Homeowner's Glossary of Building Terms
Glossary of Home Construction, Repair and Maintenance Definitions. Some words have more than one meaning. Only those meanings relating to this site will be used.
C
Cantilever
A projecting beam or joist, not supported at one end, used to support an extension of a structure.
Carriage
The member which supports the steps or treads of a stair.
Casement
A window sash that opens on hinges at the vertical edge.
Casing
Door and window framing.
Cavity Wall
A hollow wall formed by firmly linked masonry walls, providing an insulating air space between.
Chimney Cap
Concrete capping around the top of chimney bricks and around the floors to protect the masonry from the elements.
Chair Rail
Wooden molding on a wall around a room at the level of a chair back.
Chamfered Edge
Molding with pared-off corners.
Chase
A groove in a masonry wall or through a floor to accommodate pipes or ducts.
Chimney Breast
The horizontal projection - usually inside a building - of a chimney from the wall in which it is built.
Circuit Breaker
A safety device which opens (breaks) an electric circuit automatically when it becomes overloaded.
Cistern
A tank to catch and store rain water.
Clapboard
A long thin board, thicker on one edge, overlapped and nailed on for exterior siding.
Coach-Screws or Lag-Screws
Large, heavy screws, used where great strength is required, as in heavy framing or when attaching ironwork to wood.
Collar Beam
A horizontal beam fastened above the lower ends of rafters to add rigidity.
Common Areas
Those portions of a building, land, or improvements and amenities owned by a planned unit development (PUD) or condominium project's homeowners association (or a cooperative project's cooperative corporation) that are used by all of the unit owners, who share in the common expenses of their operation and maintenance. Common areas include swimming pools, tennis courts, and other recreational facilities, as well as common corridors of buildings, parking areas, means of ingress and egress, etc.
Condominium
A unit in a multiunit building. The owner of a condominium unit owns the unit itself and has the right, along with other owners, to use the common areas but does not own the common elements such as the exterior walls, floors and ceilings or the structural systems outside of the unit, these are owned by the condominium association. There are usually condominium association fees for building maintenance, property upkeep, taxes and insurance on the common areas and reserves for improvements.
Coping
Tile or brick used to cap or cover the top of a masonry wall.
Corbel
A horizontal projection from a wall, forming a ledge or supporting a structure above it.
Corner Bead
A strip of wood or metal for protecting the external corners of plastered walls.
Cornice
Horizontal projection at the top of a wall or under the overhanging part of the roof.
Course
A horizontal row of bricks, cinder blocks or other masonry materials.
Cove Lighting
Concealed light sources behind a cornice or horizontal recess which direct the light upon a reflecting ceiling.
Crawl Space
A shallow, unfinished space beneath the first floor of a house which has no basement, used for visual inspection and access to pipes and ducts. Also, a shallow space in the attic, immediately under the roof.
Cripples
Cut-off framing members above and below windows.
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