If your building inspection report has listed a whole heap of issues with the house you are looking to purchase, this list of common building terms could help you out.
The list below is in an A – Z format…
(PS. Make sure you get the property infrared moisture tested in addition to a building inspection. Go to FindALeak.co.nz for details).
- A -
Airway. A space between roof insulation and roof boards for movement of air.
Anchor bolts. Large bolts to secure wooden bottom plates of timber wall frame to concrete foundation, or masonry floor or wall.
Apron. The flat member of the inside trim of a window placed against the wall immediately beneath the stool to help prevent leaking.
Attic ventilators. In most homes you’ll see a screened opening provided to ventilate an attic space or enclosed areas under a house. They are generally located in the eves area, acting as an inlet ventilator, or in the gable end. Some ventilation systems run on electricity and work similar to an exhaust fan.
- B -
Backfill. The replacement of excavated earth into a trench around and against a basement foundation.
Balusters. Usually small vertical members in a railing used between a top rail and the stair treads or a bottom rail.
Balustrade. A railing made up of balusters, top rail, and sometimes bottom rail, used on the edge of stairs and balconies. In NZ, they have made balustrades from
Barge board. A decorative board covering the projecting rafter of the gable end. At the cornice, this member is a facia board. Guttering is normally fixed onto a barge board.
Batten. Narrow strips of wood used to cover joints or as decorative vertical members over plywood or wide boards. Battens are also fixed to the external side of timber frame to create a cavity between frame and cladding.
Beam. A structural member transversely supporting a load.
Bearing partition. A partition that supports any vertical load in addition to its own weight.
Bearing wall. A wall that supports any vertical load in addition to its own weight.
Bolster. A short horizontal timber or steel beam on top of a column to support and decrease the span of beams or girders.
Brace. An inclined piece of framing timber applied to wall or floor to stiffen the structure. Often used on walls as temporary bracing until framing has been completed.
Brick veneer. A facing of brick laid against and fastened to sheathing of a frame wall or tile wall construction.
Bridging. Small wood or metal members that are inserted in a diagonal position between the floor joists at midspan to act both as tension and compression members for the purpose of bracing the joists a spreading the action of loads.
Butt joint. The junction where the ends of two timbers or other members meet in a square-cut joint.
- C -
Cap. The upper member of a column, pilaster, door cornice, molding, and the like.
Casement frames and sash. Frames of wood or metal enclosing part or all of the sash, which may be opened by means of hinges affixed to the vertical edges.
Casing. Molding of various widths and thicknesses used to trim door and window openings at the jambs.
Collar beam. Nominally 1- or 2-inch-thick members connecting opposite roof rafters. They serve to stiffen the roof structure.
Column. In architecture: A perpendicular supporting member, circular or rectangular in section, usually consisting of a base, shaft, and capital. In engineering: A vertical structural compression member which supports loads acting in the direction of its longitudinal axis.
Condensation. In a building: Beads or drops of water (and frequently frost in extremely cold weather) that accumulate on the inside of the exterior covering of a building when warm, moisture-laden air from the interior reaches a point where the temperature no longer permits the air to sustain the moisture it holds. Use of louvers or attic ventilators will reduce moisture condensation in attics. A vapor barrier under the gypsum lath or dry wall on exposed walls will reduce condensation in them.
Construction, frame. A type of construction in which the structural parts are wood or depend upon a wood frame for support. In codes, if masonry veneer is applied to the exterior walls, the classification of this type of construction is usually unchanged.
Corner bead. A strip of formed sheet metal, sometimes combined with a strip of metal lath, placed on corners before plastering to reinforce them. Also, a strip of wood finish three-quarters-round or angular placed over a plastered corner for protection.
Corner braces. Diagonal braces at the corners of frame structure to stiffen and strengthen the wall.
Let-in brace. Nominal 1 inch-thick boards applied into notched studs diagonally.
Cut-in brace. Nominal 2-inch-thick members, usually 2 by 4’s, cut in between each stud diagonally.
Cornice. Overhang of a pitched roof at the cave line, usually consisting of a facia board, a soffit for a closed cornice, and appropriate moldings.
Cornice return. That portion of the cornice that returns on the gable end of a house.
Counterflashing. A flashing usually used on chimneys at the roofline to cover shingle flashing and to prevent moisture entry.
Cove molding. A molding with a concave face used as trim or to finish interior corners.
Crawl space. A shallow space below the living quarters of a basementless house, normally enclosed by the foundation wall.
Cross-bridging. Diagonal bracing between adjacent floor joists, placed near the center of the joist span to prevent joists from twisting.
Crown molding. A molding used on cornice or wherever an interior angle is to be covered.
