Glossary
ACQ | Timber treatment using Alkaline Copper Quaternary |
Air-dried | Timber dried naturally by air |
Air-dry | Having a moisture content in equilibrium with the local atmosphere |
Architrave | Timber mouldings surrounding windows and doors |
Arris | The sharp edge or ridge formed by two surfaces meeting at an angle |
AS | Australian Standard |
BAL | Bushfire Attack Level |
BAL-FZ | Bushfire Attack Level - Flame Zone |
Baluster | One of the verticle pieces of a stair or porch railing |
Balustrade | Railing fixed from stair treads, landing, balcony or bridge |
Band saw | An endless ribbon saw rotating around two wheels |
Bargeboard | A wide piece of timber used on gable ends |
Basal area | The cross section area of a tree at breast height (1.3m) expressed in m2 |
Beam | Large timber or steel member to carry loads |
Bearer | A sub-floor structural member which supports the floor joists |
Blanks | Laminated panels suitable for further sizing and finishing into a more specific end use |
Blue stain | Dark-coloured microscopic fungi cause a bluish or greyish discoloration in the sapwood of the tree. |
Bottom plate | Timber plate at the bottom of a wall frame |
Bow | The lengthwise curvature of the board face of a piece of timber |
Brace | A member which resists forces and/or movements of a framed structure |
CCA | Timber treatment using Chromated Copper Arsenate |
Ceiling joist | The structural member spanning the room to support the ceiling lining |
Check | A split in timber as a result of shrinking during drying |
Clear timber | Timber free of any imperfections or defects |
Column | A free standing verticle member |
Construction joint | A joint provided in a structure to allow for movement with expansion and contraction |
Cornice | Moulding's fixed to the junctions of walls and ceilings |
Crook | The lengthwise curvature of the edge of a piece of timber - also known as a spring |
Crosscut | Cutting across the grain |
Cube | A cubic metre of timber - m3 |
Cubic metre | A measure of volume calculating the Length x Width x Depth |
Cup | Where the timber bends in a concave curvature across the board |
DAR | Timber that has been "dressed all round" on all surfaces |
Decay | Decomposition of wood by fungi |
Defect | A charastic of timber that makes it unsuitable for its intended purpose |
Delamination | The separation of the layers of laminated wood or plywood at the glue line - Delam |
Density | A measure of structural and mechanical properties of timber |
Door furniture | All fittings on a door except for the hinges |
Door jamb | The verticle sides of a door opening |
Dowel | A round timber rod |
DPC | Damp Proof Course |
Dressed timber | Timber finished to a smooth surface on one or more surfaces |
Durability | The length of time timber will last in or above ground |
E/M | End Matched boards that have Tongue & Groove on the ends as well |
EMC | Equilibrium Moisture Content of a hygroscopic material surrounded at least partially by air is the moisture content at which the material is neither gaining nor losing moisture |
End split | A split at the end of a piece of timber or log |
F Grades | A stress grade of timber using the design properties of AS1720.1. Visually graded |
Façade | The front (face) of a house |
Fascia | Timber or metal board to which the gutter is fitted |
Fiddle back | Decorative wood figure caused by a wavy grain pattern |
Finial | Decorative finish at the top of the gable |
FJ | Finger Jointed - timber jointed end to end |
Flitch | A section of timber which has been sawn from a log |
Floor joist | A beam to which the flooring is fixed |
Framing timber | Timber used to form the basic structure of a building |
Free of heart | Timber sawn to exclude the heart or pith of the log |
Gable end | The verticle end, generally triangular of a roof above the eaves line |
Gauged | Timber with a smooth, even surface that has been dressed to a precise size |
GOS | Green Off Sawn |
GPO | General purpose outlet, or electrical power point |
Green timber | Freshly sawn or undried timber |
Grout | The joint filling used in wall and floor tiling |
H levels | Hazard level - followed by a number 1-6 for timber treatment level |
Hardwood | Wood from broadleaved trees |
Header | A wall framing member used over a door or window opening |
