VERNACULAR TERMS

ALIGNED - KALINYA
ALIGNMENT – ASINTADA
ALTERNATE, STAGGERED – UNO-SIN-OTRA

ANCHOR – LIYABE
a metal fixing for connecting a structural member or secondary component
firmly to a main structure or to fix something firmly in place; often called an
anchorage; types of anchor included as separate entries are listed below.
anchor bolt, concrete screw anchor, door-frame anchor, jamb anchor, ground
anchor, hollow-wall anchor, rock anchor, wedge anchor.
ANTESALA – KAIDA, CAIDA
A transition space right after the stair, leading to sala (living) or to
komedor(dining). Kaida is from the Spanish verb “caer” (to fall) and is said to be
a place where ladies let their trains fall.

ASTRAGAL – BATIDURA
A member, or combination of members, fixed to one of a pair of doors or
casement windows to cover the joint between the meeting stiles and to close
the clearance gap; provides a weather seal, minimizes the passage of light and
noise, and retards the passage of smoke or flame during a fire. Also see
overlapping astragal, split astragal.
AWNING - MEDIA AGUA
A roof-like covering of canvas, or the like, often adjustable, over a window,
door, etc., to provide protection against the sun, rain, and wind.

BALCONY – BALCON
an accessible outdoor or glazed and balustraded platform projecting from the
external face of a building, often for recreational use.
BALUSTER - BARANDILLAS
An entire railing system (as along the edge of a balcony) including a top rail
and its balusters, and sometimes a bottom rail.

BARREL BOLT - TRANKILYA

barrel bolt, tower bolt
A door bolt which moves in a cylindrical casing; not driven by a key.
BASEBOARD - RODAPIS
mopboard, scrubboard, skirting board, washboard; A flat projection from an
interior wall or partition at the floor, covering the joint between the floor and wall
and protecting the wall from kicking, mopping, etc. It may be plain or molded;
a base, 4.

BATH – BAÑO
The room containing the bathtub.
BATH TUB – BANYERA
a large vessel connected to a water supply and a drain, in which a person can
be fully immersed in water while washing.
BRICK - LA DRILLO
A solid masonry unit, usually of clay, molded into a rectangular shape while
plastic, and then treated in a kiln at an elevated temperature to harden it, so as
to give it mechanical strength and to provide it with resistance to moisture; after
being removed from the kiln, the brick is said to be burnt, hard-burnt, kiln-burnt,
fired, or hard-fired. Bricks laid lengthwise in a wall are called stretchers; bricks
laid crosswise to a wall are called headers. Bricks differ in color, ranging from
dark red to rose and salmon, and from pink to blue-black and purple,
depending on the type of clay and on the temperature of the kiln in which they
were burnt. Various types of patterns common in laying bricks are described
under bond. The current American brick is typically about 8 inches (20.3 cm)
long, 33⁄4 inches (8.26 cm) wide, and 21⁄4 inches (5.7 cm) thick; other countries
tend to produce bricks with their own standard dimensions.
BEAM – BIGA
A structural member whose prime function is to carry transverse loads, as a joist,
girder, rafter, or purlin. The term beam may be modified by an adjective
indicating its location; as, for example, an end beam or side beam.
BEDROOM - CUARTO, ALCOBA, DORMITORIO
a private room in a dwelling or accommodation building used primarily for
sleeping.
BOLT - PIERNO
A metallic pin or rod having a head at one end and an external thread on the
other for screwing up a nut; used for holding members or parts of members
together.

BOTTOM CHORD – BARAKILAN, TIRANTE

lower chord; the lower longitudinal horizontal member in a truss.
BUTT HINGE – BISAGRA
a hinge with two rectangular metal leaves and a central joining pin, usually inset
into the edge of a door leaf and its frame.

CABINET HINGE – ESPOLON

furnishing hinge; traditionally any small hinge used for cupboard doors etc.,
nowadays any one of a wide range of patented mechanized hinges, often with
spring mechanisms and specialized fixings.
CANOPY - MEDIA AGUA
A covered area which extends from the wall of a building, protecting an
entrance or loading dock.