- D -
Decay. Disintegration of wood or other substance through the action of fungi. This is the main contributor to leaky homes with untreated timber.
Deck paint. An enamel with a high degree of resistance to mechanical wear.
Dewpoint. Temperature at which a vapor begins to deposit as a liquid. Applies especially to water in the atmosphere.
Door Jamb, interior. The surrounding case into which and out of which a door closes and opens. It consists of two upright pieces, called side jambs, and a horizontal head jamb.
Dormer. An opening in a sloping roof, the framing of which projects out to form a vertical wall suitable for windows or other openings.
Downpipe. A pipe, usually of plastic or metal, for carrying rainwater from roof gutters.
- E -
Eaves (Soffits). The margin or lower part of a roof overhanging the external walls. Eaves offer your walls and windows additional protection from rain in nil wind situations.
Expansion joint. A bituminous fiber strip used to separate blocks or units of concrete to prevent cracking due to expansion as a result of temperature changes. Also used on concrete slabs, and more recently in plaster cladding systems to help prevent water penetrating through cracks, and consequently onto the timber house frame if no cavity is installed.
- F -
Facia or fascia. A flat board, band, or face, used sometimes by itself but usually in combination with moldings, often located at the outer face of the cornice.
Fire-resistant. In the absence of a specific ruling by the authority having jurisdiction, applies to materials for construction not combustible in the temperatures of ordinary fires and that will withstand such fires without serious impairment of their usefulness for at least 1 hour.
Fire stop. A solid, tight closure of a concealed space, placed to prevent the spread of fire and smoke through such a space. In a frame wall, this will usually consist of 2 by 4 cross blocking between studs.
Fishplate. A wood or plywood piece used to fasten the ends of two members together at a butt joint with nails or bolts. Sometimes used at the junction of opposite rafters near the ridge line.
Flashing. Sheet metal or other material used in roof and wall construction to protect a building from water seepage. Window head flashing are required above all windows and doors in NZ homes.
Flat paint. An interior paint that contains a high proportion of pigment and dries to a flat or lusterless finish.
Flitch Beam: A large timber beam reinforced with a narrow steel plate through the center. It is used for long spans as basement beams or over wide wall openings, such as a double garage door, when wall and roof loads are imposed on the opening.
Flue. The space or passage in a chimney through which smoke, gas, or fumes ascend. Each passage is called a flue, which together with any others and the surrounding masonry make up the chimney.
Fly rafters. End rafters of the gable overhang supported by roof sheathing and lookouts.
Footing. A masonry section, usually concrete, in a rectangular form wider than the bottom of the foundation wall or pier it supports.
Foundation. The supporting portion of a structure below the first floor construction, or below grade, including the footings.
Framing, balloon. A system of framing a building in which all vertical structural elements of the bearing walls and partitions consist of single pieces extending from the top of the foundation sin plate to the roof plate and to which all floor joists are fastened.
Framing, platform. 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 subfloor of each story.
Frieze. In house construction a horizontal member connecting the top of the siding with the soffit of the cornice.
Fungi. Microscopic plants that live in damp wood and cause mold, stain, and decay. Common is leaky buildings.
- G -
Gable. In house construction, the portion of the roof above the eve line of a double-sloped roof.
Gable end. An end wall having a gable.
Gloss enamel. A finishing material made of varnish and sufficient pigments to provide opacity and color, but little or no pigment of low opacity. Such an enamel forms a hard coating with maximum smoothness of surface and a high degree of gloss
Gloss (paint or enamel). A paint or enamel that contains a relatively low proportion of pigment and dries to a sheen or luster.
Gib Board. Interior covering material, such as gypsum board or plywood, which is applied in large sheets or panels which is then painted to form the internal lining of your internal and external walls.
Girder. A large or principal beam of wood or steel used to support concentrated loads at isolated points along its length.
Grounds. Guides used around openings and at the floorline to strike off plaster. They can consist of narrow strips of wood or of wide subjambs at interior doorways. They provide a level plaster line for installation of casing and other trim.
Grout. Mortar made of such consistency (by adding water) that it will just flow into the joints and cavities of the masonry work and fill them solid.
Gutter or nave trough. A shallow channel or conduit of metal or wood set below and along the eaves of a house to catch and carry off rainwater from the roof.
- H -
Header. (a) A beam placed perpendicular to joists and to which joists are nailed in framing for chimney, stairway, or other opening. (b) A wood lintel.
Hearth. The inner or outer floor of a fireplace, usually made of brick, tile, or stone.
Hip. The external angle formed by the meeting of two sloping sides of a roof.
Hip roof. A roof that rises by inclined planes from all four sides of a building.
