Common Building Terminology
Construction Terminology Handy Terms to Know
When it comes to building your new home, the process can be overwhelming but exciting. The team at Finesse Projects will ensure that you are up to date and comfortable with the process of building your new home. However, you may hear some terms that can be confusing, we’ve listed some handy ones below:
- Building Permit – This is the formal permission obtained by the builder from the governing municipality, required to begin construction.
- Elevation – The elevation is the way the building looks from the outside. Typically, one house plan will have two or three different front elevations.
- Excavation: Digging out the ground to install footings or a foundation.
- Fixtures – This refers to permanent goods, such as lighting and plumbing.
- Floor Plan – The floor plan is the design or layout of how the home will be set up (rooms, hallways, etc.).
- Footing: A footing is the concrete base of a foundation wall or of the beam in a pier and beam foundation.
- Framing – This is the structured support of the building and the skeletal outline of the rooms within.
- Grading: Before construction, the initial preparation of the ground surface around the home, including the driveway. The final grading takes place after construction is complete, and will determine the scope and shape of the yard.
- Joists: Joists constitute the horizontal framing of the house, supporting floors, and ceilings. Like studs, they can be made of wood or metal.
- Slab- This is the concrete base of the home placed directly on the dirt/ground.
- Soil investigation: An analysis of the soil, made by a geotechnical engineer, to determine what type of soil the foundation of the home will rest on.
- Studs: These structures create the vertical framing of the house, and are typically spaced 16 to 24 inches apart. They can be made of wood or metal.
- Truss – The truss is the support for the roof of the house.
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