| Air Dried
|
Wood which has dried by exposure to air without artificial heat. |
| Anchor Bolt |
A steel bolt or threaded rod usually imbedded into the concrete to secure the sill plate to a masonry foundation. |
| Backfill |
Fill dirt that is used to fill in area around a basement or crawlspace. |
| Baseboard |
The trim board placed against the wall and next to the floor used to conceal wiring. |
| Base Log |
The logs used to form the first course of a log building. |
| Batten |
A narrow strip of wood used to cover joints between boards as in board and batten. Usually places vertically. |
| Beam |
A structural member supporting a load applied transversely to it. |
| Bearing Wall |
A wall that is used to support weight from above. |
| Bevel |
Normally a 45 ° angle applied to the edge of board or timber. |
| Birds-mouth |
The cut made near the lower end of a rafter to allow that rafter to rest on a wall angle. |
Bird Stop
Snow-block
Wind Stop |
Individual boards that are vertically secured between the roof and top log of the log home, providing a weather tight seal. |
| Blocking |
Wood spacers, usually the same size as the floor joists, inserted between floor joist members to add strength to the floor system. |
| Borate |
A naturally occurring chemical compound that is widely used as a wood preservative and natural insecticide. |
| Buck |
The assembly of wooden members used to cap off the log ends at wall openings such as door and windows. |
| Built-up Beam |
An assembly made by joining layers of lumber (sometimes sandwiching plywood) mechanically fastened so that the grain is essentially parallel. |
| Butt Joint |
A horizontal wood joint where two pieces of wood “butt” up against each other to create a longer span. |
| Butt & Pass |
Term used to describe the corner log joinery where one log butts into the side of the passing log. The courses alternate this butting and passing to create the corner system. |
| Cant |
A rectangular piece of wood that is cut from a felled tree or log. |
| Carrier Beam |
A larger beam used to support and add strength to smaller beams passing at right angles. |
| Casement Window |
A type of window that has vertical hinges and swings open like a door. |
| Caulking |
A flexible material used to fill gaps between two surfaces. |
| Check |
A naturally ocuring phenomenon of wood, that causes a piece of wood to crack as it dries out over time. |
| Chinking |
A filling, similar to caulk, that is used between rows of logs. |
| Course; Log |
A layer of logs forming a continuous band around a building. The log wall consists of courses. |
| D Log |
A type of engineered log where the outside is rounded and the inside is flat. |
| Dead Wood |
Small pieces of wood (usually 2x4) used as nailers in framing used for panel attachment. |
| Dormer |
A projection from a sloping roof that allows for more usable space. |
| Drawknife |
A tool consisting of a sharp blade set between two handles that is used to give a rustic look to the edges of a rectangular log. |
| Drip Edge |
A small groove on the bottom of the outer edge of a log causing water to drip off of the log. |
| Dry-in Construction |
Type of construction where a home is brought to a weather-tight state. |
| Double Hung Window |
A window having top and bottom sashes, each capable of moving up and down. |
| Dovetail Corner |
A type of corner system in which the corners are affixed with a dovetail joint. |
| Dunnage |
Material used as temporary packaging and stacking materials. |
| Eave |
The lower part of a roof which projects beyond the face of the walls. |
| Elevation |
The view at which a structure is being seen from the outside, i.e. – front, rear, left or right elevations. |
| Easement |
An agreement where one party grants another party use of their land for a specific reason, such as the use of a road. |
| Fascia Board |
A finish member around the face of eaves and roof planes. |
| Fixed Glass Window |
A window that does not have a way to open it. |
| Flashing |
Aluminum or copper sheet used to prevent leakage over windows and doors, around chimneys and at intersections of roof planes. |
| Foam Gasket |
A strip of foam that is placed between logs in a log wall to provide a tight seal. |
| Footing |
The widened concrete section at the bottom of a foundation. |
| Foundation |
The lower portion, usually concrete or masonry and including the footings, which transfers the weight of, and loads on, a building to the ground. |
| Freeze Board |
Horizontal boards which fit between roof framing members to block air infiltration. |
| Full Logs |
A wall that consists entirely of logs as opposed to having some or all of the wall made from log siding. |
| Gable Ends |
The outside walls of a home that fall within the area enclosed by the rafters. |
