Glossary of building terms used in BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME

This article series provides an updated version of Hubbard Cobb's Your Dream Home, illustrated by Sigman-Ward, first published by Wm. H. Wise & Co. New York, 1950.

From site selection and obtaining financing through each step in construction of a single family home the simple procedures and drawings in this book are still useful for anyone building or repairing a home or other small structure.

House & Construction Terms

Abrasive

Material such as sandpaper, pumice, or emery, used for polishing, sanding, and grinding.

Abuttals

The boundings of a piece of land on other land or on a street, river, etc.

Acoustics

Having to do with the transmission of sound through air and building materials.

Across the Grain At right angles to the run of the wood grain.

Addition

Any change whereby the exterior dimensions of a structure are increased.

Adobe

(1) Aluminous earth;

(2) brick made from such earth without fire;

(3) with “the” or “an,” a single brick of this kind;

(4) a house built of these materials.

Aggregates

The materials (sand and gravel) mixed with Portland cement to produce concrete.

Air Dried

Lumber that has been allowed to season in the air rather than in a kiln.

Air Space

The area between the inner and outer wall of the house. Any cavity. 

Alcove

Any large recess in a room, usually separated by an arch.

All Lengths

Lumber cut in many different lengths.

All Widths

Lumber cut in manv different widths.

Alteration

Any change or rearrangement in the structural parts of a building. 

Ampere

Unit used to measure the rate of flow of electrical current.

Anchor

To secure one object to another; a device used to attach two objects together.

Anchor Bolt

A bolt set into masonry to secure woodwork, machines, etc., as opposed to a bolt that is inserted into masonry that has hardened.

Angle Iron

A piece of iron or metal in the shape of a right angle; used in carpentry and brickwork to reinforce joints.

Apron

A piece of finish, plain or molded, that is put under a window sill to cover the rough edge of the plastering.

Aquastat

A control device used to regulate the temperature of the hot water supply when heated by the furnace.

Arch

An arrangement of building materials in the form of a curve. This arrangement preserves a given form and, when supported by piers, sustains weights and

Architect

One who designs a building, prepares the building plans, and supervises the workers who do the actual building.

Architecture

The art of building, or designing a building, in such a way as to best enable it to .fulfill its purpose and in such a way as to give it the qualities of beauty, interest, harmony, and strength.

Architrave

Wooden casing or trim.

Area

(1) The total surface of a floor or wall.

(2) A court or open space within a building.

Area way

A sub-surface space left around the foundation walls to permit light or air to reach the cellar or basement or for other purposes.

Armored Cable

Electric wires encased in metal.

Arris

The point at which two surfaces meet to form an angle, such as the corner of a board.

Asbestos

A fireproof mineral.

Asbestos Board

A sheet of building board made of asbestos fibers and cement. It is fire-resistant and moisture-resistant and can be used for interior or exterior work.

Asbestos Paper

Heavy paper which will not bum and is a poor conductor of heat.

Asbestos Shingles

Roof or siding shingles made of Portland cement and asbestos.

 Ashlar

A type of stonework. A facing made of squared stones or of thin slabs; it is used to cover walls of brick or rubble.

Coursed ashlar means that the stones are laid in level courses all around the building; random ashlar means that the stones are of different heights but that the beds are level.

(2) Small common freestones. 

Attic

A low story above the main part of a

building; that part of the building

that is immediately below the roof.

Backfill

To replace earth in the pit, trench, or other excavation from which it was removed.

Back of a Window

That piece of wainscoting that is between the bottom of the sash frame .and the door.

Back-Painting

Painting the back side or unexposed surface of lumber to prevent the wood from absorbing moisture.

 Back Putty

A thin layer of putty placed between the glass and the rabbet of a window.

Backing of a Rafter or Rib

An upper or outer surface that is added to any rafter or rib in order to make it extend as far as the rafters or ribs on either side.

Backing of a Wall

The rough inner surface of a wall; earth that is deposited behind a retaining wall, etc.

Backsaw

A fine-toothed saw with a thin blade, reinforced with a steel back. Used for chamfering, mitering, etc. Also called a tenon saw.

Balcony

A projection from the face of a wall, supported by columns or consoles, usually surrounded by a balustrade. 

Balloon Framing

A system of framing wooden buildings in which the corner posts and studs are continuous in one piece from sill to roof plate. The intermediate joists are carried by girts

spiked to, or let into, the studs; the pieces are secured only by nailing, without the use of mortises, tenons, and the like. This system is used in modem building wherein relatively light lumber is used.

Balusters

The vertical posts on stair railings.

Barge Board See Verge Board.

Baseboard

The molding used to cover the joint between the floor and wall. It is sometimes called skirting.

Basement

The lower part of a building, partly but not more than one-half below the level of the lot or street. See Cellar. 

Base Moldings

The moldings immediately above the plinth of a wall, pillar, or pedestal. 

Base Plate

Another name for Sole or Sole Plate.

Bat

A part of a brick. A type of insulation.

Battens

Small strips of board. Among other purposes, they are used over the joints of sheathing in order to keep out the weather.

Batten Door

A door made of sheathing secured by strips of board, placed crossways, and nailed with clinched nails. 

Batter

A wall, or a piece of timber or other material, that does not stand upright but leans away from you when you stand in front of it. When, on the contrary, it leans toward you, it is called an overhang.

Batter Boards

Horizontal boards set in pairs a short distance back from each corner of an excavation. The boards are each nailed to two upright stakes, and are used to indicate the building level, and as a support for various guide lines that are stretched between them.

Bay

Any division or compartment of an arcade, roof, etc.

Bay Window

Any window that projects outward from the wall of a building. These windows may be square or polygonal in shape, and they rise from the ground.

Bead

A circular molding. When several are joined, the result is called reeding ; when flush with the surface, it is called quick-bead; when raised, it is called cock-bead.

Beading

Small wooden molding used for decorative purposes.

Beam

A heavy timber or other material that is placed horizontally, either from post to post or over an opening, to support a load; for example, a beam under the floor of a house.

Bearing

That portion of a beam, truss, etc., that rests on the supports.

Bearing Partition

A partition which supports any vertical load in addition to its own weight.

Bearing Wall

A wall which supports the floors and roofs in a building.

Bed

(1) A specially prepared surface, usually of mortar, sand, or cinders on which the bricks or stones of walls, walks, etc., are to be laid.

(2) A course of stones or bricks on which another course is to be laid.

(3) Applied to the underside of a stone or brick that is to be laid, or the upper surface of a stone or brick that is to support another.

Bed of a Slate The under side.

Belly

To bulge out.

Belt

A course of stones or brick projecting from a brick or stone wall, gen-erallv in a line with the window sills. It may be molded, fluted, plane, or ornamented.

Benzine

A liquid used to clean paint brushes and sometimes to thin paint.

Bevel

(1)    Instrument used to adjust surfaces of work to any given angle.

(2)    To cut on a slant, so the angle formed is not a right angle. One side of a solid body is said to be beveled with respect to another when the angle contained between the two sides is either greater or less than a right angle.

Bevel Siding

Siding made by “resaw'ing” dry, square-surfaced boards diagonally to produce two w^redge-shaped pieces. It is used as the finish siding on the exterior of a house.

Bibb

A faucet with the nozzle threaded so that a hose can be attached.

Bleed

Wood is said to bleed when the liquid contained in it works its way to the surface.

Blocking or Blocking-course

A course of stones placed on top of a cornice crowning the walls. 

Blueprint

A photographic print showing white lines against a blue background, commonly used to reproduce architect’s drawings, plans, etc.

