Self Build Glossary
- A wall that rises above the slope of the roof that separates different sections of the roof.
- A brick designed with holes through it so as to provide ventilationWidely used by the construction industry and self build land enthusiasts.
- Permitted development rights have been granted by Parliament and Government policy that should be withdrawn only in exceptional circumstances, including evidence of a real and specific threat that permitted development is likely to take place which could
- A landlocked site, such as a back garden or an open public spaceThey are usually found in developed residential areasSelf build land enthusiasts tend to develop this land after they have built their self build home.
- A collective term for describing hand rails, baluster rails and sections of steps or balconies upon which they are mounted.
- Timber boards fixed to the gable end of a roof to protect the roof timbers against the weatherWidely used by self builders.
- The large foundation concrete slab underneath a self build or other home.
- A brick of half the normal length, used to complete a wall course bond.
- A slab of insulating material.
- A small section of timber, to which sheet materials, slates and tiles may be fixed.
- A section of masonry designed to make the construction of self build homes quicker and more efficientLarger than a normal house brick.
- A wall built from blocks, widely used by self build land enthusiasts and the homebuilding industry
- A hardwood cap attached to the end of a wooden post to increase it capacity to bear loads.
- To push or otherwise fit together.
- An additional bracing wall, often set at right angles to the main wallIt is usually constructed from brick or stone, and tapers towards its summit.
- The angle between two walls, which is greater or lesser than a right angle.
- A beam, which is fixed at one end.
- This is when fluids such as water get sucked into narrow spaces, such as the gaps between bricks, usually in porous materialThis particularly can lead to rising damp.
- A tax levied on the proceeds generated from the sale of property or other assetsHighly relevant to self builders, since they may need to pay it, depending on whether they own their own home at the time of selfbuildingWatch out for a new page on this site
- The rise in value of a property over timeSelf build land enthusiasts tend to enjoy quite a lot of this!
- The timber used in structural sections of a buildingfor example, roof rafters and floor joists.
- A window hinged on one of its vertical edges.
- The gap between the external and internal walls of a house, often filled with insulating material such as expanded polystyrene.
- Galvanised metal fixings used to bond the external and internal walls together.
- Cavity walls were introduced in the early 1900's to eliminate the problem of water penetrating to the inside of a buildingThis is achieved because the inner and outer leaves of the wall are totally separate except for the wall ties which are designed to p
- A tie running between the joists or trussed rafters.
- A certificate from the Land Registry that shows the boundaries of a property and gives details of covenants affecting itIf there is a mortgage on the land, a charge certificate will be issued instead of the normal land certificateIt also shows a record of
- To cut a groove in brickwork or other material, so as to make it possible to embed a cable or pipe into it.
- The outermost weatherproof material, fixed to a wall, designed to be decorative and / or functional.
- A site that once had an industrial, manufacturing or other operation located on it, but which is now clearDue to the previous use of the land, their is a potential of contamination.
- A notice issued by the local authority after the final visit by the building inspector, confirming that the self build home or other structure complies with building regulations.
- A certificate issued by the architect to authorize a payment to a main contractor, which establishes the value of retention money to be held over a defects period
- Land with a prior history of having toxic substances, chemical waste or manufacturing byproducts contained in the soil structureSomething to probably steer clear of for self builders!
- The legal process involved in buying and / or selling self build land, or land in general, or property.
- A decorative addition to the top of an external or internal wall.
- A single layer of bricks or blocks.
- An agreement to do or not do something contained in a deedCovenants can be made by the current or any prior owner of the landAn example would be to maintain a particular wall.
- Decorative moulding adjoining the top of an interior wall and the ceiling.
