CHIMNEY BASE FLASHING: A corrosion-resistant sheet metal installed at the base of a chimney to divert water and prevent leaks.

DRIP EDGE: A narrow strip of non-corrosive, non-staining, finishing material installed along the eaves and rakes to allow water run-off to drip clear of underlying construction. On eaves where gutters are present, this material is commonly called gutter apron.

EAVES: The end and bottom portion of the roof that extends past the outer walls. Often covered with vinyl or aluminum.

FASCIA: The vertical board at the eaves, oftentimes covered with vinyl or aluminum.

HORIZONTAL SIDING: Provides style and functionality for the outer walls. Available in various materials, colors, textures and designs.

HOUSE WRAP: Material designed to allow moisture to escape and to prevent air from coming in. Applied to the outer walls.

ICE BARRIER: A thicker more durable underlayment that is applied on the bottom 3 to 6 feet of a roof to provide more protection of roofs in northern climates where ice jams may occur.

LOOKOUT: A horizontally positioned board used to brace the trusses of a roof.

RAKE: The outer edge of a roof from the eave to the ridge.

RIDGE BEAM: The top support beam between opposite slopes or sides of a roof.

RIDGE SHINGLES: Shingles used to cover the horizontal external angle formed by the intersection of two sloping roof planes.

ROOF SHEATHING: The structural base of a roof. Also called the roof deck, or decking. This material can either be boards or more commonly is made of plywood type material.

ROOF TRUSS / RAFTERS: The framework that supports a roof.

SHINGLE SIDING: A siding option typically manufactured from red cedar, which weathers to a silvery gray or medium brown, depending on local climate; and white cedar, which weathers to a silvery gray.

SHINGLES: The outermost covering of a roof. Composition shingles are manufactured from materials "composed" of fiberglass, modified asphalt and mineral granules (There are also rubberized varieties). Wood shingles and shakes (shakes are split rather than sawn) are made from western red cedar. Other roofing options include clay and concrete tiles, slate, metal, mineral roll roofing, and tar and gravel.

SOFFIT: The finished underside of the eaves. Soffit panels are available in wood, vinyl and aluminum.

STEP FLASHING: A corrosion-resistant sheet metal used to waterproof the angle between a chimney, skylight, dormer, etc. and a sloping roof.

UNDERLAYMENT: An asphalt-impregnated felt laid under most roofing materials as a secondary water barrier. Felt is classified by weight per "square," (100 sq. ft.) usually 15 or 30-pound. Underlayment is also called tar paper or felt.

VALLEY: The intersection of two sloping roofs joining at an angle to provide water runoff.

VALLEY FLASHING: Made from aluminum or galvanized steel, this additional water barrier is installed after the roof and valley have been covered with underlayment.

VENT FLASHING: A flat piece of pre-cut sheet metal installed on top of the underlayment to prevent leaks from occurring where roof vents are present.

VERTICAL PANEL SIDING: Plain, patterned, or grooved panels of plywood or hardboard that provide style and functionality to the outer walls.

WALL SHEATHING: The first covering of boards or plywood on the outside wall of a frame house to provide structural rigidity.

WALL STUD: An upright piece of wood used to frame a house and support the walls of the structure.

Double Hung Sash: The traditional style of window in the USA, and many other places that were formerly colonized by the UK, with two parts (sashes) that overlap slightly and slide up and down inside the frame. The two parts are not necessarily the same size. Nowadays, most new double-hung sash windows use spring balances to support the sashes, but traditionally, counterweights held in boxes either side of the window were used. These were and are attached to the sashes using pulleys of either braided cord or, later, purpose-made chain. Double-hung sash windows were traditionally often fitted with shutters. Sash windows may be fitted with simplex hinges which allow the window to be locked into hinges on one side, while the rope on the other side is detached, allowing the window to be opened for escape or cleaning.

Single-hung Sash: One sash is movable (usually the bottom one) and the other fixed. This is the earlier form of sliding sash window, and is obviously cheaper.

Horizontal Sliding Sash: Has two or more sashes that overlap slightly but slide horizontally within the frame. In the UK, these are sometimes called Yorkshire sash windows, presumably because of their traditional use in that county.

Casement: A window with a hinged sash that swings in or out like a door, comprising either a side-hung, top-hung, or occasionally bottom-hung sash, or a combination of these types, sometimes with fixed panels on one or more slides of the sash. In the USA these are usually opened using a crank, but in Europe they tend to use profection friciton stays and espagnolette locking. Fromerly, plain hingees were used with a casement stay. Hanging applies to casement window to determine direction of swing. A top hung hinged sash is called an awning window.

Tilt and Slide: A window (more usually a door-sized window) where the sash tilts inwards at the top and then slides horizontally behind the fixed pane.

Tilt and Turn: A window which can either tilt inwards at the top, or can open inwards hinged at the side.

Transom: A window above a door. If is abovean exterior door the transom window is often fixed, butif it is abovean interior door it can often open either by hinges at top or bottom, or can rotate about hinges at the middle of its sides. It provided ventilation before forced air heating and cooling.

Jalousie: Also known as a Louvred Window, this window is comprised of many slats of glass that open and close like a Venetianblind,usually using a crank or a lever. The hinges may be at the top or middle of the short end of the slats of glass. They are used extensively in tropical and subtropical architecture, for instance, throughout the Philippines and in Queensland, Australia. A Jalousie door is a door with a Jalousie window.

Celestory: A vertical window set in a roof structure or high in a wall, used for daylighting.

Skylight/Tube Skylight: A flat or sloped window built into a roof structure that is out of reach for daylighting.

Bay: A multi-panel window, with at least three panels set at diffferent angles to create a protrusion from the wall line.

Oriel: A window with many panles. It is most often seen in the typical Tudor-style house and monasteries. An oriel window projects from the wall and does not extend to the ground, Oriel windows originated as a form of a porch. They are often supported by brackets or corbels. Buildings in the Gothic Revival style often have oriel windows.

Fixed: A window that cannot be opened, whose function is limited to allowing light to enter. Clestory windows are often fixed. Transom windows may be fixed or operable.

Picture: A very large fixed window in a a wall, typically without glazing bars, or glazed with only perfunctory glazing bars near the edge of the window. Picture windows are intended to provide an unimpeded view, as if framing a picture.

Multi-Lit: A window glazed with small panes of glass separated by wooden or lead "glazing bars", or "muntins", arranged in a decorative "glazing pattern" often dictated by the architectural style at use. Due to the historic unavailability of large panes of glass, this was the prevailing style of window until the beginning of the twentieth century, and is traditionally still used today.

Emergency Exit/Egress: A window big enough and lowenough so that occupants can escape through the opening in an emergency, such as a fire. Specifications for emergency windows in bedrooms are given in many building codes.