A to Z of Period Properties

[Feltwell]

GATHERING OF PPUKers: A rare coming together of like minded enthusiasts for which a collective noun is desperately needed. For those of us who cant come to the next one we expect to see plenty of photos!

I think it should be a "flange" really. Fans of Not the Nine O'Clock News will know what I mean!

 

[Gareth Hughes]

GATHERING OF PPUKers: A rare coming together of like minded enthusiasts for which a collective noun is desperately needed. For those of us who cant come to the next one we expect to see plenty of photos!

I think it should be a "flange" really. Fans of Not the Nine O'Clock News will know what I mean!

Wild? I was absolutely livid.
Anyway, it's a "whoop", a whoop of PPUKers (something to do with Moo's sherry, I think, though that may be lost in the mists of an event I wasn't at). It's a flange of baboons.
Apologies to everyone: a, over fifty; and b, who has a life

 

[Moo]

There is, I understand, a school of thought that maintains that the second P should be silent.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Mmm, I think so. But there is something so very bonding about puking with friends, don't you think?

I am struggling with "H". I did just find in my big, multi volume dic that a "haruspex" was a person who inspected the entrails of sacrificial victims in order to foretell the future, but I'm not managing to find a link with that and period properties...

Ah,further on the page, an explanation of "hasp" I've never understood what a hasp is.

HASP: a contrivance for fastening a door, or lid, like a hinged metal plate with a hole which fits over a staple and is secured by a pin or a padlock.

 

[Jon Maine]

Header, brick laid with only small end showing

Heritage, what period properties ooze

Hip, where two roof slopes meet at an external corner of a building

Hip tile, a tile specifically used on a hip could be a ridge type tile or a bonnet

Hip iron, to retain ridge tiles place on a hip.

Heave, the opposite of subsidence often cause by the felling of a tree in close proximity to a building.

Harling, a type of dashed lime render

Horse hair, to strengthen render

Hard landscaping - Elements include paths, driveways, garden walls and patios.

Hood - a projecting moulded section over a door or window

Ha ha - a linear hollow or ditch defining a property or field boundary and primarily used to exclude livestock from the grounds of a house while maintaining a view of
the landscape.

Head - the common term for the arch over an opening.

Herringbone pattern - a pattern created by laying rectangular blocks of wood or stone in an interlocking arrangement; e.g. some door panels and paving.

House, an abode

Hall, a room within a house or a type of grander house

HIPS, some stupid legislation to do with properties being sold

Haunching, mortar fillet typically used in manholes to assist in the run off of effluent

Holes, for mice

Headlap, a measurement for tiles and slates to ensure a waterproof roof if correct

Header tank, a tank in the roof space typical in older properties.

Historic, an ancient property or person.....


Any more H ???

 

[Gareth Hughes]

HARRIS, Emmanuel Vincent (1876-1971) English architect in the classical tradition, considered by some to have been Lutyens' equal, but less celebrated because he designed few country houses and had a practice which specialised in the far less glamorous but often far more difficult design of public buildings (see HISTORY, ARCHITECTURAL, Snobbish affectations thereof). These include the Ministry of Defence, which was hopelessly retardataire by the time of its completion in 1964:
View attachment 1
Much criticised by architects of the Modern Movement during his lifetime, Harris bit back with his very short and pithy acceptance speech on being awarded the RIBA Gold Medal in 1951:
"Look, a lot of you here tonight don't like what I do and I don't like what a lot of you do ..."

HAMILTON, CRAIG "New Classicist" architect. One of the more interesting of the current breed of Charlie's Angels, and one of the few not apparently chained to Palladio and the photocopier (see TERRY, QUINLAN). His recent work includes a private chapel in Scotland

 

[Flyfisher]

Ah,further on the page, an explanation of "hasp" I've never understood what a hasp is.

HASP: a contrivance for fastening a door, or lid, like a hinged metal plate with a hole which fits over a staple and is secured by a pin or a padlock.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Oh,thanks Flyfisher! I've been using hasps all my adult life.

