Homeplans Glossary

Ampere
The standard measure of electric current. Residential electric circuits, for example, usually have has a capacity of about 20 amperes. Also see Volts.

Anchor Bolts
Threaded bolts embedded in the foundation to secure the sill.

Balusters
The upright spindles that support the railing on a staircase or a porch railing.

Backer Board
See cement board.

Backfill
Earth that fills in the space around the outside of the foundation.

Back Splash
The vertical section at the back of a countertop to protect the wall.

Base Board
The wide molding at the bottom of a wall, where it meets the floor. Also see Shoe.

Bearing Wall
A supporting wall which holds up a ceiling or floor joist or a roof element.

Board & Batten
A type of exterior siding with vertical battens (narrow boards) nailed over wide boards (or more commonly today, plywood) to provide a rustic or country appearance.

Board Foot
The standard measure for framing lumber. Any piece of lumber that has the same total volume of wood as a board 1" thick, 12" wide, by 12" long. 2" X 6" X 24" is also `1 board foot,` for example.

Branch Line
A drain line which empties into a the main drain line.

Branch Circuit
An electric circuit with a separate fuse or circuit breaker.

Brick Veneer
A facing of bricks (or other masonry) on an exterior wall.

Bridging, Blocking
A series of cross-braces between ceiling or floor joists to stabilize them and keep them from twisting under load.

Building Paper
Rolls of resin or tar-impregnated paper used a barrier layers under roofing, siding, and finish flooring. Most building papers have been replaced by synthetic materials but they still have limited uses.

Bullnose
A ceramic tile (or other material) with a rounded edge, used to provide a finished appearance.

Casings
See surrounds.

Casement Window
A window with hinges on one side of the sash, such that it that opens like a door.

Cat
Any internal brace between studs, etc., to stabilize, provide subsurface support, or other purpose.

Cement Board
A very rigid, cement based, structural sheet material. It is used as a base for ceramic tile instead of cement over lath.

Center, Center-To-Center, On Center
See on-center.

Chip Board
See wafer board.

Circuit Breaker
A safety device that interupts electrical current in the event of a short circuit. Similar to a fuse. Important: a circuit breaker is not a Ground Fault Interupter.

Clapboard
A type of exterior siding with thin horizontal boards. The bottom edge of each board overlaps the top edge of the board beneath it.

Clean Out
A plug or cap which allows access for cleaning in a sewer line, etc.

Concrete
A aggregate of portland cement, sand, and gravel or crushed stone. Much stronger than a sand/cement mixture.

Crawl Space
The space beneath the floor and the ground.

Curtain Wall
A wall which does not support any joists or other overhead structure. A non-bearing wall.

Dimension Lumber
Refers to the standard sizes for framing lumber. joists for example are about 2 inches thick by 8, 10, or 12 inches wide, depending on where they're used. Wall studs are usually either 2X4 or 2X6 inches.

Dormer
Technically, a dormer is a window in a raised section of the roof, but the term also refers to the entire raised section. There are two basic styles of dormers: a small raised section with a gabled roof, (they're often called a "dog house" or "pigeon coop" dormers),and larger "shed" dormers, which generally have flat (as opposed to gable) roofs to provide increased interior headroom.

Double Hung Window
A window with two sashes (sections) which slide up and down.

Drywall
See wallboard.

Ducts
Ducts are large diameter conduits, that deliver heated/cooled air throughout the house. Older houses have ducts made from sheet metal, but today, ducts are usually insulated, flexible plastic tubes.

Duplex Receptacle
An electric outlet.

Eaves
The part of the roof that projects or overhangs the walls. See also verges.

Elevations
The drawings of the front, rear, sides, and other vertical surfaces.

Enamel
A high-gloss or semigloss paint used for interior trim, usually oil or varnish based, but can be latex based. Enamel is a generic term for a wide variety of finishes and surfaces.

Fascia
The board which covers the ends of the roof rafters.

Felt Paper
See building paper.

Fenestration
Refers to the placement of windows upon an elevation. How windows are arranged.

Firestop
A cat or other blocking place in walls to prevent a flue effect. Cement or metal firestops are occasionally required by some building code.

Flashing
A metal strip or sheet used to bridge gaps between building elements to protect against water infiltration. Usually aluminum or copper.

Footing
The base for the foundation. Usually poured concrete.

Foundation
The walls, usually below ground level, that support the house. Usually of concrete, concrete block, or other masonry.

Framing
The "skeleton" of the house. Most houses are built of wood pieces, which come in standard sizes (see Dimension Lumber). After the frame has been erected it is sheathed before the finishing materials are applied.

Furring
Narrow boards used to level out a wall, such as a foundation, before applying wallboard. Furring is also used to create air space or to make room for thicker insulation.

