Abut Joining the end of a construction member.

Acre A unit of land measurement having 43,560 sq. ft.

Adhesive A natural or synthetic material, usually in liquid form, used to fasten or adhere materials together.

Air-Dried Lumber Lumber that has been dried by unheated air to a moisture content of approximately 15 percent,

Anchors Devices, usually metal, used in building construction to secure one material to another.

Apron Inside window trim placed under the stool and against the wall.

Arcade An open passageway usually surrounded by a series of arches.

Arch A curved structure designed to support itself and the weight above.

Areaway Recessed area below grade around the foundation to allow light and ventilation into basement windows.

Asbestos Board A fire-resistant sheet made from asbestos fiber and Portland cement.

Ash Pit An enclosed opening below a fireplace to collect ashes.

Asphalt Shingles Composition roof shingles made from asphalt-impregnated felt covered with mineral granules.

Astragal T-profiled molding usually used between meeting doors or casement windows.

Atrium An open court within a building.

Attic The space between the roof and the ceiling in a gable house.

Awning Window An out swinging window hinged at the top of the sash.

Axis A line around which something rotates or is symmetrically arranged.

Backfill Earth used to fill in areas around foundation walls.

Balcony A deck projecting from the wall of a building above ground level.

Balloon Frame A type of wood framing in which the studs extend from sill to eaves without interruption.

Balusters Small, vertical supports for the railing of a stairs.

Balustrade A series of balusters supporting the railing of a stairs or balcony.

Banister A handrail with supporting posts on a stairway.

Bargeboard The finish board covering the projecting portion of a gable roof.

Baseboard The finish trim board covering the interior wall where the wall and floor meet.

Batt A type of insulation designed to be installed between framing members.

Batten The narrow strips of wood nailed vertically over the joints of boards to form board-and-batten siding.

Batter Boards Horizontal boards at exact elevations nailed to posts just outside the corners of a proposed building. Strings are stretched across the boards to locate the outline of the foundation for workmen.

Bays Uniform compartments within a structure, usually within a structure, usually within a series of beams, columns, etc.

Bay Windows A group of windows projecting from the wall of a building. The center is parallel to the wall, and the sides are angular. A bow window is circular.

Bearing Plate A metal plate that provides support for a structural member

Bearing Wall A wall that supports a weight above in addition to its own weight.

Blind Nailing Method of nailing to conceal nails.

Board Measure The system of lumber measurement. A unit is 1 board ft. which is 1 sq ft by approximately 1".

Bonds The arrangement of masonry units in a wall.

Brick Veneer A facing of brick on the outer side of wood frame or masonry.

Bridging Thin wood or metal pieces fastened diagonally at midspan between floor joists to act as both tension and compression members for the purposes of stiffening and spreading concentrated loads.

Buck Frame for a door, usually made of metal,

Building Line An imaginary line on a plot beyond which a building may not extend.

Built-up Roof A roofing composed of layers of felt impregnated with pitch , coal tar, or asphalt. The top is finished with crushed stone or minerals. It is used on flat or low-pitched roofs.

Bullnose rounded edge units.

Butt Type of joint having the pieces edge to edge or end to end. Also a type of door hinge allowing edge of door to butt into the jamb

Carport A garage not fully enclosed.

Casement Window Window with one or two sash that hinge on their sides. They may open either in or out.

Casing Trim around a window or door opening.

Caulking A soft, waterproof material used to fill open joints or cracks.

Cavity Wall A masonry wall having a 2" air space between brick wythes.

Cement A fine, gray powder made from lime, silica, iron oxide, and alumina that when mixed with water and aggregate produces concrete.

Chamfer The beveled edge formed by removing the sharp corner of a material.

Chase A vertical space within a building for ducts, pipes, or wires.

Cleat A small board fastened to another member to serve as a brace or support.

Collar Beam A horizontal member tying opposing rafters below the ridge in roof framing.

Conduit, Electrical A metal pipe in which wiring is installed.

Core The inner layer of plywood. It may be veneer, solid lumber, or fiberboard

Corner Board Vertical board forming the corner of a building.

Corner Brace Diagonal brace at the corner of a wood frame wall to stiffen and prevent racking.

Cornice The molded projection of the roof overhang at the top of a wall.

Cornice Return The short portion of a molded cornice that returns on the gable end of a house.

Cove A concave molding usually used on horizontal inside corners.

Crawl Space The shallow space below the floor of a house built above the ground. Generally it is surrounded with the foundation wall.