CARPENTER – KARPINTERO
wright; a craftsman or tradesman who works on site in structural and framing
timber; in North America this also includes one who works in joinery.
CARPENTRY – KARPINTERIA
A building trade which includes cut-ting, framing, and joining the timbers or
wood-work of a building or structure.

CAST IRON – TUBO PUNDIDO

An iron alloy, usually including carbon and silicon; a large range of building
products are made of this material by pouring the molten metal into sand molds
and then machining. Has high compressive strength, but low tensile strength.
CAULK COTTON – ESTOPA
CAULKING, CALKING. A resilient mastic compound, often having a silicone,
bituminous, or rubber base; used to seal cracks, fill joints, prevent leakage,
and/or provide waterproofing.

CEILING – KISAME
The overhead surface of a room, usually a covering or decorative treatment
used to conceal the floor above or the roof.
CEILING JOIST – KOSTILYAHE
• Any joist which carries a ceiling.

• One of several small beams to which the ceiling of a room is attached.

They are mortised into the sides of the binding joists, nailed to the
underside of these joists, or suspended from them by straps.

CEMENT BRICK – LADRILYO

Brick fabricated from a mixture of cement and sand; molded under pressure
and steam-cured at a temperature of 200°F (93°C); used behind face brick
where it will not be exposed to acid or alkaline conditions.

CEMENT TILE – BALDOSA

CONCRETE TILE. a floor or wall tile of pressed, extruded or wet-moulded
concrete, usually less than 300 mm x 300 mm in size; also called a cement tile,
depending on the aggregates used.
CHAIN BOLT - BARAL DE KADENA
At the top of a door, a spring bolt which is actuated by a chain attached to it.

CLOSED STRINGER - MADRE DE ESKALERA

close string, curb string, housed string
A staircase string whose upper edge is straight and parallel to its lower edge; the
tread and riser ends are housed in the face of the string and are concealed.

COLLAR PLATE - SINTURON

A metal cap flashing for a vent pipe projecting above a roof deck.
COLUMN - KOLUMNA, HALIGUE, POSTE
a structural shaft of concrete, masonry, metal or timber which transfers applied
vertical loads through its length to its base.

CONCRETE – KONKRETO
a mixture of sand, aggregate, cement and water, often including admixtures,
which sets to form a hard, versatile building material, mainly used for its structural
properties
CONCRETE SLAB - LARGA MASA
any relatively thin planar area of reinforced concrete, usually a structural floor or
roof slab.

CONDUCTOR HEAD – ALULOD

leader head, rainwater head
An enlargement or catch basin to receive rainwater from the gutter at the top
of a leader.
CONTRACTOR – KONTRATISTA
builder, building contractor
a person or organization which carries out building work according to a
contract or agreement.

CORNER – KANTO
a place or angle where two or more sides or edges meet.
CORRUGATED G.I. SHEETS – YERO CANALADO GALBANISADO
a metal or plastics sheeting product preformed in a wavy cross-section to
provide longitudinal stiffening

CRUSHED STONE – ESCONDRO

crushed rock
The product resulting from the artificial crushing of rocks, boulders, or large
cobblestones, substantially all faces of which have been crushed. Also see
coarse aggregate.
DIAGONAL BRACE - PIE DE GALLO
angle tie, angle brace, diagonal brace, diagonal tie, dragon tie;
In traditional timber frame construction, a diagonal member in the horizontal
plane used to brace and tie together a corner joint; a similar brace in
contemporary construction.

DINING ROOM – COMEDOR

The principal room used for meals, in which the family in a private house, or
guests in a hotel, come together at mealtimes.
DISH RACK – BANGGUERAHAN
DOOR FILLET – BATIDORA
DOOR / WINDOW HEAD - SOMBRERO
door soffit;
• The horizontal flat underside of a door opening.

• The upper horizontal member in a door frame or door lining.

DOOR / WINDOW JAMB - HAMBA

A frame for holding a wood door in place while it is off its hinges and being
planed.
DOWEL – ABANG
dowel bar;
In reinforced concrete, a short reinforcing bar which protrudes from the surface
of cast concrete, extends across a joint, or onto which a fixing may be
attached.

