Bluffers' Guide To Self-building and Renovating #3

Test your knowledge of building terms and hold your own on a site or in the builder's merchant - you'll never be blinded by jargon again! Some phrases are common, others are more obscure, but they all appear in our Bluffer's Guide. From the list, choose the option you believe is nearest in meaning to the key word, then check the answers below.

Question 1:

What is a Scallop?

A) Shell shaped decoration
B) A plain stone block without mouldings
C) An imitation marble
D) A roof tile with a semi circular bottom edge

Question 2:

What is an Undercroft?

A) Another term for a sub floor
B) The first coat of paint 
C) An underground room
D) A recess in a building façade

Question 3:

What is a Cupola?

A) A small structure projecting above a roof
B) A low wall at the base of a dome
C) A truncated cone
D) A scroll shaped end of an architectural element

Question 4:

What is a Cruck?

A) A dark zig zag marking in stone
B) A decorative feature at the top of a building
C) A recess in a wall for a beam end
D) One of a pair of curved wooden roof supports

Question 5:

What is Lumber?

A) Another name for timber
B) A dormer window
C) A slatted door or window
D) A diagonal rafter

Question 6:

What is Scatt?

A) The shaft of a column
B) A rough render
C) The crown of an arch
D) A stone carving tool

Question 7:

What is a Flange?

A)  A projecting metal lip
B)  A thin stone used as paving
C) A lighting fixture in the form of a flame
D) A small door hinged at the bottom

Question 8:

What is an Escarpment?

A) A hard durable paint
B) An interior passageway
C) A steeply sloped bank or wall
D) A decorative metal plate

Question 9:

What is Offgas?

A) To release harmful gasses
B) A curved plumbing pipe fitting
C) Outside the boundaries of a building site
D) The body dealing with consumer affairs relating to the gas industry

Question 10:

What is a Pad?

A) Ground which is level and ready for construction
B) An area raised by one or two steps
C) A stone block inserted into a masonry wall
D) A stair between floors

Answers:
Q1: D, Q2: C, Q3: A, Q4: D, Q5: A, Q6: B, Q7: A, Q8: C, Q9: A, Q10: B.