Building Terminology
Brick cladding terminology: Concreting terminology: Deck terminology: Door terminology:
External cladding terminology: Flooring terminology: General building terms:
Plumbing terminology: Roof terminology: Window terminology:
Brick cladding terminology:
Brick bond - The various styles of laying bricks to give different patterns while ensuring that no vertical joints align with those of the higher or lower row
Brick cladding - Bricks layed on a bed of motar
Brick veneer - an external wall that consists of a timber frame with a decorative facing of bricks
Cavity wall – A method of building external walls of houses using brick veener or block work, separated by a gap (I. e. the ‘cavity’) of about 50mm. This prevents rain from penetrating into the building.
Closer (brickwork) - A brick cut lengthways to give a reduced width but full length. Used where the appearance of a full brick is required but the depth of the brickwork will not accommodate a full width – such as where a pier is inserted into a wall. A brick cut in half lengthwise is referred to as a Queen Closer
Course - A row of bricks or concrete blocks (1 layer of a wall)
Efflorescence - The white powdery deposit on the surface of masonry or plaster caused by mineral salts migrating to the surface as a result of moisture evaporation. Harmless but unattractive.
Engineering brick – A strong and dense type of brick, impervious to water so ideal for use in damp areas.
Pointing - The finish applied to the outer edge of mortar joint between bricks, blocks, stones etc. .
Pier – A vertical column of brickwork, used in fences as main post structures to hold the walls up
Mortar – Mixture of sand, cement, (sometimes lime) and water, used to bond stones and bricks.
Stretcher – A brick or stone block laid so that one of its long faces is to the outside of wall – i. e. it is visible.
Wall Tie - Metal connector built into masonry walls to provide a structural link between the timber or steel frame and outer skin of brick veener.(spacings ever 4 coarse of bricks at 1 metre apart)
Concreting terminology:
Aggregate – Pebbles, shingle, gravel etc. used in the manufacture of concrete, and other construction work.
Backfill - Materials used in refilling a cut or a excavation.
Base - The course or layer of crusher dust used to level uneven ground before concrete is poured.
Capillary reaction - A phenomenon of soil which allows water to be absorbed either upward or laterally.
Cement - A grey or white powdery material which is mixed with an aggregate and water to make mortar or concrete. A chemical reaction of the cement will cause the mixture to harden.
Clay - Material composed and derived from the decomposition of rock which consists of microscopic particles.
Clean - Free of foreign material; in reference to sand or gravel, lack of a binder.
Concrete slab - Aggregate and cement mixed together and pored to a deturmined height, finished height minium 150mm from ground level
Datum - Any level surface taken as a plane of reference from which to measure elevations.
Foundations – Normally concrete, cast into the sub-soil as the structural base for a wall or building – the depth and size will depend, amongst other things, upon the size/type of building and the nature of the sub-soil.
Floating – Floating removes humps (high spots) and fills in valleys (low spots). It also compacts the concrete by embedding large aggregate just beneath the surface
Loam - A soft, easily worked soil containing sand, silt, clay and decayed vegetation.
Sand - A cohesiveness aggregate of round and angular fragments of rock with a particle size between 2.0 and .05 mm.
Screed – Final, level, smooth surface of a solid floor onto which the floor covering is applied – usually of mortar, or fine concrete.
Self-levelling compound – A special compound poured over an uneven floor to produce a level surface.
Shrinkage – Soil volume which is reduced when subjected to moisture; usually occurs in fine grain soils.
Subfloor – The surface beneath a floor covering, usually of concrete or timber, and sometimes covered with hard board.
Sub-soil – The soil immediately below the top-soil, into which foundations usually bear.
Suspended concrete beam floors – Usually consist of precast prestressed concrete beams spaced at centres to suit the use of standard walling blocks as infill between them.
Underpinning - A method of strengthening weak foundations by supporting the walls, digging underneath and inserting a new foundation.
Vapour barrier – A layer of impervious material, often heavy gauge polythene sheeting) used to prevent the passage of moisture through the structure.
Deck terminology:
Balusters – The vertical boards that attach to the hand rails
Bearer -The horizontal timber that is attached to the post to carry the weight
Deck- is a flat surface capable of supporting weight, similar to a floor,
but typically constructed outdoors, often elevated from the ground, and usually connected to a building.
Decking boards- Pine or hardwood timber that spans the area over the joist and form the deck floor.
Facing boards – external finishing boards use to in case the ends of the joist.
Foundation – Either a concrete Pad or a footing in which the post sits.
