Page 2 - Glossary of Shed Terms

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Ledger board : a beam attached to the studs to support the joists.

Lookouts: short beams that support the roof at the gable ends.

Muntins: a strip separating panes of glass in a sash

On center: distance from the center of one piece to the center of another; common on-center distances are 16 and 24 inches.

Post and beam: framing system in which heavy vertical posts suport heavy beams that, in turn, supports floors and roofs; a timber-framed building is a post-and-beam building in which alll joints are secured with wood joinery.

Purlins: a horizontal member in a roof

Rafter: any of the parallel beams that support a roof. Generally boards that slope from the ridge of a roof to the eaves and support the roof.

Rake end: the overhang at the gable end of a roof; rake boards or fake fascia is the fascia nailed to the ends of the look-out rafters supporting the rake end; that rake fascia is often erroneously referred to as the rake.

Rebar: a steel rod with ridges for use in reinforced concrete

Ridgepole: the highest horizontal timber in a roof against which the upper ends of the rafters are fixed

Router: a machine with a revolving vertical spindle and cutter for milling out the surface of wood or metal. Used to make recesses and grooves.

Saber saw: a high powered, electrical saw with a reciprocating blade, used for rough-cutting existing walls, roofs, floors, pipes, etc. also called "tiger saw" or reciprocating saw"

Scab lumber: board cut from the outside edge of the tree that has a rounded side.

Screed: a leveling device drawn over freshly poured concrete

Shiplap: wooden sheathing in which the boards are rabbeted so that the edges of each board lap over the edges of adjacent boards to make a flush joint

Soffit: horizontal underside of eave or cornice

Sole: the bottom plate of a framed wall

Spackling compound: powdery substance mixed with water to form a paste used to cover holes, cracks and tape in plasterboard.

Stud: upright piece of a framed wall inside or outside, to which panels or siding are nailed. ie. 2x4 or 2x6

T-hinges: "T" shaped door hinge

Timber frame: see post-and-beam

Tongue-and-groove: a joint made by a tongue on one edge of a board fitting into a corresponding groove on the edge of another board

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Also see: Building abbreviations chart