prior to the finishing or
top coats of a paint job. It may be the first of two or the second of three
coats. In some usage of the word it may, become synonymous with priming coat.
Underlayment
A material placed under finish coverings,
such as flooring, or shingles, to provide a smooth, even surface for applying
the finish.
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Valley
The internal angle formed by the junction of
two sloping sides of a roof.
Vapor barrier
Material used to retard the movement of
water vapor into walls and prevent condensation in them. Usually considered as
having a perm value of less than 1.0. Applied separately over the warm side of
exposed walls or as a part of batt or blanket insulation.
Veneer
Thin sheets of wood made by rotary cutting or slicing of a log.
Ventilation
A system of intake and exhaust that creates a flow of air.
Vermiculite
A
mineral closely related to mica, with the faculty of expanding on heating to
form lightweight material with insulation quality. Used as bulk insulation and
also as aggregate in insulating and acoustical plaster and in insulating
concrete floors.
Volatile thinner
A
liquid that evaporates readily and is used to thin or reduce the consistency of
finishes without altering the relative volumes of pigment and nonvolatile
vehicles
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Wane
Bark, or lack of wood from any cause, on edge or
corner of a piece of wood.
Water-repellent preservative
A
liquid designed to penetrate into wood and impart water repellency and a
moderate preservative protection. It is used for millwork, such as sash and
frames, and is usually applied by dipping.
Weather-strip
Narrower or jamb-width sections of thin
metal or other material to prevent infiltration of air and moisture around
windows and doors. Compression weather stripping prevents air infiltration,
provides tension, and acts as a counter balance.
Wood rays
Strips of cells extending radially within a
tree and varying in height from a few cells in some species to 4 inches or more
in oak. The rays serve primarily to store food and to transport it horizontally
in the tree.
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