Understanding Some Of The Words
And Terms Your Builder Will Use

Understanding what your builder is talking about can be confusing for most of us. Below are just some of the general terms most builders use so you can gain an understanding of what they are talking about.

• Area wells – Corrugated metal or concrete barrier walls installed around a basement window to hold back the earth.
  
  

• Architrave – A moulding used as a surround to an opening to cover the gap between joinery and adjoining work.
  
  

• BWIC – Builders Work In Connection. Work that needs to be done to order to allow for work to be done by other trades, e.g. making penetrations to allow for pipes. Builders Work In Connection is usually done by the main contractor.
  
  

• alustrade – The posts, rails and vertical balusters along the edge of a stairway or elevated walkway.
  
  

• GPO – General-purpose outlet or electric power point.
  
  

• Australian Standard – Standards Australia’s Building & Utilities division is the largest area of standardisation. It develops a range of fundamental engineering standards, that underpin the modern construction industry and add to the safety, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of engineering in Australia.
  
  

  • D.A.R. – Dressed All Round. This is timber that has been dressed on all four sides.
    
    

  • Roof Pitch – The ratio of height to the span of the roof, e.g. a pitch of 1 in 4 means the roof rises through 1 metre in spanning a 4-metre space.
    
    

  • Square – A unit of measure – 100 square feet-usually applied to roofing and siding material. Also, a situation that exists when two elements are at right angles to each other.
    
    

  • Brick Tie – Galvanised steel wire (or plastic) ties built into brick walls at regular intervals (and fixed/nailed to the timber framework) to link internal and external portions of a cavity brick wall.
    
    

  • Cornice – Ornamental moulding used as a finish between the ceiling and wall.
    
    

  • Bay window – A window space projecting outward from the walls of a building, either polygonal or square on the plan.
    
    

  • Pointing – The filling of joints in brickwork or masonry.
    
    

  • Bearing wall – A wall that supports any vertical load in addition to its own weight.
    
    

  • Zoning – A governmental process and specification, which limits the use of a property. Example: Single-family use, high-rise residential use, commercial or industrial use. Zoning laws may limit where you can locate your structure. Check with your builder or local council first.
    
    

  • Reactive foundations – Foundations in soil generally containing clay, where a volume change takes place as the water content decreases or increases (causing shrinkage or heaving), which in turn can cause damage to building footings and structures built above unless they are specially strengthened.
    
    

  • Hardwood – A wood from trees classified as Angiosperms. Most hardwood trees are broad leaved, and the wood is pored. The term does not denote the relative hardness of the wood, although sometimes used in this sense.
    
    

  • Ceiling joist – One of a series of parallel framing members used to support ceiling loads and supported in turn by larger beams, girders or bearing walls. Also called roof joists.
    
    

  • Change order – A written document, that modifies the plans and specifications and/or the price of the construction contract.
    
    

  • Electrical Trim – Work performed by the electrical contractor when the house is nearing completion. The electrician installs all plugs, switches, light fixtures, smoke detectors, appliance “pig tails”, bath ventilation fans, wires the furnace, and “makes up” the electric house panel. The electrician does all work necessary to get the home ready for and to pass the municipal electrical final inspection.
    
    

  • Hip Roof – A roof roughly pyramidal in shape, with ends and sides inclined and each surface terminating at an inclined ridge or hip rafter.
    
    

  • Warranty – In construction there are two general types of warranties.
    
    

  • One is usually provided by the manufacturer for the product, such as roofing, insulation, garage doors and so on.
    
    

  • The second is a warranty for the labor. As an example, a roofing tile may have a 20-year material warranty and a five-year labor warranty.
    
    

  • Most new home builders provide a one- year warranty. Any major issue found during the first year should be communicated to the builder immediately.
    
    

  • Exposed aggregate finish – A method of finishing concrete that washes the cement/sand mixture off the top layer of the aggregate – usually gravel. Often used in driveways, patios and other exterior surfaces.
    
    

  • Weep holes – Small holes in the brickwork and storm window frames that allow moisture to escape.
    
    

  • Septic system – A sewage disposal system, relying on bacterial action to break down the sewage, incorporating a holding tank, a liquefying tank and an effluent-disposal line.
    
    

  • Render – A hard wall finish such as cement or plaster applied to brick or masonry walls.
    
    

  • S-Trap – A plumbing term. A trap with a vertical inlet and a vertical outlet. A drain trap is required between the outlet from a lavatory, sink or tub and the main waste line.
    
    

  • The S trap provides a water seal above the waste or soil pipe. This seal keeps sewer gases and odours from entering the room. The S trap gets its name from its distinctive shape, which resembles the letter “S”. An S trap is commonly used when fixtures are mounted against an exterior wall and the drainpipe fitting is below the floor.
    
    

  • Truss – An engineered, fabricated, structural load-bearing unit spanning between supports, e.g. roof truss or floor truss.
    
    

  Call us on 1300 874 167 or fill in form above or below