Cricket A device used at roof intersections to divert rain water.

Cripple A structural member that is cut less than full length, such as a studding piece above a window or door opening.

Crown Molding A molding used above eye level, usually the cornice molding under the roof overhang.

Cul-de-sac A court or street with no outlet which provides a turnaround for vehicles.

Cupola A small, decorative structure placed on a roof, usually a garage roof, and can be used as a ventilator.

Curtain wall An exterior wall that provides no structural support.

Damper A movable plate which regulates the draft through a flue or duct.

Dead load The weight of the structure itself and permanent components fastened to it.

Dimension lumber Framing lumber which is 2" thick and 4"-12" wide.

Dome A roof in the shape of a hemisphere used on a structure.

Doorjamb Two vertical pieces held together by a head jamb forming the inside lining of a door opening.

Doorstop The strips on the doorjambs against which the door closes.

Dormer A projection on a sloping roof framing a vertical window or vent.

Double glazing Two pieces of glass with air between to provide insulation.

Double hung A type of window having two sash which can be operated vertically.

Down spout A pipe for carrying rainwater from the roof to the ground or sewer connection.

Dressed size The actual finish size of lumber after surfacing.

Drip A projecting construction member or groove below the member to throw off rainwater

Dry-wall Construction Interior wall covering with sheets of gypsum rather than traditional plaster.

Ducts Sheet-metal conductors for air distribution throughout a building

Duplex Outlet Electrical wall outlet having two plug receptacles

Earth Berm An area of raised earth

Easement A right or privilege to a piece of property held by someone other than the owner. Usually the right to run utility lines, underground pipe, or passageways on property.

Eaves The lower portion of the roof that overhangs the wall

Efflorescence The forming of white stains on masonry walls from moisture within the walls.

Ell An extension or wing of a building at right angles to the main section.

Escutcheon The decorative metal plate used around the keyhole on doors or around a pipe extending through the wall

Excavation A cavity or pit produced by digging the earth in preparation for construction

Expansion Joint A flexible joint used to prevent cracking or breaking because of expansion and contraction due to temperature changes

Facade The face or front elevation of a building.

Face Brick Brick of better quality used on the face of a wall.

Fascia The outside horizontal member on the edge of a roof or overhang.

Fenestration The arrangement of window and door openings in a wall.

Fill Sand, gravel, or loose earth used to bring a subgrade up to a desired level around a building.

Firecut An angular cut at the end of a floor joist resting on a masonry wall.

Fire-stop A tight closure of a concealed space with incombustible material to prevent the spreading of fire.

Fire Wall A fire-resistant masonry wall between sections of a building for the purpose of containing a fire.

Flagstone Thin, flat stones used for floors, steps, walks, etc.

Flashing Sheet metal or other material used in roof or wall construction to prevent water from seeping into the building.

Flat-plate Collector A solar energy collector made from metal piping with glass over.

Flitch Beam A built-up beam formed by a metal plate sandwiched between two wood members and bolted together for additional strength.

Floor Joist Structural member of a floor.

Flue The passage in a chimney through which smoke, gases, and fumes escape to the outer air.

Footing Poured concrete base upon which the foundation wall rests.

Frieze The flat board of cornice trim which is fastened to the wall..

Frostline The deepest level of frost penetration in soil. This depth varies in different climates .Footings must be placed below the frostline to prevent rupturing the foundation.

Furring Strips Thin strips of wood fastened to walls or ceilings for leveling and for receiving the finish surface material.

Gable The triangular end of a gable-roofed house.

Gambrel Roof A roof with two pitches, the lower slope steeper than the upper.

Girder heavy structural member supporting lighter structural members of a floor or roof.

Glazing Placing of glass in windows and doors.

Gradient The inclination of a road, piping, or the ground, expressed in percent.

Gravel Stop A strip of metal with a vertical lip used to retain the gravel around the edge of a built-up roof,

Grounds Wood strips fastened to walls before plastering to serve as screeds and nailing base for trim.

Gusset A plywood or metal plate used to strengthen the joints of a truss.

Gutter A metal or wood trough for carrying water from a roof.

Hanger A metal strap used to support piping or the ends of joists.

Header In framing, the joists placed at the ends of a floor opening and attached to the trimmers. In masonry work, the small end of a masonry unit.

Hearth The incombustible floor in front of and within the fireplace.

Heartwood The central portion of wood within the tree, which is stronger and more decay-resistant than the surrounding sapwood.

Hip Rafter The diagonal rafter that extends from the plate to the ridge to form the hip.

