Home building Terminology

When building a new home, you will often hear a few terms that you may not fully understand. The following are some homebuilding terms that are helpful to understand.

Blue Print: the written and drawn plans of the home being built. It contains the specifications allowing the contractor a plan of how to build the house.

Reinforcing: this term is often used when dealing with concrete. It refers to placing steel rods or metal into concrete to increase its strength.

Bearing Wall: refers to a wall that supports its own weight as well as a vertical load (the ceiling, the floor above it, etc.)

Flashing: a word that builders use that refers to sheet metal materials used in roof and wall constructions. It is designed to protect buildings from water seepage.

Building envelope: refers to the exterior shell of the building. Its function can be split up into three parts: the support, the finish and the control.

  • The support: the force that resists and transfers mechanical loads.
  • The Finish: (the prettiness factor) when the exterior meets the expectations of the homeowner.
  • The Control: focuses on matter and energy flow like protection from rain and other external forces and providing good air quality.

These are just a few terms; our experienced homebuilders will talk you through each step of the building process so you are able to understand what is going on and keep up with the progress. Contact us today for more information.