Glossary of Building Terms
Here you will find definitions of certain building terms that are commonly used in the industry.
- Abutment
- A/C
- A/C Condenser
- Adhesion
- Adhesion bond
- Admixture
- Aerator
- Aggregate
- Air entrainment agent
- Apex (Fixing Roof Tiles)
- Apex (Timber Roof Structures)
- Apron flashing
- Backfill
- Backfill (Drainage)
- Backing
- Back Putty
- Ballast
- Balustrade
- Barge
- Bargeboard
- Bat
- Batten (Fixing Roof Tiles)
- Batten (Timber Roof Construction)
- Batten (Timber Roof Structures)
- Bay window
- Beam
- Bearing
- Bearing (Timber Floors)
- Bearing (Timber Roof Construction
- Bearing wall
- Bedding
- Bedding (Fixing Roof Tiles)
- Bedding pieces
- Bedding putty
- Bed Joint
- Bedrock
- Bifold door
- Binder
- Bipass doors
- Bleeding (Cement plaster)
- Bleeding (Concrete)
- Boards
- Bond
- Bond block
- Bottom chord
- Brace
- Brandering (Timber Roof Construction)
- Brandering (Timber Roof Structures)
- Brickforce
- Building Code
- Bull nose
- Butt joint
- Cantilever
- Cantilever (Timber Roof Structures)
- Carpet backing
- Caulking
- Cavity
- Cavity (Masonry)
- Cavity wall
- Ceiling joist
- Cement
- Cement plaster
- Centre Bearing truss
- Ceramic tile
- Certificate of Occupancy
- Chalk line
- Chip Board
- Chord
- Chord (Timber Roof Construction)
- Circuit
- Circuit Breaker
- Cladding
- Clear span
- Cleat
- Coastal area
- Cold weather conditions
- Collar joint
- Collar-jointed (multi leaf) wall
- Column
- Comb
- Common drain
- Competent person
- Compressor
- Concealed gutter
- Concrete
- Concrete block
- Concrete cover
- Condensation
- Condensing unit
- Conduction
- Conductivity
- Conduit, electrical
- Connecting sewer
- Conservancy tank
- Consistency
- Consistency (Masonry)
- Continuity tester
- Contractor
- Control joint
- Controlled fill
- Control / movement joint
- Convection
- Corbel
- Core
- Counter battens
- Counter flashing
- Course
- Cover flashing
- Cover width
- Crawl space
- Crazing
- Crest
- Cross Tee
- Crown molding
- Curing (Cement plaster)
- Curing (Concrete)
- Dado
- Dado rail
- Damper
- Dampproofing
- Daylight
- Dead bolt
- Dead light
- Deck, decked
- Dedicated circuit
- Default
- De-humidistat
- Delamination
- Diaphragm wall
- Disconnect
- Discount rate
- Distance piece (Glazing)
- Distribution board
- Distribution box
- Doorjamb
- Door stop
- Double glass
- Double hung window
- Downpipe
- Downspout
- Drain
- Drainage installation
- Drip
- Drip tray
- Drop weight
- Drying shrinkage
- Drywall
- Drywall
- Dual Pitch truss
- Ducts
- Eaves
- Eaves closure piece
- Eaves (Fixing Roof Tiles)
- Eaves flashings
- Eaves (Flat concrete roofs)
- Elbow
- Engineered fill
- Engineered truss design
- English garden wall bond
- Escutcheon
- Evaporator coil
- Expansion joint
- Face brick
- Face masonry
- Fall
- Fascia
- Fascia board
- Fascia (Timber Roof Structures)
- Fastener
- Female
- Ferrule
- Fill
- Final set
- Fire brick
- Fireplace chase flashing pan
- Fire rated
- Fire-resistive
- Fire retardant chemical
- Fishplate
- Fish tape
- flagging
- flags
- Flagstone
- Flashing
- Flashing (Fixing Roof Tiles)
- Flat roof
- Flatwork
- Flexible joints
- Floating
- Flooring board
- Floor Joists
- Flue
- Flue collar
- Flue damper
- Fluorescent lighting
- Flute
- Form
- Formwork
- Foundation
- Foundation wall
- French drain
- Front putty
- Gable
- Gable (Fixing Roof Tiles)
- Gang nail plate
- Gate valve
- General Contractor
- Geyser
- Girder
- Girder Truss
- Glazing
- Globe valve
- Gloss enamel
- Grade of concrete
- Grain
- Green building
- Ground
- Groundwater
- Grout
- Grouted cavity wall
- Gusset
- Gutter
- Gutter (Fixing Roof Tiles)
- Gypsum
- Gypsum
- Gypsum board
- Gypsum Wallboard
- Hacking
- H Clip
- Header
- Head lap
- Hearth
- Heat pump
- Heel
- Heel cut
- Heel joint
- Highlights
- Hip
- hip
- Hip (Fixing Roof Tiles)
- Hipped roof
- Hip roof
- Hip truss
- Hollow masonry unit
- Honey combs
- Hurricane clip
- HVAC
- Hydrochloric acid
- I-beam
- I-joist
- Imposed load
- Incandescent lamp
- Infill concrete
- Inside corner
- Insulating glass
- Insulation
- Irrigation
- Jack post
- Jack rafter
- Jack rafter (Timber Roof Structures)
- Jamb
- Joint
- Joist hanger
- Joists
- Keeper
- Kilowatt (kw)