DOWNSPOUT - TUBO DE BANADA

conductor, downcomer, downpipe, leader, rain leader, rainwater pipe
A vertical pipe, often of sheet metal, used to conduct water from a roof drain or
gutter to the ground or cistern.
DRAWBORE PIN, DRAW PIN – PUNSOL
DRAWBORE. A hole in the tenon of a mortise and-tenon joint which is not in line
with the holes of the mortise; when a pin is driven through, the joint becomes
tighter.

DRESSED LUMBER – SEPILLADO

dressed stuff, surfaced lumber;
Lumber having one or more of its faces planed smooth.
EARTHFILL – ESCOMBRO

EAVE – ALERO, SIBE

That part of a roof that projects beyond the exterior wall; usually the lower edge
of a sloped roof.
EXTERIOR SIDING – TABIKE

ELECTRICIAN – ELECTRISISTA
a tradesman or skilled worker who is responsible for the installation and repair of
electrical services.
ENGINEER – INHINYERO
a qualified professional who designs structures, technical services or public
utilities and supervises their construction and maintenance.

FASCIA BOARD – SENEPA

fascia;
In roof construction, a horizontal board attached vertically to the ends of joists or
rafters at eaves level.
FAUCET – GRIPO
water tap, tap;
a water fitting, usually attached to a basin, sink or bath, from which hot or cold
water can be drawn off for use.

FEET - PIYE
foot;
Imperial unit of length equal to 12 inches or 30.48 cm.
FILL – TAMBAK
• in sitework, earth or other material such as hardcore used to raise or level
the existing ground or to make an embankment.

• material used to fill a void in construction, as packing etc.

FILLER - TAPAL, DAGDAG

surface filler
in finishing walls and ceilings, a paste applied over a surface to fill in any
irregularities and, when hard, provide a smooth surface for painting, also called
stopping or spackling.
FILLET – BATIDURA
• list; a thin straight raised or sunk horizontal decorative moulding. see
raised fillet, square fillet.

• fascia, fascia moulding.

• a thin strip of material.

FLOOR JOIST – SOLERAS

in frame construction, one of a series of beams or joists which carry flooring.
FLOOR SILL – GUILILAN
SILL PLATE. A heavy horizontal timber at the bottom of the frame of a wood
structure; the timber rests directly on a foundation; same as sill.

FLOOR BOARDS – DOTAL

One of the boards or planks used as the finish floor, forming the walking surface
of the room.
FLOORING – SAHIG, SUELO
the horizontal lower surface of a room or interior space and its supporting
construction.

FLUSH – ALAHADO
Having the surface or face even or level with the adjacent surface.

FOOTING – FUNDACION
That portion of the foundation of a structure which transmits loads directly to the
soil; may be the widened part of a wall or column, the spreading courses under
a foundation wall, a foundation of a column, etc.; used to spread the load over
a greater area to prevent or reduce settling.

FOR CAROZA – SAGUAN, ZAGUAN

ENTRANCE HALL. The space, after the entrance, that serves as transition space
between the entrance and the grand stairs to the upper floor that is used as
storage for carriages, professional floats and where other implements are kept.

FOREMAN – KAPATAS, MAESTRO DE OBRA

the contractor’s representative responsible for supervising work on a building
site.
FRAMEWORK – BALANGKAS
An assemblage of structural elements or members fitted together to form a
structure, as a multistory building, a rigid-frame shed, or a truss.