Gable
The angled top section of an end wall, formed by the ends of the roof.

Gable Roof
An A-shaped roof. A roof that slopes downward on two sides from a central ridge, so as to leave a gable at each end.

Gambrel
A gable roof with two slopes on each side, the lower slope is steeper than the upper portion. A "barn" style roof.

Girder
Girders are heavy beams which support the floor joists and other framing members.

GFI
See Ground Fault Interupter.

Glazing
The glass in a window, door, etc.

Ground Fault Interupter
An electrical safety device that interupts the circuit if it detects an unbalanced flow electrical current.

Grout
A very fine material, usually cement, used to fill in the spaces between ceramic tiles.

Gutter
A rain gutter; any trough which carries water.

Hardboard
The generic term for a variety of materials made from resin-impregnated wood fiber or sawdust. Normally available as 4' X 8' sheets in thickness from 1/8" to 1" or more.

Header
A beam over a window, door, or other wall opening. It supports area above the opening.

Insulation
Any material used to reduce heat transmission. The most common types are fiberglass blankets and structural foam panels, which are placed in the walls and ceilings. Fiberglass insulation is supplied in rolls (blankets), and in shorter lengths (batts). Foam panels are supplied in a variety of sizes and configurations, and may also be surfaced with reflecting foil. Also see R-factor.

Jambs
The finish boards at the sides of a doorway or window which cover the rough opening.

Joists
The horizontal beams which support floors and ceilings. The "floor beams".

Kiln Dried
Refers to lumber which has been dried in an oven (kiln). Lumber becomes more stable (less prone to twisting) after kiln drying.

Laminate
A thin, hard, durable plastic material used as a surface for counter tops. Frequently known as Formica, one of several brands.

Laminate Flooring
A synthetic flooring material sold under several trade names. Hardboard strips, surfaced with laminate to simulate wood or other flooring materials.

Lap Siding
See clapboard.

Lath
A thin narrow strip of wood. Laths were formerly nailed to the studs and joists to form the base for plaster or cement. Wood lathing has been replaced by various materials which serve the same purpose, but lath is still used for shimming and similar applications.

Latex Paint
See paint.

Light
(Architecturally) a window, a window pane, a skylight, etc., which allows light to enter.

Lintel
See girder.

Mansard
A style of roof with two slopes on each side. The lower portion has a very steep pitch, sometimes almost vertical, while the upper portion has a low pitch or is nearly flat.

Membrane
Membranes are coatings, or layers of material which prevent the passage of moisture or vapor. There are many types: a coating of tar on the outside of the foundation to make it waterproof; alternating layers of roofing felt and tar to form a "built up" roof; polyethylene or other) sheeting used to cover the earth in a crawl space, or under a concrete slab.

Molding
Decorative strips which are used to finish edges, hide seams, add decorative details, and other finishing applications.Generally of wood, but plastic moldings are becoming more common. There are dozens of different types of moldings -- baseboard, window/door casing, 1/4 round, etc.

Mullions
The upright areas between two windows or doors. Narrow dividers, usually finished with a molding.

Nosing
Generally refers to any finished edge of a board or other material which projects beyond the surrounding surface, such as the front edge of a stair tread, certain types of moldings, etc.

On-Center
The standard method of specifying the distance between framing members. The center-to-center distance between one joist (stud, rafter, etc.) and the next.

Paint
Paints are coatings which are applied as liquid and which dry, or cure, to form a hard, surface. They are a mixture of pigments, a binding material, and, usually, a solvent. Oil-based paints are made with modified linseed or other organic oils and are thinned with mineral spirits. Water-based paints are made with synthetic latex (vinyl, acrylic, not the natural latex from rubber trees) and are thinned with water.

Particle Board
A medium density sheet material made from coarse sawdust and synthetic resin. It is relatively dimensionally stable, and is used for kitchen cabinets, vanities, counter tops, knock-down furniture, and in many other applications.

Party Wall
A common fence or wall between properties, such as in a condominium.

Piers
Piers are columns which support parts (or all) of the house. Usually concrete or other masonry. Piers may be used as the foundation, or instead of, or in conjunction with, a full foundation.

Pitch
The angle of a roof, see roof pitch.

Pitch
An old term for tar, asphalt, etc.

Plasterboard
See wallboard.

Plates
The framing members at the top and bottom of a wall to which the studs are attached.In some areas the bottom plate is called a shoe, and the top plate is simply called a plate.

Plywood
Structural sheets made from thin layers of wood. Plywood, because the layers are laminated with the grain at right angles to each other, is a strong, dimensionally stable material.

Pocket
A recess in a wall. A pocket door, for example, would slide into a wall pocket.