Hand rail – a member of timber fixed horizontally across the hand rail post to provide safety.
Hand rail post- a member of timber usually 100 x 100, fixed at ground level or to the joists and is used to attach hand rails to, .
joist – timbers that are installed perpendicur to the bearers to help distribute weight and hold up the decking boards, normally space at 400mm centres to 600mm centres
Posts - this is the structural part that holds the deck up off the ground. Can be steel or timber, or may project past the decks structure to act as handrail posts.
Rise – Rise is the height of the step.
Run – Run is the depth of the step.
Stringers – are the side boards that support the stairs.
Treads – Treads are boards used to stand on and are put of the stair case.
Door terminology:
Arcatrave -A timber trim which covers the gap between the door jamb and the door frame opening, also a decorative trim which comes in many different shapes and styles
Bottom Rail – a solid timber member which forms a solid frame to hold the shape of the door
Core – solid timber engineered for maximum strength and stability
Door Frame – Three timber jambs make up a frame which the door is hung on, the head jamb the 2 sides make up the frame
Door handle – this is a mechanism used to retracted the latch tongue
Door sill – bottom section of the door frame, solid timber cut with a bevel on ittoo allow water to run off
Head jamb – The top section of a door frame that attaches to the side jambs
Hinge – this is used to hold the door to the timber jamb, made up of three sections, hinge plate x2 and the pin making the door able to open and close
Internal door core – Cardboard core glued between 2 veneers (honey cone shape)
Jamb – Timber members used to hang the door fromalso part of the frame
Latch – component that keeps the door closed and allows the door to open
Middle rail – a solid timber member which forms a solid frame to hold the shape of the door
Planted Stop – Finishing trim used to stop the door from swing through the door frame
Rail – a solid timber member which forms a solid frame to hold the shape of the door
Side rail – a solid timber member which forms a solid frame to hold the shape of the door and houses the door handle & latch
Striker plate – steel plate checked intodoor jamb which houses the latch tongue keeping the door closed
Top rail – a solid timber member which forms a solid frame to hold the shape of the door
Veneer – entry doors – Thick slices of high quality wood that covers the core of the door
Veneer – internal doors – 3mm thick custom wood sheeting glued onto top, side and bottom rails
External cladding terminology:
Blue board – cement based sheet (8mm thick ) and having 4 rebated edges, so when the sheets are fixed to the wall the rebates are fill to make one flat surface.
Brick veneer – an external wall that consists of a timber frame with a decorative facing of bricks
Fibro sheeting – cement based sheet, used to line sofits and wall cladding, sheets are butted together into a plastic trim or timber batterns are fixed over the joins of sheets.
Fibro weather boards – cement based weather boards
PVC (Polyvinyl chloride cladding) – plastic weather board
Render – sand cement based finish, used over brick or block work and blue board (finish can be flat or scultured)
Wall cladding – The exterior surface of a wall
Timber weather boards – a long narrow timber board that has one edge thicker than the other, used to clad buildings,
boards are nailed to a timber frame or screwed to steel framing and overlap to form a water proof wall covering.
Flooring terminology:
Adhesive – A substance that bonds the finished floor product to the substrate.
Beveled Edge – An angular edge.
Board Width – The width of a individual timber flooring board.
Chipboard sheeting – Compressed wood particals combined with glue to form timber floor sheeting.
Color Change – Visual changes in the color of the wood species caused by exposure to light, deprivation of light and air, oxidation or other chemical reaction.
Dimensional Stability – The ability of flooring to retain its original dimensions during the service life of the product.
Distressed Visual – A design term that describes a heavy texture in which the floor has been scratched, scraped, or gouged to give it a time-worn antique look.
Durability – The life time of the floor to withstand wear and tear, allowing them to look like new for a long period of time.
Edge Detail – A term that describes the way hardwood and laminate board edges and ends are cut. Edges and ends are typically described as square and beveled.
Engineered - Designed fabrication of timber boards formed with multiple layers of solid wood assembled in a cross-ply construction.
Fading – The loss of color due to exposure to light, heat or other destructive agents.
Finish - The surface coating of any floor covering. Usually either urethane or water based .
Floating floors – Installation method in which individual boards are placed together only at edges and end joints, without direct attachment to the subfloor (boards are layed over foam) reffer to Foam Underlay
Floor tiles – ceramic, porsalin, cork squares used to line floor.
Foam Underlay – Foam layer installed under floating laminate flooring, used for reduction of sound and smoothing of minor subfloor irregularities.