Now Jon- that was a greedy glut of h's! How do you have all these terms just popping out?!

Holes, for mice

:lol: I like how you make that sound as though it's obligatory. I've always had a sneaking fondness for them too, and cut holes with a jigsaw to facilitate their adventures round the kitchen.

retardataire

This is a marvellous word and I plan to use it as frequently as possible. Love that acceptance speech too! :lol: :lol: :lol:

I'm looking forward to HISTORY, ARCHITECTURAL, SNOBBISH AFFECTATIONS OF.

 

[Nigel Watts]

considered by some to have been Lutyens' equal, but less celebrated because he designed few country houses and had a practice which specialised in the far less glamorous but often far more difficult design of public buildings

Lutch wasn't bad at these either - in fact he was far better: Brittanic House, Midland Bank HQ (and the very sweet Midland Bank branch next to St James's Picadilly), Reuter's HQ (shame about its relationship to the steeple of St Bride's, but if a tall building was going to be built there better a good tall building I suppose), Viceroy's House in Delhi....

I thought The MOD building's design was much simplifed and compromised after it had been started for cost reasons, but I may not have remembered this right. The ground floor windows are much adorned with Gibbs surrounds etc but those above are severely plain.

 

[Flyfisher]

Oh,thanks Flyfisher! I've been using hasps all my adult life.

I would have been surprised if you didn't recognise one.

I'm sure many of us are familiar with certain things even though we don't know their correct name. I know that's the case with my recognition of many architectural features even though I couldn't name them - although I am gradually learning, particularly through Gareth's and Nigel's posts.

 

[Feltwell]

Hacking knife also sometimes called a glazier's knife, a knife with a broad-backed blade which can be struck with a hammer to get old putty out of window frames

Haft the handle of a light tool such as a knife, awl etc

Honeycomb wall a half brick wall of stretchers with gaps inbetween, often used as mid support to ground floor joists as they still allow good air movement

Horn Stiles on new doors are supplied over-length to prtoect the corners during transit - the waste piece, cut off before fitment, being the "horn". Also part of a sliding sash in a sash window.

Hopper Item of rainwater goods seemingly purpose designed to catch leaves and clog up. Often decorative but also a pain in the @rse.

Hygroscopic salts Salts which you tend to see on the surface of damp walls as they dry out.

Hod like a box cut diagonally in 2, mounted on a pole, for carrying bricks - usually 12 at a time. Not seen much any more, you tend to see bricks being put straight on scaffolding with front loaders or, if close enough, lifted straight off the delivery lorry by it's own crane.

Herringbone strutting a way of stiffening floor joists mid-span and stopping them twisting.

Hessian cheap rough cloth often used over new brickwork to keep it damp whilst the mortar is going off, or to keep frost off.

Halving joint simple timber joint in which half of each of 2 pieces of timber is cut away, the cut surfaces then going together, giving a joint in which the outer faces are flush

Half-sawn stone an odd term that I believe derives from when the cost of hand-sawing a stone was split between the stones each side of the cut, i.e. each stone got half the cost.

 

[Flyfisher]

Hovel - Type of period property. Of little architectural merit, so rarely found in glossy property magazines.

Hearth - The heart of a home. Not strictly limited to period properties.

Heat Loss - An intrinsic feature of many period properties, resulting from a combination of design features and constructional techniques.

 

[Jon Maine]

Heraldic often seen as a coat of arms on historic properties

Hoover an invaluable piece of cleaning equipment whilst working on the building and after completion

Housing a joint into a timber where another sits

Harpsichord an historic instrument found played past and present in historic buildings

Historic building most of us have a keen interest in

Hanger an original piece of wrought iron connecting two timbers now copied with thin mild steel

Handle found on most doors

Handel composed music for the harpsichord

Hardship a common symptom of rescuing historic structures

Hook feature in many applications in an old structure


That's another 10 lets ee some more from everyone else

 

[Flyfisher]

Phew! I'm done.

