Commonly Used Siding Terms
Drip Cap
Drip Cap is a piece set on top of the door casing and nailed in The drip cap had a groove cut underneath in the bottom front edge. This groove caused water to drip off the front edge rather rolling back to the door or window casing.
Beaded Siding
Beaded siding is normally a harder and smoother wood product. The siding is installed horizontally and in a ship lap type method. The siding is nailed about one and half inches up from the bottom edge. The lap of the board holds the top of the board below. When nailing, it is important to not nail through the top of the board below in order to prevent splitting.
Reverse Board and Batten
Reverse board and batten is sometimes used but is harder to control cupping and splitting. The boards and batten are the same sizes but are installed in reverse.
Some Commonly Used Terms for Residential Windows:
Glazing refers to the actual window pane.
Aluminum Window Size as well as some
vinyl windows sizes are expressed as the width first and then
the height. A window size that is expressed as a 3050 window is 3 ft. wide and 5ft. in height.
Low E window term refers to a low emittance coating that is applied to the surface of a window
pane. This coating is almost invisible and is used to reflect certain wave lengths or frequencies of sunlight.
Tinted Windows have a coating applied that reduces the heat and gives the glass a color.
The most common colors are amber and gray.
Single Hung Window is a window which has only one operable sash. As in an aluminum window, the only sash that is operable is the bottom sash.
Double Hung Window has two operable sashes. A wood window normally has two operating
sashes.
Window Fin or nailing fin is the metal strip around the perimeter of the window. This strip allows the window to be nailed to the wall sheathing.
Window Balance is a mechanical device which acts as a counter weight to assist in the opening
and closing of the windows. In old wood windows, the window balances were weights tied to ropes inside the window jambs.
Commonly Used Roofing Terms
Three Tab is a term used normally in discussing a type of roof. This is a shingle that is broke into three tabs for each individual piece
Aggregate - Crushed stone, slag or water-worn gravel that comes in a wide range of sizes that is used to surface built-up roofs.
Architectural is a type of shingle that is normally heavier in weight and has more definition or depth
than the shingle itself.
Square is a shingle term that is used to refer to a particular area of coverage of a shingle. One square is equal to 100 square feet.
Starter Shingle refers to the first row of shingles that are put on at the bottom of the roof. These overlap the Eave metal and are normally turned upside-down and backwards in order to produce a good straight line along the leading edge of the eave metal.
Self Sealing refers to a particular kind of shingle that has an asphalt strip underneath the shingle itself that after it is applied and with heat will seal itself to the shingle underneath it.
Water Bond is a term used to refer to the slots in shingles in order to provide a path for water to drain off a roof. The water Bonds normally line up in the application of roof shingles and create an
avenue for water to drain.
Pitch is a term used to refer to the rise of a rafter as it projects along a horizontal plane. If a roof is said to have a 6 and 12 pitch, it would mean that a roof rises 6” for every 12” of horizontal run.