carved piece of wood usually fastened to furniture or fireplace surrounds.
Less expensive alternative to carving panels.
Apron,
board standing on edge under stool of window.
Architrave,
the head casing over a door or the beams supporting the roof of a piazza
Asbestos,
a non-flammable mineral that continues to be used today in roofing tar and foundation
coating. It seems the danger of asbestos is not in it's composition so much
as the fact that it is fibrous, lightweight, and very sharp. If
encapsulated, in tar or solid materials, U.S. authorities will allow it's
use.
Astragal,
commonly a strip of molding that serves to seal a movable joint
Balcony,
a small mezzanine affixed to the exterior of a residential
structure.
Baluster,
individual vertical dowel or bar in a handrail that gives support and
keeps objects from falling off stairs.
Balustrade,
self-supporting assembly of balusters, handrail, newel posts and stringer,
bottom rail, or channel.
Benzene,
an adulterant for diluting paint, it dries without residue
Bidet,
a plumbing fixture, resembling a toilet, for cleansing one's intimate
parts.
Builder's Level,
A precision telescope designed to enable the user to determine relative
height and distance of surrounding objects with substantial
accuracy.
CAD,
Acronym for "Computer Aided Design" Usually reserved for the use
of software specifically designed to accurately reproduce technical drawings
Casing,
the trim on a wall hiding the gap between a door jamb and the rough
opening
Chair rail,
strip of molding usually 1/2 as thick as it is wide, originally attached
to walls at the height of the backs of chairs to protect walls from
indentations. (often at a height of 32")
Chamfer,
bevel along edge of surface, usually formed to prevent chipping
Chandelier,
light fixture designed to hang from ceiling having 2 or more light
sources.
Circular Stairs,
A staircase with steps planned in a circle
Cleat,
small blocks of wood meant to restrain movement, or stitch lumber together
Cockle Stairs,
A winding staircase
Coffered ceiling,
a ceiling composed of open boxes, originally the result of post-and-beam
construction.
Coping,
Corbel,
large bracket, usually exterior under soffit, may be interior under beams
or mantle. When interior, often very ornate.
Cornice,
1, decorative band along joint of wall and ceiling. May be stamped sheet
metal. See also: Crown
2, a group of moldings surmounting a wall; the projecting moldings which
crown the entablature in architecture, surmounting the frieze.
3, eaves of roof. see also "soffit"
Cripples,
short studs below window openings
Crown,
molding along joint of wall and ceiling. Composed of ridges, grooves,
curves, and may have repeating pattern.
Curtail Step,
the first step by which a stair is ascended, finishing at the end in a
form of a scroll following the plan of the handrail
Curve Out,
a concave curve on the face of a stringer at its start with the effect of
widening the treads
Dado,
groove cut in face of board to accept end of adjoining board or tongue
Dog legged Stairs,
stairs stacked atop each other with balustrades falling in same vertical
plane.
Door Buck,
Metallic frame supporting fire doors.
Driers,
Oxidizer to be combined with paint to speed curing, consists of salts of
manganese.
Glossary Of Architectural terms