particle board: A composition board made of wood chips or particles bonded together with an adhesive under high pressure.

partition: A wall that subdivides spaces within any story of a building.

peg: A wooden dowel connector, inserted into a hole through a mortise-and-tenon joint.

pier: A masonry pillar usually below a building to support the floor framing.

pilaster: A portion of a square column, usually set within or against a wall for the purpose of strengthening the wall; also, a decorative column attached to a wall.

pitch: The slope of a roof usually expressed as a ratio.

plat: A drawing of surveyed land indicating the location, boundaries, and dimensions of the parcel. The recorded plat, usually sent to an appropriate governmental office or the county recorders office, also contains information as to easements, restrictions, and lot number.

plate: Sill plate is a horizontal member anchored to a masonry wall. Sole plate is bottom horizontal member of a frame wall. Top plate is top horizontal member of a frame wall supporting ceiling joists, rafters or other members.

plywood: A piece of wood made of three or more layers of veneer joined with glue, and usually laid with the grain of adjoining plies at right angles. Almost always an odd number of plies are used to provide balanced construction.

portico: A covered entryway attached to house,usually open on three sides and supported by posts or columns.

post and beam construction: Wall construction consisting of posts rather than studs.

purlins: Horizontal roof members laid over trusses to support rafters.

 

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