Gloss Level – Different sheens or levels of Gloss- Satin, Semi-Gloss or Gloss.
Hardness – The property of the wood species or dried film of finishing material that causes it to withstand denting or being marked when pressure is exerted on its surface by an outside object or force.
Interlocking (Interlocking floating) – An installation method that connects engineered hardwood or laminate boards to each other without the need for glue on the edges or ends. The boards lock together via a tongue-and-groove system
Knot – The portion of a branch or limb that has been surrounded by subsequent growth of the wood of the trunk or other portions of the tree. A knot appears on the sawed surface but is merely a section of the entire knot, its shape depending upon the direction of the cut.
Laminate Floating Floor – A floor that does not need to be nailed or glued to the subfloor and can be installed over most existing floors
Laminate Flooring – Hard-surface flooring utilizing a fiberboard core and Melamine wear layer that is available in available in wood, ceramic tile and stone visuals.
Parquet flooring- Inlaid woodwork in geometric forms, sometimes of contrasting woods, adhered together in squares to form a tile pattern.
Prefinished - Hardwood floors that are stained with color and sealed with a protective finish by the manufacturer prior to installation.
Reducer Strip – Molding that finishes the space between wood or laminate flooring and other flooring surfaces, like vinyl or carpet.
Refinish – Sanding a previously finished floor to bare wood and applying new finish.
Step Nose – A trim and molding option for laminate flooring. This is used as a connection where laminate flooring meets a step down or landing.
Subfloor – The structural layer intended to provide the home’s floor support, which may receive floor coverings directly if the surface is appropriate, or indirectly via an underlayment if its surface is not suitable.
Substrate – A smooth surface used beneath floor covering – such as concrete, underlayment, or existing resilient flooring.
T-Molding – Molding piece that finishes the space between two areas of wood or laminate flooring. For laminate, it also fills the gap at doorways.
Tapping Block – Block of wood used directly against the edge of laminate boards during installation
Threshold – A finishing piece applied to the floor transition area where the wood or laminate transitions to another flooring level or another flooring type.
Transition Strips – Installation accessory that bridges two floors of different heights to equalize the height differential. Transition strips are functional and decorative.
Touge and groove flooring – Timber flooring that has been rebated to fit into one other for strength and stop up and down movement
Trowel – Tool used to place the correct amount of adhesive on the substrate prior to installing glue down flooring.
Vinyl Flooring – A soft flexible and cushioned flooring available in sheets or tiles.
Warping – Any distortion of a piece of flooring from its true plane.
Wood Stain – A type of paint that is very “thin,” or low in viscosity, and formulated so that the pigment penetrates the surface rather than remaining in a film on top of the surface. Stain is predominantly pigment or dye and solvent with little binder.
General building terms:
Caulking – Sealing joints by applying a flexible compound or sealant.
Cantilever – A projecting beam (or other part of a structure) that is secured at one end only.
Cavity wall insulation – A method of improving the thermal insulation of a wall by filling the wall cavities with one of various materials available to provide increased thermal insulation.
Chalk line – A length of string, coated in chalk dust, which is used to produce accurate straight lines for many decorating tasks. The line is held at both ends and ‘twanged’ against a surface thus transferring chalk dust to it.
Chase in – To cut a groove in a wall to take a conduit, cable or pipe so that when the wall is ‘made good’, it is concealed.
Cornice – A decorative moulding at the junction between a walls and ceiling of a room, or the uppermost horizontal moulding of a classical entablature.
Counter-sink – To insert a suitable screw into a surface so that its head does not protrude above that surface. This is achieved by using counter sink screws in a hole ‘countersunk’ with a conical-shaped cutter.
Coving – A curved moulding at the junction between a walls and ceiling of a room – a form of cornice.
Damp-proof course (DPC) – A layer of impervious material inserted towards the base of walls to stop Rising damp-. In older buildings, slates was used, more modern practise used mineral felt or PVC. A new DPC can be inserted where necessary, a “chemical” form of silicone being injected into the walls.
Damp-proof membrane – Normally a layer of plastic sheeting, laid over the site hardcore of a modern building, to prevent moisture rising from the ground into the floor structure. Needs to be connected to the DPC in the surrounding walls to be fully effective.
Dowel – A short length of wood, round in section, used for a variety of purposes such as joining timbers, plugging fixing holes etc.
Dry rot – A fungus which rots timber, masonry and plaster.
Facing boards- external finishing boards use to in case the ends of the joist.
