Light concrete building block made with cinder aggregate.
Outer covering for a wall, often panels or strips of wood.
An ancient woodcraft skill: regularly cutting trees back hard to stimulate new growth.
A frame for a building, which is made out of sections of whole, curved oak trees. The technique was widely used in the Middle Ages.
Sloping sides of a roof that overhang the walls.
The architectural term for one vertical side of a building.
Large rectangular paving stones.
A metal joint with more than one arm, used to secure beams or timbers.
Recently felled oak (usually stored for 12-18 months) that is still moist and easy to work with.
Having walls made with wood frames and brick or plaster filling.
Wood from broad-leaf trees such as oak and ash. Tropical hardwoods include cedar and mahogany.
Steel girder constructed so that, in cross-section, it resembles a capital letter 'I'.
Timbers that support roof panels, ceilings or floors.
Austrian artist who painted sensuous figures in art nouveau style, often with gold as a predominant colour.
Slow-drying plaster made from lime, sand and horse hair.
A beam of stone, wood or concrete placed over (and extending somewhat beyond) a window or door to support the wall above.
An architectural style established in the mid-20th century, employing simple lines, open-plan internal spaces and maximum use of natural light.
Dutch artist who painted intense colours in geometric patterns, surrounded by black lines.
A piece of stone, sometimes made out of discarded building material, set on to another surface to create the correct level to bear a load.
A wall shared by two or more buildings, or two or more plots of land.
Tiles that react to sunlight to generate an electrical charge.
Heavy vertical supports - once made out of timber but now usually steel or concrete - that are driven into soft ground to make a firm base for building.
A flat base that supports a structure or object.
An ecological sewage system consisting of a series of interconnected ponds planted with reeds and other vegetation, which progressively break down human waste.
A length of timber or steel fixed to the top of a wall to support roof rafters.
The architect who designed monumental urban buildings that paid tribute to industrialism. His works include London's Waterloo Bridge and Battersea and Bankside power stations (the latter now the Tate Modern), and Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral. Not to be confused with his grandfather, the famous Victorian architect Sir George Gilbert Scott, who designed the St Pancras Station Hotel and Albert Memorial in London.
A sealed tank buried in a pit in the ground, used for the storage of domestic sewage and waste water in the absence of mains sewers. To conform with building regulations, it must be sited a certain distance from a house, and be lined to an approved standard. It requires regular professional emptying.
Tiles cut out of wood, with one side thicker than the other so they fit together tightly.
Wood from conifers such as pine and fir.
An upright support; often refers to ship-building.
Wooden posts and cross bars that make a frame for partition walls.
Kept in the air without support underneath. Instead, the structure is hung from above or secured at the side.
Small chips of marble set in cement and polished.
A beam or frame, usually made of iron or wood, that braces a roof or wall.
The rate of heat loss through windows or insulation. The lower the U-factor, the better the insulating qualities.
Unplasticised polyvinyl chloride. Modern synthetic material used in the manufacture of windows. Very effective at cutting out draughts.
A thin layer of wood applied to the surface of another, usually cheaper, material.
Silver-grey metal that can be used for roofing. It is malleable and easily worked into shapes.
Want to be a self-build guru? Then read on....
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