Glossary
We know that there is a lot of technical language used during repairs and improvements, so we've created this glossary to make it easier to understand.
A
Air bricks – a special brick with holes through it built into a wall to allow air to pass into the room or space behind the wall, normally found at low level around the perimeter of the building
Airey-duo slab construction – a less common way of building which uses concrete panels and columns instead of common bricks or blocks
Asbestos – a building material used widely in the past which had many good construction benefits but has a health and safety risk if damaged or disturbed. It was used for fireproofing and insulation amongst other things
B
Baluster/balustrades – a post/rail of posts providing guarding to the side of stairs
Base courses – the first few rows of bricks on a wall of a building. Found below the ground floor level or damp-proof course of your building
Barge board – a sloping cover or trim to the edge of a gable roof to help stop rain getting in between the roof and outside wall
Battens – long, thin strips of timber/wood which roof tiles are fixed onto and normally hidden below roof tiles
Bay window area – a part of the building with windows that sticks out of the main external walls
Beams – a structural piece of wood, metal or concrete that is used to support weight in a building
Bellcast detail – a feature formed on the outside of walls with render, which if looked at from the side, has the shape of a bell. It is like a flare of a skirt hem and may be seen running around the building just above the ground level or at a high level, or above windows
Boiler condensate – this is wastewater produced by modern boilers and is normally connected into the drainage
Boss – when material such as render has become detached from the wall it is attached to but has not yet fallen off, and sounds hollow if you tap it
Branch (drainage) – the straight/horizontal parts of drainage pipes from sinks, showers, baths and toilets etc.
Breather/breathable (roofing) membrane – a lining material used in roofs below tiles to help stop rain getting into the attic but allow air in and moisture out of the roof space
Building fabric – the items that make the structure of a building including the bricks, blocks, floors, timber, concrete, render, windows, roof coverings, doors etc.
Building (Scotland) Regulations - building rules to protect the public which set out technical requirements for building work
C
Cast in-situ piers – vertical/upright columns made by pouring concrete into a mould/shuttering where the columns are being built
Cavity wall – a wall made with two layers of brick, blocks or concrete walls which have a space between them
Cavity wall insulation – thermal insulation fitted into the space in a cavity wall to help reduce heat loss
Ceiling joist – a horizonal structural item, usually timber/wood, which a ceiling is fixed to
Cement fillet – a line of cement mortar used to fill gaps on verges under roof tiles or between a wall and an attached roof, and at other junctions
Cold bridging - where heat escapes through a poorly insulated part of a building
Common areas – any areas which everyone in the block has access to or has a legal responsibility to look after
Communal – something that is shared between residents
Composite door – a door made of timber/wood but has different materials such as plastic over the wood
Condition survey – gathering information on a building’s condition to spot if repairs are needed
Conduits – normally metal or plastic tubes that carry electrical cables or pipes, found in stairwells and hidden within floor and walls
Construction (Design and Management) Regulations - rules governing the way construction projects of all sizes and types are planned in the UK
Copes/cope stone – a cover or cap on the top of a wall or chimney to help protect the wall/chimney from rainwater which may be a stone or concrete slab
Corrosion – when metal parts rust or deteriorate due to moisture or chemicals
Counter battens - long, thin rods of timber/wood used with the battens which roof tiles are fixed onto to allow ventilation of the space under the tiles
Cowls – covers on chimney pots or vents to stop water, debris and birds getting in but allow air in
D
Damp proof course – a waterproof material which is fitted into walls just above ground level to stop moisture moving up the wall from the ground into the house/flat
Decay/deteriorate – to become damaged or worsen
Deep flow (gutter) – can take larger amounts of rainwater
Downpipes – vertical/upright drainage pipes which take rainwater or wastewater away from the block to the ground
Dry verge - the sloping edge of a pitched roof above the gable wall which is protected with plastic or metal covers over the side of the roof tiles
Dew point calculations – a way to measure when and where condensation might form on or inside a wall, roof or floor
Duo or dual pitched roof – a roof with two sloping sides
E
Eaves – the lowest part of a sloping roof or the area below it which usually overhangs the outside walls. They may have a fascia and soffit and may have gutters attached
Elevation – the outside wall of a building as you look at it. It may be front, rear, gable or side elevation
End of economic life – when it is more costly to continue repairing and replacement would make more financial sense
End of serviceable lifespan – without human involvement the item may become beyond repair
Estimate cost of repairs – an approximate cost to carry out repairs which is subject to change
External fabric – any outer materials of a building such as walls, roof, windows etc.