G.I. PIPE – TUBO GALBANISADO

A steel pipe or wrought-iron pipe, of standard dimensions, which has been
galvanized by coating it with a thin layer of zinc.
G.I. SHEET STRAP – LINGUETA

GABLE ROOF – DOS AGUAS

gabled roof;
a roof with two sloping planes which meet at a central ridge and a gable at
one or both ends.
GIRDER – GUILILIAN, SEPO, KULING
a large main steel beam with upper and lower chords separated by a web; a
lattice beam, truss or universal beam.
GIRT – SEPO (KAPATAS)
A horizontal structural member in the framing, of an early timber-framed house,
typically supporting the ends of the ceiling joists and acting as the main
horizontal support for the floor above; often located about halfway between
the groundsill, and the horizontal timber at the top of the wall (the top plate)
The term girt often is preceded by an adjective indicating its position; for
example, front girt denotes a heavy timber that runs horizontally along the front
of the house; rear girt denotes a heavy timber that runs horizontally along the
rear face of the house; chimney girt denotes a heavy timber that acts a main
horizontal support between chimney posts.

GROOVE – CANAL
• any slot-like cutting or relief in construction.
 • the recess in one side of a tongue and groove joint.

GUTTER – ALULOD, KANAL

A shallow channel of metal or wood set immediately below and along the
eaves of a building to catch and carry off rainwater from the roof.

HALL – CAIDA
a building containing a large open space for events or gatherings.
HANDRAIL – GABAY
a rail for support or protection at approximately waist height above a
balustrade, or fixed to a wall by a stair.

HIP ROOF – QUATRO AGUAS

hipped roof;
a pitched roof with slopes on all four sides which meet at the corners to form
hips; it may or may not have a ridge.
HORIZONTAL STUD – PABALAGBAG, TRABE ANZO

HORSE STABLE – QUADRA

INCH – PULGADA
an imperial unit of length equal to 25.4 mm.

IRON – HIERO
a common, pale-coloured, strong metal, Fe, used primarily as a basic ingredient
of steel, alloyed with carbon to improve its hardness and corrosion resistance.
KING POST – PENDULUM, TABIKE
king piece, joggle post;
in traditional timber roof construction, a central vertical strut rising from a tie
beam and carrying a ridge purlin.

KITCHEN – COCINA
a space within a dwelling or establishment where food is prepared and cooked.
KITCHEN SINK – PRIGADERO
SINK. a sanitary vessel of vitreous china or stainless steel for washing utensils,
hands etc., connected to a drainage system, fixed to a wall or furnishing at
waist height and usually fitted with a plug-hole and taps.

LABORER – PIYON
LABOURER. a person employed on a construction site to carry out manual or
unskilled work.
LANDING – MESA, MESITA
landing, pace, stair landing
The horizontal platform at the end of a stair flight or between two flights of stairs.

LAVATORY – LABABO
A basin with water supply and drainage piping, for washing the hands and face;
a washbasin.
LAYING OF CHB – ASINTA

LEAN-TO ROOF – SIBE

half span roof;
a monopitch roof whose summit is carried on a wall which extends beyond the
apex of the roof, often an overhang or canopy.
LIVING ROOM – SALA
lounge, sitting room;
a central habitable room in a dwelling for recreation and relaxation; see also
drawing room.

LOW TABLE – DULANG

MACHINE BOLT – PIERNO PASANTE
a bolt whose shank has threads along its end portion only so a nut can be
attached.

MASONRY – KANTERIA LASTILYAS

any construction in laid bricks, blocks or stone.
MASONRY FILL – LASTILYAS
MASONRY FILLER UNIT. A masonry unit which is used to fill the space between
joists or beams, providing a platform for a cast-in-place concrete slab.

MASON – KANTERO
stonemason;
• a skilled craftsman who works in stone, in building construction producing
stone walling and embellishment.
 • A person who is skilled in the craft of building with units of natural or
artificial mineral products, such as bricks, stones, and cinderblocks, that
are usually bonded or cemented with mortar to similar units.

METAL WORK, TEMPER – SUBAN

To bring to a proper degree of hardness and elasticity for use, as steel or other
metal, by heat treatment.

MITER JOINT – KANTO MESA

A joint between two members at an angle to each other; each member is cut
at an angle equal to half the angle of the junction; usually the members are at
right angles to each other.

MORTAR – PAUPO
mortar mix;
A plastic mixture of cementitious materials (such as plaster, cement, or lime) with
water and a fine aggregate (such as sand); can be troweled in the plastic state;
hardens in place. When used in masonry construction, the mixture may contain
masonry cement or ordinary hydraulic cement with lime (and often other
admixtures) to increase its plasticity and durability.