| Gable Roof |
A roof constructed so that the rafters form a triangle. |
| Gambrel Roof |
A roof constructed with two pitches, with the lower having a steeper pitch than the upper. (Barn shaped.) |
| General Contractor |
Someone who is responsible for the overall supervision and coordination of a building project. |
| Girder |
A horizontal structural member, usually a heavy beam used to support rafters, thus tieng the roof members together. |
| Grain |
The direction or pattern of the fibers in a piece of wood. |
Half Logs |
A log that is cut in half vertically. This is used to start the first layer of logs in a log wall for walls that have a saddle notch or dovetail corner system. |
| Handcrafted |
A log in which the bark is hand peeled and is used in a log wall without being shaped in a planer. |
| Header |
A wood member at right angles to a series of joists or rafters at which the joists or rafters terminate, acting as a beam. |
| Hip |
The external angle formed by the junction of two sloping sides of a roof. |
| HVAC |
Stands for: heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems. |
| Insulation |
A synthetic or natural material used to resist thermal transmission through walls, floors and roofs. Performance is judged by its ability to control temperature and moisture. |
| Inside Corner |
Where adjacent exterior walls meet and form a corner within the confines of a square or rectangular space. |
| Jack Rafter |
A short rafter that spans from the wall plate (or top log in wall system) to a hip rafter or from a valley rafter to the roof ridge. |
| Jamb |
The side post or lining of a doorway, window or cased opening. |
| Joint |
The junction of two pieces of wood. |
| Joist |
Wood beams running parallel to each other that support either a ceiling or a floor. |
| Joinery |
The art of joining pieces of wood. |
| King Post |
A vertical structural member used to transfer the weight of the ridge beam onto the gable side walls, end walls or onto horizontal cross beams. |
| Knee-wall |
Short second floor exterior wall used to create storage space or give a vertical wall rather than a sloping ceiling. |
| Lag Bolt |
A large metal bolt that is used to fasten together two pieces of wood, usually logs. |
| Lolly Column |
Steel post that supports a beam or timber (usually an adjustable steel pipe.) |
| Ledger Strip |
A strip of lumber fastened along the bottom of the side of a beam on which joists rest. |
| Lintel |
A horizontal structural member that spans any opening in a wall. |
| Log Grading |
The process in which logs are inspected for any type of defect such as excessive knots, timber breaks, etc. |
| Log Siding |
Exterior siding that is designed to match the look of real logs. |
| Milled Logs |
Logs that are shaped by running them through a planer as opposed to handcrafted logs. |
| Mortise and Tenon |
The method of joining two pieces of material generally at right angles; a tenon (male or projection) is cut on an end and fits into the mortise (female or notch) of another member. |
| Non-Bearing Wall |
A wall that supports only its own weight. |
| On Center (OC) |
Measurements of spacing between components such as studs, rafters, floor joists, etc., that are taken from the middle of one component to the midddle of the next component. |
| Oly-Lag |
A screw or spike that is used to fasten two pieces of wood together. |
| OSB |
Stands for Oriented Strand Board. A 4’ x 8’ panel made of pieces of wood that are glued together. Often used in place of plywood. |
| Partition Wall |
Any wall that sub-divides space within a story of a building. |
| Percolation (perc) Test |
A test that a soil engineer performs at multiple spots at a building location to determine the feasibility of installing a septic system. |
| Pier |
A column of masonry or wood used to support other members. |
| Pitch, Roof |
The slope of a roof expressed in rise over run. A pitch of 6/12 means that the roof projects up 6 inches for every 12 inches of horizontal run. |
| Plate |
The uppermost horizontal member of a wall system. A log wall will have a plate log. |
| Plumb Cut |
A cut that runs vertical, as in a plumb cut rafter. |
| Plumb |
A member or unit which is exactly vertical. |
| Pre-Cut Logs |
Engineered logs that are cut to a specific length, and assigned a number that determines exactly where in a log wall they are to be placed. |
| Preliminary Drawings |
A set of drawings showing all four elevations, and plans for each floor in a structure. These are not final blueprints, but are accurate enough to present to a financial institution. |
| Pressure Treating |
A method of introducing wood preservatives into a piece of lumber by filling a chamber with liquid and increasing the pressure, so the liquid is forced into the wood cells. |
