Introduction to Timber Framing Systems

Comprehensive Practice vocabulary flashcards covering timber stair construction, door classifications, window types, and ironmongery based on BSc Architecture lecture notes.

Stair

A form of steps suitably arranged for the purpose of connecting different floors of a building, acting as a means of vertical communication.

Staircase (Stair well)

The enclosure containing the complete stairway.

Tread

The horizontal upper part of a step on which the foot is placed in ascending or descending a stairway.

Riser

The vertical portion of a step providing a support to the tread.

Flight

A series of steps without any platform, break, or landing in their direction.

Landing

A break in a flight or series of steps.

Nosing

The outer projecting edge of a tread, provided to give a good architectural effect and make the staircase easy to negotiate.

Line of Nosing

An imaginary line touching the nosing of each tread and parallel to the slope of the stair.

Pitch (Slope)

The angle which the line of nosing makes with the horizontal; it should generally be between $25^\text{o}$ and $40^\text{o}$.

String or Stringers

Sloping members at the sides or middle of a stairway providing support for the steps.

Baluster

A wooden, metal, or masonry vertical member supporting a handrail.

Newel

A post forming the junction of flights of stairs with landings or carrying the lower end of strings.

Headroom (Headway)

The clear vertical distance between the tread of a step and the soffit of the flight or ceiling immediately above, which should not be less than $2.14\text{ m}$.

Thumb rule for step proportions

The functional formula where $\text{Tread} + 2 \times \text{Rise} = 550-650\text{ mm}$.

Straight Stair

A stair that rises from floor to floor in one direction with or without an intermediate landing.

Dog-legged Stairs (Half turn)

A stair that rises to a landing between floors, turns through $180^\text{o}$, and rises parallel to the lower flight.

Quarter turn stair

A stair that rises to a landing between two floors and turns through $90^\text{o}$ to reach the floor above.

Bifurcated stair

A type of stair consisting of a wide flight at the start which sub-divides into narrow flights at the mid-landing.

Geometrical Stairs

A form of stairs with no newels where the strings and handrails are continuous from floor to floor around an open well.

Cut string

A timber stair construction where the upper surface of the stringer is cut to receive treads and risers.

Closed (Housed) String

A timber stair construction where the top and bottom edges are parallel and grooves are cut into the insides to receive treads and risers.

Door

A screen or framework of wood, steel, aluminum, or glass used to seal an opening in a wall to provide access to users.

Flexible Doors

Doors specified for positions where the user has their hands occupied, such as pushing a trolley or driving a service vehicle.

Battened and Ledged Door

The simplest door form, usually tongued and grooved and fixed together with horizontal battens known as ledges.

Solid Core Flush Door

A door made with core timber, chipboard, or compressed fibreboard strips glued together with plywood facings on both sides.

Ironmongery

Components forming essential working parts required to pivot, fold, or slide open doors and windows, including hinges, springs, and locks.

Rising butts

Hinges that lift the door as it opens to clear a carpeted floor and provide a self-closing effect.

Parliament Hinge

A hinge used to enable a door to fold back $180^\text{o}$ by projecting from the face of the frame.

Cremorne bolt

A locking device that extends the full height of a door or window to provide top and bottom fixing when the handle is turned.

Window

An opening in a wall for the purpose of providing daylight, vision, and ventilation.

Composite Action Windows

Windows designed for normal ventilation that also open on pivots locked into grooves to allow the pivots to slide.

Shading Devices (Sun-breakers)

Artificial horizontal or vertical fins used to protect building elevations from direct sun to achieve indoor comfort in tropical environments.