Flashing – In general a flashing stops water seepage into a building, areas where you will find flashings are adjoining walls, vent pipes, valleys. Different materials are used such as galvanised steel, and soft malleable materials for curved areas.
Ground heave – The swelling affect of clay sub-soil due to absorption of moisture, can cause an upward movement of foundations resulting in damage to buildings.
Insulation- Often fibre glass based, used to keep your house insulated against the heat and cold from the weather conditions.
Lintel – A horizontal beam of timber .
Load bearing wall – A wall which supports the structure of the building above. It should not be removed without professionInsulation- Often fibre glass based, health and safety precautions need to be taken when handling it
Mitre – A joint where the two parts are each cut at 45 degrees so that the make a neat right angle.
Plasterboard – A ‘sandwich’ of plaster with paper/card on either side. Widely used for ceilings and walls etc.
Rendering – The vertical plaster (internally) or mortar (externally) covering of a wall.
Rising damp – A building defect resulting from moisture soaking up a wall from the ground by capillary action in the structure – can lead to rot in timbers, plaster decay, decoration failure etc.
Spirit Level – A tool used to establish true vertical and horizontal lines by looking at a bubble in spirit filled vials.
Straightedge – A length of timber or metal with at least one edge truly straight for marking out, checking levels etc.
Stringers- are the side boards that support the stairs.
Stucco – Rendering – The vertical plaster (internally) or mortar (externally) covering of a wall.
Termite damage – Due to there mass numbers Termites eating into the struture of your home cause a lot of damage, eating away the timber inside your house.
Timber frame – A method of construction used to build house walls, walls are manufactured in sections and are erected and tied together to form a house and then lined with ext cladding.
Timber framed wall – A wall composed of structural timber components
Treads- Treads are boards used to stand on and are put of the stair case.
Undercutting – Cutting away material from the edges of a recess to provide a key for new material.
Wet rot – Decay of timber due to wet or damp conditions.
Plumbing terminology:
Air Lock – Blockage in the flow of liquid, caused by an air bubble in the line.
Back Pressure – Pressure that resists the flow of fluid in a piping system.
Ballcock – The fill valve that controls the flow of water from the water supply line into a gravity-operated toilet tank. It is controlled by a float mechanism that floats in the tank water. When the toilet is flushed, the float drops and opens the ballcock, releasing water into the tank and/or bowl. As the water in the tank is restored, the float rises and shuts off the ballcock when the tank is full.
Collar (in pipes) – The wider end of a pipe into which another pipe fits.
Downpipes – The pipe used to take water from the guttering to the drainage system. Usually round or square or plastic
Finish Plumbing – Installation of plumbing fixtures to make the system usable.
Gray Water – Waste water from sinks, showers, and bathtubs, but not toilets.
Gully – An opening into a drain, normally at ground level, placed to receive water etc. from rainwater downpipes and surface water. In older properties, sink, basin and bath wastewater may have fed into a gully, however this is not allowed with more modern buildings.
Guttering – The collecting channels at the lowest point of a roof for collecting the rainwater
Land Drain – A drain usually consists a pipes laid with open joints and surrounded by 20mm shingle or similar material through which water can seep into the surrounding soil.
Inspection chamber – An access point to underground drains comprising a chamber (of brick, concrete or plastic) with the drainage channel at the bottom and a removable cover at ground level. Also called “man-hole”.
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) – A rigid white or cream-colored plastic pipe used in non-pressure systems, such as drainage, waste, and vent systems.
Rough-In – Installation of the drain, waste, vent, and supply lines in a structure to the proposed location of each fixture.
Rough-In Dimensions – The distance from a finished wall or floor to the center of the waste or supply opening or mounting holes on a plumbing fixture.
Septic Tank – A sewage disposal system normally consisting of two or three linked chambers within which bacterial processes breakdown the effluent, the final result being a liquid which can be fed into a land drain or soak away. Occasional emptying of the chambers may be necessary, but depends upon their usage and the soil conditions. Care needs to be taken on what is fed into a Septic Tank – use of chemicals such as bleach, biological washing powders etc can cause the bacterial processes to stop.
Stack – The vertical main in the drain, waste, and vent system, extending one or more stories.
T & P Valve – Temperature & pressure relief valve. A safety device used to expel excess pressure or heat from inside a tank.
Thermostatic Valve – Pressure-balancing shower mixing valve with automatic temperature control. When temperature or pressure fluctuations occur at the water inlets, a thermal actuator adjusts the hot and cold ratio to maintain the original temperature setting.
