Copy of `Self Build Home - Self build glossary`
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Self Build Home - Self build glossary
Category: Architecture and Buildings > Self build homes
Date & country: 03/12/2007, UK Words: 141
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AbutmentA wall that rises above the slope of the roof that separates different sections of the roof..
AirbrickA brick designed with holes through it so as to provide ventilation. Widely used by the construction industry and self build land enthusiasts..
Article 4 DirectionPermitted development rights have been granted by Parliament and Government policy that should be withdrawn only in exceptional circumstances, including evidence of a real and specific threat that permitted development is likely to take place which could damage an interest of acknowledged importance. Some small scale alterations / extensions to pro…
BacklandA land-locked site, such as a back garden or an open public space. They are usually found in developed residential areas. Self build land enthusiasts tend to develop this land after they have built their self build home..
BalustradeA collective term for describing hand rails, baluster rails and sections of steps or balconies upon which they are mounted..
Barge boardTimber boards fixed to the gable end of a roof to protect the roof timbers against the weather. Widely used by self builders..
Base slabThe large foundation concrete slab underneath a self build or other home..
BatA brick of half the normal length, used to complete a wall course bond..
BattA slab of insulating material..
BattenA small section of timber, to which sheet materials, slates and tiles may be fixed..
BlockA section of masonry designed to make the construction of self build homes quicker and more efficient. Larger than a normal house brick..
BlockworkA wall built from blocks, widely used by self build land enthusiasts and the home-building industry.
BolsterA hardwood cap attached to the end of a wooden post to increase it capacity to bear loads..
ButtTo push or otherwise fit together..
ButtressAn additional bracing wall, often set at right angles to the main wall. It is usually constructed from brick or stone, and tapers towards its summit..
CantThe angle between two walls, which is greater or lesser than a right angle..
CantileverA beam, which is fixed at one end..
Capillary ActionThis is when fluids such as water get sucked into narrow spaces, such as the gaps between bricks, usually in porous material. This particularly can lead to rising damp..
Capital Gains TaxA tax levied on the proceeds generated from the sale of property or other assets. Highly relevant to self builders, since they may need to pay it, depending on whether they own their own home at the time of self-building. Watch out for a new page on this site covering the relevance of CGT for self builders..
Capital growthThe rise in value of a property over time. Self build land enthusiasts tend to enjoy quite a lot of this!.
CarassingThe timber used in structural sections of a building - for example, roof rafters and floor joists..
CasementA window hinged on one of its vertical edges..
CavityThe gap between the external and internal walls of a house, often filled with insulating material such as expanded polystyrene..
Cavity tieGalvanised metal fixings used to bond the external and internal walls together..
Cavity trayCavity walls were introduced in the early 1900's to eliminate the problem of water penetrating to the inside of a building. This is achieved because the inner and outer leaves of the wall are totally separate except for the wall ties which are designed to prevent water from crossing from the outer wall to the inner wall. (Wall ties are now, almost …
Ceiling binderA tie running between the joists or trussed rafters..
Charge certificateA certificate from the Land Registry that shows the boundaries of a property and gives details of covenants affecting it. If there is a mortgage on the land, a charge certificate will be issued instead of the normal land certificate. It also shows a record of the deed creating the mortgage..
ChaseTo cut a groove in brickwork or other material, so as to make it possible to embed a cable or pipe into it..
CladdingThe outermost weatherproof material, fixed to a wall, designed to be decorative and / or functional..
Cleared siteA site that once had an industrial, manufacturing or other operation located on it, but which is now clear. Due to the previous use of the land, their is a potential of contamination..
Completion certificateA notice issued by the local authority after the final visit by the building inspector, confirming that the self build home or other structure complies with building regulations..
Completion noticeA certificate issued by the architect to authorize a payment to a main contractor, which establishes the value of retention money to be held over a defects period.
Contaminated landLand with a prior history of having toxic substances, chemical waste or manufacturing by-products contained in the soil structure. Something to probably steer clear of for self builders!.
ConveyancingThe legal process involved in buying and / or selling self build land, or land in general, or property..
CorniceA decorative addition to the top of an external or internal wall..
CourseA single layer of bricks or blocks..
CovenantAn agreement to do or not do something contained in a deed. Covenants can be made by the current or any prior owner of the land. An example would be to maintain a particular wall..
CovingDecorative moulding adjoining the top of an interior wall and the ceiling..
DadoPanels fixed to the lower half of internal walls.
Dado railDecorative and/or functional rails, usually made from moulded timber, fitted traditionally to internal walls to protect them from damage by chairs.
Damp-proof courseA waterproof membrane installed in walls and floors to pre- vent moisture causing damage by rising upwards through the structure. Also termed 'damp course' or 'DPC'.
DPCThe standard and widely used abbreviation for damp-proof course.
Dry jointA brick or timber joint that is not bonded with mortar or adhesive.
Dry linedAn internal partition or cladding constructed usually with a timber frame and plasterboard.
DuctingA system of shafts or tubes designed to carry and protect cables or pipes.
