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Tie bar

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 internal 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

Colloquial 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.

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