Following on from Surveys Explained part 1 here are more terms you may well find in your property report that you may not be familiar with.

NEWEL
Stout post supporting a staircase handrail at top and bottom. Also, the central pillar of a winding or spiral staircase.

OVERSITE
Rough concrete below timber ground floors: the level of the oversite should be above external ground level.

PARAPET
Low wall along the edge of a flat roof, balcony etc..

PIER
A vertical column of brickwork or other material, used to strengthen the wall or to support a weight.

PLASTERBOARD
Stiff “sandwich” of plaster between coarse paper. Now in widespread use for ceilings and walls.

POINTING
Smooth outer edge of mortar joint between bricks, stones etc..

POWDER POST BEETLE (LYCTUS BRUNNEUS)
A relatively uncommon pest which can, if untreated, cause widespread damage to structural timbers.

PURLIN
Horizontal beam in a roof upon which rafters rest.

QUOIN
The external angle of a building; or, specifically, bricks or stone blocks forming that angle.

RAFTER
A sloping roof beam, usually timber, forming the carcass of a roof.

RANDOM RUBBLE
Primitive method of stone wall construction with no attempt at bonding or coursing.

RENDERING
Vertical covering of a wall either plaster (internally) or cement (externally), sometimes with pebble-dash, stucco or Tyrolean textured finish.

REVEALS
The side faces of a window or door opening.

RIDGE
The apex of a roof.

RISER
The vertical part of a step or stair.

RISING DAMP
Moisture soaking up a wall from below ground, by capillary action causing rot in timbers, plaster decay, decoration failure etc.

ROOF SPREAD
Outward bowing of a wall caused by the thrust of a badly restrained roof carcass (see Collar).

SCREED
Final, smooth finish of a solid floor; usually cement, concrete or asphalt.

SEPTIC TANK
Tank drain installation whereby sewage decomposes through bacteriological action, which can be slowed down or stopped altogether by the use of chemicals such as bleach, biological washing powders etc..

SETTLEMENT
General disturbance in a structure showing as distortion in walls etc., possibly a result of major structural failure. Sometimes of little current significance.

SHAKES
Naturally occurring cracks in timbers. In building timbers, shakes can appear quite dramatic, but strength is not always impaired.

SHINGLES
Small rectangular slabs of wood used on roofs instead of tiles, slates etc..

SOAKAWAY
Arrangement for disposal of rainwater, utilising graded aggregate laid below ground.

SOAKER
Sheet metal (usually lead, copper or zinc) at the junction of a roof with a vertical surface of a chimney stack, adjoining wall etc.. Associated with flashings which should overlay soakers.

SOFFIT
The under-surface of eaves, balcony, arch etc..

SOLID FUEL
Heating fuel, normally coal, coke or one of a variety of proprietary fuels.

SPANDREL
Space above and to the sides of an arch; also the space below a staircase.

STUD PARTITION
Lightweight, sometimes non-loadbearing wall construction comprising a framework of timber faced with plaster, plasterboard or other finish.

SUB-SOIL
Soil lying immediately below the top-soil, upon which foundations usually bear.

SUBSIDENCE
Ground movement, generally downward, possibly a result of mining activities or clay shrinkage.

SULPHATE ATTACK
Chemical reaction, activated by water, between tricalcium aluminate and soluble sulphates. Can cause deterioration in brick walls and concrete floors.

TIE BAR/ROD
Heavy metal bar passing through a wall, or walls, to brace a structure suffering from structural instability.

TORCHING
Mortar applied on the underside of roof tiles or slates to help prevent moisture penetration. Not necessary when a roof is underdrawn with felt.

TRANSOM
Horizontal bar of wood or stone across a window or top of door.

TREAD
The horizontal part of a step or stair.

TRUSSED RAFTERS
Method of roof construction utilising prefabricated triangular framework of timbers. Now widely used in domestic construction.

UNDERPINNING
Method of strengthening weak foundations whereby a new, stronger foundation is placed beneath the original.

VALLEY GUTTER
Horizontal or sloping gutter, usually lead or tile-lined, at the intersection between two roof slopes.

VENTILATION
Necessary in all buildings to disperse moisture resulting from bathing, cooking, breathing etc., and to assist in prevention of condensation. Floors: Necessary to avoid rot, especially Dry Rot; achieved by airbricks near to ground level. Roofs: Necessary to disperse condensation within roof spaces; achieved either by airbricks in gables or ducts at the eaves.

VERGE
The edge of a roof, especially over a gable.

VERGE BOARD
Timber, sometimes decorative, placed at the verge of a roof: also known as barge board.

WAINSCOT
Wood panelling or boarding on the lower part of an internal wall.

WALL PLATE
Timber placed at the eaves of a roof, to take the weight of the roof timbers.

WET ROT (CONIOPHORA PUTEANA.)
Decay of timber due to damp conditions. Not to be confused with the more serious Dry Rot.

WOODWORM
Term for beetle infestation: usually intended to mean Common Furniture Beetle (Anobium Punctatum): by far the most frequently encountered insect attack in structural and joinery timbers.

If you would like advice on which survey is right for you please contact us at hello@averysurveys.co.uk or call 0330 088 5040.