Header - A beam running horizontally above window, door, or other opening to support the structural members above it.
Hip rafter - The main support for the jack rafters in a hip roof, normally running at a 45 degree angle from the common rafters.
Jack rafter - A rafter that spans from the top plate to the hip rafter or from valley rafter to ridge also hip to valley.
Joist - Structural members that run horizontally and supports the ceiling or floor.
Journeyman - Traditionally a carpentry term used to describe a carpenter who has completed their apprenticeship in the local union, but also anyone who has many years experience and is considered to have paid their dues in the trade.
King rafter - Carpentry term used to describe a common rafter when it is placed on the end of the ridge board to set the ridge to the proper length in a hip roof configuration. It is the same size as a common rafter in a conventional hip roof.
King stud - In carpentry terms usually the stud running from top to bottom plate on either side of a window or door.
Landing In carpentry terms platform between two flights of stairs to allow for a change of direction. Layout The marking of where different framing members are located on wall plates, sill plates, ridge boards etc. this is sometimes called detailing. Level On a horizontal plane. Or a basic carpentry tool. Lull This is just a large rough terrain forklift used to move and access material around much more efficiently on the job site. This machine can easily become your best friend. especially when roof framing. Melamine plywood is a thermally fused, resin saturated paper finish over a particle board core. It is highly resistant to stain and abrasion. Normally used in the cabinet building industry. Miter cut An angled cut on the end of any board. Nonbearing wall Any wall which does not support any weight such as floor framing, roof framing, or ceiling joists. On center O.C. The measurement from the center of one structural member to another. Peak In roof framing the highest point of the common rafters. Pettibone Basically this is just a large rough terrain forklift used to move and access material around much more efficiently on the job site. This machine can easily become your best friend. especially when roof framing. Plate The top and bottom plate in a wall. Plumb On a vertical plane, or up and down, as in when someone says "level that wall" the correct carpentry term is plumb that wall. Plumb and line The act of straightening and bracing the wall framing just prior to the placing of floor,ceiling, or roof framing. Plumb bob A pointed metal tool used in carpentry to find a point directly below another. Can be hung from a string to plumb a wall, though not used very much nowadays, it is still useful for plumbing tall balloon and gable walls. Rafter The various framing members for the roof of a building. Raked wall A sloping or angled wall. The top of the wall is angled to match the pitch of the roof. Used mainly in areas with vaulted, cathedral, or barrel ceilings. Ridge The peak or uppermost portion of a sloped roof. Rise The distance that a single step, staircase, or rafter rises vertically. Rough carpentry Defines the tasks normally performed by the framing carpenter, such as floor framing, wall framing, roof framing, window installation, and exterior door installation. R.O. Rough opening A Carpentry term defining the opening left in a framed wall for a window or door, the window manufacturer will usually provide these for you. General rules of thumb for windows are 1/2" bigger than the windows actual measurements to provide for slight adjustments. Interior doors are 2" bigger than the call out on the door, an example would be 2/8=2/10, exterior doors need to be 2 & 1/2" bigger. Run The horizontal distance covered by one step, set of steps, or a single rafter, normally half the width of the area covered by the roof. Scissor truss A roof truss with an angled ceiling already built-in, used for rooms with a cathedral or vaulted ceiling, the pitch of the ceiling is normally half that of the roof. Seat cut Also known as a level cut, normally used to refer to the portion of the birdsmouth cut in a rafter that allows it to sit flat on the top plate of the wall framing. Shear panel A normally framed wall sheathed with OSB or plywood to give it shear strength. Snapping Laying out the floor plan on the deck or slab which represents where the walls are to be placed after framing. Then using a chalk line to represent these walls. Spec house Built on speculation, a developer or builder will build a house betting someone will buy it and they can turn a profit. Speed square A very useful tool for almost all aspects of framing carpentry, it's many uses are way to numerous to go into here. Stair gauges Small octagon shaped buttons that clamp onto a framing square to speed the marking of repeated measurements such as stair stringers and rafter patterns. Stand The height the rafter is above the wall measured at the back of the birdsmouth, also called HAP (height above plate), heel height, and throat. Stick framing The act of a carpenter building one board at a time as opposed to modular or panelized homes. Stile is a pair of steps or ladders that is accessible to pedestrians but generally inaccessible to animals. Stiles allow access to a field or other area enclosed by a fence or wall. Unlike a gate, there is no chance of forgetting to close it, but they may be difficult to use for some disabled individuals. Story pole A 2x4 with increment marks on it, usually used to represent the risers in a staircase to help find the height of a landing. Stringer The main support for a staircase, which the risers and treads are attached to. Template In carpentry terms a pattern made to speed up the process of marking numerous identical pieces to be cut such as rafters, stringers, studs, treads, risers, etc. T J I A fabricated framing member used for roof framing and floor framing. T=truss J=joist I=I-Beam (because it is shaped like a steel I-Beam). Trimmer The framing member nailed to the king stud under the end of the header to support the weight from above. Truss A single component of a prefabricated roof framing system, normally built off site and delivered as part of the complete truss package. Valley Where two different roof slopes intersect. Vaulted ceiling An angled sloping ceiling.