Board Foot

A unit for the measurement of lumber. It refers to a piece of lumber

measuring one square foot on the surface and one inch in thickness or to its equivalent (144 sq. in.).

Bond

A connection between bricks or stones that is designed to form an inseparable mass of building. It is formed by overlapping the bricks one upon another instead of allowing the vertical joints to fall over one another. There are several kinds of bond in brickwork. In common brick walls, in every sixth or seventh course the bricks are laid crosswavs of the wall. In face work, the back of the face brick is clipped so as to get in a diagonal course of headers behind. In Old English bond, every alternate course is a header course. In Flemish bond, a header and stretcher alternate in each course. 

Bond-stones

Stones running through the thickness of the wall at right angles to its face, in order to bind it together.

Bond-timbers

Timbers placed horizontally in tiers in the walls of a brick building, and to which the battens, laths, etc., are secured. In rubble work, walls are better plugged for this purpose. 

Border

A series of useful ornamental pieces which are placed around the edge of anything.

Box Sill

A foundation sill in which the sole plate rests on the floor joists rather than on the sill proper.

Brace

In carpentry, an inclined piece oftimber. Braces are used in trussed partitions or in framed roofs to form a triangle and thereby stiffen the framing. A brace that is used to support a rafter is called a strut. Braces in partitions and span-roofs should always be disposed in pairs and introduced in opposite directions.

Bracing

A system of framing a building in which all vertical structural elements of the bearing walls and partitions, except the corner posts, extend for only one story. They start at the foundation sill for the first-story framing and at the top plate of the story below for all stories above the first. Corner posts extend from foundation sill to roof plate and are braced by diagonal members usually extending the full height of each story and crossing several of the studs in each outer wall.

A projecting ornament carrying a cornice.

Brad

A small nail.

Break

Any projection from the general surface of a building.

Breaking Joints

Arranging stones or bricks so that the mortar joints are staggered and no one joint is allowed to fall immediately over another. See Bond. 

Breast of a Window

The masonry forming the back of the recess and the parapet under the window sill.

Breezeway

A passageway between two buildings that is covered, but is open on both sides.

Brick Course A layer of bricks.

Brick Veneer

A thin layer of bricks used as a finish.

Bridging

A method of stiffening floor joists and partition studs by placing small wooden braces in between in a diagonal position.

Brown Coat

The second coat of either plaster or slucco.

B.T.U. - British Thermal Unit

A unit used in measuring heat. One B.T.U. is equal to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree F.

Buckle

To heave up, lift, or warp.

Building Codes

Local laws or ordinances regulating various phases of construction work. 

Building Line

A line of demarcation between public and private property. A line beyond which no building or part thereof can be extended without the approval or permission of the authorities.

Butt

To join end to end without overlapping.

Butter

In masonry, to apply mortar to a brick.

Butt-joint

The point at which two pieces of timber or molding butt together. 

BX Cable

Electric wires in flexible metal covering.

Calcium Chloride

A chemical that absorbs moisture from the air. It is used to dry out damp rooms and also to melt ice. 

Caliber or Caliper

The diameter of any round body.

Camber

The convexity of a beam upon the

surface, in order to prevent its becoming concave by its own weight or by the burden it may have to hold. 

Cantilever

A structural member which is supported at only one end and which

supports a projecting load. A beam or truss projecting from a pier.

Cant Strip

Wood strip used to give the first course of shingles or siding the same slant as the other courses.

Cap

The cement finish as used on top of a brick wall or chimney.

Carriage

The timber or iron joist that supports the steps of a wooden stair.

Cased

Covered with other materials, usually of better quality.

Casement

A glass frame that is made to open by turning on hinges attached to its vertical edges.

Casement Windows

Windows with the sash hinged to open like a door.

Casing

The wooden trim around doors and windows.

Cast-iron Pipes

Soil pipes made of cast iron and used for the sewage system.

Caulk

To fill a crack or seam with oakum.

Caulking Compound

A soft plastic used for caulking. It sets soft, and can be painted. 

Ceiling

That covering of a room which hides the joists of the floor above or the rafters of the roof.

Celling Joists

Lumber used to support the ceiling.

Cellar

When there is a basement, the cellar is that part of a building below the

basement. When there is no basement, it is the story or portion thereof, more than one-half of which is below the level of the street. 

Cement

An adhesive used to bind objects together. There is also Portland cement, used in concrete.

Cement Plaster

A mixture of Portland cement and sand, used as a finish coat.

Chamfer

To cut off a corner to form a bevel. To cut a groove or channel in. Also, the surface formed when the angle made by adjacent faces of a piece of timber, masonry, metal, etc., is cut away.

Chase

A recess or frame consisting of sides, sill, and head.

Check Valve

A valve used in plumbing to prevent a reverse flow of water in a pipe. 

Cinders

Ashes from coal used as fill or mixed with cement to produce cinder blocks.

Clapboard

Board having one edge thicker than the other. Used for exterior siding of houses.

Clinch

To bend over the portion of the end of a nail that protrudes through wood materials, thus creating a strong resistance against withdrawal.

Clinch Nail

A nail made of soft steel, which bends over easily at the end.

Close String or BOX String

A method of finishing the outer edge of stairs by building up a sort of curb string on which the balusters set. The treads and risers stop against it.

Coat

A thickness or covering of paint, plaster, or other material applied at one time. The first coat of plaster is called the scratch coat; the second coat (when there are three coats) is called the brown coat; and the last coat is called the slipped coat, skim-coat, or white coat.

Coffer

A deep panel in a ceiling.

Collar Beam

A piece of lumber running horizontally between two rafters to provide additional support. It is placed above the lower ends of the rafters and spiked to them. Also called rafter tie.

Common

A line, angle, surface, etc., that is shared by more than one object. Common centering is a centering without trusses, having a tie beam at the bottom. Common joists are the beams in naked flooring to which the joists are attached. Common rafters in a roof are those to which the laths are attached.

Common Boards

Boards one inch thick and up to twelve inches wide. Also a grade of lumber.

Common Bricks

Ordinary red bricks of standard size.

Compass Saw

A saw with narrow, tapering blade. Used to cut curves, circles, and fine cuts.

Composition Wood

Flexible building material made by pressing wood fibers into thin sheets of building board.

Concrete

A mixture of Portland cement, sand, gravel, and water.

Concrete Paint

A mixture composed of cement, water, and coloring matter, for use on concrete and cement surfaces. Any paint formulated for use on concrete or cement.

Conduit

A channel, canal, or pipe for the conveyance of water or the protection of electric wires.

Coping

The capping or covering of a wall. It is made of stone and weathered to throw off moisture.

Coping Saw

A saw with an extremely narrow blade which can be turned in the frame to saw at various angles.

Corbel

A short piece of stone or wood projecting from a wall to form a support, generally ornamented.

Corbel Out

To build one or more courses of brick or stone out from the face of a wall in order to form a support for timbers.

Corner Beads

Thin metal beads having rounded corners. They are used to protect plaster at corners and to guide the plasterer.

Corner Block

A masonry block having one square end.

Cornice

The projection at the top of a wall finished by a blocking-course. Usually, the portion of a wall directly under the eaves.

Counter Flashing

Flashing applied over flashing.

Countersink

To make a cavity for the reception of a plate of iron, or the head of a screw or bolt, so that it will not project beyond the face of the work.

Coupling

In plumbing, a device used to join sections of pipe or hose.

Course

A layer of bricks or stones in buildings; applied to slates, shingles, etc.

Cove Ceiling

A ceiling springing from the walls with a curve.

