metal and wood. Grand Designs Glossary

Extras Grand Designs Glossary

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Date Published:
19/06/2008

Breeze Block

Light concrete building block made with cinder aggregate.

Cladding

Outer covering for a wall, often panels or strips of wood.

Coppicing

An ancient woodcraft skill: regularly cutting trees back hard to stimulate new growth.

Cruck Frame

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.

Eaves

Sloping sides of a roof that overhang the walls.

Elevation

The architectural term for one vertical side of a building.

Flagstones

Large rectangular paving stones.

Flitch Plate

A metal joint with more than one arm, used to secure beams or timbers.

Green Oak

Recently felled oak (usually stored for 12-18 months) that is still moist and easy to work with.

Half-Timbered

Having walls made with wood frames and brick or plaster filling.

Hardwood

Wood from broad-leaf trees such as oak and ash. Tropical hardwoods include cedar and mahogany.

I-Beam

Steel girder constructed so that, in cross-section, it resembles a capital letter 'I'.

Joists

Timbers that support roof panels, ceilings or floors.

Klimt, Gustav (1862-1918)

Austrian artist who painted sensuous figures in art nouveau style, often with gold as a predominant colour.

Lime Render

Slow-drying plaster made from lime, sand and horse hair.

Lintel

A beam of stone, wood or concrete placed over (and extending somewhat beyond) a window or door to support the wall above.

Modernist

An architectural style established in the mid-20th century, employing simple lines, open-plan internal spaces and maximum use of natural light.

Mondrian, Piet (1872-1944)

Dutch artist who painted intense colours in geometric patterns, surrounded by black lines.

Padstone

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.

Party Wall

A wall shared by two or more buildings, or two or more plots of land.

Photovoltaic Tiles

Tiles that react to sunlight to generate an electrical charge.

Piles

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.

Plinth

A flat base that supports a structure or object.

Reed Bed

An ecological sewage system consisting of a series of interconnected ponds planted with reeds and other vegetation, which progressively break down human waste.

Roof-Plate

A length of timber or steel fixed to the top of a wall to support roof rafters.

Scott, Sir Giles Gilbert (1880-1960)

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.

Septic Tank

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.

Shingles

Tiles cut out of wood, with one side thicker than the other so they fit together tightly.

Softwood

Wood from conifers such as pine and fir.

Stanchion

An upright support; often refers to ship-building.

Stud-Work

Wooden posts and cross bars that make a frame for partition walls.

Suspended

Kept in the air without support underneath. Instead, the structure is hung from above or secured at the side.

Terrazzo

Small chips of marble set in cement and polished.

Truss

A beam or frame, usually made of iron or wood, that braces a roof or wall.

U-Factor

The rate of heat loss through windows or insulation. The lower the U-factor, the better the insulating qualities.

UPVC

Unplasticised polyvinyl chloride. Modern synthetic material used in the manufacture of windows. Very effective at cutting out draughts.

Veneer

A thin layer of wood applied to the surface of another, usually cheaper, material.

Zinc

Silver-grey metal that can be used for roofing. It is malleable and easily worked into shapes.

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  1. Hi Peter We don't - but what we do have is a suppliers' list at the end of each Grand Designs house feature, and sometimes within there you will find the listing for each particular structural engineer, if they've asked to be listed. A bit laborious for you, I'm afraid, but you'll need to go through them individually, starting here: http://www.channel4.com/4homes/browse.jsp?siteName=4homes&keyDefs=true&query=grand designs houses
    Posted by Lucy 4Homes Editor on 26/08/2008 14:16:06
    Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment
  2. Hi! Do you possibly have a list of all the structural engineers to feature in your program? thank you! Peter
    Posted by Peter Martin on 21/08/2008 22:08:57
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