Hip Roof A roof that rises by equally inclined planes from all four sides of a building.

Hose Bibb A water faucet made for the threaded attachment of a hose.

House Drain Horizontal sewer piping within a building which carries the waste from the soil stacks.

House Sewer The watertight soil pipe extending from the exterior of the foundation wall to the public sewer.

Humidifier A device, generally attached to the furnace, which supplies or maintains correct humidity levels in a building.

Incandescent Lamp A lamp within which a filament gives off light when sufficiently heated by an electric current.

Insulating Concrete Concrete with vermiculite added to produce lightweight, insulating concrete for subfloors and roofs.

Interior Trim General term for all the finish molding, casing, baseboard, etc., applied within the building by finish carpenters.

Jack Rafter A rafter shorter than a common rafter; especially used in hip-roof framing.

Jalousie A type of window having a number of small, unframed yet movable pieces of glass.

Jamb The vertical members of a finished door opening.

Joinery A general woodworking term used for all better-class wood-joint construction.

Joist A horizontal structural member supported by bearing walls, beams, or girders in floor or ceiling framing.

Joist Hanger A metal strap to carry the ends of floor joists.

Keystone The wedged center stone at the crown of an arch.

Kiln-Dried Lumber Lumber that has been properly dried and cured to produce a higher grade lumber than that which has been air dried.

King Post The center upright strut in a truss.

Kip a unit of 1000 pound load.

Knee Wall A low wall resulting from 1 1/2 -story construction.

Knocked Down Unassembled; refers to construction units requiring assembly after being delivered to the job.

Laitance Undesirable surface water that forms on curing concrete.

Lally Column A steel column used in light construction.

Laminated Beam A beam made of superimposed layers of similar materials by uniting them with glue and pressure re.

Landing A platform between flights of stairs or at the termination of stairs.

Lap Joint A joint produced by lapping two similar pieces of material.

Lath Metal, wood, or gypsum base for plastering.

Lattice Framework of crossed or interlaced wood or metal strips.

Leader A vertical pipe or downspout that carries rainwater from the gutter to the ground or storm sewer.

Ledger Strip A strip of lumber fastened to the lower part of a beam or girder on which notched joists are attached.

Light A single pane of glass in a window or door.

Lineal Foot A 1" measurement along a straight line

Lintel A horizontal support member across the head of a door or window opening.

Load-Bearing Wall A wall designed to support the weight imposed upon it from above.

Lookout A short wooden framing member used to support an overhanging portion of a roof. It extends from the wall to the underside surfacing of the overhang.

Lot Line The line forming the legal boundary of a piece of property.

Louver An opening or slatted grill allowing ventilation while providing protection from rain.

Luminaire An electric lighting fixture used within a room

Mansard Roof A hip-type roof having two slopes on each of the four sides.

Masonry A general term for construction of brick, stone, concrete block, or similar materials.

Mastic A flexible adhesive for adhering building materials.

Matte Finish A finish free from gloss or highlights.

Metal Wall Ties Corrugated metal strips used to tie masonry veneer to wood walls.

Millwork A general term that includes all dressed lumber which has been molded, shaped, or preassembled at the mill.

Miter Joint A joint made with ends or edges of two pieces of lumber cut at a 45~ and fitted together.

Modular Construction Construction in which the size of all components has been based upon a standardized unit of measure.

Moisture Barrier A sheet material that retards moisture penetration into walls, floors, ceilings, etc.

Monolithic Term used for concrete construction poured and cast in one piece without joints.

Mortar A mixture of cement, sand, lime, and water used to bond masonry units.

Mortise A hole, slot, or recess cut into a piece of wood to receive a projecting part (tenon) made to fit.

Mosaic Small colored tile, glass, stone, or similar material arranged to produce a decorative surface.

Mullion The structural member between a series of windows.

Muntin A small bar separating the glass lights in a window.

Newel Post The main post supporting a handrail at the bottom or top of a stairs.

Nominal Size The size of lumber before dressing, rather than its actual size.

Nonbearing wall A wall supporting no load other than its own weight.

Nonferrous Metal Metal containing no iron, such as copper, brass, or aluminum.

Nosing The rounded edge of a stair tread.

On center A method of indicating the spacing between framing members by stating the measurement from the center of one member to the center of the succeeding one.

Outlet Any type of electrical box allowing current to be drawn from the electrical box allowing current tot be drawn from the electrical system for lighting or appliances.

Overhang The projecting area of a roof or upper story beyond the wall of the lower part.

