SPEAK THE LANGUAGE
Air duct-a pipe,usually made of sheet metal that conducts air to rooms from a central source
Alcove- a recessed space connected at the side of another room
Anchor bolt-a threaded rod inserted into masonary construction for anchoring the sill plate to the foundation
Apron- the finish board immediately below the window sill.Also, the part of the driveway that leads directly into the garage
Ashlar-a facing of squared stones
Atrium-an open court within a
Backfill- earth used to fill areas around exterior foundation walls
Balloon framing-the building frame construction in which each of the studs is one piece from the foundation to the roof of a two story house
Balustrade-a series of balisters or posts connected by a rail,generally adjacent to the stairs
Base course-the lowest part of masonary construction
Beam-a horizontal structural member that carries a load
Blocking-small wood framing members that fill in the open space between the floors and ceiling joists to add stiffness to the floor and ceiling
Building code-a collection of legal requirements for builings designed to protect the safety,health and welfare of the people who work and live in them
Canopy-a projection over windows and doors to protect them from the weather
Casement window-a hinged window that opens out,usually made of metal
Caulking- soft waterproofed material used to seal cracks
Clerestory-a set of high windows often above the roof line
Collar beam-a horizontal fastening opposing rafters below the ridge of the roof framing
Common Wall-a single wall that serves two dwellings
Condensation-the formation of frost or drops of water on inside walls when warm vapor inside a room meets cold wall or window
Conduit-a chanell built to convey water from the roof to the sewer
Construction Loan-a mortgage loan to be used to pay for labor and materials going into the house.Money is usually advanced to the builder as the construction progresses and is repaid when the house is complete and sold
Contractor -the manager on a construction project
Cornice- the part of the roof that projects out from the wall
Cricket- a roof device used at intersections to divert water
Crosshatch-lines drawn closely together at a angle to show a section cut
Cupola-a small structure built on a roof to provide ventilation
Damp course-a layer of water proof material
Datum- a reference point of sarting elevation used in mapping and surveying
Demension building material-building material that has been pre-cut to s specific size
Dome- a hemispherical roof form
Downspout-pipe for carrying rainwater to the ground
Dormer- a structure projecting from a sloping roof to accomodate a window
Double header- two or more timbers joined for srength
Drywall constuction- interior wall covering that uses precast sheets
Eave- the part of the roof that projects overa wall
Escutcheon-the hardware on a door to accoodate the knob and keyhole
Facade- the exerior face of a building
Fascia-a vertical board nailed on the ends of the rafters at the eaveline. It is partof the cornice
Fenestration-the arrangement of windows
Firestop-obstruction across air passages in buildings to prevent the spread of hot gases and flames. A horizontal blocking between studs.
Flashing-The material used for and in the process of a making watertight intersection on exposed places on the outside of a building
Footing-an enlargement at teh lower end of the wall,pier or column to distribute the load to the ground
Frost line-the depth of frost penetration to the soil
Gable-the triangualr end of an esterior wall above the eaves
Gable roof- a roof that slopes from two sides only
Gambrel roof-a symetrical rof with two different pitches on each side
Garret- an attic
Girder- a horizontal beam supporting the floor joists
Gravel stop-a strip of metal witha vertical lip used to retain the gravel around the edge of a built in roof
Gypsum board-a board made of gypsum rock and fiber glass
Hanger- an iron strap used to support a joist,beam or pipe
Header -a horizontal supporting member above openings that seves as a lintel. Also, one or more pieces of lumber supporting ends of joists. Used in framing openings of stairs and chimneys.
Heel plate-a plate at the end of a truss
Hip roof- a roof with four sloping sides
I-Beam-a steel beam with an "I" shaped cross section
Jack rafter- a short rafter used on hip roofs
Jalouise-a type of window consisting of long thin hinged panels
Jerry built- poorly constructed
Keystone- the top wedge shaped stone of an arch
King post-a roof truss-a central upright piece
Lally column-a steel column used to support girders and beams
Lap joint-a joint produced by lapping two pieces of material
Leeching bed-a system of trenches that carries waste from sewers.it is constructed in sand soils or in earth filled with stone of gravel
Load bearing wall-walls that support weight from above
Lot line- legal boundry of a piece of property
Mansard roof-a roof with two slopes on each side with the ower slope much steeper than the upper
Metal tie-a strip of metal used to fasten construction members together
Monolithic-concrete construction poured and cast in one piece without joints
Mullion-a vertical bar in a window that seperates the window into sections
Munton-a small bar seperating the glass lights in a window
Nosing- the rounded edge of a stair tread
Parapet-a low all or railing around the edge of a roof
Pediment-the triangular space forming a gable end of a low pitched roof. Also used in classic architecture as decoration over doors
Pilaster-a portion of a square column, usually set within or against a wall for the purposes of strengthening the wall. Also decorative.
Purlin- a horizontal structural member which holds rafters together
Quad- an enclosed court
Quions- a large square stone set in cornrs of masonery for appearence
Raglin-an open joint in masonery to recieve flashing
Rheostat- an istrument for regulating electric current
Saddle-a ridge covering of a roof designed to carry water fro the back of a chimney. Also called a cricket . A threshhold.
Scarfing-a joint between two pieces of wood that allows them to be spliced lengthwise
Setback- zoning restrictions on location on home on lot
Truss-a prefabricated triangular shaped unit for supporting roof loads
Wainscot-facing for the lower part on an interior wall
Zoning-building restictions as to size,location,and type of structure to be built in a specific area.
