Structural Elements

 

Beam- A horizontal structural member, may be wood, timber, metal, or laminated wood.

Bearing Wall- A wall that supports part of the load from floors above it, or the roof.

Bridging- Diagonal bracing between floor joists, to help spread load.

Building Paper- Asphalt saturated paper used to cover wall sheathing, roof decking, or subfloor.

Casing- Finish trim around a framed window opening.

Crawl Space- Area between first floor floor joists and ground. Clearance is not enough to stand up in, like a basement. Often filled with gravel and covered with plastic barrier.

Dormer- A windowed structure with it's own roof that projects from the main roof.

Drain Tile- An underground tube that carries water away from the foundation, or from the downspout.

Drywall- A smooth gypsum board used as interior wall covering, also know as sheetrock or plasterboard.

Eaves- Part of a roof that hangs beyond the external supporting wall.

Facade- The front face of a building.

Fascia- A board that covers the ends of the roof rafters.\

Flashing- Metal sheeting or strips installed to waterproof roof at edges and junctions where roof meets walls or other structures.

Greenboard- A water resistant type of drywall used in kitchens and bathrooms.

Gutter- A trough at the eave of the roof to collect water and carry it to a downspout.

Joist- On of the parallel, horizonal beams that support a floor or ceiling.

Knee Wall- A short wall from floor to rafter in an attic

Lath or Lathing- A wood or metal support for wall plaster or stucco

Partition- A dividing wall, usually not load bearing

Plaster- A mixture of gypsum, sand and lime. Applied by trowel over lath or plasterboard.

Plate- The top or bottom horizontal element of a stud wall.

Post - A vertical structural member that supports a beam or girder.

Rafter - One of the parallel supporting members that holds the roof decking, usually 2X6's.

Sill - Bottom horizontal member of a door or window frame. Also a horizontal framing member bolted to a slab or foundation wall.

Soffit - The horizontal under structure surface covering the area between the exterior wall and the ends of the rafters.

Span - The distance between vertical supports.

Stringer - A side supporting member of a staircase.

Stud - A vertical, parallel structural member of a framed wall, usually 2X6's.

Subfloor - Sheathing applied to floor joists as rough flooring, sometimes particle board.

Top Plate - The upper plate of a stud wall.

Underlayment - Plywood applied to subfloor as a surface for finished flooring.