Descriptionary

counterflashing extra flashing used around a chim­ney to help prevent rain from entering a house.

cripple stud a stud placed over a wall opening, above a header.

curtain wall a non-load-bearing wall.

doorsill a door framing member that serves as a threshold.

dormer a projecting structure, usually containing one or more windows, on a sloping roof.

double-hung window a window that has two sashes that can be moved up or down independently of one another.

drip cap exterior molding above a window or door to direct rainwater away from woodwork.

drop siding tongue-and-groove board siding.

drywall any wallboard or other wall covering not needing a plaster finish; gypsum wallboard.

eaves the lowest or overhanging portion of a roof.

English basement a house or apartment building with its first floor halfway underground.

fascia the horizontal trim board running along the roof line; it is attached to the ends of the rafters.

firestop a block placed between framing studs to slow the spread of fire.

flashing sheet metal, weather stripping, or other material used to prevent the entry of rainwater through the joints in a roof.

floating foundation a foundation without footings, used in swampy or other unstable areas.

footings concrete supports under a foundation.

foundation the large supporting structure below ground, forming a basement or a slab.

gable the portion of a wall between the two slopes of a roof.

gambrel roof a double-sloped roof, with the lower portion being the steepest.

gingerbread any elaborate or excessive ornamen­tation on a house. Also known as gingerbread work.

glazing installing glass into sashes and doors.

grout a thin mortar used in tile work.

gusset a bracket or board applied to intersections of a frame to add rigidity.

gypsum wallboard wall panels made of gypsum and faced with paper.

header the topmost frame member over a door, win­dow, or other wall opening. Also known as a lintel.

hip roof a roof that rises on all four sides of a house; a roof with no gable ends.

jack rafter a short rafter frame between the wall plate and a hip rafter.

jalousie a window or door composed of adjustable glass louvers.

joist a large timber laid horizontally to support a floor or ceiling.

lintel see header.

live load the variable load a structural member must bear, such as snow on a roof or people walking across a floor, as distinguished from dead load or per­manent, nonvariable load.

load the weight a structural member bears or supports.

lookout a structural member running between the lower end of rafters; the underside of a roof over­hang.

mansard roof a roof having two slopes on all four sides of a house.

masonry stone, brick, tile, concrete block, and such like.

molding any narrow, usually rounded, trim used decoratively to cover joints.

mullion a vertical bar or strip dividing the panes of a window.

newel the principal post supporting the handrail at the bottom of a staircase.

nogging bricks placed between the timbers of a wall, for a decorative effect or as a firestop.

on center builder's term referring to a measurement taken from the center of one structural member to the center of another.

plaster a mixture of lime, cement, and sand, used on walls.

plate a structural member laid horizontally over the top of studs in a wall. It serves as a support for the attic joists and roof rafters.

platform framing a framing method in which the subfloor extends out into a platform for stud walls; walls are usually prefabricated and tilted into place.

plumb a weight hung from a line to determine if a structural member is perfectly vertical; used to test vertical alignments.

post-and-beam construction a framing method characterized by the use of heavy timbers set further apart than standard framing.

purlins the horizontal members that support rafters.

rabbet joint a recess or groove on the end of a board.

rafter a sloping roof framing member extending from the ridge to the eaves.

rake the slope of a roof or roof rafter.

ridgeboard the uppermost horizontal roof member, to which the top of the rafters are attached.

riser the vertical board rising under a stair tread.

roughing-in the installation of drainage and water pipes for hookup with fixtures and appliances. Also, partial completion of electrical wiring.

R-value a number that signifies the efficiency of an insulating material, such as R-19.

sash the framework that holds the glass in a window.

scuttle a small opening giving access to the attic.

shake a handsplit wood shingle.

sheathing collective term for any covering boards, panels, or other materials.