
What is the edge of a roof called?
Cornice A cornice is the finished edge of the roof where it meets the exterior wall, of varying sizes, sometime plain, but often decorative and marked by brackets, dentils, medalions or some other decorative feature. Crenelated Parapet A low retaining wall at the edge of a roof or porch with a uniform pattern of openings creating a battlement.
What is the end of a building called?
Gable - The end of a building as distinguished from the front or rear side. The triangular end of an exterior wall from the level of the eaves to the ridge of a double-sloped roof. In house construction, the portion of the roof above the eave line of a double-sloped roof.
What is the edge of an architectural feature called?
A decorative raised surface along the edge of an architectural feature such as a window, column, door or wall. Mortar A mixture of sand, water, lime and cement used to lay bricks, stone, tile or concrete block.
What is the exterior face of a building called?
Façade: The main exterior face of a building. Fenestration: The arrangement, proportioning, and design of windows and doors in a building. Frieze: A wide decorative band in the middle of an entablature or below a cornice. Gable: The triangle end of a wall formed by the slope of a roof.

What can be examples of traditional style house exteriors?
Below is an example of a traditional style house exterior. There are many different styles of homes, which may or may not contain the labeled parts...
Can I get roof repair services?
This information was provided by Opal Enterprises, an exterior home remodeling contractor in Naperville. Visit our home page for more information a...
What are the parts of the roof?
Primary Structure Gable – The triangular part of a wall where roof pitches meet and come to a peak. Ridge – The top peak of a gable roof running ho...
What is above grade?
Above Grade - The portion of a building that is above ground level.
What is a balustrade railing?
Balustrade - A railing made up of balusters, top rail, and sometimes bottom rail, used on the edge of stairs, teal conies, and porches. Barge Board - A decorative board covering the projecting rafter (fly rafter) of the gable end. At the cornice, this member is a facie board.
What is a backer rod?
Backer Rod - In glazing, a polyethylene or polyurethane foam material installed under compression and used to control sealant joint depth, provide a surface for sealant tooling, serve as a bond breaker to prevent three-sided adhesion, and provide an hour-glass contour of the finished bead.
What is a cornice?
Cornice - A horizontal projecting course on the exterior of a building, usually at the base of the parapet. In residential construction, the 0verhang of a pitched roof at the cave line, usually consisting of a facie board, a soffit for a closed cornice, and appropriate moldings.
What is a conductor in a roof?
Conductor - (1) In roofing, a pipe for conveying rainwater from the roof gutter to a drain, or from a roof drain to the storm drain; also called a leader, downspout, or downpipe. (2) In electrical contracting, a wire through which a current of electricity flows, better known as an electric wire.
What is an areaway?
Areaway - An open subsurface space adjacent to a building used to admit light or air or as a means of access to a basement. Asphalt - A dark brown to black, highly viscous, hydrocarbon produced from the residue left after the distillation of petroleum. Asphalt is used on roofs and highways as a waterproofing agent.
What is backfilling in carpentry?
(2) in carpentry, the process of fastening together two pieces of board by gluing blocks of wood in the interior angle.
What is the edge of a gable roof called?
Rake – The rake is the outer slanting edge of a gable roof end that runs from the ridge to the eave.
What is the triangular part of a wall where roof pitches meet and come to a peak?
Gable – The triangular part of a wall where roof pitches meet and come to a peak.
What is Beechworth window made of?
Opal is proud to now offer, Beechworth Windows! With exteriors made of durable fiberglass, and colors to complement James Hardie ColorPlus®, Beechworth is a remarkable new
What is a grid window?
Grid/Grille – Thin inner window trim that visually divide glass. Some are strictly decorative and some also provide structural and stability benefits. They come in many different patterns. Grids are normally rectangular. Grilles often refer to more elaborate patterns. Spelling is seen interchangeably as grille and grill.
What is the overhanging area of a roof that extends beyond the house to keep rain water away from the?
Eave – The overhanging area of the roof that extends beyond the house to keep rain water away from the lower part of the home .
What is a chimney?
Chimney – The large protective ventilation area for smoke normally from a fireplace .
Why do we need roof vents?
Roof ventilation helps to improve energy efficiency and the home’s life span . There are many different types of roof vents that come in various shapes and sizes.
What is a cornice in a building?
Those in your second photograph are sections of a cornice, “any horizontal decorative molding that crowns a building or furniture element” - Wikipedia. If you look closely you will see those are not distinct architectural elements but portions of a continuous ledge or shelf which runs the entire width of the building, jogging around capitals where you have marked and returning to follow the contours of the facade below. There is a similar, slightly less marked cornice above the second story of the same building.
Why do buildings have cornices?
The original purpose of the cornice was to divert rainwater from the facade (in domestic architecture any cornice is usually married with the eaves, the overhang of the roof), and in classical architecture there was only one cornice, at the top, immediately below the gable. Even in antiquity, however, it was not unknown to build taller buildings by stacking orders, and from the Renaissance onward it became common for architects to divide their facades into horizontal registers with two or more cornices, as in your second photograph.
What is an external cornice?
Most dictionaries define an "external" corniceas a projection crowninga building or structure, rather than something that can occur anywhere up the face of the building. You can also have a cornice inside, in which case it's an ornamental moulding around the wall of a room just below the ceiling(as opposed to a picture rail, which is lower and less substantial, or a dado rail, usually only 3-4 feet above the floor).
