Construction industry insiders have their own lingo. If you didn’t know better, it would be easy to conclude that tradesmen start using a different language once they arrive at work. Thankfully, we’re here to clear up any confusion, and help you understand builder lingo.
We’ve already covered building terms from A-F and G-R. You can read those articles here and here. This list covers the rest of the alphabet.
As with our other lists, these are not technical definitions. This is our effort to simplify and demystify the building industry. If you want to get technical, check out the National Construction Code Dictionary of Terms.
A “trap” is the squiggly assembly of pipes under a sink or other plumbing fixture. A trap creates a water barrier which ensures that smelly gases from the sewer network do not escape into your house.
Sarking provides an additional layer of protection to keep water out of a dwelling, while helping to regulate internal temperature.
Water resistant membrane used under roofing or behind cladding to provide additional water protection, ember protection, condensation control, and improved thermal performance. Most commonly, sarking is blue on one side, and silver on the other (but other colours are used).
The part of a window assembly that holds the glass. A sash sits inside the window frame (the part attached to the house) and may be fixed or moving.
Temporary structure to protect workers when they are working at heights. Scaffolding also provides a convenient working platform. Scaffold is required by law in certain high-risk circumstances. It must be installed and inspected by a licensed person.
Scaffolding reduces the risk of falls on a building site, and provides a safe and convenient platform for working at heights
A truss with a sloping bottom chord to produce a raked ceiling most effectively than using rafters. Running services and air conditioning ducts through scissor trusses is simpler than through rafters.
The distance from a property boundary to a structure. Councils have specific guidelines for setbacks, depending on zoning, building height, type of frontage, neighbouring properties, and other factors.
Silt Fencing limits mud being washed off a construction site
Sometimes called sediment fence. A low green barrier used to prevent sediment and silt washing off a building site. Building sites are usually bare dirt, so heavy rain will wash mud and silt into drains and neighbouring properties without proper sediment management.
A wooden board fixed to the bottom of a wall at the junction with the floor to prevent damage to the wall and to neatly finish the joint between the wall and floor.
A roof comprising one or more flat planes. Sometimes known as a shed roof. An alternative to a hip or gable roof.
Break time. Morning tea. Afternoon tea. Lunch. Usually does not actually involve smoking. Depending on the particular tradesman, smoko may involve biscuits, tea, coffee, energy drinks, Chiko Rolls, fruit, sandwiches, bacon and eggs rolls, and just about anything else you can imagine.
The underside of an eave.
Drainage pipes extending more than one storey in height. Generally only relevant in two storey homes.
The most common masonry bond in Australia in which all bricks are laid with half overlaps. Our friends at PGH bricks have a more detailed explanation on their website (opens in a new tab).
A repeated vertical framing member in a wall. The adoption of lightweight stud framing revolutionized residential construction. Check out this video explaining the genius of stud framing (it’s from an American perspective, but the basic idea is true in Australia too).
Stud walls, with carpenters installing trusses
Literally, the part of the structure under the floor. The supporting structure holding up the floor and usually everything above it.
A pit at a low point to collect unwanted water and facilitate its removal. Sometimes called a drainage pit, or just a “pit”.
A requirement of the Plumbing Code to ensure that hot water delivered to showers and taps is not hot enough to cause injury. A tempering valve mixes cold water and hot water to “temper” the water coming out of a hot water system.
Yellow and black striped sleeve placed on power lines to warn nearby workers about a hazard from electric shock.
Tiger Tails warn workers about live electricity cables nearby
Top horizontal framing member on a stud wall.
Glass manufactured using a special cooling process so it will shatter into small pieces, instead of dangerous shards, when broken. Toughened glass usually cannot be cut and needs to be made to order.
An assembly of timber (and sometimes steel) in a triangular arrangement, most commonly to support a roof. Trusses are light, but strong, requiring a small amount of material to support large spans.
Where two downward sloping plans of a roof meet. Water falling on a roof often flows towards a valley, so proper installation of valleys is vital.
System of foam blocks used underneath a concrete slab. We’ve got a whole blog post on this one – check it out!
Vertical joints in brickwork left open above the damp course to allow moisture from behind the wall to escape.
Weep Holes allow moisture to escape from brick veneer walls
Water Sensitive Urban Design. A set of policies designed to manage the collection, filtering, and disposal of stormwater from a new development. WSUD policies generally apply to new subdivisions or developments where three or more dwellings or lots will be created.
A strip of metal folded into a profile a bit like the letter “Z”. Flashings are used to control and divert water away from important elements of a building.
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