Humidifier. A device designed to increase the humidity within a room or a house by means of the discharge of water vapor. They may consist of individual room size units or larger units attached to the heating plant to condition the entire house.
- I -
Insulation, thermal. Any material high in resistance to heat transmission that, when placed in the walls, ceiling, or floors of a structure, will reduce the rate of heat flow.
- J -
Jack rafter. A rafter that spans the distance from the wall plate to a hip, or from a valley to a ridge.
Jamb. The side and head lining of a doorway, window, or other opening.
Joint. The space between the adjacent surfaces of two members or components joined and held together by nails, glue, cement, mortar, or other means.
Joist. One of a series of parallel beams, usually 2 inches in thickness, used to support floor and ceiling loads, and supported in turn by larger beams, girders, or bearing walls.
- K -
Kiln dried timber. Timber that has been kiln dried often to a moisture content of 6 to 12 per cent. Common varieties of softwood timber, such as framing timber are dried to a somewhat higher moisture content. Used in ‘leaky homes’.
Knot. In timber, the portion of a branch or limb of a tree that appears on the edge or face of the piece.
- L -
Landing. A platform between flights of stairs or at the termination of a flight of stairs.
Ledger strip. A strip of timber nailed along the bottom of the side of a girder on which joists rest.
Light. Space in a window sash for a single pane of glass. Also, a pane of glass.
Lintel. A horizontal structural member that supports the load over an opening such as a door or window.
Lookout. A short wood bracket or cantilever to support an overhang portion of a roof or the like, usually concealed from view
Louver. An opening with a series of horizontal slats so an ranged as to permit ventilation but to exclude rain, sun. light, or vision.
- M -
Mantel. The shelf above a fireplace. Also used in referring to the decorative trim around a fireplace opening.
Masonry. Stone, brick, concrete, hollow-tile, concrete block, gypsum block, or other similar building units or materials or a combination of the same, bonded together with mortar to form a wall, pier, buttress, or similar mass
Mastic. A pasty material used as a cement (as for setting tile) or a protective coating (as for thermal insulation or waterproofing)
Metal lath. Sheets of metal that are slit and drawn out to form openings. Used as a plaster base for walls and ceilings and as reinforcing over other forms of plaster base.
Millwork. Generally all building materials made of finished wood and manufactured in millwork plants and planing mills are included under the term “millwork.” It includes such items as inside and outside doors, window and doorframes, blinds, porchwork, mantels, panelwork, stairways, moldings, and interior trim. It normally does not include flooring, ceiling, or siding.
Miter joint. The joint of two pieces at an angle that bisects the joining angle. For example, the miter joint at the side and head casing at a door opening is made at a 45° angle.
Moisture content of wood. Weight of the water contained in the wood, usually expressed as a percentage of the weight of the oven dry wood.
Molding. A wood strip having a coned or projecting surface used for decorative purposes.
Mullion. A vertical bar or divider in the frame between windows, doors, or other openings.
Muntin. A small member which divides the glass or openings of sash or doors.
- N -
Natural finish. A transparent finish which does not seriously alter the original color or grain of the natural wood. Natural finishes are usually provided by sealers, oils, varnishes, water-repellent preservatives, and other similar materials.
Newel, A post to which the end of a stair railing or balustrade is fastened. Also, any post to which a railing or balustrade is fastened.
Non load bearing wall. A wall supporting no load other than its own weight.
Nosing. The projecting edge of a molding or drip. Usually applied to the projecting molding on the edge of a stair tread.
- O -
Outrigger. An extension of a rafter beyond the wall line. Usually a smaller member nailed to a larger rafter to form a cornice or roof overhang.
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- P -
Paint. A combination of pigments with suitable thinners or oils to provide decorative and protective coatings.
Paper, building. A general term for papers, felts, and similar sheet materials used in buildings without reference to their properties or uses.
Paper, sheathing. A building material, generally paper or felt, used in wall and roof construction as a protection against the passage of air and sometimes moisture.
Parting stop or strip. A small wood piece used in the side and head jambs of double-hung windows to separate upper and lower sash.
Partition. A wall that subdivides spaces within any story of a building.
Pier. A column of masonry, usually rectangular in horizontal cross section, used to support other structural members.
Pitch. The incline slope of a roof or the ratio of the total rise to the total width of a house, i.e., an 8-foot rise and 24-foot width is a one-third pitch roof. Roof slope is expressed in the inches of rise per foot of run.
Plaster grounds. Strips of wood used as guides or strike off edges around window and door openings and at base of walls.