Pallet A rugged wood skid used to stack and mechanically handle units of masonry.

Panel A flat, rectangular surface framed with a thicker material.

Parapet A low wall or railing; usually around the edge of a roof.

Parge coat A thin coat of cement plaster applied to a masonry wall for refinement of the surface or for damp-proofing.

Parquet flooring Flooring, usually of wood, laid in an alternating inlaid pattern to form various designs.

Parting stop Thin strips set into the vertical jambs of a double-hung window to separate the sash.

Partition A wall that divides areas within a building.

Party wall A wall between two adjoining buildings in which both owners share, such as a common wall between row houses.

Passive Solar system An integral energy system using only natural and architectural components to utilize solar energy.

Penny A term used to indicate the size of nails, abbreviated "d". Originally, it specified the price per hundred nails, (i.e., 6-penny nails cost 6 cents per hundred nails).

Pergola An open, structural framework over an outdoor area usually covered with climbing shrubs or vines to form an arbor.

Periphery The entire outside edge of an object.

Pier A masonry pillar usually below a building to support the floor framing.

Pilaster A rectangular pier attached to a wall for the purpose of strengthening the wall. Also a decorative column attached to a wall.

Pitch The slope of a roof usually expressed as a ratio.

Plat A graphic description of a surveyed piece of land, indicating the boundaries, location, and dimensions. The plat, recorded in the appropriate county official's office, also contains information as to easements, restrictions, and lot numbers, if any.

Plate The top horizontal member of a row of studs in a frame wall.

Plumb Said of an object when it is in true vertical position as determined by a plumb bob or vertical level.

Poche The darkening in of areas on a drawing to aid in readability.

Post-and-beam Construction A type of building frame in which roof and floor beams rest directly over wall posts.

Precast Concrete units that are cast and finished at the plant rather than at the site of construction.

Primecoat The first coat of paint that serves as a filler and sealer in preparation for finish coats.

Purlins Horizontal roof members laid over trusses to support rafters.

Quarry tile Unglazed, machine-made tile used for floors.

Quarter round Small molding presenting the profile of a quarter circle.

Quarter-sawed oak Oak lumber, usually flooring, which has been sawed so that the medullary rays showing on end-grain are nearly perpendicular to the face of the lumber.

Quoins Large squared stones set in the corners of a masonry building for appearance's sake.

Rabbet (or rebate) A groove cut along the edge or end of a board to receive another board producing a rabbet joint.

Radiant heating A method of heating with the use of radiating heat rays.

Rafter A roof structural member running from the wall plate to the ridge. Types include jack, hip, valley, and common. The structural members of a flat roof are usually called roof joists.

Rake joint A mortar joint that has been recessed by tooling before it sets up.

Rake molding Gable molding attached on the incline of the gable. The molding must be a different profile to match similar molding along the remaining horizontal portions of the roof.

Random rubble Stonework having irregular shaped units and coursing.

Register Opening in air duct, usually covered with a grill.

Reinforced concrete Concrete containing steel bars or wire mesh to increase its structural qualities.

Retaining wall A heavy wall that supports an earth embankment.

Reveal The side of an opening for a window or door, between the frame and the outer surface of a wall.

Ribbon A wood strip set into studs to support floor joists in balloon framing.

Ridge The top edge of a roof where two slopes meet.

Ridgeboard The highest horizontal member in a gable roof; it is supported by the upper ends of the rafters.

Riprap Irregular stones thrown together loosely to form a wall or soil cover.

Rise The vertical height of a roof or stairs.

Rocklath Paper covered gypsum sheets used as a plaster base.

Rough hardware All the concealed fasteners in a building such as nails, bolts, hangers, etc.

Rough opening An unfinished opening in the framing into which doors, windows, and other units are placed.

Rubble Irregular broken stone.

Run The horizontal distance of a flight of stairs, or the horizontal distance from the outer wall to the ridge of a roof.

R Value Unit of thermal resistance in rating insulating materials; higher values are better insulators.

Saddle A small gable roof placed in back of a chimney on a sloping roof to shed water and debris.

Sash An individual frame in which glass is set. The moveable parts of a window.

Scab A short piece of lumber fastened to a butt joint for strength.

Schedule A list of similar items and information about them, such as a window schedule.

Scribing Marking and fitting a piece of lumber to an irregular surface such as masonry.

Scuttle A small opening in a ceiling to provide access to an attic or roof.

Section A unit of land measurement usually one mile square. A section contains approximately 640 acres, and there are 36 sections to a township. Also a drawing showing the cut-open vies of an object.

