Copy of `Interbuilders - Building and Construction Terms and Phrases`

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Interbuilders - Building and Construction Terms and Phrases Category: Architecture and Buildings Date & country: 03/12/2007, UK Words: 156

Plaster
A soft mixture of sand or lime, water and gypsum that hardens to a smooth solid and is used for smoothing over walls and ceilings.

Plasterboard
Prefabricated sheets of plaster for ceilings and walls.

Plinth
A projecting base to external walls.

Pointing
The seal between window frames and adjacent walls.

Purlin
Horizontal beam in a roof space, positioned part way up a rafter to prevent sagging.

Quoin
The external vertical corner of a wall at a doorway, window or corner of a building, which must be built accurately vertical.

Quote
An estimate of the cost of the goods and labour involved in a building contractor carrying out building work.

Rafter
Series of structural timbers beneath the roof covering rising from eaves to ridge to which the tiling battens or sarking for sloping roofs are fixed.

Rail
Horizontal member in a fence or door.

Ranging Rod
A six-foot wooden pole that has a steel point at one end which is used as a temporary marker.

Relieving Arch
An arch constructed above a beam or lintel to take the weight of wall above.

Render
An external sand-cement coating used for walls.

Retaining Wall
A wall designed to hold back (retain) higher level ground behind it.

Reveal
Also known as Ingoe.

Ridge
The horizontal line at the apex of a roof. The ridge usually has a covering of tile, lead or zinc.

Ring Main
Power circuit for sockets.

Rise
The vertical distance between two adjacent stair treads.

Riser
(1) Upright part of a stair.

Roof Truss
Prefabricated triangular timber framework of structural members supporting a roof, carrying horizontal members (purlins), which in turn support common rafters.

RSJ
Rolled steel joist.

Sarking
Material laid on top of rafters to which tiles or slates are fixed.

Sarking Felt
Waterproof felt under roof tile battens.

Sash
The framework that holds panes of glass in a glazed window or door.

Schedule of Materials
A list of all materials required for a project or job.

Schedule of Work
A list of all items of work included in a building project.

Screed
A layer of fine concrete used to provide smooth surface prior to floor finish.

Second Fix
The items that are fitted to a finished house following plastering. Sinks and baths are connected to the pipes, electrical fixtures connected to the cables, and doors fitted into doorframes. Second fix work requires a neater finish than first fix.

Septic Tank
A method of sewage disposal that normally comprises two or three linked chambers within which self purifying (bacterial) process takes place. Beyond the chambers is an outfall to land drains or soakaways for the purified liquid effluent. Dependent upon soil conditions and method of use, septic tanks can remain undisturbed for a number of years, alt…

Sill
The bottom horizontal member of a window or door frame.

Skews
Wallhead details normally above slating level.

Skim
The finishing coat of plaster.

Skirting
Horizontal board at the junction between wall and floor.

Soakaway
A method of water disposal (usually surface water) that disperses water from drains leading to it, provided surrounding soil conditions are suitable. A soakaway may consist for example, of a hole dug in ground and then filled with brick, rubble or similar material, and covered over.

Soffit
The visible underside of a projecting surface; for example the area beneath the eaves.

Span
The horizontal distance covered by a lintel or beam.

Spoil
Material dug out during excavation.

Stack
Vertical pipe carrying waste from toilets and sinks.

Stocks
Hand or machine-made bricks made in a mould.

Stretcher
The side face of a brick.

String
The sloping board that carries the treads and risers of a staircase.

Strut
Load bearing timbers normally supporting purlins (horizontal roof supports) and fixed at an angle down to a wall or some other load bearing point.

Sub-Contractor
A business or labourer that is contracted out by the main building contractor. The main contractor pays for any work undertaken by the sub-contractor.

Tarmac
Bitumen macadam coating aggregate for driveway or pathway surfaces.

Threshold
The area at the base of a window or door opening often incorporating draught excluder strips or similar.

Timber Frame
A type of house construction usually finished with brickwork outer skin.

Tread
The horizontal part of a stair.

TRV
Thermostatic radiator valve.

Underfelt
A secondary barrier against wind-driven rain penetration at roof level, laid between the external roof covering and sarking. The underfelt also acts to conduct any rainwater that may get access beneath the slates back into the gutters.

Valley
The angle formed by the outside surfaces of two adjoining roof slopes. Can be formed in lead or tiled or, less durably, in zinc or felt, particularly between two parallel adjacent sloping roofs.

Vapour Barrier
An impervious layer, usually heavy gauge polythene sheeting, used to prevent passage of moisture in vulnerable parts of a structure.

Verge
The edge of a roof that runs from eaves to ridge at a gable The verge is usually cement pointed.

Voussoir
A wedge-shaped brick used in arch construction.

Wainscot
Wooden panelling applied to the walls of a room (usually the lower half).

Wall Head
The uppermost section of an external wall.

Wall Plate
Horizontal timber at top of wall on which roof timbers, rafters or joists rest.

Wall Tie
Plastic or metal connector used to provide a structural link between outer and inner skins of cavity walls.