| Profile |
The size and shape of an engineered log, i.e. 8 x 6 D Log, 12 x 6 rectangular log, etc. |
| Purlin |
A horizontal structure member used to support roof rafters at some point between the wall plate and ridge beam. |
| Queen Post |
Vertical structure member used to transfer the weight of roof purlins on the gable ends or onto horizontal cross beams. |
| R-Value |
The unit of measure indicating resistance of a material to thermal passage. |
| Rake |
The slanted end of a roof eave. |
| Rafter |
A structural member used to support the roof and usually runs from the ridge to the eave. |
| Ridge |
The top junction of two sloping surfaces as in a roof. |
| Ridge Beam |
A horizontal structure member supporting the upper ends of the rafters. |
| Ridge Board |
A horizontal member sandwiched and nailed between the upper end plumb cuts of roof rafters, for construction convenience. |
| Riser |
The vertical material used to span the space between stair treads. |
| Sash |
A single frame containing one or more lights of glass. A window is generally composed of two sashes. |
| Scribing |
Fitting woodwork to an irregular surface. |
| Setback |
The amount of space required between a certain area such as road frontage or a body of water and a building. |
| Settling |
The downward movement of logs due to additional weight loads. |
| Sheathing |
The covering placed over the studs or rafters consisting of plywood or boards. |
| Shed Roof |
A sloping roof having its surface in one plane. |
| Shell |
The part of a log home that consists of only logs, beams, and rafters. |
| Shrinkage |
The downward movement of logs due to seasonal installation of logs after they have been erected. |
| Siding |
The finished covering of a wall or outside structure. |
| Sill |
The bottom horizontal member of a structure. Sill log (or base-log) window sill, etc. |
| Sill Plate |
A structural member anchored to the top of a foundation wall or slab, upon which the sub-floor or walls rests. |
| Slab |
A concrete floor system laid on the ground. |
| Snow Load |
The amount of snow that a roof or deck can safely handle. |
| Soffit |
The underside of elements of a building, such as staircases, roof overhangs, beams, etc. |
| Spline |
A strip of wood used to seal wood joints. |
| Square |
A unit of measure for shingles which covers 100 sq. ft. Also a corner of 90 degrees. |
| Standing Timber |
Dead Lumber that comes from trees that are dead but have have not fallen. |
| Stringer, Stair |
The support on which the stair treads rest. |
| Strut |
A structural member which is designed to resist longitudinal compression as in a roof truss system. |
| Stud |
One of a series of slender wood structural members used as supporting elements in walls and partitions. |
| Sub-Contractor |
Someone hired by a general contractor to perform a certain part of a building project. |
| Sub-Floor |
The components of a floor system that a finished floor is set on. This includes framing materials, sill plate, and some types of sheathing. |
| Tacking |
Nailing two pieces of wood together in a fashion where they can be removed later. |
| Thermal Mass |
A solid wall that has its own insulating properties, such as a log wall. |
| Tie Beam |
A structural member anchored to opposing walls for the purpose of preventing the walls from moving out from the weight and force of the second floor or roof. |
| Toe Nailing |
Driving a nail at an angle through one wood member into another. |
| Tongue and Groove |
Features of a wood member having a groove on one edge (or surface) and a corresponding tongue on the other. |
| Tread |
The horizontal part of a stair system (step). |
| Trimmer |
A beam or joist alongside an opening and into which a header is framed. |
| Turnkey Construction |
A building project that includes everything from foundation to carpet and hard-wired appliances. |
| Truss |
Any assembly of memberds, such as beams, boards, and the like, so combined as to form a rigid framework. All members are interconnected to form a triangle. |
| V-Groove |
The resulting recessed shape produced by joining two beveled wood products. |
| Valley |
The internal angle (trough) formed by the junction of two sloping sides of a roof. |
| Valley Rafter |
Rafters located at the center of roof valleys to support the jack rafters. |
| Vapor Barrier |
A material with high resistance to vapor movement, such as foil, plastic film or specially coated paper that is used in combination with synthetic insulation to control condensation. |
| Wane |
A defect in a plank or board characterized by bark or insufficient wood at a corner or along an edge, due to the curvature of the log. |
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