Coved and Flat Ceiling

A ceiling in which the section is the quadrant of a circle, rising from the walls and intersecting in a flat surface.

Cradling

Timber work for sustaining the lath and plaster of vaulted ceilings. 

Creosote

Wood or coal tar used as a wood preservative.

Cricket

A small, sloped roof structure which is placed where two larger surfaces  meet at an angle. Its function is to divert drainage.

Cross Bridging

Strips of wood nailed between the floor joists to form an “X.”

Crown

The top part of ail arch, or of an arched surface.

Crowning

To raise the center of a flat surface so that water will drain off.

Curb Roof or Mansard Roof

A roof formed of four contiguous planes, each pair having an external inclination.

Curtain Wall See Wall, Curtain.

Dado

A rectangular, flat-bottomed groove cut in wood.

Dado Joint

A joint made by cutting a tongue on the end of one member to fit into a dado cut in the other member. 

Dado Plane

A plane used to cut dados.

Darby

A flat tool used by plasterers, especially when working on ceilings. It is usually about seven inches wide and forty-two inches long, havring  two handles on the back.

Denatured Alcohol

In painting, a liquid used to thin shellac.

Design

The plans, elevations, sections, and whatever other drawings may be necessary to exhibit the design of a building. The term plan has a restricted application to a technical portion of the design.

Detail

As used by architects, detail means the smaller parts into which a composition can be divided. It is generally applied to moldings and other adornments.

Detail Drawing

A separate sketch made of a portion of a plan or drawing to show more clearly the construction details of that portion.

Diagonal Sheathing

Sheathing applied in diagonal, rather than horizontal or vertical, lines.

Diameter

The line passing through a circle at its thickest part; the length of this line. The diameters of the lower and upper ends of the shaft of a column are called its inferior and superior diameters, respectively. The former is the greatest, the latter the least diameter of the shaft.

Dimension Stuff

Lumber two inches thick and up to twelve inches wide.

Division Wall See Wall, Division.

Domestic Architecture

That branch of architecture which relates to private buildings.

Door Frame

The surrounding case into and out of which the door shuts and opens. It consists of two upright pieces, called jambs, and a head. The pieces are usually fixed together by mortices and tenons.

Dormer Window

A window built into the side of a

roof. It, consequently, projects from the roof and has a valley gutter on each side.

Double Hung Window

A window consisting of an upper and low^rer sash in a frame.

Doubie Studding

Two pieces of studding spiked together to form the openings for doors and windows.

Dovetailing

In carpentry and joinery, the method of fastening boards or other timbers together by letting one piece into another in the form of the extended tail of a dove.

Dowel

(1) A round piece of wood.

(2) A pin let into two pieces of wood or stone where they are joined together.

(3) A piece of wood driven into a wall so that other pieces can be nailed to it. This is also called plugging.

Dowel Joint

A joint made by gluing a dowel into two pieces of wood.

Drain Cock

A device which permits water to be drained from the coils when the heating system is not operating.

Drain Tile

Sectional tile pipe designed to be laid in drainage ditches to carry surface water away from the outside of the foundation wall of a house. 

Dressing

The operation of squaring and smoothing stones or lumber for building.

Driftbolt

(1) Metal rod used to fasten heavy timbers.

(2) Bolt used to drive other bolts or pins out of their lodging places.

Drip

The member of a cornice that has a projection beyond the other parts for the purpose of throwing off small quantities of water, drop by drop. _r

Drip-stone

The label molding that serves for an opening on a canopy and also serves to throw off the rain. It is also called weather molding.

Drop Siding

Siding which is usually %" thick and 6" wide and which can be machined into various patterns. It has tongue-and-groove or shiplap joints, is heavier and has more structural strength than bevel siding.

Dry Rot

A rapid decay of timber in which its substance is converted into a dry powder which issues from small cavities and resembles the borings of worms. It is usually caused by alternating dryness and dampness.

Dry-Wall Construction

Any interior wall or ceiling material that does not have to be mixed with water before it can be applied. A plaster wall or ceiling, on the other hand, is called wet-wall construction.

Dry Well

A hole in the earth filled w'ith stones or gravel, used to collect water from the roof of a house.

D.S. Glass

Double-strength glass, used for glazing large windows.

Dutch Door

A door so constructed that the lower part can be shut while the upper part remains open.

Dwelling

A building intended for the residence of not more than two families.

Eaves

That portion of the roof which extends beyond the walls.

Efflorescence

The appearance of a white crust or powder on the surface of stone or brick walls. It is caused by the presence of mineral salts in the wall.

Elevation

(1)    The front facade of a structure;

(2)    a geometrical drawing of the external upright parts of a building.

Elevation Drawing

One which shows one side of the outside of the finished house, from the ground floor to the roof. It indicates door and window sizes, height of each floor, kind of sizing used, etc.

Emery Paper

An abrasive paper used on metal.

End-match Lumber

Boards having the ends as well as the sides tongued and grooved.

Ensemble

The work or composition considered as a whole and not in parts.

Entry

A hall without stairs or vestibule.

Escutcheon

The metal plate on doors around the knobs and keyhole.

Excavate To dig out.

Expansion Bolt

A bolt designed for anchoring in masonry.

Expansion Joint

An open joint between sections of concrete. It allows for expansion and contraction.

Facade

Generally speaking, all of the exterior side of a building that can be seen at one view; strictly speaking, the principal front.

Face

The front of a wall or brick.

Face Mold

A pattern for making the board from which ornamental hand railings and other works are to be cut. 

Face Nailing

To nail perpendicular to the initial surface or to the junction of the pieces being joined.

Felt Paper

Heavy paper used in construction work for insulating purposes.

Ferrule

The metal portion of a paint brush at the base of the bristles.

FieLD Stones

Rough, uncut local stones.

Filler

In painting, a material used to fill the wood pores. Also, a gravel or cinder base for laying concrete.

Finish

The final surface when completed.

Fire Brick

Special bricks used in fireplaces and furnaces because of their ability to withstand heat.

Fire Clay

A special heat-resisting cement used to bond fire bricks.

Fireplace

That part of a building designed to permit the making of open fires. It is a recess in the wall or chimney-breast w’hich connects directly with a flue for smoke. The recess or space is enclosed on the sides by two jambs or cheeks, and it terminates in the flue above. The decoration of the fireplace is important because that one part is w^rholly different in its uses, and probably in materials as well, from the rest of the room.

Fire Resistant

A material that will resist fire but is not absolutely fireproof.

Fire Stop

A piece of studding used in wall construction to prevent fire from rising through the air space between inner and outer wall.

Fire Wall See Wall, Fire.

First Story

The storv, the floor of which is at or first above the level of the sidewalk.

Fish Joint

A splice where two pieces are joined butt-end to end. The connection is made by pieces of w^Tood or iron placed on each side and firmly bolted to the timbers or other pieces being joined.

Fish Tape

A length of steel wire that can be pushed around bends or through a rigid conduit.

Flagstones

Stone or concrete slabs, from one to three inches thick, used for floors or walks.

Flange

A projecting edge, rim, or rib. Flanges are often cast on the top or bottom of iron columns, to fasten them to those above or below. The top and bottom of I-beams and channels are called the flange.

Flashing

(1) Strips of lead, tin, or copper that are let into the joints of a wall so as to lap over gutters or other pieces;

(2) pieces worked in the slates or shingles around dormers, chimneys, and other rising parts, to prevent leaking.

Flatting

Painting finished without leaving a gloss on the surface.

Flight

A run of steps or stairs from one landing to another.

Floating

The equal spreading of plaster or stucco on the surface of a wall by means of a board called a float. As a general rule, only rough plastering is floated.

