Actual Dimensions - The exact measurements of a piece of lumber. For instance, a 2x4 (nominal dimensions) is actually 1 1/2 inches thick by 3 1/2 inches wide.

Attached Deck - A deck with one or more sides supported by a ledger and attached to a house.

Baluster - One of a series of vertical supports used between posts of a railing. Also called a spindle.

Beam - A horizontal support member on which joists rest. Beams usually are supported by posts.

Bevel Gauge - Also known as a T-bevel, the bevel gauge is a flat piece of metal attached to a handle with a wing nut that allows the metal piece to be set at any angle to the handle. It's used primarily to mark angles when copying them from a plan or piece of the deck to another piece.

Block Plane - A small plane used to finish off rough edges of a deck.

Bottom Rail – the horizontal member, installed on edge, attached to the bottom of the balusters, as well as the post. The Bottom Rail is not required if the balusters extend to and are attached to the Rim Joist.

Bracing - Structural supports placed between posts and beams or joists to provide stability to the structure.

Bridging - Boards placed perpendicularly between joists to stiffen the joists. Frequently, bridging is made from the same dimension lumber as the joists.

Buglehead Screw - A screw with a curved taper between the head and shank or threads so it doesn't tear the wood when screwed down flush with the surface.

Cantilever – the allowable overhang past the joists or rim joists.

Cap Rail - The top horizontal piece of a railing, usually placed to give it a finished appearance.

Carriage Bolt - A bolt with a rounded head that is pulled down onto the surface of the wood as the nut is tightened. Used to hold structural members together, the rounded head gives a finished look to the bolt. Bolts should be checked annually and tightened if necessary.

Cement - A powder that serves as a binding element in concrete and mortar. Also, any adhesive.

Chalk Line - An enclosed reel of string coated with colored chalk and used to mark straight lines by pulling the string taut and snapping the string, leaving a line of chalk marking a line. Commonly used in deck building to mark the edge of decking so that all decking boards can be cut off flush with each other.

Codes - Regulations detailing accepted materials and methods of building. Usually codes are adopted by city, county, or state building departments. Most counties promulgate local building codes.

Concrete - A mixture of cement, sand, and gravel.

Concrete Spatula - A flat piece of metal with a projecting handle used to smooth concrete footings.

Conduit - Metal pipes used to contain electrical wiring in outdoor settings.

Decking - Boards used for the surface of a deck.

Easement - A legal right for restricted use of property by the easement holder. Easements often are granted to utility companies so they may service the utility lines running through a property. Decks should not be built on the area described by an easement because access granted by the easement may require the deck be tom down or removed.

Elevated Deck - A deck requiring a structure of footings, posts, and beams to raise it to the desired level. Often used so that the height of the deck is the same as interior floors, making access to the deck from the house easier.

End Joists – the joists at the end of a series of parallel joists.

Fascia Board – the boards used to cover rim joists and end joists (also known as face boards).

Footing - The below-ground support of a deck's post, usually made from concrete.

Framing Square - A flat piece of metal shaped like an L, with measurements along both legs of the L, commonly used when building decks for marking lines perpendicular to the length of lumber.

Freestanding Platform Deck - A deck supported entirely by its own structure, typically used for remote decks.

Galvanize - Coating a piece of metal with zinc, a metal that resists corrosion. Look for hot-dipped galvanized pieces when selecting metal parts for a deck. The hot-dipped method of galvanizing metal provides more protection than coated galvanizing.

GFCI - See Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter.

Grade - A designation given to lumber indicating the amount of flaws and knots typically found in the wood. Most builders recommend using # 1 grade wood for building decks. Also, the surface of the ground.

Grade-Level Deck - A deck flush with, or slightly above, ground level. Grade-level deck joists usually rest directly on the footings or piers below.

Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) - An electrical safety device that instantly shuts down a circuit if leakage occurs, greatly reduces the risk of electrical shock. These devices commonly are built into outlets and usually are required by code for outdoor receptacles.

Incised Wood - Wood with slots cut into the side of the wood so that preservative chemicals can penetrate more deeply during pressure treatment. Western species of wood don't absorb preservative chemicals as easily as some woods and require incising so that enough of the preservative enters the wood.

Inset – an area of a deck that has been cut out to accommodate landscape elements such as trees.

Joist - Horizontal framing members that support decking.

Joist Hanger - A pre-manufactured metal piece typically attached to a ledger or beam to support a joist. Joist hangers should be galvanized.

Lag Screw - A large screw, usually 4 inches or longer, with a hex head, turned with a wrench.

Lattice - A framework of crossed wood made of laths or other thin pieces of wood. Lattice often can be bought pre- made in 4x8 sheets.

Ledger - A length of board, that is horizontally attached to the side of a house and holds up one edge of a deck.

