Air-dried lumber. Lumber that
has been piled in yards or sheds for any length of time.
For the United States as a whole, the minimum moisture
content of thoroughly air dried lumber is 12 to 15 percent
and the average is somewhat higher. In the South, air
dried lumber may be no lower than 19 percent.
Airway. A space between roof
insulation and roof boards for movement of air.
Alligatoring. Coarse checking
pattern characterized by a slipping of the new paint
coating over the old coating to the extent that the
old coating can be seen through the fissures.
Anchor bolts. Bolts to secure
a wooden sill plate to concrete , or masonry floor or
wall.
Apron. The flat member of the
inside trim of a window placed against the wall immediately
beneath the stool.
Areaway. An open subsurface space
adjacent to a building used to admit light or air or
as a means of access to a basement.
Asphalt. Most native asphalt
is a residue from evaporated petroleum. It is insoluble
in water but soluble in gave. line when heated. Used
widely in building for waterproofing roof coverings
of many types, exterior wall coverings, flooring tile,
and the like.
Astragal. A molding, attached
to one of a pair of swinging doors, against which the
other door strikes.
Attic ventilators. In houses,
screened opening) provided to ventilate an attic space.
They are located in the soflit area as inlet ventilators
and in the gable end or along the ridge as outlet ventilators.
They can also consist of power-driven fans used as an
exhaust system. (See also Louver.)
Backhand. A simple molding sometimes
used around the outer edge of plain rectangular casing
as a decorative feature.
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, teal conies, and porches.
Barge board. A decorative board
covering the projecting rafter (fly rafter) of the gable
end. At the cornice, this member is a facie board.
Base or baseboard. A board placed
against the wall around a room next to the floor to
finish properly between floor and plaster.
Base molding. Molding used to
trim the upper edge of interior baseboard.
Base shoe. Molding used next
to the floor on interior base board. Sometimes called
a carpet strip.
Batten. Narrow strips of wood
used to cover joints or as decorative vertical members
over plywood or wide boards.
Batter board. One of a pair of
horizontal boards nailed to posts set at the corners
of an excavation, used to indicate the desired level,
also as a fastening for stretched strings to indicate
outlines of foundation walls.
Bay window. Any window space
projecting outward from the walls of a building, either
square or polygonal in plan.
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.
Bed molding. A molding in an
angle, as between the over hanging cornice, or eaves,
of a building and the side walls.
Blind-nailing. Nailing in such
a way that the nailheads are not visible on the face
of the work—usually at the tongue of matched boards.
Blind stop. A rectangular molding,
usually ¾ ¾
by 1-3/8 inches
or more in width, used in the assembly of a window frame.
Serves as a stop for storm and screen or combination
windows and to resist air infiltration.
Blue stain. A bluish or grayish
discoloration of the sapwood caused the growth of certain
mold like fungi on the surface and in the interior of
a piece, made possible by the same conditions that favor
the growth of other fungi.
Bodied linseed oil. Linseed
oil that has been thickened in viscosity by suitable
processing with heat or chemicals. Bodied oils are obtainable
in a great range in viscosity from a little greater
than that of raw oil to just short of a
jellied condition.
Boiled linseed oil. Linseed
oil in which enough lead, manganese or cobalt salts
have been incorporated to make the oil harden more rapidly
when spread in thin coatings.
Bolster. A short horizontal
timber or steel beam on top of a column to support and
decrease the span of beams or girders.
Boston ridge. A method of
applying asphalt or wood shingles at the ridge or at
the hips of a roof as a finish.
Brace. An inclined piece of
framing lumber applied to wall or floor to stifled 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.
Buck. Often used in reference
to rough frame opening members. Door bucks used in reference
to metal door frame.
Built-up roof. A roofing composed
of three to five layers of asphalt felt laminated with
coal tar, pitch, or asphalt. The top is finished with
crushed slag or gravel. Generally used on flat or low-pitched
roofs.
Butt joint. The junction where
the ends of two timbers or other members meet in a square-cut
joint.
Cant strip. A triangular shaped
piece of lumber used at the junction of a flat deck
and a wall to prevent cracking of the roofing which
is applied over it.
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.
Cement, Keene’s. A white
finish plaster that produces an extremely durable wall.
Because of its density, it excels for use in bathrooms
and kitchens and is also used
extensively for the finish coat in auditoriums, public
buildings, and other places where walls may be subjected
to unusually hard wear or abuse.
Checking. Fissures that appear
with age in many exterior paint coatings, at first superficial,
but which in time may penetrate entirely through the
coating.
Checkrails. Meeting rails
sufficiently thicker than a window to fill the opening
between the top and bottom sash made by the parting
stop in the frame of double~hung windows. They are usually
beveled.
Collar beam. Nominal 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.
Combination doors or windows.
Combination doors or windows used over regular openings.
