Have you ever wondered what the " Balustrade" or " Imbrication" terms refer to? The most common working terms are presented here to help you enjoy and understand the terms used in this industry.

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APRON Panel or wide trim under a windowsill.
ARCHITRAVE Beam running on top of a row of columns; also, moldings around doors and windows.
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BAKERS RACK Piece of furniture used for display originally used by Baker's or Pastry Chefs to cool bread on the shelves.
BALCONET Decorative railing that runs across the lower portion of a window.
BALUSTER Vertical element - wood or masonry -runs under a handrail.
BALUSTRADE Assembly of balusters and handrail.
BAND Horizontal decorative element, often used to indicate floor levels.
BARGE BOARD Decorative or plain trim attached to the eaves of a gable.
BELCAST EAVES Slight curvature or flaring, near the bottom of a roof slope.
BELVEDERE Open rooftop pavilion.
BOLLARD Large strong post used to anchor an object or obstruct a passageway.
BRACKET Supporting brace under eaves or other projecting elements.
BRICK A substance made from clay molded and fired in a kiln or baked in the sun, used in building, paving, etc.
BROWNSTONE A reddish-brown sandstone, used for building.
BULL'S EYE Oval or round window opening.
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CAPITAL Top part of a column or pilaster.
CAST IRON Molten Iron that is poured into a mold to achieve a design.
COLONETTE Short, slender and usually decorative column.
CONCRETE A building material made of sand and gravel, bonded together with cement into a hard compact substance.
CONICAL ROOF Cone-shaped structure over a round tower or turret.
CONSOLE Piece of furniture that stands against a wall with the decorative features on the front and sides. Ex: sideboards, buffet servers, breakfronts, etc.
CORBEL Ornamental bracket that supports a beam or other element.
CORBELLING Masonry course that steps out farther than the one below.
CORNER BOARDS Mitered or butted vertical trims at the junction of two walls.
CORNICE Moldings along the top of a wall.
COUPLED WINDOWS Matched pair of windows separated by a mullion.
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DENTIL Molding composed of equally spaced rectangular blocks; from the French for tooth.
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EAVES Part of a roof that extends beyond the plane of the wall.
ENGAGED COLUMN Partial column connected to a wall.
EYEBROW Dormer-like roof projection with a window or vent and a curved top.
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FANLIGHT Semicircular window with radiating muntins, often placed over a door or window.
FASCIA BOARD Trim covering rafter ends at the end of a roof pitch.
FENCING A barrier as of wooden or metal posts and rails used as a boundary.
FINIAL Pointed wood or metal ornament at the peak of a roof. A decorative, terminal part of a spire, gable, etc., or projecting upward from the top of a cabinet, breakfront, etc.
FRENCH DOORS Pair of identical glass-paned doors.
FRENCH WINDOW Pair of identical casement windows with no dividing mullion.
FRETWORK Intricate cutouts in a panel or other decorative element.
FRIEZE Decorative band or board between a cornice and an architrave.
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GABLE DORMER Gable-ended structure with a window that projects from a roof.
GABLE VENT Louvered opening at or near the peak of a gable.
GABLET Roof of a small gable dormer.
GATES A moveable framework or solid structure especially one that swings on hinges, controlling entrance or exit through an opening in a fence or wall.
GRANITE A very hard crystalline rock.
GREEN TERMS - CLICK HERE Supplied by American Society of Interior Designers (ASID)
GUILLOCHE A design formed by two or more bands twisted over each other in a continuous series, leaving circular openings.
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HIP KNOB Decorative element on a roof peak; similar to a finial, but topped with a spherical pineapple shape.
HOOD Shallow overhang above a door or window.
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IMBRICATION Decorative patterns in wall or roof shingles.
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KEY BLOCK Tapered decorative element in a round or oval frame; also, central structural piece of a masonry arch (keystone).
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LANCET WINDOW Sash with a pointed, arched top.
LATTICE WINDOW Sash divided diagonally into diamond-shaped panes.
LIGHT Transparent portion of a window; also, single pane of glass.
LIGHTING - CEILING Lighting fixtures such as chandeliers that hang from the ceiling with several arms to hold candles or electric bulbs.