- King post
- Knot
- Laminating
- Landing
- Latch
- Lateral
- Lateral brace
- Lateral (Timber Roof Construction)
- Lattice
- Leaf
- Level
- Lintel
- Lintel (Masonry)
- Listello tiles
- Load bearing wall
- Location block
- Louver
- Lumens
- Main Contractor
- Male
- Mantel
- Manufacturer’s specifications
- Masonry
- Masonry
- Masonry accessories
- Masonry bond
- Masonry unit
- Mastic
- Metal lath
- Metal tile
- Microlam
- Millwork
- Miter joint
- Molding
- Mono pitched roof
- Monoplanar truss
- Monopost
- Monoridge
- Mortar
- Mortar (Fixing Roof Tiles)
- Mortar (Masonry)
- Mortise
- Movement joint
- Movement joint (Masonry / Cement plaster)
- Mullion
- Muntin
- Muriatic acid
- Nail plate
- Nail-plate (Timber Roof Construction)
- Natural finish
- Newel post
- Node
- Nonbearing wall
- Nosing
- Notch
- Outrigger
- Outside corner
- Overhang
- Overhang
- Padding
- Paint
- Pallets
- Pan
- Pane
- Panel
- Panel point
- Parapet
- Parting stop
- Parting strip
- Partition
- Paver
- Paving
- Penetrometer
- Permeability
- Perpend joint
- Pier
- Pigment
- Pilot hole
- Pilot light
- Pitch
- Pitched roof
- Pitch (Fixing Roof Tiles)
- Pitch (Timber Roof Structures)
- Pit latrine
- Plan view
- Plasticity
- Plumb
- Plumb bob
- Plumbing stack
- Plumbing waste line
- Ply
- Plywood
- Point load
- Pool acid
- Portland cement
- Post
- Post-and-beam
- Power vent
- Preservative
- Pressure Relief Valve
- Pressure-treated wood
- Pricking-up coat
- Primer
- Profiled sheet
- Property survey
- P trap– Curved
- Purlin
- Purlin beams
- Purlins
- Purlin (Timber Roof Structures)
- Putty
- PVC
- Quantity Surveyor
- Quarry tile
- Quarter round
- Radiation
- Radon
- Rafter
- Rafter (Fixing Roof Tiles)
- Rail
- Rake
- Raked flashing
- Rake fascia
- Ready mixed concrete
- Rebar
- Reducer
- Reflective insulation
- Refrigerant
- Registered person
- Reglaze
- Reinforced masonry
- Reinforcement bond
- Relief valve
- Renovation
- Responsible person
- Retaining wall
- Retempering
- Rib
- Ridge
- Ridge (Fixing Roof Tiles)
- Rim joist
- Rise
- Riser
- Rodding eye
- Rod reinforcement
- Roof
- Roof joist
- Roof valley
- Runner
- Run, roof
- Run, stair
- Sash
- Scissor Truss
- Scratch coat
- Screed
- Sealer
- Segregation
- Self
- Semigloss
- Septic system
- Septic tank
- Setting block
- Setting block (Glazing)
- Settlement
- Sewer
- Sheet metal duct work
- Sheet metal work
- Shell bedding
- Shim
- Shingles
- Shutter
- Side stitching
- Single hung window
- Single-leaf wall
- Skirting
- Skylight
- Slab
- Slab-on-the-ground foundations
- Sleeper wall
- Slip
- Slope
- Soffit
- Soffit closure
- Softwood timber
- Sole plate
- Solid masonry unit
- Sound attenuation
- Spacing
- Span
- Spec home
- Specifications
- Specs
- Splash back
- Splatterdash
- Splice
- Sprig
- Square
- Stair landing
- Stair rise
- Static vent
- STC
- Steel inspection
- Step flashing
- Stepped flashing
- Stile
- Stops
- Stop valve
- Storey (story)
- Storm sewer
- Story (storey)
- Stretcher bond
- Strike
- Strip flooring
- Strip flooring
- Strip footing
- Stub end
- Stucco
- Subcontractor
- Substrate
- Suction
- Sump
- Sump
- Sump pump
- Suspended ceiling
- Suspended floor
- Switch
- Symmetrical truss
- Tail beam
- Taping
- Tee
- Tempered
- Termites
- Terra cotta
- T&G
- Thermostat
- Threshold
- Tie beam
- Tilting batten
- Timber truss
- Toenailing
- tongue and groove
- top chord
- Top chord
- Top chord (Timber Roof Structures)
- Top plate
- Trades
- Trades person
- Traditional truss
- Transmitter
- Tread
- Treated lumber
- Trough
- Truss
- Truss spacing
- Truss (Timber Roof Construction)
- Truss (Timber Roof Structures)
- Turnkey
- Turpentine
- Undercoat
- Undercoat (Cement plaster)
- Underground plumbing
- Underlay
- Union
- valley
- Valley
- Valley (Fixing Roof Tiles)
- Valley flashing
- Valley flashing (Fixing Roof Tiles)
- Valley truss
- Veneer
- Vent
- Verge
- Vermiculite
- Voltage
- Wall board or gypsum
- Wall plate
- Wall tie
- Warping
- Waste pipe and vent
- Water closet
- Waterproof
- Waterproofing
- Water-repellent preservative
- Water table
- WC
- Weatherstrip
- Web
- Web (Timber Roof Structures)
- Weep holes
- Window frame
- Window sash
- Wire nut
- Workability
- X-brace
- Y
- Zoning