Rafters
The framing members for the roof. The "roof beams".

R-Factor, R-Value
A standard measure of insulation efficiency. The higher the number, the better the insulation.

Reflective Glass
Window glass with a very thin, transparent metallic coating on the outside. The coating, because it reflects light and radiant heat, helps keep the house cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

Ridge
The highest point on a roof. The beam to which the rafters are nailed.

Riser
The vertical distance between treads (steps) of a staircase. Also the name of the vertical boards between the treads.

Roof Paper
See building paper.

Roof Pitch
Refers to the angle of a roof. Almost always specified as the amount of vertical rise per unit of horizontal run. For example, 4-12, 4/12, or 4 on 12,all mean that for each horizontal foot, the roof rises 4 inches.

Rough
In general, anything referring to the framing or other subsurface work. For example, the 'rough' opening, as opposed to the finished size of a door or window; the first rough coat of plaster, before the finish coat is applied.

Sconce
Any wall-mounted lighting fixture.

Service, Service Box
The main electrical panel that distributes power throughout the house.

Shakes
Wood shingles. Usually cedar thay are used for roofing and siding.

Sheathing
Any material which covers the wall and roof framing. The base material under the roof shingles, siding, etc. Sheathing is usually plywood or wafer boardwafer board, but can be other materials.

Sheet Rock
See wallboard.

Shiplap
See Clapboard

Shoe
The horizontal framing member at the bottom of a wall. The studs rest on, and are attached to, the shoe. See Plate. Also: a narrow molding at the juncture of the finish floor and baseboard.

Siding
The exterior finishing material that is applied over the sheathed on a frame house. Siding can be wood, but vinyl or aluminum siding is generally preferred today due to reduced maintenance and lower initial cost.

Sidelight
(Usually) a narrow window alongside a door.

Sill
(Framing) the horizontal wood framing that rests directly on the foundation. A flat, horizontal member, such as a window sill.

Soffit
The underside of the eaves, usually but not always covered with horizontal boards. The space above kitchen wall cabinets (for example) and similar areas.

Stringers
Most commonly, the boards that support the stair treads, either underneath or at the at the ends of the treads.Sometimes used to indicate other types of supports.

Studs
The vertical framing members in walls, usually 2x4" or 2x6" wood. Metal studs are also available but less common. Depending on their size, type, and snow load requirements, studs are spaced on 12, 16, or 24" on-center.

Sub Floor
A sheathed material which is laid directly across the floor joists to form the floor. Can be particle board, but plywood is preferable.

Surround
See tub surround.

Surrounds
The trim elements around a window or door.

T-11 (Siding)
A type of siding made from plywood sheets. It simulates board and batten siding.

Tar Paper
See building paper.

Tongue and Groove
Boards which have a groove along one edge. They have a matching projection (the tongue) along the other edge, which is fitted into the groove when the boards are fastened into place.

Transom
A small horizontal window above a door or another window. Transoms can normally be opened and closed.

Tread
The flat part of a stair, where your foot is placed. Also see riser.

Trim
The general term for molding and finishing materials.

Truss
A roof system which has rigid frames instead of individual joists and rafters. Usually pre-manufactured off-site, trusses are framing members that are fastened together and cross-braced to form single units which span the building.

Tub Surround
A pre-manufactured plastic assembly, ceramic tiles, or other material, which are attached to the walls around a bathtub or shower to waterproof the area.

Tyvek
Tyvek is a brand of permeable plastic sheeting that is wrapped over the sheathing prior to installing the finish surface. Sheathing is wrapped to reduce drafts and as an insect barrier. The material must be permeable to allow water vapor to escape.

Veneer
Veneer is a term more usually associated with furniture, but it is also used to describe the thin surfacing laminate materials that are used to surface countertops. Furniture veneers are thin layers of wood laminated to lesser quality wood or other substrates.

Verges
The portions of a roof that project beyond the gable end. Verges is a old term that is slowly coming back into use. Also see eaves.

Voltage, Volts
A measure of electrical pressure. Most (U.S.) homes are supplied with electricity at 110 and 220 volts. Also see Ampere.

Wafer Board
A medium density structural sheet material made from relatively large wood fibers, that bonded together under heat and pressure. Commonly used for sheathing and similar applications. It is reasonably strong and has good weathering capability.

Wallboard
Rigid sheets of gypsum (a plaster-like material) faced with paper. Used for interior walls. Also called gypsum board, gyp-board, Sheetrock (a brand name), plasterboard, and other names.Normally available in 4X8 and 4X12 foot lengths. Standard thickness is 1/2"; also in 3/8" and 5/8" (commercial) thickness.

Window Sash
The (usually movable) part of a window in which the glass is set.