Glossary | G.J. Gardner Homes

A B C D E F G H I J L M N P R S T V W

A

Allotment

(A) A parcel of land whose boundaries are shown on a survey plan and known as a 'section' in New Zealand.

(B) A building or part of a building, with or without land, shown on a cross lease or unit title plan.

Amendment

Changes to the plans and/or specifications on which the building consent was granted require an amendment to the original consent.

Architrave

Timber moulding surrounding a door or window opening.

B

Backflow Restrictor

A device added to plumbing fixtures which prevents reversal of the normal direction of the flow of water caused by back pressure and siphonage.

Balustrade

A railing or barrier to prevent someone from falling. Often installed when the height is 1M or more. Common balustrades are around stairs and landings, or around decks and pools.

Barge Board

A timber or metal board fixed to the front edge of a gabled roof.

Batter

A receding slope of a wall, structure, or earthwork.

Beams

Load bearing cross members, usually timber or steel, that support the upper structure of a building - additional floors and roofs.

Bifold Doors

A bi-fold door is a set of two or more hinged panels that fold (in a concertina-like fashion).

Bottom Plate

The lowest horizontal piece of timber framing. This only applies to the wall, not any sub-floor members.

Box Gutter

A concealed roof gutter used behind parapets. Also known as a 'hidden gutter'.

Brick Veneer

A non-loadbearing facing of brickwork laid outside, and tied to, a loadbearing timber or metal framed structure.

Building Code

The national, mandatory standards for building work. All building work in New Zealand must comply with the Building Code.

Building Consent

Consent issued by a building consent authority for building work to begin in accordance with the approved plans and specifications.

Building Envelope

The entire exterior surface of the building, including foundations, walls, doors and windows, which encloses or envelopes the space within.

Building Line

The distances from the ends and/or sides of the allotment beyond which construction may not extend. It may be established by restrictive covenants on the certificate of title, or by local council requirements. Also known as the setback line.

Building Paper or Wrap

Paper or wrap used to cover timber framing and forms part of the backing component to external cladding.

Bulkhead

A lowered ceiling formed when a room is pushed out under an eave.

Bullnose

Curved edging, such as the front edge of a kitchen benchtop or the leading edge of a stair tread.

C

Cavity

A space or void between an external cladding and the structural wall behind it. For example the void between brick veneer cladding and the timber frame in an external wall.

Cavity Slider

A sliding door that recesses into a pocket in the wall framing, leaving clear wall space on both sides of the doorway.

Cavity System

A method (or system) of forming a cavity gap between particular building elements to encourage air circulation.

Ceiling Batten

A horizontal material fixed below timber trusses which the ceiling GIB is attached to.

Certificate of Title

Document which shows the ownership of a piece of land, held in Lands and Deeds Registry Offices. It can include the owner's details, type of ownership, area, legal description, mortgages, covenants and consent conditions.

Cladding

Exterior weather-resistant surface of a building.

Code Compliance Cert.

Code Compliance Certificate or Consent Completion Certificate. A certificate issued by the local authority or council after construction is complete, notifying that building work has been completed in accordance with the building consent.

Compliance

Occurs when building performance, according to the standards in the Building Code, has been achieved.

Concept

A concept drawing is a drawing of the proposed building that may not include all details but provides an example or idea of the finished product.

Control Joint

Also known as an Expansion Joint. See Expansion Joint.

D

Door, Hollow Core

A flush door which is made with a hollow core.

Door, Solid Core

A flush door which is made with a solid core.

Double Glazing

Glazing with two glass panels separated by a sealed air space providing insulation and sound protection.

Dwang (aka Nog)

A small horizontal block of wood inserted into timber framing. Most often used to describe extra framing to be used for mounting heavy finishing objects to (cabinets, vanities, televisions, etc.)

E

Easement

A right that a property owner has to some use of the (usually adjoining) property of another. Examples of easements include: a right of way (this is a right to pass over another person's land, such as a driveway).

Eaves

The end section of a roof which projects past the horizontal wall of the structure.

Electrical Mains

The supply of electricity to the structure, usually dug in up and driveway or easement.

Elevation

The exterior sides of a building drawn to scale from the floor plan.

Expansion Joint

A joint or gap constructed between two similar materials in the same plane to allow for expansion/contraction between those surfaces with temperature changes. Most commonly a gap between sheets of plaster board, or a gap between concrete sections.

F

Fascia

A timber or metal board fixed to the lower edges of the roof where guttering is attached.

Finished Ground Level

The level of ground around the structure after all landscaping, paving, paths or decks have been completed.

Flashing

A building element used on a joint between two materials designed to catch and drain rainwater to prevent it penetrating the interior. Inadequate flashings have been linked to problems with Weathertightness.

Floor Plan

A scale drawing of the homes layout from a birds eye view.

Footing

The bottom part of the foundation which is made of concrete and reinforced with steel. The footing forms the base of the foundation and spreads the vertical loads from building.

Foundation

Those parts of a building or structure such as piles, piers or footings which transmit and distribute loads to the ground.

Frame / Framing

The skeletal framework of a building to which roofs, floors and cladding are attached. Usually constructed of wood or steel, the components of the frame include studs, beams, joists and rafters.

G

Gable

The part of a wall that encloses the end of a pitched roof showing triangular open ended roof edges.

Gable

The part of a wall that encloses the end of a pitched roof showing triangular open ended roof edges.

GIB Cove

A shaped plaster mould installed at the join of walls and ceilings.