What is the purpose of a cornice?
The original purpose of the cornice was to divert rainwater from the facade (in domestic architecture any cornice is usually married with the eaves, the overhang of the roof), and in classical architecture there was only one cornice, at the top, immediately below the gable.
Is there a movie about standing on one of those things?
There's a movie about a man standing on one of those things. imdb.com/title/tt1568338
What is the edge of a roof called?
A cornice is the finished edge of the roof where it meets the exterior wall, of varying sizes, sometime plain, but often decorative and marked by brackets, dentils, medalions or some other decorative feature.
What is the edge of a roof?
The edge of the roof that overhangs the exterior walls, sometimes with exposed rafters.
What is the capital of a round column?
Capitals are the tops of round columns and may be of several distinct types or orders. Greek Doric capitals are fluted and plain, Roman Doric capitals are smooth and plain, Ionic capitals have a rams horns at all four corners, and a Corinthian capital is highly decorative with curling acanthus leaves.
What is a crow stepped gable?
A decorative gable form ,often seen in Flanders and the Netherlands, the side s of which drop in a cascade of right angles, also called a crow-stepped gable. Used as a decorative embellishment in Victorian era styles in the USA.
What is the face of a building?
The face of a building, usually referring to the front.
What is a low retaining wall at the edge of a roof or porch with a uniform pattern of opening?
A low retaining wall at the edge of a roof or porch with a uniform pattern of openings creating a battlement. In medieval times the openings were used for the defense of fortresses, hence the term battlement.
What is the capping on a wall?
The capping at the top of a wall for protection from weather elements.
Where is the crest on a roof?
Cresting: An ornamental ridge usually located at the peak or edge of a roof, commonly iron.
What is the twisty thing on top of the thing?
Although most architectural features are usually referred to as "that thing on top of the thing," "the twisty thing over there on the side, " or "some bricks in, like, a pattern around the thing," many of them also have technical names. Here is a brief glossary of common architectural terms that you may encounter during Landmarks Commission ...
What is curbed university?
Curbed University delivers insider tips and non-boring advice on how to buy, sell, or rent a home or apartment. Additional questions welcomed to [email protected]. Today's topic: a glossary of architectural terms!
What is an oriel window?
Oriel Window: A form of bay window that projects from the building but does not reach the ground, supported by corbels or brackets.
What is an entablature?
Entablature: A superstructure consisting of an architrave, a frieze, and a cornice that lies horizontally across columns.
What is a stucco?
Stucco: An exterior wall coating made from Portland cement, lime, sand, and water, often used to cover other construction materials such as concrete or brick.
What is a mansard roof?
Mansard roof: A four-sided, double-sloped roof, where the lower slope is steeper than the upper slope. The lower slope is typically punctured by dormer windows. Molding: A piece of trim that introduces varieties of outline or curved contours in edges or surfaces.
Where is the plate located on a beam?
A plate located at the top of a column or end of a beam for capping the exposed end of the member. Used for pinned conditions.
What is a metal strip on a roof?
A broad, formed strip of metal put over a roof seam for decorative purposes and to conceal fasteners.
What is a building code?
Published regulations and ordinances established by a recognized agency describing design loads, procedures and construction details for structures. Building codes control design, construction and quality of materials, use and occupancy, location and maintenance of buildings and structures within the city, county, state, etc. for which the code was adopted. It is the customer’s ultimate responsibility to provide MBMI with the proper codes for their particular area as per the MBMA guidelines.
What is a cold formed endwall?
Frame composed of corner columns, end columns, flush girts, and channel rafter beams, which is designed to carry one-half bay weight. This type of endwall is also referred to as “cold formed”.
What is clear span building?
A clear span building has no internal supports. The entire space under the roof is usable.
Where is the corner column located?
Corner column (usually a “C” shape) located at the corner of a bearing frame endwall.
How wide are ridge vents?
Ridge vents are 9″ or 12″ wide and 10′ long. They are mounted along the roof peak line. They can be either galvalume or color depending on you building.
What is decking on a roof?
The decking is attached with nails onto the rafters, creating the foundation of the roof system.
Where do rafters hang on a roof?
They hang off the side of your roof (underneath the fascia) and provide extra protection from the elements for your rafters.
What is a rafter?
Think of the rafters like the skeletal system of your roof. Rafters are designed as a sloped structural unit using mainly 2x10s or 2x12s and extend from your home’s ridge to the wall plate.
What is a vent stack?
Plumbing Vent. Many homes have a roof plumbing vent , also called a vent stack, which helps alleviate pressure from building up in your plumbing system. When a plumbing system has poor ventilation, water, and even waste can get backed up in your pipes more easily.
What is the most common material used for sheathing?
The most common materials used for sheathing are plywood and oriented strand board (OSB). Roofers use a nail gun to secure individual panels down, making your roof into one cohesive unit.
What is a gutter system?
Gutter systems guide rainwater off your roof and direct it away from your home.
Why is it important to know the parts of a roof?
Knowing all the parts of a roof can help you save money, diagnose heating and cooling issues, and protect your home from water damage. Knowing your roof’s components helps you better understand repair costs (and avoid roofing scams ), plus diagnose or be on the lookout for heating, cooling, water, and plumbing problems.
