Glossary

Ant cap   Metal hat fixed on top of a stump to help prevent termite passage

Auger   A drilling implement shaped like a corkscrew

Bale mallet   Large wooden mallet for relocating straw bales in a wall

Barrup   A roof support system utilising metal cables and adjustable fulcrum

Bearers   Timber fitted on top of stumps that support the floor joist

Birdsmouth   Triangular checkout in the bottom of a rafter which sits over the outside wall

Bottom boxing   Timber structure at the bottom of a straw bale wall on which the straw bales are laid

Bottom plate   Timber at the base of a timber framed wall

Buckle   Coupling for compression strapping

Cement render   Paste matericals often consisting of 1 part cement, 1 part lime, 6 parts washed sand. Also referred to as stucco

Centres   A measurement from the centre of one piece of timber to the centre of a parallel piece of timber. Equivalent to common edge

Chalk line   A marking system with a string line held in a holder with chalk inside it. The chalk is loaded onto the string and when flicked against a surface the chalk marks the material, leaving a straight line marked

Checked into…   To fix a piece of timber into another with its face level with the face of the original piece of timber

Checkout   To remove a straight-edged section of timber

Chippy   Nickname for a carpenter

Cob   A sticky, fibrous mixture of straw and earthen render

Collar tie   A piece of timber in a roof fixed horizontally between the ceiling joist and roof peak

Common edge   A measurement from the edge of one piece of timber to the edge of a parallel piece of timber. Equivalent to the centres measurement

Compression strapping   Polyester strapping encircling the bottom boxing, straw bales and top boxing. The shortening of the strapping causes the compression of the straw bales

Cripple   To cut part way through a piece of bowed timber to facilitate its straightening

Cutting (excavation)   To excavate land, normally with a view to create a flat section on which to build a home

Door buck   A frame fixed into a straw bale wall into which a door is fitted

Door chair rail   The central horizontal section of a door

Door head (door frame, door fix)   The top horizontal section of the door opening of a timber framed wall or door jamb into which the door is hung

Door post   A vertical post adjoining a door

Door sill   The bottom horizontal section of a door

Door stile   The verticle timber of a door

Door stop   Timber within a door jamb that a door closes against

Dumpy level   A mechanical piece of equipment used for measuring land gradient

Earthen render   A paste made up of sand and clay used to seal straw bale walls

Eave   The section of the roof that extends beyond the outside wall

Fascia   Timber fixed to the outer ends of rafters, onto which guttering is secured

First fix   The carpentry to build the frame of a house

Floor clamps   Clamps also referred to as floor dogs, used to clamp flooring together

Floor joist   Horizontal sections of timber fixed to the bearers onto which the flooring is fixed

Framing   Carpentry work on the timber frame of a house, also referred to as first fix

Framing gun   A nail gun which fires 75mm nails, used to assemble the frame of a house

F7   A rating of timber strength

Fulcrum   The point of rest on which a lever turns or is supported

Gang nail   Metal plate with spikes protruding used to join two pieces of timber

Gripple   A mechanism used to join fencing wire

Hanging beam   A timber beam fixed above and to ceiling joists to support the ceiling joists

Head door, head window   The top section of a door or window

Hip truss   A manufactured truss running from the externam corner of a building at a 45-degree angle to the centre of the building

Hurdle   A structure on which the location of a building’s foundations are recorded as a term of reference during construction (a horizontal piece of timber fixed to two uprights)

Infill   A straw bale building system where straw bales are used to fill the spaces between a self-supporting structure

Jack joist   Short sections of timber fixed to the outside wall running parallel to the ceiling joists, and to the first ceiling joist, onto which the ceiling is fixed (also referred to as ceiling trimmers)

Jack rafter   The first full rafters to be fitted at each end of a roof

Joist strap   Upright timber or metal straps fixed at the junction of the ceiling joist and hanging beam

KDHW   Kiln dried hardwood

Kordon   A physical and chemical barrier to termites

Laser level   A piece of equipment with a laser, used for measuring land gradient

Latch   A spring-loaded door lock system that can be opened by turning a door knob or key