Valve Seat – The non-moving part of a valve. Water flow is stopped when the moveable portion of the valve comes in contact with the valve seat.
Roof terminology:
Barge roll – decretive flashingused to flash outer edge of roof sheeting.
Corrugated iron- sheet steel shaped into straight parrallel ridges and hollows
Crown – This is the meeting of the Ridge line and the Hip.
Dormer roof- positionedover a framed window unit, projecting through the sloping plane of a roof.
Flashing- sheet metel used to reinforce and weather proof the joints and angles of a roof.
Gable – The upper portion of a sidewall that comes to a triangular point at the ridge of a sloping roof.
Gable roof – A type of roof containing sloping planes of the same pitch on each side of the ridge. Contains a gable at each end.
Gambrel roof – A type of roof containing two sloping planes of different pitch on each side of the ridge. The lower plane has a steeper slope than the upper. Contains a gable at each end.
Going – is the horizontal distance from the wall to the apex.
Hip – The inclined external angle formed by the intersection of two sloping roof planes. Runs from the ridge to the eaves.
Hip roof – A type of roof containing sloping planes of the same pitch on each of four sides. Contains no gables
Overhang – That portion of the roof structure that extends beyond the exterior walls of a building.
Pitch – For rafters this is the angle of the rafters taken from the pitching point on the top plate of the wall to the highest point on the underside of the rafter. (The greater the pitch the faster water flows of it and the more chance of gutter failure.)
Purlins – run horizontally and parallel to the Ridge Beam and perpendicular to the roof slope. They are fixed underneath the Rafters and help prevent roof sag.
Roofing Battens – Roofing Battens are fixed onto top of the Rafters or trusses which are the fixing points for roof linning
Roof trusses -to support or strengthen a roof, bridge, or other elevated structure with a network of beams and bars
Ridge – The uppermost, horizontal external angle formed by the intersection of two sloping roof planes
Rise – is the vertical distance from the top of the Top Plate to the Ridge
Sarking – Sarking is a strong, moisture proof, reflective, metallic building paper which is placed over the rafters but underneath the roof batons. The sarking paper is a heat refletor as well as a back if your roof leaks.
Slope – The degree of roof pitch
Span – is the horizontal distance between the walls.
Struts – These are fixed between the Purlins and Joists and an integral part of the load bearing.
Valley – The internal angle formed by the intersection of two sloping roof planes to provide water runoff
Window terminology:
Architrave – door or window frame: a decorative strip of wood or plaster forming a frame around a door or window
Dormer window – The window in the vertical end of a dormer.
Double glazing – A method of thermal insulation applied to windows usually either using:
Drip groove – A groove cut in the underside of a projection (such as a window sash or sill) to cause rainwater to drip to the ground rather than running under the projection onto the main structure.
Frame - components made up of a head, 2 jambs and a sill make up a (window frame)
Head Jamb – Groove at the top of the window which allows the window sashes to slide into place and seat inside the window frame.
Lower Sash – The bottom portion of the window comprised of a pane of glass set inside a frame. Is fixed in a single hung window and slides up and down in a double hung window.
Jamb – a vertical timber member on each side of the window which makes up the frame.
Sash -Windows come either fixed or operable (openable). Fixed windows do not open. Operable windows have a sash, which is a unit assembly of stiles and rails for holding the glass that moves when the window opens. They are available in a variety of sliding or hinged models. The sash can be made of wood, vinyl, metal or fiberglass and should make a tight seal with the frame when the window is closed. However, if the seal is too tight, the operable portion of the window may be difficult to operate.
Secondary glazing - where a single pane of glass is fitted inside an original single glazed window, usually fitted to the window frame.
Sill – Located at the very bottom of the window, the sill is usually sloped to allow water to run off the bottom of the window in rain or during cleaning.
Side Jamb – Grooves in window that allows the window sashes to slide up and down or side to side.
Stop – A wood trim member nailed to the window frame to hold, position or separate window parts. The stop is often molded into the jamb liners on sliding windows.
Trim – The trim extends beyond the end of the window frame on the outside of the window. This allows the window to fit flush with the exterior wall when the window in installed.
Triple glazing – A type of window providing thermal insulation by using three panes of glass hermetically sealed with two internal air gaps.
Upper Sash – The top portion of the window comprised of a pane of glass set inside a frame. Is fixed in a single hung window and slides up and down in a double hung window.
Window mullion – Vertical fixed member between a window sill and the window lintel