Dwarf wallA low wall, for example one constructed to support joists under the ground floor.
EasementA legal right to use or cross over land owned by someone else.
EavesThe lowest section of a roof, overhanging a supporting wall.
English bondA particularly strong method of building walls by laying bricks together in staggered alternating courses using headers and stretchers.
EscutcheonA protective plate around a keyhole or door handle.
FasciaBoards installed to a roof to protect the ends of trusses or rafters and on which gutters are attached.
FinialOrnamental timber section added to the highest point of barge boards or hanging from stair newels on landings.
FlangeA flat plate at the end of a pipe or beam, through which a bolted joint can be made.
FlashingWaterproof material covering joints between walls and roofs, usually shaped out of lead.
Floating coatThe first coat of thick plaster put on a wall to cover irregularities.
Floor plateA plate constructed from steel or timber bedded in mortar and designed to withstand heavy loads.
FootingsThe foundations of a structure.
FootprintThe 'footprint' of the building refers to those parts within the external walls.
FormworkTemporary boards used to keep wet mixtures, such as concrete, in a par- ticular shape until it sets.
Framed constructionA structure built with a strong skeleton frame made of timber or steel, against which a brick outer shell is added..
GableTriangular upper part of a wall at the end of a ridged roof.
Gable endThe gable shaped canopy over a door or window or a wall topped with a gable.
Hard landscapingElements include paths, driveways, garden walls and patios. Header. Brick or block laid across a wall to bond together its two sides. It also means the exposed end part of a brick.
Herringbone struttingThe type of cross bracing used between floor joists to increase stiffness.
HipThe sharp edge of a roof from ridge to eaves where the two sides meet.
Hipped roofA roof with sloping ends instead of vertical ones.
Infill siteThe redevelopment of land that has adjacent buildings, for example along a row of terraced houses where one has been demolished or where a gap always existed.
JambVertical side post of a window or doorway.
JoistA beam that supports a ceiling or floor.
Joist hangerA fabricated metal slot installed in a wall to keep a joist securely in position.
KiteThe kite-shaped tread mostly used where stairs turn a comer.
Land bankA supply of potential development plots purchased and retained by builders, which allows them to trade and construct on a continuous basis by moving on to the next plot as completion occurs on the current one.
Land certificateA document issued by the Land Registry giving details of who owns the land. However, a land certificate should not be accepted as absolute proof of ownership as it may be out of date. 'Office copy entries' are accepted by solicitors to prove ownership.
Land-lockedA plot of land with no independent route providing access onto it and no obvious means of creating one. Examples include surplus areas of an owner's private garden.
LathA long slender piece of economical timber.
Lath and plasterOld-fashioned method of plastering a wall or ceiling using slen- der timbers to construct a narrow gauge frame as a base for the wet plaster.
LeafThe inner or outer wall of a cavity wall construction.
LeaseholdLand ownership restricted to a number of years and with conditions written in a lease.
Line-boardsTimber boards laid on the ground and used to mark out the widths and position of inner and outer walls and the foundations (setting-out), prior to excavating.
LintelHorizontal section of timber, concrete or metal, installed to the top of a door- way or window opening, designed to support the structure above.
MassingThe outline of a dwelling's external shape and form.
MullionThe vertical sections of material that divide a window frame into smaller lights.
NewelThe main post supporting the end of a balustrade.
NogA wooden peg.
NoggingShort cross-pieces of timber used to brace studs.
NoseThe extending front edge of a staircase step.
Office copy entriesCopies of the entries recorded at the Land Registry proving ownership.
Over-buildingThe term applies to building a structure that is inconsistent in size, quality and/ or style with other buildings nearby or has excessively filled the lim- ited amount of land space available. Also known as an 'over development'.
Party wallA wall shared between two properties, such as is the case with semi-detached houses.
PileA deep foundation. These are formed by creating a hole deep enough to locate solid sub-soil. The hole is usually filled with concrete and reinforced or a section of solid steel is installed.
Pink landLand with a 'residential use class'. The term is used largely by local authority planners and originates from the ink colour used to identify residential development areas on maps and plans.
PitchThe angle or slope of a roof or staircase.
Planning permissionAuthority granted by the local council for land to be developed or additions made to an existing property, usually with certain conditions attached.
PlateA length of timber or steel placed either on top of a wall to support the roof trusses (a wall plate) or fixed to a floor so that studs or a timber-framed partition can be installed (a floor plate).
Precast concreteConcrete components cast in a factory or on site prior to being placed in their final positions.
Profile boardsBoards of about a meter long used to transfer the plan outline of a building onto the ground. They are held securely in place by timber stakes. Lines are stretched between saw-cuts or marks, so the position of a wall can be fixed.
Property registerOne of the three parts of a land or charge certificate describing the property and rights associated with it.
PurlinPositioned half-way up the slope of a roof, purlins are timber beams installed to support the rafters.
RaftA firm slab, usually made from concrete, designed to spread the weight of a structure on soft ground.
RafterTimbers that form the main part of the roof frame going from the wall plate up to the ridge.