GIB Stopping

To fill the surface that is to be painted providing a flat surface such as nail holes, GIB joins and cracks. Note: there are differing levels of finish in this work.

Gully Trap

Stops sewerage smells escaping from the drainage system and collects the waste water from the structure.

Gutter

Plastic or metal channel affixed to the fascia for collecting water run-off from the roof area.

H

Hidden Gutter

See Box Gutter.

Hip

The seam formed between two roof planes that meet at an external corner and runs up to a ridge. The opposite of valley.

HVAC

HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. It refers to the systems that regulate and move heated and cooled air throughout residential and commercial buildings.

I

Isolating Valve

A valve installed to isolate the water system in a structure.

J

Jamb

Side of a door or window frame usually made from timber.

Joists

Parallel beams of timber, concrete or steel for supporting floors or ceilings, etc.

L

LBPs

Licensing Building Practitioners (LBPs). A licensing system for the building industry covering designers and trades. From March 2012 certain critical building work will need to be carried out or supervised by a Licensed Building Practitioner.

LIM Report

Land Information Memorandum. This is a document from the local authority which discloses a number of known features about the site. This may include location of stormwater and sewer lines and connection points, land zoning, wind zones, and soil types.

Long Run Roofing

Metal sheets overlapped which run the full length of a roof.

LVR

The Loan to Value Ratio is used when financing a home purchase. A higher LVR is currently accepted for new builds, meaning you can build a home with a lower deposit than if you were to buy an existing house.

M

Masonry

Bricks made from clay or other material joined together with mortar.

N

Nog (a.k.a Dwang)

A small horizontal block of wood inserted into timber framing. Most often used to describe extra framing to be used for mounting heavy finishing objects to (cabinets, vanities, televisions, etc.)

P

Parapets

A raised section of wall which extends above a roof/deck to form an encompassing wall.

Pile

A block or a column which penetrates the ground, used to transmit loads from the structure into the ground for additional stability on unfavourable soil conditions.

Plans

A.k.a Drawings. The set of construction plans including the, floor plan, elevations, site plan, and in certain instances other construction details.

Plaster

Materials used which when mixed with water will set and harden after application to a surface such as a plaster cladding.

Plumb a.k.a 'True'

A vertical and straight line. More often used to describe a surface that is 90° vertical.

Pointing

The finishing of masonry or concrete roof tiles with mortar to seal them in place and provide weathertightness.

Potable Water

Suitable for human consumption.

Provisional Cost Sums

Provisional sums (often referred to as PC or PS sums), is a general term used to describe allowances for adjustable sums in sections of the contract which are not able to be selected until later in the build process, such as kitchen, driveways, etc.

R

Rafters

The sloping beams that support the roof cladding/roof covering.

Resource Consent

A consent issued by a Territorial Authority to use the land in a way that is not a permitted activity under a council or district plan. For example, locating a building closer to the boundary than permitted on the District Plan, requires Resource Consent.

Ridge

The vertically running seam at the junction of the top of two roofing planes.

Rough Sawn

The rough surface of timber after it has been sawn to size - not planed or sanded.

S

Sash

The opening aluminium surrounded pane of a window which either has hinges at the side or bottom. Sliding doors or windows are called panels.

Scotia

A shaped timber mould installed at the join of walls and ceilings.

Septic Tank

Tank used to dispose of sewage when structure cannot be connected to a sewerage system.

Setback Line

See Building Line.

Setting Out

Using pegs to show the position of a structure on a site, ensuring to clear site boundaries or noted areas of concern.

Settlement

Movement of a structure after construction, usually caused by timber expansion and contraction due to temperature variables.

Site Plan

This is a birds-eye-view of the section, showing the position of the building and other relevant factors like waste water pipes and vehicle access.

Skirting

Timber trim fixed on a wall at its base where it joins the floor.

Soakpit

Pit of large stones such a scoria used to disperse surface water by gradual soakage into the soil.

Soffit

The lower face or underside of a roof's eaves.

Specification

A written document containing the detail and inclusions of a building project. This will be complimentary to the contract and contract plans.

Stacker Doors

A Stacker Door has two or three panels that slide the same way behind a fixed panel, which means there are no intrusive panels to obstruct.

Stud

Vertical timber, forming part of a wall where cladding of lining will be fixed to.

Stud Height

The height of the wall framing a room. Note that this height will generally be greater than the height from floor coverings to ceiling.

Subcontractor

A tradesperson hired to do specific work such as roofing, plumbing, wiring or painting. The subcontractor takes instructions from, is paid by, and is responsible to the main contractor.

T

Tanking

A continuous waterproof membrane applied to a surface to prevent water penetration from either side.

Tolerance Schedule

A schedule issued showing the tolerable allowances in building practises such as GIB finish, concrete / plaster cracking etc.

Top Plate

The horizontal piece of timber running along the top of a timber framed wall.

Trap, P

A toilet pan or fixture in which the outlet discharges horizontally (out through the wall of the structure).

Trap, S

A toilet pan or fixture in which the outlet discharges vertically downward (out through the floor of the structure).

V

Valley

The seam formed between two roof planes that meet at an internal corner and runs up to a ridge. The opposite of a hip.

Variation

A change to the approved plans and specifications for a building project, occurring during construction. Requiring an amendment to the building consent, that is checked, approved and recorded by the building consent authority.

W

Wall Bracing Element

A section of wall which performs a bracing function.

Weepholes

Small holes installed in masonry and other external cladding which allows drainage from the cavity.