Technical terms

Terms Commonly used in Architecture and Interior Design 

ADHESIVE:  A sticky substance to bond one material to another. 
ACRYLIC (PAINT), ACRYLIC LATEX - A paint composed of acrylic resins, thinned with water.
ACOUSTICAL TILE, ACOUSTICAL PANEL:  A ceiling or wall tile finishing material with an inherent property to absorb sound; usually made of mineral, fiber or insulated metal materials. 
 Not "Acoustic Tile" or "Acoustical Board."
AGGREGATE- Any of various hard, inert materials, like sand, gravel, crushed stone.
AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM- The process of treating air for simultaneous control of temperature, humidity, cleanliness, and distribution.
ALTERATION:  A planned or executed change to an existing building,
AREAWAY- An uncovered space next to the fountain walls of a building, for entrance of light and air to the basement.
ARRIS:  Sharp edge of a finished member.
ASHLAR- A rectangular pattern of stone used in a wall.
BALUSTER- a number of closely spaced vertical supports for a railing .
BATTEN- A narrow strip of wood or metal used to cover vertical joints between boards or panels.
BEAM- A horizontal load-supporting member of a building which directly supports a floor; also transmits load horizontally  to vertical columns.
BEARING WALL- A wall which supports any vertical load in a building ( specially in load bearing structures)
BLANKET INSULATION - Roll type fiberglass insulation for installation over ceilings or on wall surfaces  
BOND- The arrangement of bricks in certain overlapping patterns ex- Running, common, English, and Flemish bonds.
BRACKET- A horizontally projecting support for an overhanging weight such as cornice.
BUTT JOINT- The cut ends of sheet or boards placed adjacent to one another with no overlap.
CAMBER- a slope provided in any type of road to drain out the rain water from the road surafe.
CANTILEVER- A structural member projecting horizontally well beyond its vertical support.(overhanging)
CEMENT PLASTER- Material made from Portland cement sand and water for use on exterior walls 
CHAMFER - To bevel or round off a right angle corner.
COLUMN - A vertical load-carrying structural member supporting horizontal members like beams.
CONDUIT - A protective metal tube for electric wiring.
CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS - Working Drawings and  material Specifications.
CORNICE - A horizontal molding along the top of the wall or ceiling.
CURTAIN WALL - An exterior wall which encloses but does not support the structural frame of the building.
DAMPPROOFING - a thin layer of waterproofing provided to the basement structures to restrict moisture and seepages from ground beneath.
DEAD LOAD - it is the load of a materials of  which thr building is made itself
DRYWALL - Gypsum board for interior wall and ceiling finish material.
DUCT- a rectangular or square shape provided for light and ventilation in any type of building which may be open to sky.
FACADE - The front of a building.
FACE BRICK - A good grade of brick used for decorating  the exterior part of building walls.
FINISHED FLOOR - The top or wearing surface of a floor system, of hardwood, vinyl, terrazzo, or ceramic tile.
GABLE- The triangular-shaped wall at the end of a building
GIRDER- A Horizontal load supporting member of a building which supports a beam or beams.
GROSS AREA- The total enclosed floor area of all floors of a building measured from the outside surface of the exterior walls.
GUARD RAIL- A protective railing around an open raised platform.
GYPSUM WALLBOARD- A prefabricated sheet used in drywall construction made of gypsum covered with paper which can be painted
HANDRAIL- Single railing on wall at stair 
HARDBOARD- manufactured flat wood panel used for interior finish material
HARDWOOD- wood obtained from deciduous trees, useful for panels,doors and furnitures.
HEAD ROOM- The distance between the top of a finished floor and the lowest part of the floor above.
NSULATION-  material used to descrese the transfer of heat.
KING POST- The vertical member at the center of a triangular truss.
LIVE LOAD- That part of the total load on structural members that is not a permanent part of the structure. 
                        it may be variable, as in the case of loads contributed by people, furniture, wind, snow or earthquake loads.
MASONRY- Brick, concrete block, or stone.
MEZZANINE- An intermediary floor having less than 1/3 of the area than the floor below. 
                         it is the intermediate floor in between two florrs of double height slab contruction.
MOLDING- A finishing piece to cover construction joists in timber or wood construction
MORTAR- mixture of lime,sand and cement.
MULLION- Vertical framing which divides windows into major sections.
NOSING- The rounded projecting edge of a stair tread for decorative purposes.
PARAPET- An exterior low wall along the edge ,balcony,terrace.
PARTICLE BOARD - A wood and glue composite panel for sheathing, made of bagass
PENTHOUSE- an apartment on the roof of a high-rise apartment.
PILE- A timber, steel, or concrete pole which is driven into the ground to serve as support for the foundation.
PLASTIC LAMINATE- Thin sheet material of plastic composition used for finishing of interior work.
PLINTH- A square block at the base of a column,
PLY- A term to denote the number of thickness or layers.
PLYWOOD- A fabricated wood product constructed of three or more layers of veneer joined with glue,
PRIMER- A first base coat of paint to seal the surface of the finished material
QUANTITY SURVEY- Detailed analysis and listing of all items of material and equipment and quantities of each necessary for any type of project work.
REINFORCEMENT- A system of steel rods or mesh cast into concrete for accepting stresses.
RESILIENT FLOORING- the flooring which is made of material rubeer of vinyl in the form of tiles or sheet
RISER- The vertical part of a stair step;
SASH- The framework which holds the glass in a window or door.
SILL- A horizontal piece forming the bottom frame of a door or window.
SOFTWOOD- Type of lumber from conifer evergreen trees, such as pine, fir, larch, ceder, and redwood.
STONE- Granite, marble, limestone, slate used for fabricated interior or exterior finishes. 
STUD- A vertical wood or metal framing member to which sheathing and finished surfaces are nailed, 
             as the supporting elements in walls and partitions.
SUB STRUCTURE- That part of a building structure below the ground.
TERRAZZO- A durable floor finish made of small chips of colored stone or marble, 
WATERPROOFING- A procedure to make a material impervious to water or dampness, 
WOOD- Use the term for solid softwoods only, otherwise use the terms "hardwood," "plywood," or "particle board."


Posted by
Swaroop Bapat
(Founder)
The Interior Master