Floor Plan

A drawing which shows the arrange-ent of rooms and partitions on a single floor. It also indicates the location of each door, window, stairway, fireplace, and the like.

Flow Out

In painting, the ability of some paints to dry without brush marks. 

Flue

The space or passage in a chimney through which the smoke ascends. Each passage is called a flue, while all together make the chimney. 

Flush

The continued surface, in the same plane, of two contiguous masses. 

Flux

A composition used in soldering. It cleans the metal and helps the solder to flow.

Footing

The lower part of a foundation that rests on the ground; the base.

Form

Mold used to shape poured masonry.

Foundation

The supporting portion of a structure, below the first-floor construction or grade, including the footings.

Foundation Wall See Wall, Foundation.

Framing

See Balloon Framing, Braced Framing, and Platform Framing. 

French Door

A door in which panes of glass are substituted for wooden panels. 

Front

That face of a building which contains the principal entrance.

Frost Line

The depth to which the earth freezes.

Furring

Strips of wood or metal that are attached to a wall or other surface to even it, form an air space, make it appear thicker, or serve as a base for laths, wallboard, or insulation.

Gable

The triangular portion at the end of a building. That portion of a wall contained between the slopes of a double-sloped roof; on a single-sloped roof, that portion contained between the slope of, and a line pro-j ected horizontally through, the lowest elevation of the roof construction.

Gain

A beveled shoulder on the end of a mortised brace, for the purpose of giving additional resistance to the shoulder.

Galvanize

To coat a metal with zinc in order to prevent rusting.

Galvanized

Coated with zinc.

Galvanized Nails

Zinc-coated nails for use in objects that will be exposed to weather.

Gambrel Roof

A roof with two pitches, similar to a Mansard or curb roof.

Gauge

(1) To mix plaster of Paris with common plaster to make it set quickly. The result is called gauged mortar.

(2) A tool used by carpenters in order to strike a line parallel to the edge of a board.

Girder

A large timber or iron beam, either single or built-up, used to support concentrated loads at particular points along its length. Used to support either joists or walls over an

opening.

Glass Blocks

Translucent or transparent blocks of glass used in building.

Glazed Bricks

Bricks with a glazed surface.

Glazing

The process of putting a pane of window glass into a sash.

Grade

The slope or pitch of the ground. As distinct from the natural grade, the established grade is the level of the street curb as fixed by the municipality.

Grading

Modifying the ground surface by filling, cutting, or both.

Grain

(1) The lines in wood;

(2) the direction, size, arrangement, appearance, or quality of the fibers in "wood. 

Gravel

Small stones used in making concrete or used as fill.

Green Lumber

Lumber that has not been properly seasoned. Generally moisture content will be above 18%.

GrilLEs Grillwork

Iron-work in the form of an enclosure screen. Grilles are made of wrought iron, ornamented by the swage and punch, and put together by either rivets or clips. They are

used extensively to protect the lower windows in city houses and to protect the glass of outside doors.

Groove

In joinery, a term used to signify a sunk channel whose section is rectangular. It is usually used on the edge of a molding, stile, or rail, etc., into which a tongue corresponding to its section, and in the substance of the wood to which it is joined, is inserted.

Ground Floor

That floor of a building which is level, or nearly so, with the ground.

Ground Joist

A joist that is blocked up from the ground.

Grounds

Pieces of wood embedded in the plastering of walls to which skirting and other joiner’s work is attached; also used to stop the plastering around door and window openings.

Grout

A thin cement mortar used for pointing. It is made so thin by the addition of water that it will run into all the joints and cavities of the mason-work and fill it up solid.

Gutter

Channel for carrying off rain water.

Halt

A room or passageway at the entrance to a house or to a group of rooms.

Halving

The joining of two pieces of timber by letting one into the other.

Hanger

An iron support used for attaching beams.

Hanging Style

That part of a door to Avhich the hinges are attached.

Hardboard

See Composition Board.

Hardware

The metal work in a house, such as hinges, locks, etc.

Hardwood Floors

Floors made out of hardwoods, such as oak and maple.

Hatching

Drawing parallel lines close together for the purpose of indicating a section of anything. The lines are usually drawn at an angle of 45° with a horizontal.

Head

The top portion of a door or window opening.

Header

A beam placed perpendicular to joists and to which joists are nailed in framing for a chimney, stairway, or other opening. More generally, a piece or member that makes a T-joint with other members; often a short piece extending between other members and at right angles to them; often used instead of lintel.

Headers

In masonrv, stones or bricks extending over the thickness of a wall.

Heading Courses

Courses of a wall in which the stones or bricks are all headers.

Headway

Clear space or height under an arch or over a stairway, and the like. 

Hearth

That portion of a fireplace which extends into the room.

Heel

End cut on a rafter. The foot of the rafter that rests on the wall plate. 

Herringbone Work

Bricks, tiles, or other materials arranged diagonally in building.

Hip Rafter

A rafter that forms the intersection of an external roof angle.

Hip Roof

A roof that rises by equally inclined planes from all four sides of the building.

Hips

Those pieces of timber placed in an inclined position at the corners or angles of a hip roof.

Hood-mold

The drip-stone or label over a window or door opening, whether inside or out.

Hot Wire

An electric wire through which a current is passing; a live wire. 

Housing

The space made in one solid to permit the insertion of another. The base on a stair is generally housed into the treads and risers.

I-Beam

A steel structural member rolled to the shape of the letter “I.”

Incise

To cut in, carve, or engrave.

Indented

Toothed together.

Inlaying

Inserting pieces of ivory, metal, or choice woods, or the like, into a groundwork of some other material, for the purpose of ornamentation. 

Insulate

Generally speaking, to insulate means to detach, separate, or isolate; the word has several applications.

 (1) to equip a building with materials that will prevent the passage of heat, cold, or sound.

(2) To cover electric wires with materials that will prevent the passage of electricity.

(3) To devise a system for preventing the entrance of termites, mice, and other annoying rodents and insects into a building.

(4) Detached from another building; or standing free from the wall. 

Interior

The inside of a house or other building.

Jack

An instrument for raising heavy loads, either by crank, lever, and pinion, or by hydraulic power. Jacks are alwavs worked bv hand.

Jack Rafter

A short rafter, used especially in hip roofs. It spans the distance from a wall plate to a hip or from a valley to a ridge.

Jamb

The side post or lining of a doorway or other opening. The jambs of a window outside the frame are called reveals.

Jamb Shafts

Small shafts to doors and windows with caps and bases. When in the inside arris of the jamb of a window’, they are sometimes called esconsons.

Joggle

A joint between tw^ro bodies which is so constructed by means of jogs or notches as to prevent their sliding past one another.

Joiner

A V-shaped steel implement used to tool mortar in order to compress it and make a waterproof joint.

JOINERY

That branch of building which is confined to the finer and more ornamental parts of carpentry.

JOINT

To fit two pieces of material together ; the point at w^hich two pieces of material are joined to one another.

JOINTER

Any of various tools used in making joints.

Joist

A small timber to which the boards of a floor or the laths of a ceiling are nailed; one of a series of parallel beams, supported in turn by larger beams, girders, or bearing w'alls.

Joist Hanger

A metal strap used to suspend floor joists.

Keyhole Saw

A keyhole saw' resembles a compass saw but has an even more narrow and tapering blade. It is designed for cutting out keyholes.

Keystone

The stone placed in the center of the top of an arch.

Kiln-Dried

Term used to describe material that has been seasoned in a kiln oven rather than in the air.