External wall insulation – thermal insulation fitted to the outside of the external walls of the building
Extract ventilation – electric fans which pull damp air and odours out of the building, normally found in kitchens and bathrooms
F
Fan light – a window above a door within the same frame
Fascia – a board or trim along the bottom edge of the roof, at the top of the outside walls, where gutters are often attached
Flanked – positioned between or alongside something e.g. a building flanked by two walls
Flaunching – cement holding the chimney pots in place on the chimney top and keeping water out
Flashband – a temporary sticky repair tape which help prevent leaks
Flashing – usually made from lead, flashing is thin, long pieces of waterproof material fixed between different materials or parts of the building to stop water getting in
Flat roof – a roof which has a very small slope, usually just enough to let water run off it
Flat ventilation – includes extract fans and trickle ventilation within a flat or house to help prevent mould and condensation and remove moist, stuffy or smelly air
Flue – a pipe that runs to the outside air from a chimney or boiler to take away smoke, gases and/or fumes
Flush cementitious band (of render) – a flat smooth strip of render made from cement, usually surrounding a door
G
Gable – the side of a building
Gable roof – a type of roof that has two sloping sides that come together at the top
Galvanised – has a protective coating to reduce corrosion
Georgian wire glass – a safety sheet or pane of glass which has wire running through it
Granolithic – hard wearing concrete finish, often used for stairs
Ground bearing floor/slab – a floor which is built directly on the ground
Gutters – the horizontal half pipes that run along the bottom of a roof which collect rainwater from the roof, stopping it falling to the ground. They take water to downpipes and away from the building
H
Hack off – to hit something to break it up and remove it
Haunching – usually a concrete surround, used to bed, fix or support something in place
Head lap – the overlap between roof tiles to prevent leaks
Hipped roof – a pitched roof with usually four sides which slope down to the outer walls of a building
I
Infestation – a high number of insects or pests
Ingo/Ingoes – the side/surrounds of a door or window opening
Insulation – material used to keep heat in
Intermediate landing – a landing between the main floors in a stairwell
Intrusive Survey – a detailed inspection of a building which can cause disruption. It allows us to see in or behind walls and roofs
J
Joist - Horizontal beams that support a floor or ceiling
K
L
Laid to falls – a way of minimally sloping a surface to allow water to drain off it
Lichen – a yellow and white moss like growth on walls and roofs
Lintel – a type of beam that is fitted over a door or window to support the wall above
M
Masonry – bricks, stones or concrete blocks
Mechanically fixed – a way of fixing something with screws
Medium term – within a few years
Mono pitched roof – a sloping roof which only has one side, usually attached to a wall
Mortar - the paste used to hold bricks, blocks or stones together
N
Non-traditional – a building that is built in a way which is not common or thought of as standard
Nosing – the horizontal front edge of a step
O
Overflow pipes – pipes that take water away from the building to stop leaks and water damage
P
Palisade – a fence or barrier often made of metal or wood
Parapet – the upward projection of a wall at the edge of a roof
Patch repair – fixing small, damaged areas instead of replacing a whole section
Pediment – a triangular upper part of a wall
Piers – vertical columns or supports
Pitched roof – a roof with sloping sides (triangular looking)
Plaster on lath – narrow strips of wood covered with plaster
Pointing – the finishing layer of mortar between bricks, keeping them sealed and neat
Purlin – part of the roof structure that runs horizontally and supports rafters
Q
Quions – cornerstones of brick or stone walls which may be structural or decorative
R
Rafters – sloping structural beams which form a pitched roof and hold up the roof coverings
Rake out – removing old mortar from between bricks before repointing
Redundant – no longer being used
