House Anatomy: Eaves, Soffits, Fascia, Slabs, Bearers, Joists
Quotes from tradespeople and buyer inspection reports use specific terms. Owners who know the terms have tighter conversations with their builder and read inspection reports without panicking.
This article is the glossary. For every part of a typical Brisbane house, what it is, what it does, and what a failure of that part looks like.
Roof Components
Ridge. The horizontal line at the highest point of the roof, where two slopes meet. In tile roofs it is capped with ridge tiles; in metal roofs with a ridge flashing.
Hip and valley. The sloping lines where two roof planes meet. A hip runs down an external corner; a valley runs down an internal corner (where water channels down toward gutters).
Eave. The part of the roof that projects beyond the external wall line. Eaves shelter walls from rain and shade windows. Their width is a key architectural cue of an era: Queenslanders have wide eaves, modern minimalist homes often have almost no eave.
Fascia. The vertical board running along the lower edge of the roof, to which the gutter is attached. Traditionally timber; modern homes use metal fascia. Rotting timber fascia is a common finding in inspection reports.
Soffit. The underside of the eave, lined horizontally. Often fibre-cement sheet in modern homes, VJ timber in Queenslanders. Ventilated soffits allow air into the roof space.
Barge board. The equivalent of a fascia on a gable end. Runs down the slope of a gable roof, finishing the end of the roof sheathing.
Flashing. Thin metal strips sealing roof penetrations (chimneys, pipes, skylights) and junctions. Failed flashing is a primary source of roof leaks.
Walls
Stud. The vertical timber (or steel) member inside a wall that supports the cladding and internal lining. Standard spacing is 450mm or 600mm.
Top plate / bottom plate. Horizontal members top and bottom of a stud wall.
Nogging. Short horizontal timber members between studs, stiffening the wall and providing a fixing point for plaster or cladding.
Cladding. The external skin of a timber-framed wall. VJs, chamferboard, weatherboard, Hardiflex, James Hardie Linea, cement render over brick veneer, metal cladding. See the separate article on cladding.
VJ (vertical joint). Narrow tongue-and-groove timber boards with vertical alignment. The internal lining of classic Queenslanders, and sometimes external cladding.
Floor (elevated timber home)
Stump. The vertical post supporting the floor structure of a highset home. Originally timber; now often concrete or steel. Stumps sit on concrete footings.
Ant cap. A galvanised steel cap fitted between the top of the stump and the bearer, to deter termites from travelling up the stump undetected.
Bearer. The heavy horizontal timber sitting on top of the stumps, running in the direction parallel to the primary load path. Supports the joists.
Joist. The horizontal timber running perpendicular to the bearers, supporting the floorboards. Joist spacing is typically 450mm.
Subfloor. The space between the underside of the joists and the ground. Ventilation of the subfloor is critical to prevent moisture and pest issues.
Floorboards. The timber boards nailed to the joists, forming the floor surface.
Floor (slab-on-ground home)
Slab. A concrete floor cast directly on prepared ground. See the separate article on slab design types (waffle, raft, conventional, suspended).
Footing. The structural element at the perimeter (and sometimes interior) that transfers the slab's load to the ground.
Other Common Terms
Battens. Thin timber or metal strips used as a support for cladding, sarking or roof coverings.
Sarking. A reflective foil layer under a metal or tile roof that reflects heat and acts as a secondary water barrier.
Lintel. A horizontal structural member above a door or window opening.
Architrave / skirting. The decorative timber mouldings around a door/window (architrave) and at the junction of wall and floor (skirting).
Cornice. The decorative moulding at the junction of wall and ceiling.
Reading an inspection report
When an inspection report says "fascia replacement required, east elevation, $3,200" the inspector is naming the exact piece of timber to be replaced. When it says "evidence of subfloor moisture, possible stump deterioration" the issue is at ground level, not in the roof. Knowing the terms prevents surprise quotes and helps you triage the findings correctly.
Planning a project or getting ready to sell? Daniel can point you to the right tradespeople and introduce you to local architects, engineers and building designers who work across the inner east. Get in touch.