Construction Glossary
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PAPER, BUILDING:
Building paper is a general term referring to sheets of materials used in construction that are made out of either paper, felt or similar material. Often used as a moisture or air barrier. Sometimes called Sheathing paper.
PARGE:
Parging is the application of thin layers of Portland waterproof cement on a block foundation wall for moisture proofing purposes.
PARTITION:
Any wall that subdivides spaces within any portion of a building.
PARTY WALL:
A shared wall between two pieces of property, most often in row-houses, semi-detached houses, or townhouses. The shared wall generally stands on the property line.
PASSIVE SOLAR HEATING:
The maximization of the sun's heating abilities through careful design of a building.
PENNY (NAILS):
As applied to nails, it denotes a measure of nail length as abbreviated by the letter d. It originally indicated the price of nails per hundred.
PENTHOUSE:
The dwelling(s) located at the top of a tall building, often luxurious.
PERC TEST (PERCOLATION):
A method of determining the ability of the soil of a property to absorb liquids, used in construction projects and for septic systems.
PERIMETER DRAIN:
The drainage system installed below ground around the exterior base of a foundation footing.
PERIMETER FOOTING:
The concrete footing that supports foundation walls.
PERLITE:
A type of insulation made from obsidian or other vitreous rock that looks like glass pellets. It is poured into the cavities that need to be insulated.
PIER:
Any column of masonry that is used to support other structural members such as beams or girders.
PILASTER:
A supporting masonry column that supports the end of a beam or girder. It is usually bonded to an end wall.
PIPESTEM LOT:
See "FLAG POLE LOT". A piece of land connected to a street by a long, narrow strip of land.
PITCH:
The slope or incline of a roof that is usually expressed in inches of rise per foot of run.
PLATFORM FRAMING: As opposed to balloon framing.
A method of framing a building in which the floor joists of each level rest on the top plate of the frame walls located below. each level is framed separately and built on the level below it. See "BALLOON FRAMING".
PLENUM:
The main heat distribution box attached to a forced air furnace duct system.
PLINTH:
Any concrete or other material that separates a wood column from the floor or ground to keep moisture from penetrating the wood.
PLOUGH:
To cut a lengthwise groove in a board or plank.
PLUMB:
Refers to the exact vertical position of some object.
PLUMB CUT:
The cutting of a board or rafter so that the cut is vertical to the ground.
PLUMBING ACCESS:
Any opening in a wall or surface to allow access to plumbing pipes for repairs or inspection.
PLYWOOD:
Any sheet of wood made of 3 or more thin layers of wood that have been bonded together with glue. Most plywood comes in 4 foot by 8 foot sizes and has an odd number of layers to ensure stiffness and retard splitting.
POURED CONCRETE:
Any concrete structure or slab that was poured and formed in a liquid state.
PRAIRIE HOUSE:
A long low house of the early twentieth century style, with a row of windows across the front and a plain exterior.
PREFABRICATED:
Descriptive term for a building that is put together on site from components (walls, floors, roof, etc.) built off-site (in a factory, for example).
PRESSURE TREATED LUMBER:
Any wood that has been treated under pressure with some chemical preservative that protects the lumber from moisture and insects. Also known as treated lumber.
PRIMER:
The first coat of paint or other liquid that is used to seal the surface before the final finishing coat is applied.
PSI:
Pounds per square inch. A unit of measurement referring to the pressure exerted on one square inch of an object's surface.
P-TRAP:
A piece of pipe shaped like the letter P, used in drains. Its shape prevents fumes or sewage gases from going against the flow of draining water and entering the interior of a home.
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