GLOSSARY OF TERMS:
Actual Dimensions - The exact measurements of a piece of lumber.
Attached Deck - A deck with one or more sides supported by a ledger and attached to a house
Baluster - One of a series of vertical supports used between posts of a railing
Beam - A horizontal support member on which joists rest
Block Plane - A plane used to finish off edges of a deck
Bottom Rail - A rail attached to the bottom of the balusters
Bracing - Structural supports that provide stability to the structure
Bridging Boards - Placed perpendicularly between joists to stiffen them
Buglehead Screw - A screw that doesn't tear the wood when screwed down flush with the surface
Cantilever - The allowable overhang past the joists
Cap Rail - The top horizontal piece of a railing
Carriage Bolt - A bolt used to hold structural pieces together
Conduit Metal - Pipes used to contain electrical wiring in outdoor settings
Decking Boards - Used for the surface of a deck
Elevated Deck - A deck requiring a structure of beams and posts to raise it off the ground to the desired level
Fascia Board - The boards used to cover the fronting of the joists
Footing - The support of a deck's post that is below ground
Freestanding Platform Deck - A deck supported entirely by its own structure, typically used for remote decks
Grade-Level Deck - A deck that is flush with the ground level
Inset - Part of the deck that has been cut out to for landscape elements such as trees
Joist - Horizontal framing pieces that support decking
Ledger - A board that is horizontally attached to the side of a house and holds up one edge of a deck
Line Load - The weight a deck is designed to support
Linear Feet - The total length of required lumber
Load Area - The area found by multiplying the beam spacing by the post spacing to determine the post thickness required by building codes
Multilevel Deck - A deck that has several areas at different levels
Post - The vertical structural that supports the beam
Post Anchor - A metal piece that keeps the post from being exposed to moisture in the ground
Post Cap - A small piece of wood attached to the top of the post to cover it
Pressure Treated Wood - Wood subjected to a high-pressure treatment of chemicals as a preservative against rot and insects
Rail Post - A vertical structural support for the railing
Remote Deck - A freestanding platform located away from the house
Rim Joist - A board fastened to the end of the joists
Rise - The distance in height between one stair tread to another
Riser - The up right piece between two stair steps
Run - The distance in length from one stair riser to another
Shade Structure - A structure built above a deck that provides a shaded area
Skirt - A decorative board placed around the bottom of the deck to hide the support structure
Span - The distance between supports
Top Plate - Attaches to the Top Rail to support it
Top Rail - The horizontal rail installed on the edge of the deck
Tread - The surface of each step in a staircase
Deck Boards - Patterned designs such as Herringbone, Chequerboard, Parallel or Chevron will require purchasing up to a further 10% to account for cutting down of the deck boards.