constructed with airtight
original color or grain of wood.
the roof above the eaves line of
assemblies to reduce thermal
a double-sloped roof.
for chimneys, stairways, or
Fire-stop. Located in a frame
other openings. Or a beam
losses.
wall, usually 2x4 or 2x6 hori-
Gable end. An end wall that has above a door or window
Insulation, thermal. Any mate-
zontal blocking between studs
a gable.
opening.
rial high in resistance to heat
intended to impede the spread
GFCI. Ground-fault circuit inter- HEPA filter. High-efficiency par- transmission that reduces the
of fire and smoke in the event
rupter. A highly sensitive electri- ticulate air filter. Specified for
rate of heat loss when placed in
of a house fire.
cal device that detects minus-
respirator-mask and vacuum fil- the walls, ceilings, or floors.
Flash foam. A thin layer of
cule current leaks and shuts off
ters when working with hazard-
Interior finish. Material used to
spray foam whose primary
power instantaneously, thus
ous materials such as asbestos,
cover the framing of walls and
function is to air-seal building
greatly reducing the likelihood
lead paint, extreme cases of
ceilings or other interior areas.
seams in advance of insulating
of fatal shocks.
mold infestation, and the like.
Drywall and plaster are the
them with batt insulation.
Girder. A large, or the principal, There are also HEPA furnace
most common interior finishes.
Flashing. Sheet metal or other
beam of wood or steel used to
filters.
IRC. International Residential
material used in roof and wall
support concentrated loads,
HERS. Home energy rating sys-
Code.
construction to shed water and
such as joist ends, along its
tem. An aggregate measure of a Jack rafter. A rafter that runs
protect a building from water
length.
home’s energy efficiency.
less than the distance from the
seepage.
Gloss. A paint that contains a
Hinge gain. A shallow slot cut
ridge to a wall plate. For exam-
Flat paint. An interior paint
relatively low proportion of pig-
into a door stile or jamb to
ple, a rafter that spans the dis-
that contains a high proportion
ment and dries to a sheen or
receive a hinge plate.
tance from the wall plate to a
luster. Most enamels are glossy.
hip, or from a valley to a ridge.
Glossary of Building Terms
595
Jack stud. A stud that runs less
house. A board that supports a
MDF. Medium-density fiberboard. Mullion. A vertical bar or divider
than the distance from the top
fixture edge, such as a tub lip.
Mfr. Abbreviation for
in the frame between windows,
plate to the bottom plate. (AKA
Let-in brace. Metal or wood
manufacturer.
doors, or other openings.
trimmer stud.)
braces notched into studs. Also
Mid-run. Midway through a
Muntin. A small member that
Jamb. The elements of a door or called a cut-in brace. To stiffen
pipe run, duct run, and so on.
divides the glass or openings of
window frame, excluding the
wall framing, let-in braces run
a window sash or door.
sill; typically two side jambs
diagonally. By contrast, let-in
Migration. In engineering, the
Nail-protection plate. A metal
and a head jamb.
boards, which support wall-
unwanted movement of a jack
or structural member due to the plate at least 1⁄16 in. thick, nailed
Jigsaw. A portable electric saw
hung sinks, run perpendicular
loads on it. Dangerous migra-
to a stud or joist edge to prevent
with a thin saberlike blade that
to studs.
tion can occur if a jack is not
screws or nails from puncturing
can make curved or detailed
Light. The space in a window
plumb.
cables or pipes running within
cuts in boards or panels 1 in.
sash for a single pane of glass.
11⁄4 in. of the edge. Also called a
thick or less. Also called a
Also a pane of glass.
Millwork. Generally, any build-
nail plate; required by code in
sabersaw.
ing material made of finished
Lintel. A horizontal structural
many instances.
wood and manufactured in
Joint. The juncture of adjacent
member that supports the load
millwork plants and planing
NEC. The National Electrical
surfaces, whether sheet materi-
over an opening such as a door
mills. This term applies to
Code, a book of periodically
als or framing members.
or window. Also called a header. molding, trim, doors, window
updated standards adopted by
Joint compound. Generally, a
Loose-fill. Insulation typically
and door frames, blinds, porch-
most local code authorities
ready-to-apply compound
made from fiberglass or cellu-
work, mantels, and so on—but
(published by the National Fire
spread onto joints between dry-
lose that is blown loosely to
normally not flooring or siding. Protection Association).
wall panels to bed joint tape, fill insulate an area (usually an
Mineral spirits. Solvents used to Newel. A post to which the end
recessed areas, and—after sev-
attic floor) or to augment insu-
thin solvent-based paints, clean of a stair railing or balustrade is
eral applications—hide joints so lation that is already there.
up solvent-based adhesives, and fastened.
that the wall appears monolithic. Louver. An opening with a
so on.
