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Some of the terms used throughout this section of the site, and general DIY terms are explained below.

ABS Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene - see DIY plastics .

Amps electrical current measurement - see DIY electrical .

Architrave moulding around a door or window.

Batten narrow strip of wood.

Bleeding a radiator removing excess air from the top of the radiator - see DIY central heating.

Casement (windows) These have framed panels of glass on hinges which can be opened and closed.

CORGI Confederation of Registered Gas Installers.

Cornice moulding that runs round the room over the join between the walls and the ceiling.

Course this is term used to describe the top layer of a brick wall.

Coving pre-fabricated moulding used to make a cornice.

cPVC chlorinated polyvinyl chloride - see DIY plastics .

Dado the lower part of an interior wall. Some houses have a dado rail around the room about one third of the way up the wall (from the floor).

DIY Do It Yourself.

Fascia a strip of wood covering the end of rafters.

Flashing this is a weatherproof join between roof and wall, roof and chimney, or roof and roof - see DIY roofing .

Headgear a headgear is part of the internal workings of a tap.

Hearth this is area on the ground in front of the fireplace covered with fire resistant materials such as tiles, stone or brick to protect the area from sparks or embers falling out of the fire.

Joist horizontal beam used to support structures such as roofs.

Lintel a horizontal beam used to support the wall over a door or window opening.

Louvre (windows) these consist of narrow glass slats on pivots that can be slanted for ventilation or shut completely.

Mantel This is a fireproof structure at the very back of the fireplace, protecting the base of the chimney.

MDPE medium-density polyethylene - see DIY plastics .

Mitre a join, for instance in cornice at the corner of a room, where the two pieces are cut at an equal angle to each other.

O ring similar to a washer but a ring rather than a disc.

Ohms a measurement of resistance in an electrical conductor - see DIY electrical .

PB polybutylene - see DIY plastics .

PEX polyethylene - see DIY plastics .

Pivot (windows) pivot windows have a framed pane of glass on a hinge mechanism which swings open and closed.

Pointing this refers to filling in the gaps in bricks in external walls with mortar.

PP polypropylene - see DIY plastics .

Primer treatment applied to a material to seal it before applying a finish so it absorbs less of the finish, for instance paint.

PVA polyvinyl acetate.

PVC polyvinyl chloride - see DIY plastics .

Rafter sloping beam in a set holding up a roof.

RCD residual current device. It measures the electrical current and if it detects a leakage to earth then it cuts off the flow. This acts as a safety precaution in case of damage to the cable holding the wires conducting the electricity, or in the case of an electric appliance coming into contact with water.

Re-pointing see pointing. Re-pointing is removing old mortar and filling gaps in brickwork with new mortar.

Sash (windows) these consist of two panes of glass which slide vertically up or down to open and close.

Spirit level this is glass tube with liquid and an air bubble inside held in a wooden frame used to check whether a horizontal surface is level or not. When the level is placed on the surface (a wall or shelf for instance), the air bubble should be in the middle of the tube.

Stanley knife this is retractable knife where the blade is stored in the plastic handle when not in use. They are useful for tasks such as cutting the edge of carpets or for cutting linoleum.

Sugar soap slightly abrasive detergent used to scrub down surfaces to remove grease and dirt before decorating.

Surround the surround consists of the area on the walls around a fireplace made of bricks, stone or other fire resistant materials.

uPVC unplasticised poly vinyl chloride.

Voltage a measure of electrical strength - see DIY electrical .

Washer a small, round, rubber disc used to seal plumbing parts.

Watts measure electrical power - see DIY electrical .

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