Plate. Sill plate: a horizontal member anchored to a masonry wall. Sole plate: bottom horizontal member of a frame wall (Bottom plate). Top plate: top horizontal member of a frame wall supporting ceiling joists, rafters, or other members.Plumb. Exactly perpendicular; vertical.
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 provide balanced construction.
Primer. The first coat of paint in a paint job that consists of two or more coats; also the paint used for such a first coat.
Putty. A type of cement usually made of whiting and boiled linseed oil, beaten or kneaded to the consistency of dough, and used in sealing glass in sash, filling small holes and crevices in wood, and for similar purposes.
- Q -
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- R -
Rabbet. A rectangular longitudinal groove cut in the corner edge of a board or plank.
Radiant heating. A method of heating, usually consisting of a forced hot water system with pipes placed in the floor, wall, or ceiling; or with electrically heated panels.
Rafter. One of a series of structural members of a roof designed to support roof loads. The rafters of a flat roof are sometimes called roof joists.
Rafter, hip. A rafter that forms the intersection of an external roof angle.
Rafter, valley. A rafter that forms the intersection of an internal roof angle. The valley rafter is normally made of double 2-inch-thick members.
Rail. Cross members of panel doors or of a sash. Also the upper and lower members of a balustrade or staircase extending from one vertical support, such as a post, to another.
Rake. Trim members that run parallel to the roof slope and form the finish between the wall and a gable roof extension.
Reflective insulation. Sheet material with one or both sun faces of comparatively low heat emissivity, such as aluminum foil. When used in building construction the surfaces face air spaces, reducing the radiation across the air space.
Reinforcing. Steel rods or metal fabric placed in concrete slabs, beams, or columns to increase their strength.
Relative humidity. The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere, expressed as a percentage of the maximum quantity that could be present at a given temperature. (The actual amount of water vapor that can be held in space increases with the temperature.)
Ribbon (Girt). Normally a 1- by 4-inch board let into the studs horizontally to support ceiling or second-floor joists.
Ridge. The horizontal line at the junction of the top edges of two sloping roof surfaces.
Ridge board. The board placed on edge at the ridge of the roof into which the upper ends of the rafters are fastened.
Rise. In stairs, the vertical height of a step or flight of stairs.
Riser. Each of the vertical boards closing the spaces between the treads of stairways.
Roof sheathing. The boards or sheet material fastened to the roof rafters on which the shingle or other roof covering is laid.
Rubber-emulsion paint. Paint, the vehicle of which consists of rubber or synthetic rubber dispersed in fine droplets in water.
- S -
Saddle. Two sloping surfaces meeting in a horizontal ridge, used between the back side of a chimney, or other vertical surface, and a sloping roof.
Sash. A single light frame containing one or more lights of glass.
Sash balance. A device, usually operated by a spring or tensioned weatherstripping designed to counterbalance double-hung window sash.
Scratch coat. The first coat of plaster, which is scratched to form a bond for the second coat.
Screed. A small strip of wood, usually the thickness of the plaster coat, used as a guide for plastering.
Scribing. Fitting woodwork to an irregular surface. In moldings, cutting the end of one piece to fit the molded face of the other at an interior angle to replace a miter joint.
Sealer. A finishing material, either clear or pigmented, that is usually applied directly over uncoated wood for the purpose of sealing the surface.
Semigloss paint or enamel. A paint or enamel made with a slight insufficiency of nonvolatile vehicle so that its coating, when dry, has some luster but is not very glossy.
Sheathing. The structural covering, usually wood boards or plywood, used over studs or rafters of a structure. Structural building board is normally wed only as wall sheathing.
Sheet metal work. All components of a house employing sheet metal, such as flashing, gutters, and downspouts.
Shellac. A transparent coating made by dissolving lac, a resinous secretion of the lac bug (a scale insect that thrives in tropical countries, especially India), in alcohol.
Shingles. Roof covering of asphalt. asbestos, wood, tile, slate, or other material cut to stock lengths, widths, and thicknesses.
Shingles, siding. Various kinds of shingles, such as wood shingles or shakes and nonwood shingles, that are used over sheathing for exterior sidewall covering of a structure.
Shutter. Usually lightweight louvered or flush wood or nonwood frames in the form of doors located at each side of a window. Some are made to close over the window for protection; others are fastened to the wall as a decorative device.
Siding. The finish covering of the outside wall of a frame building, whether made of horizontal weatherboards, vertical boards with battens, shingles, or other material.
Siding, bevel (lap siding). Wedge-shaped boards used as horizontal siding in a lapped pattern. This siding varies in butt thickness from ½ to ¾ inch and in widths up to 12 inches. Normally used over some type of sheathing.
