Glossary

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A - D
E - H
I - L
M - P
Q - T
U - Z

A

ACC	Authority to Commence Construction
Architrave	Moulding surrounding a door or window opening to cover the join between the frame and the wall finish.

B

Bagging	A method of finishing brickwork involving the application of a thin mortar slurry using a hessian bag or sponge. Can be painted over or left to fade in an oxide finish. Usually completed by the bricklayer. Bagging varies in texture & colour greatly and is not uniform like render.
Boundary construction	Building on the boundary of the allotment and neighbouring allotment, usually a garage wall.
Brick Veneer	A method of construction in which a single leaf of non-load bearing wall of brickwork is tied to a timber or metal framed load bearing structure to form the external enclosure.
Building envelope	The designated area on your land where you must build your house, normally set down by the Council of encumbrance.

C

Caulking	Sealing, filling or blocking of a control joint.
Certificate of Title	Document issued by the Land Titles Office that confirms the registered owner of the land.
Contour Survey	A survey of the building site that identifies the amount of rise/fall represented by lines of equal level and relates to a datum (starting) point, normally the front corner.
Cornice	A moulding placed at the junction between a wall and ceiling.
Crossover	The border or verge of the council boundary.
Cut and Fill	The method often used to provide a level area on a sloping site, where part of the sloping surface is cut away and used to provide fill on the portion of the slope immediately to it.

D

Design guidelines	Rules governing the style and design of the home to be built, usually set by the developer and/or Council.
DA/Development Application	The plans submitted to be approved by the Local Council. Usually approved with a large number of the conditions, all of which must be met by the builder and/or the owner and subject to the issue of a Construction Certificate before construction may commence.

E

Eaves	The lower part of a roof that overhangs the walls.
Easement	A restriction on the title to your land which means that part of the land is to be left free for some purpose (usually drainage lines or electricity cables).
Ecologically sustainable design	The use of design principles and strategies which help reduce the ecological impact of buildings e.g. by reducing the consumption of energy and resources, or by minimising disturbances to existing vegetation
Encumbrance	Rules governing the use of the land and structure to be built.
Energy/star rating	The minimum levels of water, energy and temperature performance required by the State Government (and often, developers).

F

Facade	The outer front face of the home.
Fascia	Timber board to which the gutter is fitted (metal or timber edge capping) to the roof to which the rain water gutter is fixed.
Footing	That part of a construction designed to transfer loads to the supporting foundation, usually constructed of reinforced concrete to support base brickwork.
Foundation	The natural or built up formation of soil, sub-soil or rock upon which a building or structure is supported.

G

Gable	The vertical triangular end of a building with a pitched roof, between the rafters from eaves level to the apex (ridge). It may be formed in brickwork or timber framed and clad with weatherboards.
Galley kitchen	A kitchen where appliances and cabinets sit against a single wall.
Grey water	Domestic wastewater from bathroom fixtures (such as basins, showers and baths), laundry fixtures (such as clothes washing machines and laundry troughs) and kitchen facilities (such as sinks and dishwashing machines).

H

Handover	The time when the owner accepts possession of the house and makes payment of the Handover claim plus any balance of the agreement price in full with no set off or reduction.
HIA Greensmart	A voluntary Housing Industry Association program that educates builders, designers, product manufacturers and consumers about the benefits of an environmentally responsible approach to housing and development. HIA GreenSmart aims to increase energy efficiency, reduce water consumption, minimise waste and encourage better environmental management at each stage in the construction.
Hip roof	The sloping end of a roof where the ridge line splits and terminates on the external corner.

I

Infill concrete slab	A concrete slab poured between base brick walls laid on concrete footings. An infill slab is supported by formwork or compacted filling.

J

Joist	A timber or steel beam supported by a bearer which the flooring is fixed directly to.

N

Nogging	A horizontal timber strut fixed between studs, joists or trusses to provide stiffening or to support ceiling lining.
Nominal size	The size of a timber that is used as a description but not an exact size. Also usually before the timber is dressed.

P

Panelled door	Door with sunken raised panel on its faces.
Panel lift door	Sectional lift panel garage doors where the doors roll up into 4 to 5 sections.
Parapet	A low wall to protect the edge of a roof, balcony or terrace. Many shops have a parapet at the front of the building for signage.
Piers	Usually a brick support pier to hold the weight of a porch, portico or carport roof, also known as brick columns.
Pitch roof	The angle of a sloping roof, usually expressed in degrees (e.g. 22 degree pitch).
Planking	Weatherboard type cladding used externally to cover the framing in lieu of bricks.
Planning Permit	An application for permission to develop or use land for a particular purpose in accordance with the Councils' restrictions on building activities in their jurisdiction.

R

Rafter	A sloping member in a roof providing the principal structural support for the roofing material.
Raked joint	A brick joint raked out by the bricklayer for a key for plaster or as a decorative finish.
Render	A wall finish where a cement mixture is plastered onto a wall surface. May be smooth or patterned.

S

Sarking	Aluminium Foil material used under roof covering in high wind of bushfire prone areas (1) to prevent wind driven rain from entering the roof (2) to prevent sparks from a bushfire from entering and igniting the roof timbers. Also used as a form of insulation in raked, sloping, ceilings.
Settlement	Completion of a sale when the balance of the contract is paid and the buyer becomes legally entitled to take possession of the property.
Skirting	A wooden board fixed to the bottom of a wall at the junction of the floor to prevent damage to the wall or to conceal small gaps.
Slab Class	Slab classes are based on a soil classification. 'S' Class means stable ground - not much expansion or contraction; 'M' means moderately reactive soil - some expansion or contraction; 'H' means highly reactive - large measure of expansion and contraction.
Slip joint	A joint designed to allow movement between two members usually in the form of two layers of sheet metal with grease installed on top of a brick wall prior to installation of a concrete slab.
Soil Test	A system to gauge the reactivity of soil, conducted by engineers.
Specification	Level of inclusions (such as fixtures, fittings, tiles, kitchen and bathroom selections) included in the your home.
Stud	A vertical, timber or steel support within the framing structure.
Structural modification	An alteration of the standard structure of the home.
Structural survey	A detailed survey of the structure of a building carried out by a Structural Engineer or Chartered Building Surveyor.

T

Thermal Mass	The ability of a material to absorb heat energy. A lot of heat energy is required to change the temperature of high density materials like concrete, bricks and tiles. They are therefore said to have high thermal mass. Lightweight materials such as timber have low thermal mass (http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/yourhome/technical).
Trap	a) A fitting usually in the shape of the letter P or S which retains water to form a "water seal" so as to prevent the passage if gases or foul air into the building. b) A fitting for the interception of silt, acids, grease, oils or fats.

U

Underpinning	The construction of new footings or concrete piers under an existing footing to prevent its collapse or failure.

V

Valley	The meeting line of two inclined roof surfaces at a re-entrant angle.

W

Waffle Pod	An engineered slab design featuring a rid of internal beams created around polystyrene pod formers. High strength and thermal efficiency.
WELS	Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) Scheme. The WELS Scheme labels a range of products (such as tap equipment showers and sanitary ware), for water efficiency helping Australian households to save water and money. (www.waterrating.gov.au).

Founded in Japan in 1960, and having built over two million homes, Sekisui House is one of Japan’s most respected community developers and builders. With an array of awards for innovation, quality and sustainability, we continue to lead the charge in developing advanced home building technology – as well as developing a sustainable society for generations to enjoy. / keep reading

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