|
|
A glossary of terms |
A-F G-P Q-S
T-Z |
| |
|
|
Grain: |
The direction, size, arrangement, appearance, or quality of
the fibers in sawn wood. Straight grain is used to describe
lumber where the fibers and other longitudinal elements run
parallel to the axis of the piece. |
|
Gum Pocket: |
An excessive local accumulation of resin or gum in the wood.
Hardness: Generally defined as resistance to indentation using
a modified Janka hardness test, measured by the load required
to embed a 11.28 mm (0.444 in.) ball to one-half its diameter.
Values presented are the average of radial and tangential
penetrations. |
|
Hardwood: |
A description applied to woods from deciduous broad-leafed
trees (Angiosperms). The term has no reference to the actual
hardness of the wood.
|
|
Heartwood: |
The inner layers of wood in growing trees that have ceased to
contain living cells. Heartwood is generally darker than
sapwood, but the two are not always clearly differentiated. |
|
Impact Bending: |
In the impact bending test, a hammer of given weight is
dropped upon a beam from successively increased heights until
rupture occurs or the beam deflects 152 mm (6 in.) or more.
The height of the maximum drop, or the drop that causes
failure, is a comparative value that represents the ability of
wood to absorb shocks that cause stress beyond the
proportional limit. |
|
Joist: |
one of the series of parallel beams
used to support floor or ceiling loads and supported in turn
by larger beams, girders, or bearing walls. |
|
Laminated Wood: |
An assembly made by bonding layers of
veneer or lumber with an adhesive. May also refer to
edge-glued lumber items such as treads, etc. |
|
Modulus of Elasticity: |
An imaginary stress necessary to stretch a piece of material
to twice its length or compress it to half its length. Values
for the individual species are given in megapascals (MPa -
equivalent to N/m2), and are based on testing small clear
pieces of dry wood. |
|
Modulus of Rupture: |
Reflects the maximum load-carrying capacity of a member in
bending, and is proportional to maximum moment borne by the
specimen. Modulus of rupture is an accepted criterion of
strength, although it is not a true stress because the formula
by which it is computed is valid only to the elastic limit. |
|
Moisture Content (M.C.): |
The weight of water contained in wood expressed as a
percentage of the weight of the oven dry wood. |
|
Mosaic Parquet: |
A parquet flooring made up of small pieces of wood (slats)
assembled in units that may consist of individual squares,
units with slats arranged in single or double
herringbone design, or units or squares bordered with slats of
the same or contrasting species. |
|
Parquet: |
A patterned floor. |
|
Parquet Floor Square: |
Basically a "tile" composed of
individual slats held in place by mechanical fastening. A
square may or may not possess tongues and grooves to
interlock, and is not necessarily "square" or regular
dimension. |
|
Parquet Floor Units: |
A unit consists of four (sometimes
three) or more squares or "tiles" fastened together. |
|
Particleboard: |
A generic term for a material
manufactured from wood particles or other lignocellulosic
material and a synthetic resin or other suitable binder. |
|
Pith Flecks |
Pith-like irregular discolored streaks of tissue in wood, due to insect attack
on the growing tree. |
| Plain-Sawn: |
Plain-sawn hardwood boards are produced by cutting tangentially to a tree’s
growth rings, creating the familiar “flame-shaped” or “cathedral” pattern. This method also
produces the most lumber from each log, making plain-sawn lumber a cost effective design
choice. |
|
Prefinished: |
A completely finished flooring that
requires installation only. |
| |
|
| |
A-F G-P Q-S
T-Z |
