House Professionals

 

-- Channels --
 
General DIY
Home insulation
Do it yourself ideas
Interior Design
DIY Brickwork
DIY Central Heating
DIY Decorating
DIY Electrics
DIY Plumbing
Jargon Buster
Bricklaying
Carpentry
Decorating
Electrical maintenance
Floor laying
Ground work
Heating
Plastering
Plumbing
Rendering
Repointing
Roofing

 

Carpentry Jargon

Check out our Carpentry Jargon Buster to learn about some of the common terms used by the building trade and carpetners and joiners when on site! Carpentry Jargon made plain English!!
 

Baluster Casement Cut Nail
Deal Graded Hardwood
Joist Muntin Newel
Par Purlin Rafter
Riser Sash Shakes
Softwood Stile String
Tanalised Transom Tread
Trussed Roof Winder Wrot


BALUSTER
The slim posts located under the handrail in a staircase, commonly termed banisters.
Back to the top

CASEMENT
A window that has hinged opening sashes.
Back to the top

CUT NAIL
A large flat nail stamped out of a sheet of soft steel, mostly used for fixing timber to lightweight blocks.
Back to the top

DEAL
A term often ambiguously used to describe softwood. The correct meaning is a size of squared timber measuring between 2 and 4 inches thick and 9 and 11 inches wide.
Back to the top

GRADED
Regularity or strength graded.
Back to the top

HARDWOOD
Wood from deciduous broad-leafed trees such as oak, beech, mahogany and maple. Rarely used structurally nowadays. The cell structure makes it difficult to absorb preservatives.
Back to the top

JOIST
Structural member running horizontally and supporting a ceiling or floor.
Back to the top

MUNTIN
The vertical strut of a window frame or a glazed doorframe which sits between panes.
Back to the top

NEWEL
The vertical post at the top and bottom of a staircase where the handrail is jointed.
Back to the top

PAR
Prepared all round, i.e. planned timber.
Back to the top

PURLIN
A horizontal roof member located part way up a rafter. The purpose of the purlin is to prevent the rafter from sagging under load and, in turn, the purlin may be supported by posts to transfer the purlin loads onto internal walls below and so to the foundations. This will prevent the outer walls from bearing all the roof loads.
Back to the top

RAFTER
The structural member of a roof which supports the weathering materials underneath. It would still be called a rafter in a flat roof.
Back to the top

RISER
The vertical part of a stair step.
Back to the top

SASH
The opening part of a window.
Back to the top

SHAKES
Splits in wood, usually running with the grain, caused by shrinkage through excessive or rapid drying.
Back to the top

SOFTWOOD
The wood of (mostly) conifer trees such as pine, fir, cedar, larch, spruce, etc. Sometimes also referred to in the different types as hemlock, whitewood and redwood. Most of this wood is resinous and has natural water resistance. The woods are less prone to shrinkage than hardwoods. Some of the softwoods (such as yew) may be physically harder than some hardwoods (such as ash).
Back to the top

STILE
The vertical edge parts of a doorframe. The hinge side is the hanging stile and the opposite side, the lock stile.
Back to the top

STRING
The side of a stair where treads, risers and balusters are fitted.
Back to the top

TANALISED
A highly toxic propriety blend of copper and arsenic which is pressure-impregnated into softwood as a preservative.
Back to the top

TRANSOM
The horizontal member of a window frame.
Back to the top

TREAD
The horizontal part of a stair step.
Back to the top

TRUSSED ROOF
A pre-site manufactured roof member in a triangular shape, in which comprises rafters, struts and joists. Factory jointed with metal or plywood plates. The members are comparatively slim and it is important not to remove any part without specialist advice.
Back to the top

WINDER
A turning tread in the stair.
Back to the top

WROT
Planned timber.
Back to the top


 

 
 



Site map | Privacy policy | Terms of Use

© HouseProfessionals.com 2002-2016