Definition of Words Generally Found Within This Website:
1/2 Round
A style of gutter forming a semi-circular profile
Activator
A catalyst for use with superglue to make it adhere more quickly
Active
Used in relation to silicone. Specialist Silicone for use on activated (self cleaning) glass
Air Board
A style of tongue and grooved soffit
Angle
An angular projection, to follow the angle of a building
Architrave
A plastic moulded band framing a panel or an opening especially a rectangular one as of a door or window
Balloon Guard
A debris trap for use with a gutter system. To be placed in the outlet to prevent a blockage and allow water to drain freely
Barge Board
A board fastened to the projecting gable of a roof to give strength and protect the exposed end of the horizontal timber of the roof to which they were attached
Batten
A strip of timber used for various building purposes, also to cover joints between boards or used to support roof tiles
Bay Pole Screws
A fixing screw with built in washer for the three sided bay window support pole
Bead
A small plastic moulding having a convex circular section
Bird Prevention System
A flexible length of plastic with ‘comb like’ prongs used in the roofline to prevent birds entering the roof space
Box End
The junction of the roofline at the bottom of a gable end accommodating the fascia board, the bargeboard and the soffit board
Branch
A fitting that allows two areas of drainage to converge into one
Building
Any man made structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or continuous occupancy
Bullnose
A term used for a fascia board that has a rounded convex profile
Caulk
Flexible internal sealing compound used to seal narrow gaps against dust and drafts i.e. around windows and skirting.
Cement
A binder, a substance which sets and hardens independently and can bind other materials
Chamber
Used in drainage, a convergence of two or more separate drainage channels draining into a main run
Channel
A tubular passage for liquid or fluids to a common discharge point
Cladding
Cladding refers to the application of one material over another to provide a skin or layer intended to control the infiltration of weather elements or for aesthetic purposes
Concave
Curved like a segment of the interior of a circle, used to refer to decorative bargeboard in this instance.
Conservatory
A Glass and metal / PVC structure often added to houses for home improvement purposes
Construction
The process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure
Contraction
The reverse of thermal expansion. When PVCu gets cold its particles become less active and the material will shrink
Convex
Curved like a segment of the exterior of a circle, used to refer to decorative bargeboard in this instance.
Corner
A piece of plastic placed at the convergence of two surfaces to both protect and cover to ensure a neat joint
Cornice
A horizontal moulded projection that completes a building or wall
Cover
A piece of plastic placed over two surfaces of protection or concealment
CVR
Cement Verge Rebuild – This refers to the removal and replacement of cement to the mortar bed on a gable end.
D Section
A plastic moulded band in the shape of the letter D used as a finishing trim usually for a window
Debris
The remains of anything broken down or destroyed, an accumulation of loose dirt and rubbish
Decorative
An embellishment of a bargeboard or moulding to make ornamentation
Deepflow
A style of gutter forming a semi elliptical profile
Dentil
A small tooth shaped block used as a repeating ornament in the bed mould of a cornice
Disc Vent
A circular plastic disc placed in the soffit to provide ventilation to the eaves
Diverter
To divert is to turn aside or change course. In this instance it refers to a rain diverter taking water from a downpipe to a water butt.
Down Pipe
A vertical pipe for carrying rainwater to ground level where the water is directed to a drain or soakaway.
DPC
Damp Proof Course - A horizontal barrier in a wall designed to prevent moisture rising through the structure by capillary action
Drip Trim
A small plastic moulding designed to shelter openings by diverting water away from the structure
Felt Edges
Felt edge replacement is required after a fascia board has been removed on a felt roof area. This is because roofing felt is fixed to the fascia board and upon removal; the edges of the felt can become damaged and unsightly.
Eaves
The edge of a roof projecting beyond the side of the building generally to provide weather protection. ‘Eaves’ can also refer to the lower part of a sloping roof which projects beyond the wall or the soffit.
End Cap
A plastic finishing piece to cover and protect the ends of exposed profiles
EPS
An Eaves Protection System is a solid PVC sheet that spans the void behind the fascia and the top of the rafters. It helps to prevent water laying and potentially causing rot within the roof timbers.
Expansion
Refers to thermal expansion. When PVCu is heated the particles begin moving and become active causing the material to expand
External
The exposed outside of a material, the outer edge
Fascia
The horizontal board which is secured to the end of the rafters outside a building which also can be used to hold the guttering
Fascia Bracket
The clip that holds the gutter to the fascia board
Finial
A decorative plastic device used to emphasize the apex of a gable or at the top, end or corner of a structure
Flash Band
A self-adhesive flashing strip giving an instant waterproof seal to exterior joints and flashing. Bonds to most building materials
Foam Gun
An applicator for a pressurized can of expanding foam
Foam Spray
A pressurized can of expanding foam used in construction
Foundation
A structure that transfers loads to the earth
Gable
A gable is generally the triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof
Gallows Brackets
A stylish feature for a canopy, bay or oriel windows
Gap Filler
A resin that will harden used to fill small gaps in joints or uneven surfaces
Gasket
Any of a wide variety of seals or packing's around pipe joints to prevent the escape of gas or fluids
Glazing
Panes or sheets of glass set, or made to be set, in frames as in windows doors or mirrors
Grip Fill
Thick glue that can be used to stick plastic to other surfaces e.g. skirting to a wall
Gutter
A narrow channel or trough forming the component of a roof system which collects and diverts rainwater from the roof
Gutter Guard
A strip of meshed plastic inserted into gutter to stop the clogging of the gutter with leaves and roofing debris. Allowing rainwater to be discharged easily
H Section
A thin strip of plastic formed in an ‘H’ shape. This profile is used to join two sheets of plastic together (depending on the thickness).
