Glossary Index

Tail Beam: short beam or joist supported by a header on one end and a wall on the other.

Template: a pattern outline used for guiding cutting of shape or profile of a workpiece. Often used where fabrication of many copies of the same part are needed.

Termite Shield: a shield, typically made from sheet metal, placed on or in a foundation wall, or surrounding pipes to prevent termites from penetrating a structure.

Terra Cotta: hard fired clay, either glazed or unglazed, molded into ornamental elements, wall cladding and roof tiles.

Terrazo Flooring: floor finish fabricated by embedding small chips of marble or other colored natural stone in concrete, followed by grinding and polishing of the surface.

Threshold: a wood member that is tapered or beveled on each side, designed to close out the space between the bottom edge of a door and the floor or sill under it.

Tie Beam: beam placed so that it ties together the principle rafters in a roof. Also called a collar beam.

Tie Rod: a metal tension rod connecting two structural members, such as gable walls or beams, acting as a brace or reinforcement; often anchored by means of a metal plate in such forms as an "S" or a star.

Timbers: refers to any lumber measuring at least 5 inches in the smallest dimension.

Toeboard: a horizontal board used for keeeping materials and tools from falling on workers below. Must be at least 4 inches wide. Also used on scaffolding or to cover access holes.

Toe Kick: indented space built into the bottom of a floor standing cabinet to prevent the home's occupants from kicking it when standing close by.

Toenailing: driving a nail in at a slant to the first member's surface in order to let it penetrate into a second member.

Tongue and Groove: a method of fitting similar objects together, edge to edge, used mainly with wood: flooring, parquetry, panelling, and similar constructions. Tongue and groove joints allow two flat pieces to be joined strongly together to make a single flat surface. Each piece has a slot (the groove) cut all along one edge, and a thin, deep ridge (the tongue) on the opposite edge. The tongue projects a little less than the groove is deep. Two or more pieces thus fit together closely. The joint is not normally glued, as shrinkage would then pull the tongue off.

Transom: a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or the crosspiece separating a door from a window or fanlight above it.

Tread: the horizontal part of a stair step where the foot is supported.

Trim: referes to the finish materials of a building. Includes moldings around windows and doors and at ceiling and floors of a wall.

Trimmer: the floor joist or beam that a header is framed into.

Trimmer Stud: stud supporting a wall opening header. THe stud reaches from the bottom of the header to the sole plate. Oriented parallel to full length studs and contacts it.

Truss: structural assembly comprised of members such as beams, ties and bars, typically in a triangular arrangement providing rigid support over wide spans.

Try Square: a woodworking tool used for marking and measuring a piece of wood. Consists of a broad blade made of steel or brass that is riveted to a wooden handle. The inside of the wooden handle typically has a steel or brass strip fixed to it that is precisely 90 degrees to the blade.