- Panels fixed to the lower half of internal walls
- Decorative and/or functional rails, usually made from moulded timber, fitted traditionally to internal walls to protect them from damage by chairs
- proof courseA waterproof membrane installed in walls and floors to prevent moisture causing damage by rising upwards through the structureAlso termed 'damp course' or 'DPC'
- The standard and widely used abbreviation for dampproof course
- A brick or timber joint that is not bonded with mortar or adhesive
- An internal partition or cladding constructed usually with a timber frame and plasterboard
- A system of shafts or tubes designed to carry and protect cables or pipes
- A low wall, for example one constructed to support joists under the ground floor
- A legal right to use or cross over land owned by someone else
- The lowest section of a roof, overhanging a supporting wall
- A particularly strong method of building walls by laying bricks together in staggered alternating courses using headers and stretchers
- A protective plate around a keyhole or door handle
- Boards installed to a roof to protect the ends of trusses or rafters and on which gutters are attached
- Expr1
- Ornamental timber section added to the highest point of barge boards or hanging from stair newels on landings
- A flat plate at the end of a pipe or beam, through which a bolted joint can be made
- Waterproof material covering joints between walls and roofs, usually shaped out of lead
- The first coat of thick plaster put on a wall to cover irregularities
- A plate constructed from steel or timber bedded in mortar and designed to withstand heavy loads
- The foundations of a structure
- The 'footprint' of the building refers to those parts within the external walls
- Temporary boards used to keep wet mixtures, such as concrete, in a particular shape until it sets
- A structure built with a strong skeleton frame made of timber or steel, against which a brick outer shell is added.
- Triangular upper part of a wall at the end of a ridged roof
- The gable shaped canopy over a door or window or a wall topped with a gable
- Elements include paths, driveways, garden walls and patiosHeaderBrick or block laid across a wall to bond together its two sidesIt also means the exposed end part of a brick
- The type of cross bracing used between floor joists to increase stiffness
- The sharp edge of a roof from ridge to eaves where the two sides meet
- A roof with sloping ends instead of vertical ones
- The redevelopment of land that has adjacent buildings, for example along a row of terraced houses where one has been demolished or where a gap always existed
- Vertical side post of a window or doorway
- A beam that supports a ceiling or floor
- A fabricated metal slot installed in a wall to keep a joist securely in position
- The kiteshaped tread mostly used where stairs turn a comer
- lockedA plot of land with no independent route providing access onto it and no obvious means of creating oneExamples include surplus areas of an owner's private garden
- A supply of potential development plots purchased and retained by builders, which allows them to trade and construct on a continuous basis by moving on to the next plot as completion occurs on the current one
- A document issued by the Land Registry giving details of who owns the landHowever, a land certificate should not be accepted as absolute proof of ownership as it may be out of date'Office copy entries' are accepted by solicitors to prove ownership
- A long slender piece of economical timber
- Oldfashioned method of plastering a wall or ceiling using slender timbers to construct a narrow gauge frame as a base for the wet plaster
- The inner or outer wall of a cavity wall construction
- Land ownership restricted to a number of years and with conditions written in a lease
- boardsTimber boards laid on the ground and used to mark out the widths and position of inner and outer walls and the foundations (settingout), prior to excavating
- Horizontal section of timber, concrete or metal, installed to the top of a doorway or window opening, designed to support the structure above
- The outline of a dwelling's external shape and form
- The vertical sections of material that divide a window frame into smaller lights
- The main post supporting the end of a balustrade
- A wooden peg
- Short crosspieces of timber used to brace studs
- The extending front edge of a staircase step
- Copies of the entries recorded at the Land Registry proving ownership
- buildingThe term applies to building a structure that is inconsistent in size, quality and/ or style with other buildings nearby or has excessively filled the limited amount of land space availableAlso known as an 'over development'
- Common abbreviation for 'planed all round'PaneA sheet of glass usually framed with timber
- A wall shared between two properties, such as is the case with semidetached houses
- A deep foundationThese are formed by creating a hole deep enough to locate solid subsoilThe hole is usually filled with concrete and reinforced or a section of solid steel is installed
- Land with a 'residential use class'The term is used largely by local authority planners and originates from the ink colour used to identify residential development areas on maps and plans
- The angle or slope of a roof or staircase
- Authority granted by the local council for land to be developed or additions made to an existing property, usually with certain conditions attached
- A length of timber or steel placed either on top of a wall to support the roof trusses (a wall plate) or fixed to a floor so that studs or a timberframed partition can be installed (a floor plate)