Linear Feet - The total length of required lumber. For example, three 8-foot-long 2x4s and four 6-foot-long 2x4s both would be described as 24 linear feet of 2x4s.

Line Level - A level that hangs from a mason's line, typically used to transfer level elevations from one post to another.

Line Load - The amount of weight a deck is designed to support. Most deck designs call for a live load of 60 pounds per square foot.

Load Area - The area found by multiplying the beam spacing by the post spacing to determine the post thickness required by building codes.

Low-Voltage Lighting - Commercially available lighting systems that use a transformer to reduce the needed electrical current. These lighting systems are designed for do-it- yourself applications.

Machine Bolt - A bolt typically configured with a hex head and nut and a blunt end. Meant to hold two pieces (usually the support structure) by pinning them together, the threads hold only the nut and don't screw into the wood itself.

Mason's Line - String that does not stretch, making it useful to establish horizontal lines when laying out the various heights of a deck.

Multilevel Deck - A deck that has several discrete areas at different levels. The different levels often are built to con- form to a sloping terrain or make a transition from a second story to ground level.

Nail Set - A short shaft of metal with a narrow blunt point used to set nail heads below the surface of wood by placing the blunt end on the nail head and striking the other end with a hammer.

Nominal Dimensions - The label given to a standard piece of lumber. For example, 2x4 is the name for a rough- cut piece of about 2x4 inches. It is then finished by planing and sometimes sanding it down to its actual dimensions.

On Center - A method of measuring distance between two structural members, such as joists, where you measure from the center of one member to the center of the other. Abbreviated O.C.

Pennyweight - A system of measuring the size of a nail. - Originally derived from a unit of weight, pennyweight is represented by the letter "d."

Pier - A masonry post. Piers often serve as above-grade footings for posts and often are made of pre-cast concrete.

Plain-Sawn Boards - Boards sawn from a log so that the face of the board is at an angle less than 30 degrees to the growth rings in the log. Sometimes referred to as flat-sawn boards. See also Quartersawn Boards and Rift-Sawn Boards.

Post - The vertical structural element that rests on the footing and supports , the beam.

Post Anchor - A metal piece attached to or imbedded in the footing that attaches the post to the footing and keeps the post from being exposed to moisture in the ground.

Post Cap - A small piece of wood attached to the top of the post to cover the post's wood grain and protect the post from the weather.

Pressure Treated Wood - Wood subjected to a high pressure treatment of chemicals as a preservative. The most common chemical used for treatment is chromated copper arsenate (CCA). Sometimes known as green wood because of the residual color of the chemical.

Quartersawn Boards - Boards sawn from a log so that the face of the board is at an angle between 60 degrees and 90 degrees to the growth rings in the log. Quartersawn boards generally are more stable and warp less than plain- sawn and rift-sawn boards.

Rail Post - A vertical structural support for the railing, sometimes also supporting the deck itself and extending down to a footing. Rail posts usually are thicker than balusters and are attached with bolts to the joists or beams.

Remote Deck - A freestanding platform located away from the house, typically placed for a good view.

Rift-Sawn Boards - Boards sawn from a log so that the face of the board is at an angle between 30 degrees and 60 degrees to the growth rings in the log. See also Quartersawn Boards and Plain-Sawn Boards.

Rim Joist – a board fastened to the end of the joists, typically opposite of the ledger.

Ring-Shank Nail - A nail with grooves and ridges around the shank to prevent the nail from popping out of the wood as the wood contracts and expands because of changes in moisture and temperature.

Rise - The vertical distance from one stair tread to another.

Riser - The vertical piece between two stair steps.

Run - The horizontal distance from one stair riser to another or the depth of a stair step.

Setback - The area along a property's edge where new construction is restricted or forbidden by local zoning laws.

Shade Structure - A structure built above decks, usually of posts and lattice, to provide a shaded area on the deck.

Skirt - A decorative board placed around the support structure of a deck to hide the structure below and give the deck a finished appearance. Skirts often are attached to the joists.

Span - The distance between supports.

Spindle - See Baluster.

Thumbnail - A small rough sketch of the deck and its site.

Top Plate – attached to the posts and the Top Rail to support the Top Rail and Balusters.* (Also known as Top Cap)

Top Rail – the horizontal member installed on edge, attached to the top of the balusters as well as the posts.

Torpedo Level - A short level used in deck building to set posts plumb. It is sometimes referred to as a canoe level.

Tread – the walking surface of each step in a stairway.

Trellis - A framework of thin lumber designed to support climbing plants.

Water Level - A hose or tube filled with water, used in deck construction to transfer elevations from one post to another. The surface of the water at both ends of the hose must come to rest at the same height, allowing transfer of elevations.

Zoning Laws - Laws adopted by local governments that restrict the location and type of new construction.