Nominal dimension. The stated
Joist. One of a series of parallel series of horizontal slats
Miter joint. The joint of two
size of a piece of lumber before
beams, such as 2x6s or 2x8s,
pitched to permit ventilation
pieces set at an angle that
it was dressed (milled) and
placed on edge to support floor
but exclude rain, sunlight, and
bisects the joining angle. For
shipped to the lumberyard.
and ceiling loads and supported, unwanted viewing from outside. example, the 90˚ miter joint at
Thus a nominal 2x4 or 2x6 has
in turn, by larger beams, gird-
Lumber, dressed size. The
the side and head casing of a
actual dimensions less than its
ers, or bearing walls.
dimensions of lumber after it
door opening is composed of
nominal dimensions: a 2x4 is
Kerf. A slot. A sawkerf is the
has dried and been milled. A
two 45˚ angles.
actually 11⁄2 in. by 31⁄2 in.
thickness of its blade. A drip
2x4’s dressed size is actually
Mold. A fungal growth that
Nonbearing wall. A wall sup-
kerf is cut into the underside of
11⁄2 in. by 31⁄2 in. Also see
feeds on organic materials such porting no load other than its
a sill to cause water to drip free.
Nominal dimension.
as wood and paper—as distin-
own weight, also called a cur-
Laminating. Applying a plastic
Male end. The inserted end of a guished from mildew, black
tain wall.
laminate to a core material. In
pipe, duct, or fitting.
stains caused by mold.
Nosing. The projecting edge of
framing, laminating is the nail-
Mantel. The shelf above a fire-
Molding. Shaped wood or poly-
a stair tread.
ing or bolting of two or more
place.
mer strips used to finish a
On center (o.c.). The measure-
pieces of lumber together to
room, whether to cover gaps or
ment of spacing for studs, raf-
increase load-carrying ability.
Margin. To center a window or
door frame within the thickness add visual interest. Also called
ters, joists, and so on in a build-
Lath. A thin building material
of a wall so that frame edges
trim. (See “Common Molding
ing from the center of one
of wood, metal, gypsum, or
are flush with finish surfaces
Profiles” on p. 483.)
member to the center of the
insulating board fastened to the on both sides or so that frame
Mortise. A rectangular cavity or next one.
frame of a building to serve as a edges protrude equally. Center-
slot cut into the face or edge of
OSB. Oriented strand board.
plaster base.
ing a door or window frame in
a wood member. In wood join-
Outrigger. The extension of a
Lav. Abbreviation for lavatory, a an opening is called “margining ery, a projecting tenon of the
rafter beyond the wall line.
bathroom sink.
the frame.”
same size fits into the mortise.
Usually a smaller rafter nailed
Ledger strip. A strip of lumber
Masonry. Stone, brick, concrete, When installing door hardware, to a larger one, forming a roof
nailed along the side of a girder hollow tile, concrete block, gyp-
a door edge is often mortised to overhang.
for joist ends to rest on. In deck sum block, or a combination of
receive a lock case.
construction, a critical horizon-
these materials bonded together Mudsill. See Sill.
tal frame member bolted to the
with mortar.
596
Paint. A combination of pig-
Plow. To cut a lengthwise
Rafter. One of a series of struc-
Rigid insulation. Insulation
ments with suitable thinners or
groove in a board or a plank.
tural members of a roof
typically made from polysty-
oils. Used as a decorative and
Plumb. Perfectly vertical.
designed to support roof loads.
rene, polyurethane, or polyiso-
protective coating.
cyanurate, manufactured into
Pointing. In masonry, using a
Rafter, valley. A rafter that
Paint roller. A paint-rolling
2-ft. x 8-ft. or 4-ft. x 8-ft. panels
jointer or striking iron to shape
forms the intersection of an
hand tool whose cylindrical
of various thicknesses. As an
and compress fresh mortar.
internal roof angle. Valley
rotating arm receives a napped
exterior sheathing material,
Also called striking a joint.
rafters are usually doubled
roller cover.