MORTAR JOINT – KUSTURA

masonry joint;
Any joint between masonry units bonded with mortar. See colonial joint,
concave joint, excess joint, extruded joint, flat joint, flush-cut joint, hick joint,
hungry joint, keyed joint, raked joint, rodded joint, rough-cut joint, ruled joint,
scored joint, scribed joint, skin-tled joint, spalled joint, struck joint, tooled joint,
troweled joint, V-joint, weather joint, weather-struck joint.

MOULDING – MULDURA
molding (Am.);
a horizontal ornamental projecting band in a wall surface, often with running
motifs and of carved stone, timber or plasterwork.
NAIL SETTER – PUNSOL
nail set, nail punch;
a pointed metal rod used as a base for hammering nails beneath the surface.

NICCOLITE / SOLDERING BAR – ESTANYO

red nickel sulphide, nickeline;
a copper red mineral, naturally occurring nickel arsenide, NiAs, an important ore
of nickel.
SOLDERING. the joining of metals together by melting a soft metal alloy or solder
at a join and allowing it to harden, widely used for fastening electronic
components and metal plumbing connections.

NUT – TRUERKA
A short metal block having a central hole which is threaded to receive a bolt,
screw, or other threaded part.
OPEN TERRACE – AZOTEA
(Bahay na Bato) The flat roof of the alhibe (cistern) usually at the back of the
kusing (kitchen) and is used as an elevated outdoor terrace or service area.

OVERHANG, PROJECTION – BOLADA

part of a building such as a balcony, oriel window, moulding, upper storey etc.
which projects outwards from an external wall.
PANEL DOOR – DE BANDEHA
panelled door, framed door;
any door whose main members (rails and stiles) are tenon jointed, forming a
rigid frame for infill boarding, glazing or panelling; also written as paneled door.

PANTRY – DISPENSA
a small domestic room adjacent to a kitchen in which provisions, stores and
equipment are kept.
PARTITION – DINGDING
• a lightweight, non-loadbearing wall dividing interior space in a building.

• A dividing wall within a building; may be bearing or non-load-bearing.

PATTERN, SCHED – PLANTILYA

PATTERN. a diagram showing how something, a model or part of a design, is
made.
SCHEDULE. written design documentation for doors, windows, ironmongery etc.
in the form of tables or detailed lists specifying type, finish, quantity, location and
other information not found on drawings.
PICK WORK – PIKETA
PLAIN G.I SHEET – HIERO LISO
GALVANIZED IRON. Sheet metal of iron coated with zinc to prevent rusting; used
extensively for flashings, roof gutters, gravel stops, flexible metal roofing, etc.

PLASTER/STUCCO – PALITADA
PLASTER
plaster mix, plastering mix;
a mixture of a hydraulic binder such as lime, gypsum or Portland cement with
water and sand, used as a surface treatment for walls; the term plaster is usually
used nowadays in reference to interior work, when used outside it is called
render.
STUCCO. any plaster used for facing the outside of buildings, for decorative
castings etc.; stucco usually refers to textured renderwork in lime mortar, cement
mortar or lime cement mortar, especially fine plasterwork for classical or
Baroque decorative work, columns, rustication etc. in imitation of stone.

PLASTERED COURSE – KUSTURADA

PLUG – TAPON
a rubber, metal or plastics accessory for a sink or basin to temporary close the
outlet to a discharge pipe.
PLUMB BOB, PLUMB LINE – HULOG
a device used to indicate true vertical by means of a length of fine cord with a
weight hung on the end.

POST – POSTE / HALIGI

any slender column, often round in plan; either freestanding as a fixing for
lighting etc. or supporting a fence or overlying structure.
PURLIN – REOSTRA
in roof construction, a horizontal beam running parallel to the ridge to give
added intermediate support for roof joists or rafters.

