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BUILDING GLOSSARY > FINISHES GLOSSARY > Flashcards

FINISHES GLOSSARY Flashcards

1
Q

Aerator

A

The round screened screw-on tip of a sink spout. It mixes water and air for a
smooth flow

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2
Q

Aggregate

A

A mixture of sand and stone and a major component of concrete.

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3
Q

Architrave/Casing

A

Molding surrounding a door or window opening to cover the join between the frame and the wall finish. Also known as ‘casing’.

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4
Q

Asbestos

A

Asbestos (or magnesium silicate) is a material which was previously used in construction and insulation products. Asbestos was an attractive material due to its stability and fire-resistance. Exposure to asbestos over long periods of time has been proven to cause various types of lung cancer.

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5
Q

Bagging

A

A method of finishing brickwork involving the application of a thin mortar slurry using a hessian bag or sponge. Can be painted over or left to fade in an oxide finish. Usually completed by the bricklayer. Bagging varies in texture & color greatly and is not uniform like render.

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6
Q

Balustrade

A

A series of vertical members supporting a handrail of a stair, landing, platform or bridge.

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7
Q

Beam

A

Main horizontal structural member in the construction of a frame house. See also post, joist, stud and rafter.

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8
Q

Bearer

A

A sub-floor structural timber member which supports the floor joists.

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9
Q

Bearing Wall

A

Wall that carries some or all of the weight of the structure above. Also called
a structural wall.

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10
Q

Blueprints

A

Architectural plans of a building. The name refers to the photographic print in white on a blue ground or blue on a white ground that is made of the architect’s plans.

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11
Q

Brick Veneer

A

A method of construction in which a single leaf of non-load bearing wall of brickwork is tied to a timber or metal framed load bearing structure to form the external enclosure.

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12
Q

Cement

A

A finely ground inorganic powder that, mixed with water, binds an aggregate / sand mixture into a hard concrete or mortar within a few days.

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13
Q

Chair Rail/Dado

A

Decorative interior molding located at waist height that also protects wall surfaces.

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14
Q

Chase

A

Wall or ceiling channel through which wiring, plumbing or vents pass.

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15
Q

Concrete

A

A conglomerated artificial stone made by mixing in specified proportions cement,
water and aggregates and pouring the mixture into prepared forms to set and harden.

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16
Q

Crown Molding/Cornice

A

A molding placed at the junction between a wall and ceiling.

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17
Q

Damp-proof Course (DPC)

A

A continuous layer of an impervious material placed in a masonry wall or between a floor and wall to prevent the upward or downward migration of moisture.

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18
Q

Drop-in Sink

A

A sink which contains a rim that fits over the countertop.

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19
Q

Drywall

A

Also commonly referred to as sheetrock, wall board or gypsum board, it is lightweight and cost efficient for use on interior walls or ceiling panels in new construction, renovation and repair work.

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20
Q

Eaves

A

The lower part of a roof that overhangs the walls.

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21
Q

Edge Profile

A

Defines the shape of the front edge of your countertops.

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22
Q

Edge Return

A

A thick countertop edge that gives the appearance of a thicker slab.

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23
Q

Fascia

A

A metal profile which is fixed to the lower ends of rafters and usually supports the guttering.

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24
Q

Finial

A

A decorative fitting used at the junction of ridges and hips and at the top of conical, pyramid or domed roofs.