They provide winter insulation and summer protection
and often have self storing or removable glass and screen
inserts. This eliminates the need for handling a different
unit each season.
Concrete plain. Concrete either
without reinforcement, or reinforced only for shrinkage
or temperature changes.
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.
Conduit, electrical. A pipe,
usually metal, in which wire is installed.
Construction dry-wall. A type
of construction in which the interior wall finish is
applied in a dry condition, generally in the form of
sheet materials or wood paneling as contrasted to plaster.
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.
Coped joint. See Scribing.
Corbel out. To build out one
or more courses of brick or stone from the face of a
wall, to form a support for timbers.
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 boards. Used as trim
for the external corners of a house or other frame structure
against which the ends of the siding are finished.
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.
Cornerite. Metal-mesh lath
cut into strips and bent to a right angle. Used in interior
corners of walls and ceilings on lath to prevent cracks
in plastering.
Cornice. Overhang of a pitched
roof at the cave line, usually consisting of a facie
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.
Cricket. A small drainage-diverting
roof structure of single or double slope placed at the
junction of larger surfaces that meet at an angle, such
as above a chimney.
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. See Penny.
Dado. A rectangular groove
across the width of a board or plank. In interior decoration,
a special type of wall treatment.
Decay. Disintegration of wood
or other substance through the action of fungi,
Deck paint. An enamel with
a high degree of resistance to mechanical wear, designed
for use on such surfaces as porch floors.
Density. The mass of substance
in a unit volume. When expressed in the metric system,
it is numerically equal to the specific gravity of the
same substance.
Dewpoint. Temperature at which
a vapor begins to deposit as a liquid. Applies especially
to water in the atmosphere. Dimension.
See Lumber dimension.
Direct nailing. To nail perpendicular
to the initial surface or to the junction of the pieces
joined. Also termed face nailing.
Doorjamb, 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.
Downspout. A pipe, usually
of metal, for carrying rainwater from roof gutters.
Dressed and matched (tongued and
grooved). Boards or planks machined in such a matter
that there is a groove on one edge and a corresponding
tongue on the other.
Drier paint. Usually oil-soluble
soaps of such metals as lead manganese, or cobalt, which,
in small proportions, hasten the oxidation and hardening
(drying) of the drying oils in paints.
Drip. (a) A member of a cornice
or other horizontal exterior finish course that has
a projection beyond the other parts for throwing off
water. (b)A groove in the under. side of a sill or drip
cap to cause water to drop off on the outer edge instead
of drawing back and running down the face of the building.
Drip cap. A molding placed
on the exterior top side of a door or window frame to
cause water to drip beyond the outside of the frame.
Drywall. Interior covering
material, such as gypsum board or plywood, which is
applied in large sheets or panels.
Ducts. In a house, usually
round or rectangular metal pipes for distributing warm
air from the heating plant to rooms, or air from a conditioning
device or as cold air returns. Ducts are also made of
asbestos and composition materials.
Eaves. The margin or lower
part of a roof projecting over the wall.
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.
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.
Filler (wood). A heavily pigmented
preparation used for fining and leveling off the pores
in open-pored woods.
Fire-resistive. 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 retardant chemical. A
chemical or preparation of chemicals used to reduce
flammability or to retard spread of flame.
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.
Flagstone (flagging or flags).
Flat stones, from 1 to 4 inches thick, used for
rustic walks, steps, floors, and the like.
Flashing. Sheet metal or other
material used in roof and wall construction to protect
a building from water seepage.
Flat paint. An interior paint
that contains a high proportion of pigment and dries
to a flat or lusterless finish.
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.
Flue lining. Fire clay or
terra-cotta pipe, round or square, usually made in all
ordinary flue sizes and in 2-foot lengths, used for
the inner lining of chimneys with the brick or masonry
work around the outside. Flue lining in chimneys runs
from about a foot below the flue connection to the top
of 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 roofplate 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.
Frostline. The depth of frost
penetration in soil. This depth varies in different
parts of the country. Footings should be placed below
this depth to prevent movement.
Fungi, wood. Microscopic plants
that live in damp wood and cause mold, stain, and decay.
Fungicide. A chemical that
is poisonous to fungi.
Furring. Strips of
wood or metal applied to a wall or other surface to
even it and normally to serve as a fastening base for
finish material.
Gable. In house construction,
the portion of the roof above the eave 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.
Girder. A large or principal
beam of wood or steel used to support concentrated loads
at isolated points along its length.
Grain. The direction, size,
arrangement, appearance, or quality of the fibers in
wood.
Grain, edge (vertical). Edge-grain
lumber has been sawed parallel to the pith of the log
and approximately at right angles to the growth rings;
i.e., the rings form an angle of 45° or more with the
surface of the piece.