2-in.-thick members.
rigid insulation provides a com-
Polyiso. Polyisocyanurate, or
plete thermal break assembly
Parting bead. A small wood
PIR, a rigid foam insulation com- Rail. Horizontal structural
and can effectively shift the dew
piece in the middle of both side monly used on roofs because of
members of panel doors, win-
point outside of the exterior
jambs of double-hung window
its high-temperature stability.
dow sashes, cabinet frames, or
wall construction assembly.
frames. The beads separate
wainscoting. Also the sloping or
upper and lower sashes and
Post. In engineering, a vertical
horizontal members of a balus-
Rim joist. Outermost joists,
guide the sashes as they are
structural compression member trade or staircase extending
which create a kind of box
raised and lowered. Also called
that supports loads acting in
from one vertical support (such around the joist grid. Rim joists
a parting stop or strip.
the direction of its longitudinal
as a post) to another.
sit on a mudsill.
axis. Also called a column.
Partition. A wall that subdivides
Rake. On a sloping roof, trim or Rip. To cut with the grain of a
spaces within any story of a
Prehung door. A door that
framing members that run par-
board, thereby reducing the
house.
comes prefitted to a frame, with allel to the slope and define the board’s width. Reducing the
hinges mortised to a jamb.
width of any board is called rip-
Penny. As applied to nails, origi-
outer edges. Rake boards
ping it down.
nally indicated the price per
Preservative. Any substance
usually project beyond end
hundred. Term is now a mea-
that prevents the action of
walls (see “Building Terms”
Rise. In stairs, the vertical
sure of nail length and is abbre-
wood-destroying fungi or
on p. 8).
height of a step or flight of
viated as the letter d.
insects.
Repointing. In masonry, repair-
stairs.
Pier. A column of masonry used Primer. The base coat of paint,
ing deteriorated mortar joints
Riser. Each of several vertical
to support other structural
which seals the surface and
by cutting back old mortar and
boards used to close spaces
members.
minimizes absorption of subse-
then packing and pointing
between stair treads.
quent coats. Back-priming
(shaping) new mortar into the
Pin tacker. Nickname for a
Roll roof
ing. Roofing material
denotes applying primer to
joint. Also called tuck-pointing.
pneumatic brad nailer.
composed of asphalt-saturated
the back sides of siding and
Respirator mask. A nose-and-
fiber, supplied in 36-in.-wide
Pitch. The slope of a roof, or
exterior trim.
mouth mask with replaceable
rolls, with 108 sq. ft. of material.
the ratio of the total rise to the
Proud. To cut a building
cartridge filters capable of fil-
total width of a house. Roof
Roofover. Applying a new layer
material slightly long (or wide), tering out noxious fumes,
slope is expressed in inches of
of roofing over an existing one.
for the purpose of fitting it
harmful chemicals, and so on.
rise per 12 in. of run. A roof
tightly or trimming it later. The
As distinguished from a mere
Roof sheathing. Fastened atop
that rises 8 in. per 12 in. of run
opposite of cutting a material
paper dust mask.
rafters, boards or panels on
has an 8:12 (or 8/12) pitch.
shy. Also, material that pro-
which shingles or other roof
Reveal. In finish carpentry, the
Plaster grounds. Strips of wood trudes or bows outward and
coverings are laid.
amount (usually, 1⁄4 in.) that a
used as guides or strike-off
needs to be trimmed back.
casing edge is set back from a
Rough opening (RO). A framed
edges around window and door PVA. Polyvinyl acetate (glue).
jamb edge. In addition to creat-
opening in a wall, roof, or floor
openings and around the base
ing visual interest, reveals spare platform.
of walls.
PVC. Polyvinyl chloride is the
basic compound in numerous
carpenters the frustrating task
Run. In stairs, the front-to-back
Plate. Sill plate: a horizontal
building materials, ranging
of aligning board edges that are depth of an individual stair or
member anchored to a masonry from plastic pipes to resilient
rarely perfectly straight.
the horizontal distance covered
wall. Sole plate or shoe: the
(vinyl) flooring.
Ridge. The horizontal line, usu-
by a flight of stairs.
lowest horizontal member of a
ally at the top of the roof, where R-value (resistivity-value). The
frame wall. Top plate: the top-
Quarter-round. A small molding sloping roof planes meet.
ability of a material to resist
most horizontal member of a
that has the cross section of a
heat flow through it. The higher
frame wall, which supports ceil- quarter circle.
Ridgeboard. The board placed
the R-value, the greater its resis-
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