Kingpost

The middle post of a trussed piece of framing, for supporting the tie-beam at the middle and the low'er ends of the struts.

Knee

A piece of timber naturally or artificially bent to receive another in order to relieve a weight or strain. 

Knuckles of a Hinge

The rounded portion of a hinge plate that takes the hinge pin.

Lag Screws

Heavy wood screws used on timbers and heavy beams.

Landing

A platform in a flight of stairs be-tw’een two stories, or at the termination of a stairway.

Lap Joint

A joint formed by lapping the edge of one piece of material over the edge of another.

Lap Siding

See Bevel Siding.

Laths

Thin strips of w^rood four feet long, nailed to studding as supports for plaster. Also, wire-mesh or composition plasterboard.

Lattice

(1) Any work of wood or metal that is made bv crossing laths, rods, or bars to form a network

(2) A reticulated window, made of laths or slips of iron separated by glass windows. These are used only where air rather than light is to be admitted.

Lavatory

A place for washing the person. General usage: a toilet or washroom; bathroom.

Leader

The pipe from the gutter to the ground; a downspout.

Lean-to

A small building whose rafters pitch or lean against another building or against a wall.

Ledge or Ledgement

A projection from a plane, as slips on the sides of window and door frames to hold them steady in their places.

Ledgers

The horizontal pieces that are fastened to the standard poles or timbers of scaffolding raised around buildings during their erection. Those which rest on the ledgers are called putlogs, and the boards are laid on these.

Ledger Strip

A strip of lumber nailed along the bottom of the side of a girder on which joists rest.

Light

(1) a division or Space in a sash for a single pane of glass;

(2) a pane of glass.

Lining

(1) Covering for the interior, as casing is covering for the exterior, surface of a building;

(2) linings for doors, windows, shutters, etc.

Lintel

The horizontal piece which covers the opening of a door or window and supports the load over it.

Load-Bearing Wall See Wall, Bearing.

Lot

A subdivision of a block, or another portion of land that is considered as a unit of property and is described by metes and bounds. If one or more lots are built upon as a single unit of property, they are considered as a single lot.

Lookout

A short wood bracket or cantilever which supports an overhanging portion of a roof or the like, usually concealed from view.

Louver

A kind of vertical window, frequently in the peaks of gables and in the tops of towers. It is equipped with horizontal slats which permit ventilation and exclude rain, but does not have glass panes.

Lugs

Projections at the ends of door stiles.

Manhole

A hole through which a man can creep into a drain, boiler, etc. 

Mansard Roof See Curb Roof.

Mantel

The work over a fireplace in front of a chimney. It usually consists of an ornamented shelf above the fireplace.

Masking Tape

A tape with an adhesive on one side, used for painting and decorating. The tape can be removed without damage to a painted surface.

Masonry

Brick, stone, tile, or terra-cotta laid in mortar or concrete.

Masonry Block

A building block of concrete or cinder, usually 7%" x 7%" x 15%".

Mastic

A type of composition cement used for linoleum and asphalt flooring.

Matched Boards

Boards cut with tongue and groove.

Members

The different parts of a building or an entablature, the different moldings of a cornice, and the like.

Miter

A molding returned upon itself at right angles is said to miter. In joinery, when the ends of any two pieces of wood of corresponding form are cut off at 45°, thev neces-sarily abut to form a right angle and are said to miter.

Miter Box

An apparatus for guiding a handsaw at the proper angle in making a miter joint in wood.

Miter Joint

A joint made by cutting the ends of two matched pieces so that they join to form a right angle.

MOLDING

Wood that has been milled into special shapes and designs for use as trim. When any work is wrought into long regular channels or projections, forming curves, rounds, hollows, or the like, it is said to be molded, and each separate member is a molding.

Mortar

A mixture of cement and sand used for bonding bricks and stone. 

Mortar Joint

That point where two bricks or masonry blocks are joined together with mortar.

Mortice

A hole cut into a piece of wood to receive a tenon or tongue shaped at the end of another piece of wood. The resulting fit is called a mortice and tenon joint.

Muixion or Munion

(1) The perpendicular pieces of stone, sometimes like columns, sometimes like slender piers, which divide the bays or lights of windows or screen-work from each other;

(2) a wooden or iron division between two windows.

Muriatic Acid

Hydrochloric acid used for cleaning cement.

Natural Beds

In stratified rocks, the surface of a stone as it lies in the quarry. If not laid in walls in their natural bed, the layers separate.

Natural Finish

Wood that is left with the natural coloring.

Newel Post

The post, plain or ornamented, placed at the first or lowest step so that the beginning of the hand-rail can be placed upon it.

NICHE

A recess sunk in a wall, generally for the reception of a statue.

Non-Bearing Partition

A partition extending from floor to ceiling but which supports no load other than its own weight.

NOSINGS

The rounded and projecting edges of the treads of a stair.

Novelty Siding

Wood siding cut into special designs.

Oakum

A hemp fiber used for caulking.

Offsets

When the face of a wall is not one continuous surface but rather sets in by horizontal jogs, the jogs are called offsets.

On Center

From center to center.

Orange Shellac

Shellac with natural coloring.

Oriel Window

A projecting, angular window, commonly triagonal or pentagonal in form. These windows are divided by mullions and transoms into different bays and compartments.

Out of Plumb

Not plumb; in other words, not level or vertical.

Owner

Any person having title to, or control as guardian or trustee of, a building or property.

Pale

A fence picket that is sharpened at the upper end.

Pane

A term applied to each of the pieces of glass in a window; they are also called lights.

Panel

(1) A piece of wood framed within four other pieces of wood, as in the styles and rails of a door, to fill an opening;

(2) the whole square frame and the sinking itself;

(3) the ranges of sunken compartments in wainscoting, cornices, corbel tables, groined vaults, ceilings, etc.

Pantry

An apartment or closet in which bread and other provisions are kept.

Papier-mache

A hard substance made of pulp from rags or paper mixed with size or glue and molded into any desired shape. This material is widely used for architectural ornamentations. 

Parallel

Running side by side in the same direction.

Parging

A thin coat of plastering applied to smooth off rough brick or stone walls.

Parting Strip

A thin strip of wood nailed between the upper and lower sashes in a double hung window.

Partition

A wall that subdivides space within any story of a building. See Bearing Partition and Nonbearing Partition.

Penny (abbreviated d)

A measure of nail length. Originally, it indicated the price per hundred nails.

Pent Roof

A roof that is sloped on only one side.

PeRch

A unit of measure for stone work. In some localities a perch is equal to 24% cu. ft.; in others, 16% cu. ft.

Perpendicular

A line running at right angles to another line, such as a wall to a floor. A vertical line.

Perspective Drawing

The art of drawing an object on a plane surface so that it appears to the eye the same as the object itself would; that is, so that the drawing appears to have a third dimension.

Picket

A narrow board, often pointed, used in making fences.

Picture Molding

Special molding attached to the walls and from which pictures are hung. It can be made of either wood or plaster.

Pier Glass

A large high mirror.

Piers

(1)    The solid parts of a wall between windows and other openings.

(2)    Masses of brickwork or masonry that are insulated to form supports to gates or to carry arches, posts, girders, etc.

Pile

A large stake or trunk of a tree driven into soft ground, as at the bottom of a river, or in made land, for the support of a building. 

Pillars

The round or polygonal piers, or those surrounded with clustered columns, which carry the main arches of a building.

Pin

A cylindrical piece of wood, iron, or steel, used to hold two or more pieces together by passing through a hole in each of them, as in a mortise and tenon joint or a pin joint of a truss.

Pitch

The slope of a surface, such as a roof or the ground.