Although, since you mentioned a harpsichord, I can mention that an American friend of mine is in the final stages of building his own Harpsichord. He's just finishing the painting and it'll be ready for stringing. Is that relevant? No, not really.

Hang on, here's another one:

Hypocaust - An early form of underfloor heating used in Roman houses and villas. A good example can be found underneath the A1 at Welwyn. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welwyn_Roman_baths

 

[JoceAndChris]

Good Lord. :shock:

HUBRIS: The pride of the PPUKER when able to reel off a great string of h's.

HARRUMPH: The ejaculation of crossness made when not being able to compete.

(And I enjoyed hearing about the friend's harpsichord FF, even if not strictly relevant. I love harpsichords.)

 

[Flyfisher]

I love harpsichords.

Me too.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Phew! I'm done.

Although, since you mentioned a harpsichord, I can mention that an American friend of mine is in the final stages of building his own Harpsichord. He's just finishing the painting and it'll be ready for stringing. Is that relevant? No, not really.

Hang on, here's another one:

Hypocaust - An early form of underfloor heating used in Roman houses and villas. A good example can be found underneath the A1 at Welwyn. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welwyn_Roman_baths

"The Welwyn Roman baths are a small part of the Dicket Mead villa, a Roman ruin which was originally built in the 3rd century AD"

Presumably not built as a ruin? Or is that where we're going wrong in our interpretation of what the Romans did for us?

 

[Feltwell]

That's another 10 lets ee some more from everyone else

Oh Lord. Right, let's dig deep:-

Haired plaster plaster, usually lime, containing hair for re-inforcement, usually from a....

Horse, who would of course have probably worked hard pulling the cart to get all the building materials used in your house to your house. Alternatively another word for a trestle, esp. when used by a carpenter.

Half-bat a brick cut in 2 across it's length, also called a snap header

Hand of doors, describing which side the hinges go on - a door is right hung if the hinges are on the right side of a person opening the door towards themselves - I think that's right....... :?

Hang to fit a door or window by it's hinges

Harl rough cast render

Hawk a board with a handle beneath for carrying mortar or plaster

Hinge-bound a description of when a door has been fitted with it's hinges too deeply recessed so it is difficult to close.

Head board very rarely used variant on a hod, a board placed on the head to carry bricks or mortar by a brickie's labourer. I think this is a Northern term.

And finally, I couldn't resist:-

Hyperbolic paraboloid roof a roof which some say looks like a butterfly in elevation. Not a great picture, but here is one:-

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2004/jan/05/arts.artsnews

Oh dear, I'm talking hyperbolics again.....

 

[Gareth Hughes]

That's another 10 lets ee some more from everyone else

Oh Lord. Right, let's dig deep:-

And finally, I couldn't resist:-

Hyperbolic paraboloid roof a roof which some say looks like a butterfly in elevation. Not a great picture, but here is one:-

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2004/jan/05/arts.artsnews

Oh dear, I'm talking hyperbolics again.....

Ah, Sam Scorer will have to wait til the S section, but what a guy! No-one in Lincoln's (admittedly rather limited) architectural life was ever more the subject of colourful stories. Attending Diocesan Advisory Committee meetings in his motorbike leathers, hosting unbelievably boozy dinner parties, the by-products of which went to build a garden wall of wine bottles, opening his own art gallery in his garage, generally raging about how architecture today had lost its balls, interviewing a very overawed young me for my first ecclesiastical appointment. Happy, happy memories.

 

[BMcD]

Hessian - Used to reinforce fibrous plaster casts
Horse - A part of a running mould
Hungry - A sand or mix which has poor workability and continually needs knocking up with water
Hanging mould - A running mould horsed in such a manner as to hang from the running rule. used to form beams and soffits
Helix - One of the spirals or small volutes found under the abacus of a Corintian, Ionic or composite capital