Septic tank A concrete or steel underground tank used to reduce sewage by bacterial action.

Shake A handsplit wood shingle.

Sheathing The rough boarding or covering over the framing of a house.

Shim A thin piece of material used to true up or fill a space between two members.

Shoe mold The small molding covering the joint between the flooring and baseboard on the inside of a room.

Shoring Planks or posts used to support walls or ceilings during construction.

Siding The outside finish covering on a frame wall.

Sill The horizontal exterior member below a window or door opening. The wood member placed directly on to the foundation wall in wood frame construction.

Skylight A window in a flat roof.

Sleepers Wood strips placed over or in a concrete slab to receive a finish wood floor.

Smoke chamber The enlarged portion of a chimney flue directly above the fireplace.

Soffit The underside of an over hang such as a cornice or stairs.

Soil stack The vertical pipe in a plumbing system that carries the sewage.

Sole plate The horizontal member of a frame wall resting on the rough floor, to which the studs are nailed.

Span The horizontal distance between supports for joists, beams, or trusses.

Specifications The written instructions that accompany a set of working drawings.

Square A unit of measure - 100 sq ft. Commonly used in reference to the amount of roofing material to cover 100 sq ft.

Stile The vertical member on the door or panel.

Stirrup A metal U-shaped strap used to support the end of a framing member.

Stool Horizontal interior member of trim below a window.

Stretcher course A row of masonry in wall with the long side of the units exposed to the exterior.

Stringer The inclined structural member supporting the treads and risers of a stairs; sometimes it is visible next to the profile of the stairs.

Stucco A cement plaster finish applied to exterior walls.

Studs The vertical framing members of a wall.

Subflooring Any material nailed directly to floor joists. The finish floor is attached over the subflooring.

Sunspace Glassed-in area for the collection of solar heat.

Tail joist A relatively shorter joist that joins against a header or trimmer in floor framing.

Tensile strength The greatest longitudinal stress a structural member can bear without adverse effects (breaking or cracking).

Termite shield Sheet metal placed over masonry to prevent the passage of termites into wood.

Terra-cotta Baked clay and sand formed into masonry units.

Terrazzo flooring Wear-resistant flooring made of marble chips or small stones embedded in cement that has been polished smooth.

Thermal conductor A substance capable of transmitting heat.

Thermostat An automatic device for controlling interior temperatures.

Threshold The beveled metal, stone, or wood member directly under a door.

Title Legal evidence to the ownership of property.

Toenail Nailing at an angle to the wood fiber

Tongue The narrower extension on the edge of a board that is received by the groove of an adjacent board.

T-post A post built up of studs and blocking to form the intersection of the framing of perpendicular walls.

Transom A hinged window over a door.

Trap A U-shaped pipe below plumbing fixtures to create a water seal and prevent sewer odors and gases from being released into the habitable areas.

Tread The horizontal surface member of stairs upon which the foot placed.

Trim A general term given to the moldings and finish members on a building. Its installation is called finish carpentry.

Trimmer The longer floor framing member around a rectangular opening into which a header is joined.

Trombe-wall A passive heating concept consisting of a south-facing masonry wall with glazing in front. Solar radiation is absorbed by the wall, converted to heat, and conducted and radiated into the building.

Truss Structural member arranged and fastened in triangular units to form a rigid framework for support of loads over a long span.

Valley rafter The diagonal rafter at the intersection of two intersecting sloping roofs.

Vapor barrier A watertight material used to prevent the passage of moisture or water vapor into and through walls.

Veneered construction Type of wall construction in which frame or masonry walls are faced with other exterior surfacing materials.

Vent stack A vertical soil pipe connected to the drainage system to allow ventilation and pressure equalization.

Vestibule A small entrance room.

Wainscot The surfacing on the lower part of an interior wall when finished differently from the remainder of the wall.

Wallboard Large sheets of gypsum or fiberboard that are usually nailed to framing to form interior walls.

Wall tie A small metal strip or steel wire used to bind tiers of masonry in cavity-wall construction, or to bind brick veneer to the wood-frame wall in veneer construction.

Water-table A horizontal member extending from the surface of an exterior wall so as to throw off rainwater from the wall. Also, water level below ground.

Weather-stripping A strip of fabric or metal fastened around the edges of windows and doors to prevent air infiltration.

Weep hole Small holes in masonry cavity walls to release water accumulation to the exterior.

Winder The radiating or wedge-shaped treads at the turns of some stairs.