Hollow
Refers to a style of soffit see air board
Hopper
A funnel shaped chamber placed so that it can collect discharge from a number of sources
Internal
The inside edge. The unexposed interior
Joiner
A plastic trim used intermittently to cover the abutment of the end of a 5m length of a PVCu profile.
Knife
An instrument used for cutting. In this instance it refers to a thin sharp edged metal blade fitted with a handle
Lead
A soft malleable metal used in the construction industry traditionally as a roof covering
Lead Flashing
Thin continuous pieces of sheet lead installed to prevent the passage of water into a structure from an angle or a joint
Legless
Refers to a style of fascia that has no bottom lip allowing it to be used directly against a surface without the use of a baton
LMA
Low Modulus Acetoxy - A type of silicone that is used in construction. Cures by the use of chemicals not suitable for all services
LMN
Low Modulus Neutral - A type of silicone that is used in construction. Cures naturally in air and is chemically inert
Offset Bend
A rainwater bend designed to bring rainwater discharge from the roof to the downpipe across the eave soffit
OFV
Over Fascia Ventilation - A ventilation strip is attached to the top of the fascia to allow the venting of the eaves to conform with British standards
Ogee
A decorative style of guttering, fascia or skirting boards.
Open V
Refers to 100mm Open V Cladding which has a prominent ‘V’ shaped grooved finish
Packer
Refers to a thin strip of plastic inserted when the main product does not fit exactly.
Patination Oil
This is used to avoid the unsightly staining of tiles and brickwork when using lead in construction. When used it imparts a pleasing appearance to lead sheet and flashing. One coat will last the life of the roof.
Pipe Bracket
A fitting specifically designed to hold the downpipe to a structure.
Plain
No adornment or embellishment
Polynail
A 65mm or 50mm stainless steel nail with a coloured plastic head
Polypin
A 40mm or 30mm stainless steel pin with a coloured plastic head
Project
A collaborative enterprise involving research or design that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim
Putty
Putty is used in glazing for fixing and sealing panes of glass into frames or sashes
PVC
Polyvinyl Chloride the base of most of construction plastic used in the building industry
Quadrant
A plastic moulding with the shape of a quarter circle
Rafters
One of a series of sloped structural members that extend from the ridge or hip to the down slope perimeter or eave designed to support the roof deck and its associated loads
Rafter Arm
A particular bracket attached to the roof rafter beam and edged at the angle to attach a fascia bracket which in turn holds the gutter. Normally only used in construction with open eaves
Rawplugs
A plastic sleeve drilled into masonry to take a screw. It will expand into the strata on application of a screw to form a tight holding.
Rectangle<
A plastic moulding shaped as a rectangle
Replacement
Refers to a type of fascia used when any existent fascia is removed
Roof
The covering on the uppermost part of a building; a roof protects the building and its contents from the effects of weather
Running Outlet
This is the fitting which joins the rainwater gutter to the downpipe
Sand
Sand mixed with cement makes a good weathering construction material (mortar)
Scotia
A deep concave plastic moulding between two fillets
Screws<
A metal fastener having a tapered shank with a helical thread and topped with a slotted head, driven into wood or the like, by rotating by means of a screwdriver
Sealant
Any of various liquids paints, chemicals or soft substances that may be applied to a surface drying to form a hard watertight coating
Sewer
A system for transporting sewage
Shears
Hand operated cutting implement used to cut trims and architraves to size.
Shiplap
A type of PVCu Cladding with a scalloped feature on the top edge.
Shoe
An outwardly curved fitting at the base of a downpipe to divert water
Shutters
A solid or movable cover for a window
Silicone Sealant
A chemical product that changes state to become solid once applied. It is used as an adhesive and helps to prevent against water ingress.
Skeleton Gun
An implement which makes it easier to apply silicones or sealants
Soakaway
A deep underground chamber used for dispersing rainwater and other waste water without connecting to any mains drainage or sewer pipes.
Socket
A plastic fitting that is used to join pipe
Soffit
Referring to the material forming a ceiling from the top of an exterior house wall to the outer edge of the roof, i.e. bridging the gap between the side of a house and the fascia board
Soffit Joint
An ‘H’ shaped section length of plastic used to join two lengths of soffit together
Spire
A modern plastic moulding employed decoratively to emphasise the apex of a gable.
Square
A style of gutter forming a Square profile
Starter Trim
A plastic trim used at the bottom of a run of cladding to give it a line
Stop End
A fitting placed at the end of the gutter so that water will not cascade out of the controlled run
Superglue
A strong chemical adhesive used to bond two pieces of plastic together
Timber
Wood that is used as a structural material in construction
Tissue
Paper towels typically used to clean around siliconed joints
Top Hung
Gutter brackets that support from above not, as traditionally, from below
uPVC
Unplasticized polyvinyl chloride is a rigid PVC and is used extensively in the construction industry taking the place of timber in window frames, fascia and soffits etc.
U Channel
A plastic finishing trim used to tidy up the edges of a cladding installation
Undercloak
An undercloak is usually fixed to the diagonal rafter on a gable end, supporting a bed of mortar, known as the ‘verge’.
Union
A gutter fitting joining two lengths of gutter together
Vented
Normally refers to a continuous slotted strip cut into a length of soffit to give a regulation 10mm air gap providing ventilation to the eaves.
Verge
The ‘verge’ is a diagonal bed of mortar between the edge of a pitched roof and the gable end.
Water Butt
A water butt is a water tank used to collect and store rain water runoff, typically from rooftops via a guttering system
Weather
The conditions in the air above the Earth such as wind and rain
Window Board
A plastic or composite board providing a neat means of finishing or making good the area around the window