- Concrete components cast in a factory or on site prior to being placed in their final positions
- Boards of about a meter long used to transfer the plan outline of a building onto the groundThey are held securely in place by timber stakesLines are stretched between sawcuts or marks, so the position of a wall can be fixed
- One of the three parts of a land or charge certificate describing the property and rights associated with it
- Positioned halfway up the slope of a roof, purlins are timber beams installed to support the rafters
- A firm slab, usually made from concrete, designed to spread the weight of a structure on soft ground
- Timbers that form the main part of the roof frame going from the wall plate up to the ridge
- A long slender section of timber marked to identify the position of brick and block courses or any other part of the constructionIt is basically a measuring stick
- A process of installing steel rods inside concrete beams to help them withstand stress along their length without collapsing
- Materials that do not come up to the required standard, for example, 'reject engineering brick'
- The fine detail required, following receipt of outline planning permission, that will turn it, in effect, into a detailed planning applicationThe aspects include design, layout, access, orientation and landscaping of the dwelling
- An interior scheme that reflects the immediate past and uses colours, materials and objects pertinent to that period
- The topmost line of the roof
- Preformed angled tile covering the apex of the roof
- A way of delaying the payment of capital gains tax by reinvesting profit from the sale of one business asset to another
- Boards placed between the rafters and the roof (sometimes called the 'soffit')
- A thin level layer of material usually applied to floors
- A binding agreement regarding matters linked to the proposed development, made between the council and a developer when planning permission is granted
- A tank constructed or manufactured to accept sewerage when no mains system is available
- The use of profile lineboards to mark a plan on the ground
- Formal completion of the dwelling
- A wall to support the ground floor, usually honeycombed in construction to provide ventilation
- When a builder attends the site to resolve outstanding matters after the main construction has been completed
- Considered to be 500 feet above sea levelIt is the theoretical altitude at which land is expected to suffer from severe winter conditions
- The underside of an architectural element, for example an arch or the eavesSoft landscapingElements include topsoil, plants, shrubs and trees
- A substantial horizontal section of timber or metal, fixed to the floor slabStaged loanThe total sum is released in several predetermined stages, as the construction proceedsPayment is made either prior to a stage being reached (e.gwhen foundations are go
- The standard mortgage available to selfbuilders where funds are released in various stages (usually between three and seven) as the dwelling is constructedSome pay sums prior to starting the appropriate stage, to buy materials or pay for labour pertinent
- A duty payable on certain documents involved in the transfer of land and property ownershipThe liability falls on the buyer
- A vertical supporting beam usually made from steelStretcherBrick or block laid lengthways in a wall
- One of the parallel boards supporting the treads
- Concrete filled trenches to support a building
- An insurance policy usually required by mortgage lenders that guarantees the dwelling against structural defects for a specified term after completion
- An upright roof timber connected to the rafter above it or sloping to connect another post to the rafter
- The term used when roof verges are capped with stone slabs
- Timbers used in construction, typically for floor joists, which have had tanalithoxide preservative driven into their cellular structure under pressure
- A garage long enough for two vehicles to park one behind the other
- A slidingscale allowance for capital gains tax available from April 1998 based on the principle that the longer a property is owned the less tax is payable
- The main horizontal roof beam just above the wall that connects the bases of rafters
- Legal documents proving ownership of a property
- Made under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 by the local planning authority to protect trees of importance for amenity, landscape and nature conservation
- Timber planks framed together to bridge a space
- A selfbuild 'turnkey project' is one that is entirely managed on your behalf by an individual or a company (such as an architect or builder), with your own involvement limited to providing funds and design guidelines
- The installation of strong foundations underneath primary foundations when the latter have failed or have been found to be inadequate to support the structure above
- A type of stable plastic used in the manufacture of doubleglazed window frames, doors and cladding
- The designation of land use by the local authority, for example as 'residential'The 'use class' determines how specific plots of land can be developed, if at all
- The person selling land or property
- The edge of a roof at the gable
- A galvanised metal tie used to bond the inner and outer walls of a cavity wall together
- Triangular stair treads sometimes used when a staircase turns a comer
- The annual return on property investment expressed as a percentage.