Pitch of a Roof

The proportion obtained by dividing the height by the span; thus, we speak of it as being one-half, one-third, etc.

Pitching Piece

A horizontal timber, with one of its ends wedged into the wall at the top of a flight of stairs, to support the upper end of the rough strings.

Sand taken directly from the pit.

Place

An open piece of ground surrounded by buildings; a place is usually decorated by a statue, column, or other ornament.

Plane

(1) Of a surface, flat.

(2) In joinery, a tool used to smooth the surface of wood to make moldings and the like.

Plank

A heavy board.

Plaster

A mixture of sand, water, lime or some other binder, and perhaps a fiber for added strength. The mixture hardens on drying. It is used to coat walls and ceilings.

Plaster Grounds Wood strips which are attached along the bases of walls and around windows, doors, and other openings where wood trim is to fit over the edge of plaster. They provide a nailing base for the trim.

Plastering

Covering walls or ceilings with plaster or a similar material. The plaster is applied to laths which have been nailed to the walls.

Plate

The piece of timber that supports the end of the rafters in a building. Usually, the 2"x4" timbers running horizontally on the top of wall studding.

Plate Glass

Heavy glass used for large areas, such as store display windows.

Piatform Framing

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 sub-floor of each story.

Plinth

The square block at the base of a column or pedestal. In a wall, the term plinth is applied to the projecting base or water table.

Plumb

Perpendicular or in a perfectly upright position; standing according to a plumb line. For example, the post of a house or wall is said to be plumb.

Plumb Cut

The top cut, where the rafter joins the ridge board.

Plumbing

The system of pipes and other apparatus employed in conveying water and sewage in a building.

Plumb Line

A line or cord weighted at one end used to determine vertically.

Ply

Term used to denote the number of thicknesses of roofing paper, as three-ply, four-ply, etc.

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 secure balanced construction.

Pointing

Filling joints in masonry with mortar and then striking or troweling the joint with the point of the trowel to give a finished appearance. Also, the material used for pointing. 

See also Tuckpointing.

Porch

A floor extending beyond the exterior walls of a building. It may be enclosed or unenclosed, roofed or uncovered.

Portland Cement

A hydraulic cement made by burning and grinding a mixture of pure limestone and clay, or of other aluminous material.

Post

A piece of timber, metal or similar material that is fixed firmly upright, especially when it is meant to serve as a support.

Priming

The laying on of the first coat of paint. This coat is usually high in oil content; its purpose is to protect and fill the wood.

Profile

(1)    The outline or contour of a part or of the parts composing an order.

(2)    The perpendicular section. 

Protractor

A mathematical instrument designed for laying down and measuring angles on paper. It is used in drawing or plotting.

Puddle

Clay, or similar material, worked, when wet, in order to render it impervious to water.

Pugging

A coarse kind of mortar laid on the boarding between floor joists to prevent the passage of sound; also called deafening.

Pumice Stone

A finely ground stone used for polishing.

Purlins

Those pieces of timber which support the rafters to prevent them from sinking.

Putlog

Horizontal pieces which support the floor of a scaffold. One end is inserted into a putlog hole that was left in the masonry for that purpose.

Putty

(1) A plastic made of powdered whiting and linseed oil.

(2) Lump lime slacked with water to the consistency of cream and then left to harden by evaporation until it resembles soft putty. It is then mixed with plaster of Paris or sand for the finishing coat.

Pyramid

A solid having a particular form. One side, called a base, is a plane figure, and the other sides are triangles. The points of the triangular sides join at one point at the top, called the vertex. A pyramid is called triangular, square, etc., according to the form of its base. 

Quarry

(1) A rock bed. (2) A pane of glass cut in the shape of a diamond or a lozenge.

Rabbet

(1) A continuous small recess, generally understood as having a right angle included between its sides, especially one whose sides enclose a relatively restricted area.

(2) A groove cut in wood along the edge, particularly to receive the edge of another piece of wood and form a rabbet joint.

(3) A recess formed by two planes, very narrow as compared with their length, such as the small recess on a door frame, into which the edge of a door is made to fit; the recess of a brick jamb to receive a window frame; and the like. 

Rabbet Plane

A plane used for cutting rabbets on the edges of timber.

Radius

The distance from the center of a circle to the outside edge; one-half of the diameter.

Rafters

The joists to which the roof-boarding is nailed. Principal rafters are the upper timbers in a truss, having the same inclination as the common rafters. The rafters of a flat roof are sometimes called roof joists. See also Hip Rafter, Jaek Rafter, and Valley Rafter.

Rail

A piece of metal or timber extending from one post to another, as in fences, balustrades, staircases, etc. In framing and paneling, the horizontal pieces are called rails; the perpendicular, stiles.

Rake Joint

Type of mortar joint between bricks. The mortar is raked out of the joint to a certain depth before it sets.

Raking

Moldings whose arrises are inclined to the horizon.

Ramp

(1) A concavity on the upper side of hand railings formed over risers, made by a sudden rise of the steps above;

(2) any concave bend or slope in the cap or upper member of any piece of ascending or descending workmanship.

Random Work

A term used by stone masons to describe stones fitted together at random without any attempt at laying them in courses. Random coursed work is a term applied to work coursed in horizontal beds when the stones are of any height.

Range Work

Ashlar laid in horizontal courses. This term is synonymous with coursed ashlar.

Rasp

A coarse file used mainly for filing rough surfaces. Like files, rasps are classified from rough to smooth. 

Rebate

A groove or channel cut in the edge of a board; a rabbet.

Recess

A depth of some inches in the thickness of a wall, as a niche, etc.

Red Lead

A paint primer used on metal.

Reinforced Concrete

Concrete that has been strengthened internally by the use of steel bars or heavy wire mesh.

Rendering

(1) In drawing, finishing a perspective drawing to bring out the spirit and effect of the design.

(2) The first coat of plaster on brick or stone work.

Repairs

The reconstruction or renewal of any existing part of a building or of its fixtures or appurtenances.

Retaining Wall See Wall, Retaining.

Return

The continuation of a molding, projection, etc., in an opposite direction.

Return Head

One that appears both on the face and edge of a work.

Reveal

The two vertical sides of an aperture, between the front of a wall and the window or door frame.

Ribbon

A narrow board let into the studding to add support to the joists.

The horizontal line at the top of a roof formed by two surfaces rising to an acute angle.

Ridge-cap

A wood or metal cap used over roofing at the ridge.

Ridgepole

The highest horizontal timber in a roof. It extends from top to top of the several pairs of rafters of the trusses, and supports the heads of the jack rafters.

Rise

The distance through which anything rises, as the rise of a stair or an inclined plane.

Rise in Inches

Of a roof, the number of inches that the roof actually rises for every foot of run. It is determined by multiplying the pitch by the unit of span.

Riser

The vertical board under the tread

in stairs; it forms the front of the stair step.

Roof

The covering or upper part of any building.

Roofing

The material put on a roof to make it watertight.

Roughcast

A sort of external plastering in which small, sharp stones are mixed. When it is wet it is forcibly thrown or cast from a trowel against the wall, to which it adheres to form a coating of attractive appearance. When done well, the work is sound and durable. The mortar for roughcast work should alwavs have cement mixed with it.

Note: using roughcast to fill masonry joints in dry-laid masonry is not a recommended construction method [DF]

Rough Lumber

Lumber that has not been surfaced or dressed.

R.P.M.

Revolutions per minute.

Rubble Work

Masonry of rough, undressed stones. When only the roughest irregularities are knocked off, it is called scabbled rubble; when the stones in each course are rudely dressed to nearly a uniform height, ranged rubble.

