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.