Siding, Dolly Varden. Beveled wood siding which is rabbeted on the bottom edge.
Siding, drop. Usually ¾ inch thick and 6 and 8 inches wide with tongued-and-grooved or shiplap edges. Often used as siding without sheathing in secondary buildings.
Sill. The lowest member of the frame of a structure, resting on the foundation and supporting the floor joists or the uprights of the wall. The member forming the lower side of an opening, as a door sill. window sill. etc.
Skirting board. A board placed against the wall around a room next to the floor to finish properly between floor and gib board.
Sleeper. Usually, a wood member embedded in concrete, as in a floor, that serves to support and to fasten subfloor or flooring.
Soffit. Usually the underside of an overhanging cornice.
Solid bridging. A solid member placed between adjacent floor joists near the center of the span to prevent joists from twisting.
Span. The distance between structural supports such as walls, columns, piers, beams, girders, and trusses.
Splash block. A small masonry block laid with the top close to the ground surface to receive roof drainage from downspouts and to carry it away from the building.
Stain, shingle. A form of oil paint, very thin in consistency, intended for coloring wood with rough surfaces, such as shingles, without forming a coating of significant thickness or gloss.
Stair carriage. Supporting member for stair treads. Usually a 2-inch plank notched to receive the treads; sometimes called a “rough horse.”
Stile. An upright framing member in a panel door.
Stool. A flat molding fitted over the window sill between jambs and contacting the bottom rail of the lower sash.
Storm sash or storm window. An extra window usually placed outside of an existing one, as additional protection against cold weather.
Story. That part of a building between any floor and the floor or roof next above.
Strip flooring. Wood flooring consisting of narrow, matched strips.
String, stringer. A timber or other support for cross members in floors or ceilings. In stairs, the support on which the stair treads rest; also stringboard.
Stucco. Most commonly refers to an outside plaster made with Portland cement as its base.
Stud. One of a series of slender wood or metal vertical structural members placed as supporting elements in walls and partitions. (Plural: studs or studding.)
Subfloor. Boards or plywood laid on joists over which a finish floor is to be laid.
Suspended ceiling. A ceiling system supported by hanging it from the overhead structural framing.
- T -
Tail beam. A relatively short beam or joist supported in a wall on one end and by a header at the other.
Threshold. A strip of wood or metal with beveled edges used over the finish floor and the sill of exterior doors.
Timber, boards. Yard timber less than 2 inches thick and 2 or more inches wide.
Timber, dimension. Yard timber from 2 inches to, but not including, 5 inches thick and 2 or more inches wide. Includes joists, rafters, studs, plank, and small timbers.
Timber, dressed size. The dimension of timber after shrinking from green dimension and after machining to size or pattern.
Timber, matched. Timber that is dressed and shaped on one edge in a grooved pattern and on the other in a tongued pattern.
Timber, shiplap. Timber that is edge-dressed to make a close rebated or lapped joint.
Toenailing. To drive a nail at a slant with the initial surface in order to permit it to penetrate into a second member.]
Tread. The horizontal board in a stairway on which the foot is placed.
Trim. 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, and other moldings)
Trimmer. A beam or joist to which a header is nailed in.
Truss. A frame or jointed structure designed to act as a beam of long span, while each member is usually subjected to longitudinal stress only, either tension or compression.
- U -
Undercoat. A coating applied prior to the finishing or top coats of a paint job. It may be the first of two or the second of three coats. In some usage of the word it may, become synonymous with priming coat.
Underlay. A material placed under finish coverings, such as flooring (Carpet), or shingles, to provide a smooth, even surface for applying the finish.
- V -
Valley. The internal angle formed by the junction of two sloping sides of a roof.
Vapor barrier. Material used to retard the movement of water vapor into walls and prevent condensation in them. Usually considered as having a perm value of less than 1.0. Applied separately over the warm side of exposed walls or as a part of batt or blanket insulation.
Varnish. A thickened preparation of drying oil or drying oil and resin suitable for spreading on surfaces to form continuous, transparent coatings, or for mixing with pigments to make enamels.
Veneer. Thin sheets of wood made by rotary cutting or slicing of a log.
Vent. A pipe or duct which allows flow of air as an inlet or outlet.
- W -
Wane. Bark, or lack of wood from any cause, on edge or corner of a piece of wood.
Water-repellent preservative. A liquid designed to penetrate into wood and impart water repellency and a moderate preservative protection. It is used for millwork, such as sash and frames, and is usually applied by dipping.
Weatherstrip. Narrower or jamb-width sections of thin metal or other material to prevent infiltration of air and moisture around windows and doors. Compression weather stripping prevents air infiltration, provides tension, and acts as a counter balance.