WELCOME TO OUR Building dictionary : Peg to perennial PROJECT
To promote your business on this page, click here to find out more!
Summary: Building dictionary to explain building jargon and terminology from A - Z.
Share and bookmark DIY Doctor
|
Building dictionary for the letter P - Page 6
Peg
(1) A pointed pin of wood used to fasten wood members together. (2) A short, pointed wooden stick used as a marker by surveyors.
Pegboard
A hard fibreboard sheet, usually 6mm thick with regular rows of holes for attaching pegs or hooks.
Pelmet
A valance or cornice, sometimes decorative, at the head of a window to conceal a drapery track or other fittings.
Pelmet lighting
Lighting furnished by sources that are concealed by a pelmet.
Penalty clause
A clause in a contract specifying a charge against the contractor for failure to complete the work by a pre-arranged date. See also liquidated damages.
Pendant
(1) An electric device suspended from overhead. (2) A suspended ornament in Gothic architecture, used in vaults and timber roofs.
Pendant luminaire
A suspended lighting unit.
Pendant switch
An electric switch suspended by an electric cord and used to control lamps or other devices that are out of reach.
Penetrant
An additive that increases a liquid's ability to penetrate a surface or enter the pores of a substrate. Penetrants are typically used as wetting agents.
Penetrating finish
A low-viscosity oil or varnish that penetrates into wood with only a film of material at the surface.
Penetration
(1) A test of the hardness of an asphalt utilizing a weighted needle at standard conditions. (2) The cut-off depth of piles or sheet piling. (3) The depth of a caisson below ground level. (4) The intersection of two surfaces of vaulting.
Penetration probe
A device for obtaining a measure of the resistance of concrete to penetration, customarily determined by the distance that a steel pin is driven into the concrete from a special gun by a precisely measured explosive charge.
Penetration resistance
The resistance, usually expressed in Megapascals (MPa), of mortar or cement paste to penetration by a plunger or needle under standard conditions.
Penetration test
A test to estimate the bearing capacity of soil by recording the number of blows required to drive a standard tool into soil.
Penthouse
structure on the roof of a building, usually less than one-half the projected area of the roof, and housing mechanical and electrical equipment or residents.
Percentage fee
A fee paid to the contractor or the architect that is a percentage of the total construction cost. See also fee and compensation.
Percentage humidity
The ratio, expressed as a percentage, of the weight of water vapor in a pound of dry air to the weight of water vapor if the same weight of air were saturated.
Percolation
The movement of a fluid through a soil.
Percolation test
A test to estimate the rate at which a soil will absorb waste fluids, performed by measuring the rate (percolation rate) at which the water level drops in a hole full of water.
Percussion drill
A pneumatic or electric tool that drills holes by applying a rapid series of blows.
Perennial
A plant or shrub with a life cycle greater than two years.
| BACK TO MAIN LIST |
Was this project useful?
Much more construction information is available in our bookstore. All the tools and fittings you need in the toolstore.