Grain, flat. Flat-grain lumber
has been sawed parallel to the pith of the log and approximately
tangent to the growth rings, i.e., the rings form an
angle of less than 45° with the surface of the piece.
Grain, quartersawn. Another
term for edge grain.
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.
Gusset. A flat wood, plywood,
or similar type member used to provide a connection
at intersection of wood members. Most commonly used
at joints of wood trusses. They are fastened by nails,
screws, bolts, or adhesives.
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.
Gypsum plaster. Gypsum formulated
to be used with the addition of sand and water for base-coat
plaster.
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.
Heartwood. The wood extending
from the pith to the sapwood, the cells of which no
longer participate in the life processes of the tree.
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-beam. A steel beam with
a cross section resembling the letter I. 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.
IIC. A new system utilized
in the Federal Housing Administration recommended criteria
for impact sound insulation.
INR (Impact Noise Rating).
A single figure rating which provides an estimate of
the impact sound insulating performance of a floor-ceiling
assembly.
Insulation board, rigid. A
structural building board made of coarse wood or cane
fiber in ½- and 25/32-inch thickness It can be obtained
in various size sheets, in various densities, and with
several treatments.
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.
Interior finish. Material
used to cover the interior framed areas, or materials
of walls and ceilings
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.
Joint cement. A powder that
is usually mixed with water and used for joint treatment
in gypsum-wallboard finish. Often called "spackle."
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.
Kiln dried lumber. Lumber
that has been kiln dried often to a moisture content
of 6 to 12 percent. Common varieties of softwood lumber,
such as framing lumber are dried to a somewhat higher
moisture content.
Knot. In lumber, the portion
of a branch or limb of a tree that appears on
the edge or face of the piece.
Landing. A platform between
flights of stairs or at the termination of a flight
of stairs.
Lath. A building material
of wood, metal, gypsum, or insulating board that is
fastened to the frame of a building to act as a plaster
base.
Lattice. A framework of crossed
wood or metal strips.
Leader.
See Downspout.
Ledger strip. A strip of lumber
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.
See also Attic ventilators.
Lumber. Lumber is the product
of the sawmill and planing mill not further manufactured
other than by sawing, resawing, and passing lengthwise
through a standard planing machine, crosscutting to
length, and matching.
Lumber, boards. Yard lumber
less than 2 inches thick and 2 or more inches wide.
Lumber, dimension. Yard lumber
from 2 inches to, but not including, 5 inches thick
and 2 or more inches wide. Includes joists, rafters,
studs, plank, and small timbers.
Lumber, dressed size. The
dimension of lumber after shrinking from green dimension
and after machining to size or pattern.
Lumber, matched. Lumber that
is dressed and shaped on one edge in a grooved pattern
and on the other in a tongued pattern.
Lumber, shiplap. Lumber that
is edge-dressed to make a close rabbeted or lapped joint.
Lumber, timbers. Yard lumber
5 or more inches in least dimension. Includes beams,
stringers, posts, caps, sills, girders, and purlins
Lumber, yard. Lumber of those
grades, sizes, and patterns which are generally intended
for ordinary construction, such as framework and rough
coverage of houses.
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 ovendry wood.
Molding. A wood strip having
a coned or projecting surface used for decorative purposes.
Mortise. A slot cut into a
board, plank, or timber, usually edgewise, to receive
tenon of another board, plank, or timber to form a joint.
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.
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.
Nonbearing 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.
Notch. A crosswise rabbet
at the end of a board.
O. C., on center. The
measurement of spacing for studs, rafters, joists, and
the like in a building from the center of one member
to the center of the next.
O. G., or ogee. A molding
with a profile in the form of a letter S; having the
outline of a reversed curve.
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.
Paint. A combination of pigments
with suitable thinners or oils to provide decorative
and protective coatings.
Panel In house construction,
a thin flat piece of wood, ply. wood, or similar material,
framed by stiles and rails as in a door or fitted into
grooves of thicker material with molded edges for decorative
wall treatment.
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.
Penny. As applied to nails,
it originally indicated the price per hundred. The term
now series as a measure of nail length and is abbreviated
by the letter d.
Perm. A measure of water vapor
movement through a material (grains per square foot
per hour per inch of mercury difference in vapor pressure).
Pier. A column of masonry,
usually rectangular in horizontal cross section, used
to support other structural members.
Pigment. A powdered solid
in suitable degree of subdivision for use in paint or
enamel.
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.
Pitch pocket. An opening extending
parallel to the annual rings of growth, that usually
contains, or has contained, either solid or liquid pitch
Pith. The small, soft core
at the original center of a tree around which wood formation
takes place.
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. Top plate: top horizontal
member of a frame wall supporting ceiling joists, rafters,
or other members.
Plough. To cut a lengthwise
groove in a board or plank.
Plumb. Exactly perpendicular;
vertical.
