Construction – Terms you need to know

Written by
Dr Lisa Bridgett
on
July 26, 2024

As someone who completed a large-scale renovation on my owner-occupied home with next to no knowledge, one thing I wish I knew was all of the terms that get thrown around by various trades people and suppliers when trying to bring the project together!! So, here are the 12 new terms that I learned during my renovation which I think may benefit anyone doing the same!

  • MASONRY – Brick, concrete, stone, artificial stone, or terra cotta laid in mortar.
  • MORTAR – A composition of lime and/or cement and sand mixed with water in various proportions. A material used in masonry construction to fill the gaps between the bricks and blocks.
  • NOGGING – A horizontal piece of timber fixed between studs in a framed wall.
  • OVERHANG (ROOF) – When the section of a roof extends over the external wall.
  • PLASTERBOARD – Is attached to studs to create walls but can also be attached to masonry walls including brick.
  • PLASTERING – Any calcareous compound, usually of gypsum plaster, cement, or lime putty and sand, that has been applied to a surface in a plaster state and sets hard.
  • QUAD – Moulding having a profile of a quarter of a circle.
  • ROOF TRUSS – A frame designed to carry the loads of a roof and its covering over the full span without intermediate support.
  • SKIRTING – Moulding to cover the joint between floor and wall flooring.
  • TRENCH – In joinery, a groove. In drainage and plumbing, the excavation in which pipes are laid, In foundations, the excavation in which footings are placed.
  • WALL SHEETING – Materials used for external and internal linings, e.g., strawboard, fibre cement, fibrous plaster, plaster wall board, and compressed wood fibre board.
  • ZONING – The council or local government laws that specify how privately owned urban property can or cannot be used in certain areas.

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