Run

The shortest horizontal distance that the rafter must cover. (Most-often = horizontal distance)

Rust

A reddish coating that forms on iron as the result of oxidation.

Rustic or Rock Work

A mode of building in imitation of nature. This term is applied to those courses of stone work having a jagged face or to those that have been picked to present a rough surface. That work is also called rustic in which the horizontal and vertical channels are cut in the joinings of stones, so that when placed together an angular channel is formed at each joint.

Frosted rustic work has the margins of the stones reduced to a plane parallel with the plane of the wall, the intermediate parts having an irregular surface.

In vermiculated rustic work the intermediate parts are so worked as to appear worm-eaten.

In rustic chamfered work the face of the stones is smooth and parallel to the face of the wall; the angles are beveled to an angle of 135° with the face, so that when two stones come together on the wall the beveling forms an internal right angle.

Saddle Board

Boards nailed along the ridge of a roof.

Sagging

The bending of a body in the middle by its own weight or by the load upon it.

Sanitary Sewer

A sewer for sewage disposal only as differentiated from a storm sewer, which is intended for rainfall disposal.

Sash

The framework that moves and holds the panes of glass in a window.

Sash Weight

Metal bar attached to the end of the window sash cord and used to balance the sash.

Scabble

To dress off the rougher projections of stones for rubble masonry. This is usually done with a stone axe or a scabbling hammer.

Scantling

(1) The width and thickness of a piece of timber.

(2) The studding for a partition, when it is under five inches square.

(3) Small pieces of dimension lumber. The term is often applied to 2"x4"s and 2"x6"s. 

Scarfing

Joining and bolting two pieces of timber together transversely so that the two appear to be one.

Sconce

A fixed hanging or projecting candlestick.

Score

To make notches or incisions along a cutting line.

Scratch Coat

The first coat of plaster. It is scratched to afford a bond for the second coat.

Screeds

Long, narrow strips of plaster put on horizontally along a wall and carefully faced out of wind. They serve as guides for plastering the wide intervals between them. 

Screen

(1) A perforated or meshed fabric, usually framed, used to separate finer from coarser parts; a sieve.

(2) A wall or partition which does not reach up to the ceiling.

(3) A perforated covering, as a window screen or a fire screen.

Scribing

Fitting woodwork to an irregular surface.

Section

A drawing showing the internal heights of the various parts of a building. It supposes the building to be cut through entirely, so as to show the walls, the heights of the internal doors and other apertures, the heights of the stories, the thicknesses of the floors, etc.

Service Head

A special fitting used where service wires leave the conduit or cable to be attached to power lines; it prevents moisture from entering the conduit or cable.

Setback

A flat, plain setoff in a wall. Also, a setting back of the outside wall of a building for some distance from the street.

Setoff

The horizontal line shown where a wall is reduced in thickness and, consequently, the part of the thicker portion seems to project beyond the thinner. In plinths this is usually simply chamfered. In other parts of the work the setoff is generally concealed by a projecting string. 

Shaft

(1) Any open space, other than a court, that extends through a building for two or more stories. It may be interior or exterior, and it may be for air, light, elevator, dumb-waiter or other purposes. A vent-shaft is one used solely to ventilate or light a water-closet compartment, bathroom, or pantry.

(2) Slender columns, standing either alone or in connection with pillars, jambs, vaulting, etc.

Sheathing

Boards nailed over rafters or studding to serve as a base for roofing or siding.

Sheathing Paper

A building material used in wall, floor, and roof construction to resist the passage of air.

see also HOUSEWRAP or AIR BARRIER or MOISTURE BARRIER

Shed Roof or Lean-to

A roof having only one set of rafters, falling from a higher to a lower wall, like an aisle roof.

Shim

A strip of material used to fill a small space.

Shingles

Roof covering made of wood cut to stock lengths and thicknesses and to random widths.

Shiplap

Boards cut along the edge in such a

fashion that when nailed alongside one another they form a half-lap joint.

Shoe Mold or Base Shoe

A strip of quarter-round that is nailed across the joint between the floor and the baseboard.

Shore

A piece of timber placed in an oblique direction to support a building or wall temporarily while it is being repaired or altered.

Shoulder

A projecting part.

Siding

Boards used as exterior walls.

Silex

Finely ground quartz used as a filler.

Sill

(1) Those pieces of timber or stone at the bottoms of doors and windows.

(2) The wood portion of a house that rests on the foundations; the timbers on the ground which support the posts and superstructure of a timber building.

Size

Glue, varnish, shellac, etc. used to seal pores of material to be painted. 

Sizing

A coating applied to plaster or wall-board before paint or paste is put on, to prevent uneven absorption. 

Skintled Brickwork

Irregularly formed brickwork arranged with variations in projections on the outside face-wall. It is usually made of irregularly shaped bricks.

Skirting

Trim used between floor and walls; the narrow boards that form a plinth around the margin of a floor. More often called baseboard.

Sleeper

A piece of timber laid on the ground to receive floor joists.

Smoke Chamber

Portion of a fireplace directly over the damper.

Soffit

The lower horizontal face of a part or member of a building.

Soil Pipe

A cast-iron pipe used for the house sewer line.

Solder

An alloy of tin and lead having a low melting point. It is used for joining metal.

Soldiers

In brickwork, bricks set on edge.

Sole or Sole Plate

A horizontal member, usually a 2"x4", on which wall and partition studs rest.

Space Heaters

Small automatic heaters; pipeless furnaces that do not have to be installed in basements.

Spacers

Wood strips used to hold the sides of a concrete form an equal distance apart at various points.

Spall

(1) Inferior or broken brick;

(2) stone chips.

Span

The distance between the supports of a beam, girder, arch, truss, etc.

Specification

The designation of the kind, quality, and quantity of work and material that are to go into a building, in conjunction with the working drawings.

Splayed

The jamb of a door, or anything else of which one side makes an oblique angle with the other.

S.S. Glass

Single-strength glass, used in ordinary window panes.

Staging

A structure of posts and boards for supporting workmen and materials in building.

Stile

The upright side frames of a panel door.

Stilted

Term used to describe anything raised above its usual level.

Stool

The inside sill of a window frame.

Stoop

A seat before the door; often a porch with a balustrade and seats on the sides.

Story

That portion of a building included between the surface of any floor and the surface of the next floor above. If there is no floor above, it is the space between the floor surface and the ceiling or roof above.

A half-story is that portion of any building wholly or partly within the roof framing. In some sections, a basement or cellar is considered as a story if its ceiling is more than five feet above grade.

Strap

An iron plate for connecting two or more timbers, to which it is screwed by bolts. It generally passes around one of the timbers.

Strap Hinge

A heavy hinge used on large doors.

Straightedge

A board with a straight side used for measuring and drawing. 

Stretcher

A brick or block of masonry laid lengthwise in a wall.

String Board

A board placed next to the well-hole in wooden stairs_r terminating the end of the steps.

String-course

A narrow, vertically faced, slightly projecting course in an elevation. If window sills are made continuous, they form a string-course; but if this course is made thicker or deeper than ordinary w'indow sills, or covers a set-off in the wall, it becomes a blocking-course.

Stringers

The sides of a flight of stairs. Also called carriages.

String Piece

The piece of board put under the treads and risers to form the support of the stair.

Struck Joint

A mortar joint used in brickwork.

Strut

Timber used as a brace or support, such as framing.

Stucco

Any material used to cover walls and the like, put on ivet and drying hard and durable. Plaster, when applied to walls in the usual way, is a kind of stucco; the hard finish is almost exactly like fine Roman stucco except that it is applied in one thin coat instead of many. The term is commonly used for outer walls.