Heartwood | The dense inner part of a tree trunk, yielding the hardest timber. Also called True wood |
Insulation | A material used to improve the thermal or acoustic efficiency of a building |
Joist | Timber or steel beam directly supporting a floor or ceiling |
K.D | Kiln Dried - timber seasoned in a kiln to a specified moisture content |
Kerf | A saw cut width |
Kwila | Also know as Merbau, a hardwood from the South Pacific Rim |
Laminated timber | A built up timber member |
Linear metres | A measure of length of timber |
Lintel | A beam spanning over an opening and supporting loads above |
LOSP | Timber treatment using Light Organic Solvent Preservatives |
LVL | Laminated Veneer Lumber - a high-strength engineered wood product used primarily for structural applications. |
MCA | Timber treatment using Micronized Copper Azole |
MGP | Machine Graded Pine - timber graded by mechanical means |
Moisture content | A measure of the available water in a piece of timber shown as a percentage (MC) |
Moulding | Decorative strips of wood |
Mullion | The verticle member between two adjoining windows |
Newel | The bottom or top post of a stair balustrade |
Nogging | A horizontal timber strut fixed between studs or joists to provide stiffening |
Nominal size | The sawn size of a piece of timber before the timber is machined |
Non-Structural | Not load-bearing |
Nosing | The rounding of the leading edge of a sill or stair tread |
Pier | A column or post supporting a superstructure |
Pith | The centre of a tree |
Quarter sawn | Where the log is turned to produce boards at a right angle to the grain |
R/H | Rougher Headed - timber that is dressed with a fine rippled finish
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R1F | Reeded one face - as in decking |
Radiata Pine | Pinus Radiata, a coniferous tree native of California |
Rafter | A sloping member in a roof providing structural support for the roofing material |
Random length | Timber containing a variety of lengths |
Resin pocket | A cavity which has contained or continues to contain resin or gum. Also called gum pocket |
Ridge | The highest edge of a roof |
Riser | The verticle surface of a stair between two treads |
Rough sawn | Surface condition of wood as it leaves the saw |
Sarking | The silver like membrane laid on over roof timber and immediately under the roofing |
Sash | Framework that holds the panes of glass in a window |
Sawn | Timber that has not been gauged or dressed |
Seasoned timber | Timber dried to a stable moisture content prior to use |
Shorts | Short pieces of timber |
Shrinkage | The dimensional difference between green timber and timber dried to a moisture content of 12% |
Sill | The lower horizontal portion of a window or door |
Skillion | A roof sloping in one direction only, with rafters pitching from, or leaning against the wall |
Skirting | Horizontal timber around the bottom of internal walls where it joins the floor |
Slab | Timber that has been dimensioned in thickness but not width |
Soffit | The underside of eaves |
Softwood | A wood, regardless of weight and hardness which comes from a coniferous tree |
Span | The horizontal distance between two supports |
Stress grade | A means of grading a piece of timber |
Stringer | The two pieces of timber between which the stairs are set |
Structural timber | Timber selected for applications where strength is essential |
Stud | An upright supporting member of a wall frame |
T&G | Tongue and Grooved flooring where boards are joined along the length. One side is grooved, the other side has a tongue. |
TAN E | Timber treatment using Copper Azole also known as Tanalith |
Timber | The wood from trees cut and prepared for use as building material |
Top plate | Timber member at the top of a wall frame |
Transom | A horizontal member dividing window or door frame units at the top of the frame |
Tread | The horizontal part of a stair upon which you step |
Unseasoned timber | Timber which is freshly cut and still has a high moisture content, also known as green timber |
Veneer | A thin layer of sheet or wood |
Wane | The absence of square wood on the edge of a board indicated by the under bark surface |
Want | The absence of wood other than wane from the arris or surface of a piece of timber |
WRC | Western Red Cedar, a coniferous tree native of North America |