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25
Footing
That part of a construction designed to transfer loads to the supporting foundation, usually constructed of reinforced concrete to support base brickwork.
26
Foundation
The natural or built-up formation of soil, sub-soil or rock upon which a building or structure is supported.
27
Gable
The vertical triangular end of a building with a pitched roof, between the rafters from eaves level to the apex (ridge). It may be formed in brickwork or timber framed and clad with weatherboards.
28
Gauge
An indicating device usually in brickwork setting out the number of bricks to a certain measurement, e.g. 7 brick courses per 21/2” in height. This gauge is adjusted to suit the brick and the site conditions.
29
Girder Truss
A truss that runs in the opposite direction to other trusses and has brackets (shoes) to carry and support the other trusses. The girder truss is often a double truss, made of hardwood in part or has bigger elements than other trusses.
30
Hanging Beam
A beam above the ceiling used to support ceiling joists.
31
Head
The upper horizontal member at the top of an opening or frame.
32
Header
A brick laid with its greatest dimension across a wall usually used to tie two skins together or under a door sill or window.
33
Hearth
The floor area in front of a fireplace or the actual floor of the fireplace. The hearth is usually constructed of brick, stone or cement.
34
Hip
A roof with four sloping sides. The external angle formed by the meeting of two sloping sides of a roof.
35
Hip Roof
A roof which is pyramidal in shape with sloping surfaces and level edges all round.
36
Honed Finish
A honed finish is a satin, smooth surface with relatively little reflection of light. In other words, it means that a stone’s surface has been ground down slightly to achieve a consistent, smooth texture and flat, matte finish.
37
Hydronic
Heating system term synonymous with hot water heating.
38
Infiltration
Flow of air that enters the house through gaps around windows, doors, electrical boxes and other exterior openings.
39
Insulation
Materials used in walls, ceilings and floors to prevent heat transmission.
40
Integral Sink
The countertop and sink are made out of the same material to create a continuous surface.
41
Jamb
Side or head lining of a door, window or other opening.
42
Joist
A timber or steel beam supported by a bearer, which the flooring is fixed directly to.
43
Knot
A knot is a part of a tree limb or branch that is sometimes visible on the surface of a plank of wood.
44
Landing
A level part of a stairway, either between flights of stairs or at the end of a flight of stairs.
45
Laminate
A product made by bonding together two or more layers.
46
Laminate Melamine
A laminate manufactured from layers of paper, textile, plastic, wood or wood veneer compressed at high temperature and sealed in melamine plastic. Often used as shelving in robes or kitchens.
47
Lath
In wet-wall construction (i.e. when the plaster is applied wet rather than in dry gypsum boards), the lath is the wood, metal or other material that is attached to the frame of the building prior to plastering to act as a base for the plaster.
48
Lintel
Horizontal member, usually of metal or stone that supports the load over an opening, such as a door, window or fireplace.
49
Lip-Mount
A lip-mount sink is designed with a lip around the top edge and designed to drop into a cut-out in your countertops, resting on the “lip”.
50
Louver
A vented opening into the home that has a series of horizontal slats and arranged to permit ventilation but to exclude rain, snow, light, insects or other livin
51
MDF: Medium Density Fiberboard
Fiberboard, in all its densities, is made from wood fibers. Those would be little tiny pieces of hardwood or softwood. Mix these with some resin and wax, then heat it up and press it together and you get fiberboard.
52
Mortar
A mixture of cement (or lime) with sand and water used in masonry work.
53
Newel Post
A post at the top or bottom of a stair flight to support the handrail and/or winders in the stair treads.
54
Nosing
The projecting edge of a molding or drip or the front edge of a stair tread.
55
Overhang
Outward projecting eave of a roof or project part of a countertop to put stools under.
56
Parapet
A low wall to protect the edge of a roof, balcony or terrace. Many shops have a parapet at the front of the building for signage.
57
Pelmet
A built-in head to a window to conceal the curtain rod or to a sliding door to conceal the tracks. Usually made of wood.
58
Picture Rail
A wooden or plaster molding fixed to a wall at or above door height for hanging pictures or for decorative purposes.
59
Plywood
A building material made of thin sheets of wood that have been glued together
60
Pointing
Filling of open mortar joints between masonry units (brick, stone, block).
61
Repointing
Renewal of deteriorating mortar between masonry units (brick, stone or block) by removal of old, crumbing mortar and the tooling in of fresh mortar.
62
Rafter
A sloping member in a roof providing the principal structural support for the roofing material.
63
Render
Cement rendering is the application of a premixed layer of sand and cement to brick, concrete, stone or mud brick. It is often textured, colored or painted after application. It is generally used on exterior walls but can be used to feature an interior wall.
64
Shiplap
Timber boards that are edge dressed and rebated so that the edges of each board lap over the edges of the adjacent boards.
65
Sink Reveal
Applicable to under-mount sinks. It is used to describe the size of the hole cut for an under-mount sink. A bigger cut-out reveals the top edge of the under-mount sink. A smaller cut-out hides the top of the sink because the stone overhangs the edge of the sink.
66
Skirting/Baseboard
A wooden board fixed to the bottom of a wall at the junction of the floor to prevent damage to the wall or to conceal small gaps.
67
Slip Joint
A joint designed to allow movement between two members usually in the form of two layers of sheet metal with grease installed on top of a brick wall prior to installation of a concrete slab.
68
Soffit
The underside of a slab or eave.
69
Starphire Glass
Is glass that is perfectly clear, and you can paint it any color you like. If you use normal glass, it has a blue/green tint, so if you paint it white, you get a blue/green hue. If you use clear glass, you can paint it any color you like.
70
Stair Risers
The vertical face of a step in a stair flight.
71
Stretcher Bond
Stretcher bond, also called as running bond, is created when bricks are laid with only their stretchers showing, overlapping midway with the courses of bricks below and above.
72
Stucco
Traditionally, an external render to provide a decorative finish, but now, generally referred to as a fibro wall sheet with a decorative finish.
73
Terrazzo
A material consisting of irregular marble or stone fragments set in a matrix of cement and mechanically abraded and polished after casting to produce a smooth hard surface.
74
Threshold
The bottom metal or wood plate of an exterior door frame. Generally, they are adjustable to keep a tight fit with the door slab.
75
Toughened Glass
Glass made by rapidly cooling the glass to make it shatter into small pieces when broken for safety; it usually cannot be cut and needs to be made to order to size. It is unlike laminated glass, which is made from layers of glass with silicon between, to crack only when broken for safety and can easily be cut on site.
76
Tongue and Groove
Wooden planking in which adjacent boards are joined by means of interlocking ridges and hollows down their sides.
77
Underpinning
The construction of new footings or concrete piers under an existing footing to prevent its collapse or failure.
78
Valley
The meeting line of two inclined roof surfaces at a re-entrant angle.
79
Weep Holes
Vertical joints or perpends in brickwork left open above the flashing line to allow water from behind the wall to escape.
80
Wet Wall
Bathroom or kitchen wall containing plumbing lines.

BUILDING GLOSSARY (6 decks)

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