The practical value of stucco is very great, this material being almost impervious to water. An excellent wall three or more stories high can be built with eight inches of brick on the inner side, four inches of brick on the outer side, an air space of two or four inches across w'hich the outer and inner walls are well tied, and two coats of well-mixed and well-laid stucco on the exterior. The stucco is finally painted w'ith oil paint.

Studs or Studding The small timbers used in partitions and outside wooden walls, to which the laths and boards are nailed. The uprights of a wall. The 2"x4" stock used to frame the sides of a building. 

Sub-floor

The rough floor under the finish floor.

Summer

A girder or main-beam of a floor. If supported on two-story posts and open below', it is called a brace-summer.

Sump

A pit, well, or the like in w'hich water or other liquid is collected. 

Surface Lumber

Lumber that has been dressed.

Sweating

The condensation of moisture vapor on a surface.

Tail Beam

A relatively short beam or joist supported in a wall on one end and by a header on the other.

Tail Trimmer

A trimmer next to the wall, into w'hich the ends of joists are fastened to avoid fires.

Tamp

To pound earth down firmly.

Tang

Portion of metal tool that fits into handle.

Template

A pattern cut out of paper, cardboard, or a similar material. Also, a short piece of timber put under a girder or other beam for added strength. A beam over an opening, such as a doorway.

Tenon

Tongue or lip cut on a piece of w^rood to fit into a mortice.

Terra Cotta

Baked clay of a fine quality. Used for architectural ornaments, statues, vases, etc.

Thickness

In lumber, the distance between the two broad surfaces. See also Wall Thickness.

T-Hinge

A hinge shaped like the letter T.

Threshold

A piece of wood or metal under a door.

Throat

(1)    Opening at top of fireplace into chimney where damper is located.

(2)    A channel or groove made on

the under side of a string-course, coping, etc., to prevent w^rater from running inward tov^rard the w^ralls.

Tie

A timber, rod, chain, etc., which binds together two bodies that have a tendency to separate or diverge from one another. The tie-beam, connects the bottom of a pair of principal rafters and prevents them from bursting out the wall.

Tii.es

Flat pieces of elav burned in kilns, used in place of slates or lead to cover roofs. Also used for floors and wainscoting, about fireplaces, etc. Small squares of marble are also called tiles. Tiles are also made of plastic or metal and often used in these forms to cover walls.

Tin Snips

Shears used for cutting thin metal.

T-Joint

A joint shaped like the letter T.

Toenail

To drive a nail in at an angle in order to permit it to penetrate a second member. This makes a stronger joint than does driving the nail straight down.

Tongue

The part of a board left projecting so that it can be inserted into a groove.

Transformer

An electrical device used to reduce voltage.

Transom

(1) The horizontal construction that divides a window into heights or stages.

(2) A window which is built above a door or other window' and is attached to a transom.

T RAVERSE

To plane in a direction across the grain of the wood, as to traverse a floor by planing across the boards. 

Tread

The horizontal part of a step of a stair.

Trellis

Latticework of metal or wood for vines to run on.

Trestle

A movable frame or support for anything. When made of a crosspiece wdth four legs, it is called a horse.

Trim

(1) 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, picture molding) . These are almost always made of wood.

(2) Of a door, sometimes used to denote the locks, knobs, and hinges.

Trimmer

The beam or floor joist to which a header is nailed in the framing for either a chimney, a stairwav, or other opening.

Trimmer Arch

An arch built in front of a fireplace, in the thickness of the floor, betw^reen two trimmers. The bottom of the arch starts from the chimney, and the top presses against the header. 

Tuck-pointing

In an existing masonry wall such as brick, block or stone, filling recessed masonry joints with mortar; typically, a repair. [DF]

Marking the joints of brickwork with a narrow, parallel ridge of fine putty.

Turpentine, Gum

Liquid used in painting. The distilled gum from yellow pine trees.

urpentine, Wood

Liquid extracted from pine wood waste by distillation or by solvents. 

Unit of Run

The unit of measurement used with a framing square for measuring rafters.

Unit of Span

Twice the unit of run.

Upset

To thicken and shorten, as by hammering a heated bar of iron on the end.

Valley

The internal angle formed by two inclined sides of a roof.

Valley Rafter

A rafter that forms the intersection of an internal roof angle.

Vehicle

In painting, the liquid with which the paint pigment is mixed so that it can be brushed on a surface.

Veneer

A thin layer of wood glued to a base made of a cheaper or inferior wood. 

Verge

The edge of the tiling, slate, or shingles projecting over the gable of a roof, that on the horizontal portion being called eaves.

Verge Board or Barge Board

The board under the verge of gables.

Vermiculated

Stones and other materials that have been worked so as to have the appearance of being worm-eaten.

Vitrified Soil Pipe

Hard-baked clay pipe used for outside sewer lines.

WAinscoting

Wooden lining of the lower portion of an interior wall, generally in panel form.

Wall, Bearing

A wall which supports any vertical load other than its own weight. It may support joists, beams, girders, or the trusses of a floor.

WALLboard

Wood pulp, gypsum, or a similar material made into large, rigid sheets that can be fastened to the frame of a building to provide a surface finish.

Wall, Curtain

An enclosing wall, built and supported between columns and piers, which sustains no weight other than its own.

Wall, Division

A bearing wall which runs between two exterior walls and subdivides the building into several parts. 

Wall, Exterior

An outside wall that serves as a vertical enclosure of a building.

Wall, Fire

A wall of solid masonry or reinforced concrete which subdivides a building to restrict the spread of fire and which starts at the foundation and extends continuously through all stories to and above the roof. 

Wall, Fire Division

This is the same as a fire wall, except that it is not necessarily continuous through all stories and it does not necessarily extend beyond the roof. 

Wall, Foundation 

That portion of an enclosing wall below the first tier of floor-joists or beams nearest to and above the grade-line, and that portion of any interior wall or pier below the basement or cellar-floor.

Wall, Non-bearing

A wall designed to carry only its own weight.

Wall, Partition See Partition.

Wall, Party

A wall that is used jointly by two buildings.

Wall Plates

Pieces of timber placed on top of brick or stone walls in order to support the roof of a building.

Wall, Retaining

A wall designed to resist lateral pressure. It may resist the lateral pressure of either the adjoining earth or internal loads.

Wall Thickness

The minimum thickness required by a building code for the walls between the floors and the ceiling or roof of a structure.

Wane

The natural curvature of a log or of the edge of a board sawed from an unsquared log.

Warped

Twisted out of shape by seasoning.

Water Table

A molding or slight projection on the outside of a wall. It usuallv

occurs a few feet above the ground, and it serves as a protection against rain.

Weather Boarding

Boards lapped over each other to prevent rain, etc., from passing through.

Weathering

A slight fall on the tops of cornices, window sills, etc., to throw off the rain.

Weep Hole

A small hole in a masonry wall. Its function is to permit water to drain through.

Welding

A method of attaching pieces of metal by means of intense heat. 

Wet-Wall Construction See Dry-wall Construction.

white Lead A paint pigment.

Width

In lumber, the distance across the grain on the broadest surface.

Wind

A turn or a bend. A wall is said to be out of the wind when it is a perfectly flat surface.

Window Frame

The portion of the window that holds the sashes.

Window Sill

The bottom of a window frame.

WIthes

The partition between two chimney flues in the same stack..

Yard

An open, unoccupied space on the same lot as the house.

...

Continue reading at BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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• KIT HOMES, Aladdin, Sears, Wards, Others

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