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Cutting through Builders Jargon: What it Really Means
Entering the world of construction is not something most of us do on a regular basis, which can make it tricky to follow what is going on when it comes to your project. There is a lot of builders jargon and construction slang to learn!
With this in mind, Gartec have put together a list of construction industry builders jargon. Now you can get on with your plans (and research the fantastic home lift you wanted installed!).
Ultimate Builders Jargon Buster
| Letter | Word |
Meaning |
| A | Acro Prop | An extendable device used to temporarily hold up a wall |
| Aggregate | General word for materials like builders sand, sharp sand and gravel | |
| Architrave | Moulding around an opening – usually a window or door | |
| B | Baluster | Fancy term for stair bannister |
| Balustrade | Railings supported by balusters | |
| Batten | Wooden frame to which roof tiles are attached | |
| Beading | Small moulding that covers a gap or joint | |
| Buttress | Strengthening a wall by making it thicker | |
| C | Caulk / Caulking | Use of filler (caulk) to seal holes, gaps or joints |
| Chippy | Any worker dealing with wood – usually a carpenter | |
| Closer | A brick cut in half lengthways/horizontally | |
| Coping | Protective cap to top edge of walls | |
| Corbelling | Successively projecting brickwork outwards to form small steps outward as you move along | |
| Course | A horizontal row of bricks in a wall. Soldier Course is where the bricks are standing vertically in a wall. | |
| D | Damp Proof Course | An additional layer of material in brickwork that prevents rising damp |
| Dob and Dab | A.K.A Dry lining – the gluing of plasterboard to brickwork | |
| F | First Fix | All works done prior to plastering (such as cables). |
| Flashing | Metal sheeting used externally where walls and roofing meet for waterproofing | |
| Flaunching | Cement filler placed around the top of a chimney stack | |
| Formwork | Temporary or permanent moulds which concrete is poured into | |
| G | Gable / Verge | Upper part of a wall that supports a pitched roof, normally triangular |
| Girder | A supporting beam, usually wood or steel | |
| Glazing Bar | A thin strip of wood with a slot along the length to hold a pane of glass | |
| Gobbo | Slang for mortar (sand, cement & water). Also called ‘Muck’ | |
| H | Header | The square end of a brick |
| Hipped Roof | The triangular, sloping ends of a pitched roof (the ends to the upturned V shape) | |
| HVAC | Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning system | |
| J | Jamb | The side of the opening in a wall ready for a door or window |
| Joist | A supporting beam for a floor or ceiling | |
| L | Lath | Thin piece of wood used for support of plasterwork |
| Lintel | Supporting beam over an opening or door to prevent cave-in | |
| Lite | A single pane of glass for a window | |
| M | Making Good | Fixing small errors and issues following construction work – usually based on a ‘snagging list’ |
| Mitre | Angled joint | |
| Muck | Slang for mortar (sand, cement & water). Also called ‘Gobbo’ | |
| Mullion | The vertical, often wooden, strips between windows | |
| N | Newel | The final post at either end of a staircase that supports the handrail |
| Nogging | Small wooden strips inserted between joists to give extra support | |
| P | Passive Cooling / Heating | Building design which incorporates ventilation and relevant properties to maximise heat (such as insulation, windows) |
| Persuader | Slang for hammer or claw hammer | |
| Plinth | Base for an external wall | |
| Pointing | Finishing and tidying the gaps between brickwork and paving | |
| Ponding | The pooling of water on a roof | |
| Purlin | Horizontal beam in a pitched roof used for support | |
| R | Racking Back | Bulding a brick wall starting with both ends to get the level correct |
| Raking | Removing old mortar from brickwork | |
| RCD | Residual Current Detector – an electrical component that protects from excess current in a circuit | |
| Relieving Arch | A load-bearing archway that supports the wall | |
| Render | External coating on walls – usually sand/cement based | |
| Reveal | Vertical side in an opening for a door or window | |
| Rise | Vertical height between horizontal treads on stairs | |
| Roof Truss | Prefabricated supporting structure, usually a timber frame | |
| RSJ | “Rolled Steel Joist” | |
| S | Sarking Felt | Waterproof felt used in roofing below tile battens |
| Screed | A concrete layer used for flooring to give a smooth finish | |
| Second Fix | All works done post-plastering (such as plug sockets, doors) | |
| Snagging / Snagging List | Usually a list that the customer puts together. It is minor problems to be fixed after the job is done which the builder works through to ‘Make Good’ | |
| Soffit | Visible underside of a projected surface, usually around the edge of a roof | |
| Span | Horizontal distance/length | |
| Sparky | Slang term for an electrician | |
| Stack | Vertical waste water pipe (sinks, showers, toilets) | |
| Stretcher | The long side face of a brick | |
| Sub Floor | Joists or beams mounted on joists which the finished flooring is placed on | |
| T | Toothing In | With new or replacement brick work, alternating bricks jut out to strengthen the link between old and new walls |
| V | Voussoir | Wedge-shaped brick for arches |
| W | Wainscott | Traditional wooden lining for interior walls |
Hopefully you’ll be able to understand the builders jargon and be in the know ready for your next project.