Lath   A small, flat section of timber fixed to a timber-framed wall, onto which plaster is spread to create a flat wall surface

Level   A nickname for a spirit level

Lime putty   A paste made up of hydrated lime and washed sand used to seal straw bale walls

Lintel   A horizontal beam fitted within a wall to support a load over an opening

Load bearing   A straw bale building system where the weight of the roof and/or upper floor joists of two-storey construction is supported by the straw bales

Lock-up   Carpentry work resulting in the house being securely locked

Metal wall brace   A length of angle iron fixed into a timber framed wall to hold it square and upright

MGP   Machine Grade Pine (a measurement of the strength of pine)

Mullion   Vertical piece of timber fixed within a window

Nail plate   see gang nail

Noggings   Short horizontal piece of timber fixed between studs in a timber framed wall (can be abbreviated to noggs)

OBHW   Ordinary building hardwood

Packers   Thin pieces of timber used to build up the depth or thickness of timber

Plane   Method of reducing the size of timber, which results in a smooth surface

Plumb bob   Implement consisting of a weight and a piece of string; used to find a vertical line

Plumb cut   A vertical cut on a piece of timber, most often on a rafter

R value   A measure of resistance of insulation to heat transfer; the higher the R rating, the more effective the insulation

Rafter   Material supporting roof cladding

Render   Paste material used for sealing straw bales. See also cement render, stucco, lime putty and earthen render

Reveal   Timber fixed to the inside of an aluminium window

Ring beam   Beam around the perimeter of an infill straw bale building which supports the upper floor joists and/or the roof

Rip   To make a cut along the length of timber (normally along the grain)

Riser   The vertical part of a staircase, which may be filled with timber or left open

Second fix   The carpentry work that results in a house being able to be locked

Sheet flooring   Pieces of flat flooring material approximately 3600 x 900mm, normally made of ply or particleboard

Sill   The bottom horizontal section of a window or door

Sizalation   Sheeting fixed beneath roof cladding and above the rafters to prevent condensed water falling on the ceiling

Sole plate   Timber or concrete support for stumps

Spacings   The gap between two parallel materials

Sparky   Nickname for an electrician

Stile   The vertical section of a door or external vertical parts of a window; the frame into which a window or day is to be fitted including a window or door buck

Stucco   see cement render

Striker plate   Metal plate fixed to a door jamb. The door latch passes over its face and then protrudes into it and holds the door in the closed position

Stringer   The angled section of a staircase

Strip flooring   Narrow pieces of timber fixed to the floor joists

Strip footing   A combination of concrete and steel within a trench in the ground designed to support a building

Structural infill   A straw bale building system where the roof and/or upper floor joists are supported on a frame, which is fixed into and held upright by the compressed straw bales

Stud   Vertical timber within a timber framed wall

Stump   Timber, concrete or metal pipe used to support a house

Stump pin   A metal pin protruding from the top of a concrete stump

Subbies   Nickname for sub-contractors

Sub-floor bracing   Angle bracing fixed to stumps

Thermal mass   A body of matter capable of absorbing and retaining heat

Top boxing   Timber structure fitted to the top of a straw bale wall

Top plate   Horizontal piece of timber at the top of a timber framed wall

Tradies   Nickname for tradespeople

Tread   The horizontal section of a staircase

Trusses   Prefabricated roof structures

Vibrating plate   Hand-operated machine for the compaction of sand and crushed rock

Villaboard   Cement-sheet type product with a rebate at the edge of the sheets that enables joining compound to be fitted, giving a flat, patched surface. Ideal for use in wet areas, particularly as a support for ceramic tiles, etc

Wall plate   Horizontal piece of timber at the top or bottom of a timber framed wall

Water level   A piece of equipment utilising of water to determine multiple locations that are at the same level as one another

Wall brace   Diagonal piece of material to hold a timber-framed wall square and vertical

Window buck   A frame fixed within a straw bale wall into which a window is fitted

Window flashing   Plastic and/or aluminium sheeting fitted to windows to prevent the penetration of water on or about windows (also used around external door jambs)