Yankee Barn Homes defines industry terms. There may be times during the build-process when certain terminology is used by industry people that some of us might not understand. This happened to me more than once when my husband and I were building. I could have used a “cheat sheet” of terms and reasoned some of you might feel the same way. 
Here are a few terms which caused me to request a translation. As this is just a smattering of hundreds of terms used, please let me know if I missed any you’d like to know!
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Anchor Bolt to D” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]
Anchor Bolt to D
Anchor Bolt: A bolt set at the top of the foundation; used to secure the wood structure to the concrete foundation.
Apron: The bottom piece of window trim below the sill or stool.
Beveled: A corner created not by a right angle intersection but by an additional angled surface.
Butt End: To butt means to join end to end. The butt end refers to the flat end of a piece of wood.
Chamfered: The decorative quality of posts may be increased by cutting off a small portion of the square corner leaving and angled (beveled) surface. The chamfer cut extends through much of the length of the posts but stops short of the ends.
Chase: A groove or channel for carrying electric wires.
Clerestory: A substantiallywindowed wall. The glass is often above a lower adjoining roof.
D: Abbreviation for penny. Penny is a weight measure used to categorize nails. 
[/toggle]
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Downlap to Keyed” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]
Downlap to Keyed
Downlap: To extend a material down and over the material below. For example, siding may downlap a concrete foundation. Opposite of uplap.
Ell: An extension wing generally at a right angle to the main house.
Flanged Door or Window Unit: The flange refers to a nailing fin on the edge of the unit which is used to attach the unit to the structure.
Flush: Set in a level or even manner so as to be in alignment.
Frieze Boards: Boards which form an ornamental band at the top of a wall.
Gable End: The side or end of a building where the top of the wall slopes with the top of the roof.
Jig: A device used as a template or form.
Keyed: In many of the on-site operations, the positioning of the first member absolutely dictates the position of those to follow. These latter members are said to be “keyed” to the first member. 
[/toggle]
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Knee Brace to Rake and Fascia” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]
Knee Brace to Rake and Fascia
Knee Brace: A timber at a forty-five degree angle which adds support to two timbers which meet at a right angle.
Lag Screw: A lag screw is a screw with a square or hexagonal head. Sometimes called a lag bolt. They are larger and stronger than regular screws.
Lower Girt: A girt is a lower beam. In a post and beam home, it can be a decorative beam on the inside wall of the house about 36” above the floor.
Milled Stool Cap: A window sill which is shaped (milled) during fabrication.
Mortise and Tenon: A mortise (hole or space) is cut in a post to receive a corresponding projection tenon from a beam.
Plumb: Vertical.
Purlins: A horizontal timber used between timber rafters or sometimes a decorative beam above floor beams.
Rabbet: A cut or grove on the edge of a piece of wood to help form a joint with a second piece of wood.
Rake and Fascia: Rake boards trim the gable (sloping) edge of a roof and fascia boards trim the eave (horizontal edge).
[/toggle]
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Rebar to Wall Panels” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]
Rebar to Wall Panels
Rebar: Steel bars which are used in concrete foundations for strengthening.
Scarf Joints: Two ends of wood pieces are angle cut so as to interlock making the joint shed water out and down, away from the structure.
Sill: Pressure treated, rot-resistant piece of lumber between the foundation and the first floor deck.
Skirtboards: Horizontal trim at the foundation level used with shiplap pine siding.
Soffit: The finish board or area underneath the overhang of a roof.
Thermax Chamfer Strip: Wedge shaped pieces of rigid insulation placed just inside the intersection of wall and roof panels, or at the ridge.
Tongue and Groove: Formed by a groove cut in the edge of a material (usually wood) to receive a corresponding projection from the next piece of material in the course.
Valley: The intersection of two (not parallel) roofs creates one or more areas (valleys) of rooftop that tend to gather rain and snow, therefore must be flashed.
Wall Panels: Wall components which are pre-fabricated. Closed panels have wood sheathing applied to both the inside and the outside of the panel. Sometimes the interior surface is gypsum board instead of wood sheathing. Open panels have covering only on one side. 
[/toggle]
As always, Yankee Barn Homes strives for excellence in all we do. Should we have missed a something, or if you have a question concerning any of these terms, please don’t hesitate to contact us right here through a comment or by calling toll free 1-800-258-9786. 
POST. BEAM. DREAM.
