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Glossary of Building Terms:
Q
Quarter round. A small molding that has the cross section of a quarter circle.
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.
Run. In stairs, the net width of a step or the horizontal distance covered by a flight of stairs.
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 weather-stripping 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.
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.
Seasoning. Removing moisture from green wood in order to improve its serviceability.
Sheet metal work. All components of a house employing sheet metal, such as flashing, gutters, and downspouts.
Shutter. Usually lightweight louvered or flush wood or non-wood 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 sub-floor or flooring.
Soffit. Usually the underside of an overhanging cornice.
Soil stack. A general term for the vertical main of a system of soil, waste, or vent piping.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
Sub-floor. 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.
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.
Toe-nailing. 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
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.
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
Weather-strip. 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.
X
Y
Z
Z-bar flashing. Bent, galvanized metal flashing that's installed above a horizontal trim board of an exterior window, door, or brick run. It prevents water from getting behind the trim/brick and into the home.
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