LIGHTING - LAMPS Lighting fixtures that usually rest on tables with light coming from an electric bulb with a shade on top for directing the light.
LIGHTING - LIGHTPOST A large exterior post used to support a light illuminating fixture.
LIGHTING - WALL Lighting fixtures such as sconces which attach to the wall for holding a candle or electric bulb.
LIMESTONE Rock consisting mainly of calcium carbonate, often composed of the organic remains of sea animals, as mollusks, corals, etc., and used as building stone.
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MANTLES The facing of stone, marble, wood, etc. around a fireplace including a projection type shelf or slab above it.
MARBLE A hard, crystalline or granular, metamorphic limestone white or variously colored and sometimes streaked or mottled, which can take a high polish.
MEETING RAIL Top member of lower sash and bottom member of upper sash in double-hung window.
MODILLION Horizontal, often scroll-shaped bracket placed under eaves and other overhangs.
MULLION Vertical structural element between two windows.
MUNTIN Wooden bar that separates window panes.
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NEWEL Decorative structural post at either end of a stair rail. The post at the top or bottom of a flight of stairs, supporting the handrail.
NEWEL CAP Decorative element atop a newel.
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ORIEL Curved or faceted projection from a wall;often incorporates a bay window.
OVERDOOR Fixed window or panel above a door.
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PALLADIAN WINDOW Assembly of windows in which two lights flank one with an arched top.
PARAPET Low wall or barrier railing at a balcony or roof edge.
PEDESTAL Support block under the base of a column.
PEDIMENT Triangular projection from a roof or from the top of a door or window.
PENDANT Ornament that drops below an overhang or projection.
PIER Load-bearing element that rises from a footing.
PLASTER A pasty mixture of lime, sand, and water which hardens upon drying that can be carved.
PORTICO Small porch with a roof supported by columns or projections.
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QUOINS Decorative corner treatment made of wood or veneer masonry that simulates large rectangular stones.
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RAFTER TAIL Part of the rafter that extends beyond the wall.
RAIL Horizontal structural member of a door or sash.
RAILING A fence or balustrade made of rails and posts with no protruding finials.
RAINWATER HEAD Basin at the top of a downspout that collects water from a gutter.
RAKING CORNICE Molding that follows the slope of a pediment or gable.
RIDGE CRESTING Ornament along a roof ridge.
RISER Vertical part of a stair step.
ROOM SCREENS Objects used to create an obstruction in a room to either divide into smaller areas or block off something unpleasant to the eye.
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SASH Window element consisting of glass in a wood or metal frame.
SOFFIT Exposed surface under a roof overhang or other element.
SPINDLED FRIEZE Band of spindles attached under the eaves of a porch.
STATUARY The form of an animal or person carved in wood, stone, etc.
STILE Vertical structural member of a door or sash.
STONE A piece of rock shaped or finished for some purpose.
STOOP Platform or landing of a portico.
STRINGCOURSE Masonry or wood band along a wall or around a column or chimney.
SUNBURST Wooden ornament resembling rays radiating from the sun.
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TABLE - COFFEE Tables with a range of dimensions suitable to be used in front of chairs or sofas as a coffee table.
TABLE - DINING / KITCHEN Tables large enough to seat four and high enough for eating height.
TABLE - SIDE Tables with the range of proportions to be used at the end a sofa or side of a bed.
TABLE - SOFA Tables with the range of dimensions suitable to be used behind a sofa.
TERRACOTTA Clay pressed into a mold and baked at extreme temperatures. A variety of finishes are achieved by different glazing techniques. Seen on decorative building ornaments such as cornices, moldings, and plaques.
TIN A soft silver-white, crystalline, metallic chemical element, malleable at ordinary temperatures, capable of a high polish.
TRANSOM Windows or panels, usually operable, above a window or door.
TREAD Horizontal part of a stair step.
TURRET Curved projection with windows, often topped by a conical roof.
TYMPANUM Recessed, triangular face of a pediment.
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URNS A vase or pot especially with one foot or pedestal.
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WATER TABLE Horizontal drip-edge that prevents water from running down a wall.
WROUGHT IRON Heating iron until it can be hand beaten and twisted into a design.
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ZINC A blush-white, metallic chemical element, usually found in combination, used as a protective coating for iron.

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