Concepts
Compound Beam - A beam formed by nailing (and sometimes also gluing) several pieces of lumber together to form one larger board.
Cricket - A built up section of roof which directs water away from a low point formed by a projection through the roof (such as a chimney or skylight).
One-way barrier - This is what makes building wrap so effective. It prevents moisture from working it's way into the stud cavity and rotting the insulation, but it allows any moisture that does get in to escape.
Passive solar - this is the concept of using sunlight to heat a building by locating most of the windows on the south side of a building. Like a greenhouse, the sun's heat passes through the windows and gets trapped inside. (the heat can easily escape at night, so many people put insulating panels behind the windows at night)
Radiant barrier - This is a thin reflective material laid on the inside of the studs to reflect heat. It's more commonly used in hot climates with the reflective surface facing outside to reduce heat buildup but can also be used with the reflective surface facing inside to keep heat from escaping.
Rim joist - This is the joist that forms the outside boundary of a floor.
Scissor Truss - A type of truss used in buildings where a peaked ceiling is desired. This unit still keeps the roof from pushing outward by using a lower member to form a triangle with the top member
Sheathing - A critical part of the wall assembly, the sheathing is a series of plywood boards nailed to the studs on the outside of a building which keep the studs from slipping out of square
Solar heat gain coefficient - This refers to how much heat will transfer through a window. In warm climates you want this number to be small, but in cool climates you want it to be high.
Sole plate - no this doesn't refer to someone who needs to buy more kitchenware. The sole plate is the lower 2x4 that forms the bottom of a wall unit with the studs forming the vertical and the top plate forming, well, the top.
Stud cavity - This refers to the space formed between each stud. It's typically filled with insulation but it also has to provide room for electrical outlets, plumbing, and wiring
Thermal break - Also called a thermal isolator, a thermal break is any material that prevents heat from transfering across a stud or window frame. These are most commonly found on aluminum windows and they're usually a rigid rubber piece
Thermal mass - This is a material which is holds onto heat for a long time. Think of a campground where the stone firepit stays warm long after the fire goes out. The most thermally massive materials are water, salt, brick, stone, and steel.
Timber Frame - A method of construction that uses large timbers spaced farther apart as opposed to the more common stud construction which uses smaller 2x4 sticks spaced close together.
Wings (on windows) - The wings on windows are a piece of vinyl or fiberglass that sticks out from the window unit on all sides which provides a nailing surface to connect the window to the studs.
