- Q.I need a source that I can
go to as a builder the way a writer goes to a
thesaurus. Do you know of a book of carpentry terms
that lists the parts of a house, down to the smallest
detail?
A. I’ve yet to find
any guide that lists every part of a house down to
the smallest detail, or one that even addresses the
wide variety of names that some can have. Means
Illustrated Construction Dictionary (R. S.
Means Co., Kingston, Mass.; 617/585-7880) comes
about as close as any. But at about $80
it’s not cheap. To use this, you have to
know the word first, and then look it up to find
out what it is. Most builders, on the other hand,
know the parts of the house and want to know what
to call them. For this, you might try
Architectural Graphic Standards for Residential
and Light Construction by Ramsey and Sleeper
(John Wiley & Sons Inc., New York, N.Y.;
212/850-6000). This book is well-organized by topic
and gives you annotated drawings and specifications
of the parts you’re looking for. At $85,
this book is expensive, too.