PUTTY – MASILYA
• A heavy paste composed of pigment, such as whiting, mixed with linseed
oil; used to fill holes and cracks in wood prior to painting to secure and
seal panes of glass in window frames; also called painter’s putty.
 • In plastering, a fine cement consisting of lump lime slaked with water; lime
putty. Now, other compounds, premixed or in powdered form to be
combined with water, are widely used.

QUARTER ROUND – MEDIA CANA

a decorative moulding which is a quarter of a circle in cross-section; a
quadrant.

QUEEN POST – PRASES

in traditional timber roof construction, one of a pair of posts carrying purlins in a
queen post truss.
RABBET – VACIAD, BASIADOR
rebate;
A longitudinal channel, groove, or recess cut out of the edge or face of a
member; esp. one to receive another member, or one to receive a frame
inserted in a door or window opening, or the recess into which glass is installed in
a window sash.

RAFTER – KILO
• One of a series of inclined structural members from the ridge of the roof
down to the eaves, providing support for the covering of a roof.
 • One of a series of timber beams carrying roofing in a sloping roof; the
upper member of a roof truss or a sloping roof joist.

RAMP – ANDAMIO
a sloping planar surface providing access from one level to another.

REINFORCING BAR – KABILYA

A steel bar used in concrete construction (e.g., in a beam or wall) to provide
additional strength; also see deformed bar, reinforcing rod.
RIDGE ROLL – CABALLET, KABALLETE

• A wood strip, rounded on top, which is used to finish the ridge of a roof;
often covered with lead sheeting.

• A metal, tile, or asbestos-cement covering which caps the ridge of a roof;

also called a hip roll or ridgecap.

RISER – TAKIP SILIPAN

the vertical surface forming the front face of a step.
RIVETS – RIMATSE
a short flat-headed metal pin used for fixing metal sheet or plate by inserting it
into holes in the sheets to be fastened and hammering to flatten the other end.

SAND AND GRAVEL – LASTILLAS

SAND. mineral soil composed of particles between 0.06 mm and 2 mm in size;
classified variously as fine sand, medium sand, coarse sand.
GRAVEL. shingle; a classification of granular mineral material, broken stone
composed of particles from 2 mm to 60 mm in size; see also fine, medium,
coarse gravel.
SCAFFOLDING – PLANCHA, ANDAMIYO
scaffold;
a temporary structure erected alongside the external wall of a building under
construction or repair to support workmen and materials.

SCRAPPED FILLER – BATAK

Skim coating is a texturing technique used to make a wall smooth. Drywallers
use this technique to hide an imperfect taping job, to give the wall a plaster-like
appearance and in situations when only the smoothest surface will do.
SCRATCH COAT – REBOKADA
In three-coat plastering, the first coat of plaster, which is then scratched to
provide a bond for the second (brown) coat.

SCREW THREAD – ROSKAS

the helical moulded windings along the shaft of a screw or bolt, or internally in a
nut or cap, which provide a mechanical fixing.
SEPTIC TANK – POSO NEGRO
settlement tank;
in the treatment of waste water, a small-scale treatment plant for one building
or complex, in which the solid matter in sewage settles, and the remaining
effluent is purified and released.

SHOWER/SHOWER HEAD – DUTCHA

SHOWER. a sanitary installation with a controllable spray or jet of water for
washing and cleaning.
SHOWER HEAD. shower rose; the perforated part of a shower assembly through
which water is ejected, usually a spray outlet.

SIDING (EXT) – PENDULON

A finish covering on the exterior walls of a building in the form of a series of
horizontal strips or boards; made of such cladding materials as wood or
aluminum. The strips are usually applied horizontally with an overlap to provide
resistance against the penetration of water.

SILL – GUILILAN, SEPO

cill;
the lowest horizontal member in a door, window or other vertical framework; see
window sill, door sill.

SKETCH PLAN – KROKIS

a preliminary plan that is less detailed than a working drawing

SLOPE – BAHADA
• the angle that a stair, roof etc. makes with the horizontal.
 • an area of terrain or land at an angle to the horizontal.

SOLDER – HINANG
a metal alloy used in joining metals together by soldering; usually an alloy of
lead and tin for soft soldering or copper and zinc for brazing.