Ply A term to denote the number
of thicknesses or layers of roofing felt, veneer in
plywood, or layers in built-up materials, in any finished
piece of such material.
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.
Pores. Wood cells of comparatively
large diameter that have open ends and are set one above
the other to form continuous tubes. The openings of
the vessels on the surface of a piece of wood are referred
to as pores.
Preservative. Any substance
that, for a reasonable length of time, will prevent
the action of wood-destroying fungi, borers of various
kinds, and similar destructive agents when the wood
has been properly coated or impregnated with it.
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.
Quarter round. A small molding
that has the cross section of a quarter circle.
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.
Raw linseed oil. The crude
product processed from flaxseed and usually without
much subsequent treatment.
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.)
Resorcinol Glue. A glue that
is high
in both wet and dry strength and resistant to high temperatures.
It is used for gluing lumber or assembly joints that
must withstand severe service conditions.
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.
Roll roofing.. Roofing material,
composed of fiber and satin rated with asphalt, that
is supplied in 36-inch wide rolls with 108 square feet
of material. Weights are generally 45 to 90 pounds per
roll.
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.
Run. In stairs, the net width
of a step or the horizontal distance covered by a flight
of stairs.
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.
Sand float finish. Lime mixed
with sand, resulting in a textured finish.
Sapwood. The outer zone of
wood, next to the bark. In the living tree it contains
some living cells (the heartwood contains none), as
well as dead and dying cells. In most species, it is
lighter colored than the heartwood. In all species,
it is lacking in decay resistance.
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.
Saturated felt. A felt which
is impregnated with tar or asphalt.
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.
Seasoning. Removing moisture
from green wood in order to improve its serviceability.
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.
Shake. A thick handsplit shingle,
resawed to form two shakes; usually edge-grained.
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.
Sheathing paper. See Paper,
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.
Shiplap. See Lumber, shiplap.
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.
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.
Soil cover (ground cover). A
light covering of plastic film, roll roofing, or similar
material used over the soil in crawl spaces of buildings
to minimize moisture permeation of the area.
Soil stack. A general term
for the vertical main of a system of soil, waste, or
vent piping.
Sole or sole plate. See Plate.
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.
Square. A unit of measure—100
square feet—usually applied to roofing material.
Sidewall coverings are sometimes packed to cover 100
square feet and are sold on that basis.
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."
Stair landing. See Landing.
Stair rise. See Rise.
STC. (Sound Transmission Class).
A measure of sound stopping of ordinary noise.
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.
Tail beam. A relatively short
beam or joist supported in a wall on one end and by
a header at the other.
Termites. Insects that
superficially resemble ants in size, general appearance,
and habit of living in colonies; hence, they are frequently
called "white ants." Subterranean termites
establish themselves in buildings not by being carried
in with lumber, but by entering from ground nests
after the building has been constructed.
If unmolested, they eat out the woodwork, leaving a
shell of sound wood to conceal their activities, and
damage may proceed so far as to cause collapse of parts
of a structure before discovery. There are about 56
species of termites known in the United States; but
the two major ones, classified by the manner in which
they attack wood, are ground inhabiting or subterranean
termites (the most common) and dry wood termites, which
are found almost exclusively along the extreme southern
border and the Gulf of Mexico in the United States.
Termite shield. A shield,
usually of noncorrodible metal, placed in or
on a foundation wall or other mass of masonry or around
pipes to prevent passage of termites.
Terneplate. Sheet iron or
steel coated with an alloy of lead and tin.
Threshold. A strip of wood
or metal with beveled edges used over the finish floor
and the sill of exterior doors.
Toenailing. To drive a nail
at a slant with the initial surface in order to permit
it to penetrate into a second member.]
Tongued and grooved. See Dressed
and matched.
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
framing for a chimney, stairway,
or other opening.
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.
Turpentine. A volatile oil
used as a thinner in paints and as a solvent in varnishes.
Chemically, it is a mixture of terpenes.
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.
Underlayment. A material placed
under finish coverings, such as flooring, or shingles,
to provide a smooth, even surface for applying the finish.
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.
Vehicle.
The liquid portion of a finishing
material; it consists of the binder (nonvolatile) and
volatile thinners.
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.
Vermiculite.
A mineral closely related to mica,
with the faculty of expanding on heating to form lightweight
material with insulation quality. Used as bulk insulation
and also as aggregate in insulating and acoustical plaster
and in insulating concrete floors.
Volatile thinner.
A liquid that evaporates readily
and is used to thin or reduce the consistency of finishes
without altering the relative volumes of pigment and
nonvolatile vehicles.
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.
Wood rays. Strips of cells
extending radially within a tree and varying in height
from a few cells in some species to 4 inches or more
in oak. The rays serve primarily to store food and to
transport it horizontally in the tree.
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