SimplifyDIY Glossary: U-Z
U
U-bend
A bent section of pipe below a bath or sink. The U-shape retains water to prevent the passage of insects, bacteria and smells from the drains into your home.
Undercoat
A layer or layers of paint used to cover primer or a previous colour and build up a protective layer before a top coat is applied.
Underpinning
Method of strengthening weak foundations whereby a new, stronger foundation is placed beneath the original using long columns of concrete.
uPVC
A type of plastic used to make window and door frames and guttering, which requires little or no maintenance.
V
Valley gutter
Horizontal or sloping gutter, usually lead-or-tile--lined, at the internal intersection between two roof slopes.
Venetian Blind
A window dressing constructed out of thin, horizontal slats of wood whose angle is controlled via a pulley system to control the amount of light entering.
Ventilation
Necessary in all buildings to disperse moisture resulting from bathing, cooling, breathing etc, and to assist in prevention of condensation.
Floors: Necessary to avoid rot, especially dry rot; achieved by airbricks near to the ground level.
Kitchens & Bathrooms: Necessary to disperse condensation using an extractor fan.
Roofs: Necessary to disperse condensation within roof spaces; achieved either by airbricks in gables or ducts at the eaves.
Verge
The edge of the roof, especially over a gable or around a dormer window or skylight.
Verge board
Timber, sometimes decorative, placed at the verge of a roof; also known as "barge board".
Voussoir
A wedge-dhaped brick used in the construction of arches.
W
Wall plate
A horizontal timber placed at the eaves of a root designed to take the weight of the roof timbers and coverings.
Wall tie
A twisted piece of metal or similar material bedded into the inner and outer leaves of cavity walls to strengthen the wall. failure by corrosion can result in the wall becoming unstable - specialist replacement ties are then required.
Waney edge
A naturally uneven edge of a piece of timber, which may still be covered by tree bark.
Warp
A piece of wood that has twisted or become bent as a rsult of damp or heat is described as 'warped'.
Water hammer
A knocking noise emanating from plumbing pipes which is caused by vibration due to high water pressure acting on valves.
Weep hole
A hole, often filled with a plastic pipe, at the bottom of a wall designed to allow water to drain away.
Wet Rot (Coniophora puteana)
A fungal infestation of damp wood which causes it to decay.
Woodworm
A collective term used to describe an infestation of any wood-boring insect.
Z
Z-Frame door
Traditional doors constructed from a Z-shaped frame, on which interlocking tongue-and-groove boards are mounted. Also known as a ledged-&-braced door.
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