SPACING/GAP – BIENTO
ALLOWANCE. clearance, installation allowance; spaces left between adjacent
components in design such as the space between a hinged door leaf or
window casement and its frame, to allow for fitting, installation, manufacturing
tolerances, expansion, workmanship and movement.
HAGDAN – STAIR
stairs, staircase, stairway;
a means of vertical circulation consisting of a number of steps from one level to
another; although usually called ‘stairs’ in the colloquial, ‘stair’ may be used in
preference, to denote a single unit of vertical circulation.

STAKE – ESTAKA
stave;
a timber post driven into the ground as part of a foundation structure, for
marking out etc.; a timber pile.
STOREROOM – BODEGA
• a building or room within a building devoted to storage or distribution of
supplies.

• storage space; a space or part of a space within a building for the

storage of equipment, supplies or goods.

STRINGER (OPEN) – HARDINERA

STRING. in a stair, an inclined board which supports the end of the steps; also
called a stringer.
TINSMITH – LATERO
a worker who makes or repairs things of sheet metal (such as tinplate)

TOILET - LETRINA, COMUN

• a water closet; W.C.

• a room or building furnished with one or a number of water closet suites,

urinals and wash basins; variously called a lavatory, convenience,
cloakroom, closet or WC.
TOP CHORD – TAHILAN
upper chord;
the upper member in a truss.

TREAD – BAYTANG
the horizontal upper surface of a step, or the shallow platform which forms a
step
TRELLIS – PERGOLA
a loose screen with a grid or rows of jointed timber strips for supporting climbing
plants.

TRUSS – KILO
lattice structure;
• a structural element consisting of a number of members pin-jointed at
their ends to form a beam which resists loads by means of triangulation.

• in particular one of steel or timber used for supporting floors and roofs.
VARNISH – MONYEKA
a liquid coating applied to a surface, usually timberwork, joinery or furniture
which forms a hardwearing transparent film.

VAULT – ENTRESUELO
a three-dimensional arched ceiling construction to support a floor or roof, often
of masonry.
VERTICAL STUD – PILARETE
STUD. An upright post or support, esp. one of a series of vertical structural
members which act as the supporting elements in a wall or partition.
W.I. STRAP – PLANCHUELO
STRAP
• A metal plate placed across the junction of two or more timbers to which
it is bolted or screwed.

• A metal component designed to join a truss and wall plate to a wall.

WAINSCOTING TILE – ASOLEJO, ASOLEHOS

WAINSCOT. decorative or protective facing, such as wood paneling, that is
applied to the lower portion of an interior partition or wall.
WALL POST – BAGAD
• a post which is next to a wall, in a partition.

• a post, fixed to a wall, against which a fence terminates, or from which a

gate may be hung.

• a post that supports a wall plate.

WASHER – PITSA / WASHER (IRON) – CHAPA

a perforated plate beneath a bolt-head or nut which acts as a spacer in a bolt
fixing and transfers the pressure of the fixing over a wider area.
WATER CISTERN – ALJIBE
an open vessel for storing water at atmospheric pressure in a water supply
system; a storage tank.

WATER CLOSET – INODORO

W.C. ;
a plumbing fixture used to receive human excrement and to discharge it
through a waste pipe, using water as a conveying medium. an external
horizontal protruding

WINDOW SILL – PASAMANO

• construction at the base of a window for throwing off water.

• the lowest horizontal member in a window frame.

WIRING KNOB – POLEYA

WOOD GRAIN – HASPE
GRAIN. The direction. size, alignment. and appearance of the fibers in a piece
of dressed wood.

WOOD PLANK – TABLA

HARDWOOD PLANK. a piece of sawn hardwood with a thickness greater than 50
mm.
SOFTWOOD PLANK. a piece of sawn softwood with cross-sectional dimensions of
47 mm–100 mm thick and greater than 275 mm wide.
WROUGHT IRON STRAP – PLANTSUELA
STRAP. a metal plate placed across the junction of two or more timbers to which
it is bolted or screwed.