Remedial works – fixing, repairing, removing or replacing damaged things
Render/roughcast – a cement waterproof layer applied to outside walls for decoration and weather protection
Render system – a render which is made up of different layers of materials such as insulation, adhesive, reinforcement and minerals, usually made by a manufacturer and comes with guarantees
Repairs and maintenance – repairs are restoration work for when a thing breaks, gets damaged, or stops working. Maintenance refers to routine activities and/or corrective or preventative repair done on assets to prevent damage and prolong the life expectancy
Repointing – renewing the pointing, which is the external part of mortar joints, in masonry construction
Ridge – the highest part of a pitched roof where two slopes meet
Ridge tiles – triangular shaped tiles that are fixed to the ridge of a pitched roof
Right-to-buy - a policy that gives council housing tenants the power to purchase their home at a discounted rate
Roofing felt – a sheet or sheets of felt covering a roof to help stop rain getting in
S
Sarking – flat boards of timber/wood which are laid over rafters and support the roof covering, such as slates and tiles
Separating or party walls – walls between two blocks or between flats and the common stairs to separate them
Services – items fitted to or in a building to make them functional, comfortable, efficient and safe such as lights, drainage pipes, boilers, TV aerials etc.
Short term – within a few months but no longer than a year
Sill – a ledge below a window or door
Soffits – the underside of eaves
Soil vent pipe – a vertical pipe that carries dirty water from toilets and sinks to the underground drainage system and is open to the air at the top of the pipe
Solum – the ground below a floor of a building
Solum space – the space between suspended timber ground floor and the ground
Solum vents – special bricks with holes or louvers through them built into a wall near ground level to allow air to pass into the solum space to help stop dampness
Spalling/spalled – when bricks or concrete break apart due to weather damage
Stacks – vertical drainage pipes, similar to soil vent pipes, which take water to the underground drainage system
Stitching – a way of strengthening cracks in walls using metal rods or resin
Stringcourse – a horizontal decorative line of bricks or render on the outside of a building
Strip footings – a strip of wall or foundation that the main walls are built on
Strut – part of the roof structure that holds up the rafters
Suspended floor – a floor which is built off walls and does not rest directly on the ground
T
Tenement - as a building or part of a building which comprises two or more related flats at least two of which: (a) are, or are designed to be, in separate ownership; (b) are divided from each other horizontally
Tenements (Scotland) Act - the main source of the law of the tenement, which regulates tenement flats and provides a structure for maintenance and management of tenements where there is a gap in title deeds
Thermographic survey – heat sensing check to find where heat is escaping from a building
Tie beams – a beam that connects or ties together two column or walls
Timber – wood, may be solid or made up of layers or chips
Traditional construction – common or standard ways of building with bricks, blocks, timber and/or stone
Trickle vent – a background vent which is usually found at the top of a window
Trusses – frames of timber/wood that support the roof
U
U-value – a measurement of how well a material or construction can stop heat loss and help keep heat in the building
V
Verge – the sloping edge of a pitched roof above the gable wall
Verge capping - a sloping cover or trim to the edge of a gable roof fixed to the roof tiles to help stop rain getting in under the tiles
W
Wall tie – a piece of metal that ties the two walls of a cavity wall together
Waste vent pipe - a vertical pipe that carries dirty water from sinks to the drainage system and is open to the air at the top of the pipe
Wastewater – water that has been used and dirty
Water ingress – water from outside getting into your building
Wet Verge – the sloping edge of a pitched roof above the gable wall which has gaps under the roof tiles sealed with cement mortar
X
Y
Z