Does Building Jargon sound like another language?
Well here is a Glossary with 31 Building terms you need to know when undertaking a Building Project…
4×2/6×2 – 2 standard sizes of timber, in imperial measurements – 90x45mm and 140x45mm
Architrave – The Finishing timber trim that surrounds windows and doors to cover the intersection between the door/window frame and the interior Gib Board
Bearer – A structural piece of timber which spans from one pile to another, supporting a Joist
Chippie – Carpenter
Code of Compliance– You as the owner, should notify the Council when work is completed and apply for a code compliance certificate (CCC). The Council will then make the final inspection and issue you with a CCC if satisfied on reasonable grounds that the completed work complies with your building consent.
Contingency– A reasonable financial buffer in a project budget to cover the unexpected.
Cornice – The Finishing timber trim that covers the Wall to Ceiling intersection on the interior of the house
Fascia – A finishing piece of timber at the outer edges of the roof, where the Guttering/Spouting is fixed to
Flashing – A shaped metal or PVC sheet that deflects water away
Floating Floor – An overlay flooring that is not nailed/glued or screwed but is usually interlocking
Flush – Flat or to align in the same plane (eg a flush door – without grooves or panels)
Framing – A collection of timber members creating a Wall/Roof/Floor Structure
Gib Board – A Plaster substrate packed between 2 paper sheets which is used to line the interior of walls and ceilings. Its is screwed and glued to the walls, and then is Gib Stopped
Go Off – When Concrete, Plaster etc. starts to set
Ground Clearance – The heights between the ground and the floor level
Joists – A piece of timber providing support for the flooring, spanning from 2 loadbearing elements eg, Wall/Bearer/Beam
Lintel – A beam (either in timber or steel) that sits over a door/window/opening that takes the structural loads from above and distributes them away from the door/window/opening
Load Bearing – Referring to a Wall that is designed to take loads from above
Nog – Also known as a dwang in the South Island, these are the central horizontal timber members in the wall framing
On the Piss – Not perpendicular and out of plumb
Pile – A 125x125mm post (generally) concreted into the ground, supporting a Bearer
Practical Completion– This is the point where all the building work is completed, in accordance with the contract, and the house is reasonably fit for occupation
Rafter – A piece of timber providing support for roof cladding
Roof Shout – A right of passage for all building projects, where the clients shout the chippies and subbies beers and food when the roof has been installed.
Screed – Typically a thin cement based layer on a floor to level and flatten the surface
Skirting – The Finishing timber trim that covers the Wall to floor intersection on the interior of the house
Smoko – A break from work for a tea break
Soffit – The horizontal finishing board (typically a fibre cement sheet) that spans from the Fascia to the Exterior Wall
Sparkie – An Electrician
Stopping – A task undertaken by a Gib Stopper Subbie, to apply plaster over the joins and screw holes in the Gib Board, to a smooth finish in order to paint
Studs – The Vertical Timber members in the wall framing, often 2.4 or 2.7m high (which defines your ceiling height)
Subbie – A Sub-Contractor
Top/Bottom Plate – The continuous horizontal timber members at the top or the bottom of the studs in the wall framing
Trusses – A series of timber joined together (often in triangles) to create a larger structural member that can span wider spans than rafters
Variation- Any change (additions or omissions) to the scope of the project, the timescale in which the works are completed and the order or way in which the works are to be completed.
Contact us to arrange an initial consult call to discuss the building jargon on your project.
