Materials

Architectural glass introduced in the early 20th century used for interior and exterior wall surfaces. Products included glass building blocks, reinforced plate glass, and pigmented structural glass known under such trade names as Carrara Glass, Sani Onyx (or Rox), and Vitrolite. Structural glass was a popular building material of the Art Deco period, and is no longer manufactured.

Iron that has been cast or worked in structural shapes.

Lumber that is intended for use in building where allowable properties are required. The grading of structural lumber is based on the strength or stiffness of the piece as related to anticipated uses, such as lumber that is 5 inches or more in both thickness and width.

Steel, rolled in a variety of shapes, such as beams, bars, or sheets, and used as load-bearing structural members.

Steel, rolled in a variety of shapes, such as beams, bars, or sheets, and used as load-bearing structural members.

A type of light, malleable plaster made from dehydrated lime (calcium carbonate) mixed with powdered marble and glue and sometimes reinforced with hair. It sets more slowly than regular plaster and so is suitable for crafting sculpture and architectural decoration, external and internal. Differs from most other plasters which are made with calcium sulfate, rather than the calcium carbonate used in stucco, and set much more quickly.

Visual works or parts of works made of stucco.

Polystyrene expanded into a multicellular mass that has one-sixth the weight of cork and will withstand temperatures above 170 degrees Fahrenheit.

Hard, fine-grained wood of the species Acer saccharum, native to the United States and Canada. It is light reddish-brown in color and tends to have bird's eye patterns. It is used for furniture, cabinetry, flooring (dance floors, bowling alleys), musical instruments, and veneer.

The earliest type of brick, it is baked in the sun rather than hardened by the heat of a fire. Sun-dried brick has the advantage of being less expensive than fired brick but is generally less durable; it is well-suited to dry climates. For sun-dried brick containing straw and other binders, use the more specific "adobe."

Tracts of lowlying ground in which water collects, particularly wetlands partially or intermittently covered with water, often dominated by woody vegetation.

White to yellowish-white wood of the species Acer pseudoplatanus, having a straight grain and even texture. It is native to central Europe and western Asia, but was introduced into Britain in the 15th century. It is used for turnery, bobbins, brush handles, inlays, veneer, and millwork. For other woods sometimes called simply "sycamore," use "sycamore fig" for wood from Ficus sycamorus and "American sycamore" for wood from the plane tree species Platanus occidentalis.

A phanoerocrystalline intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of alkaline feldspar with or without a smaller amount of plagioclase and without notable quartz or nepheline content. The term can also refer to a granite varietal, quarried in antiquity at Syrene in Upper Egypt, in which biotite is substituted for or accompanied by hornblende.

A mixture of lime and water with shell, gravel, or stone which, when dry, is as hard as rock; used as a building material.

Clay with a component of fine gravel used to make bricks or otherwise puddled, rammed, and dried. Primarily used for wall construction.

Thick, viscous, brown or black, inflammable liquid residue resulting from the partial evaporation or distillation of wood (such as pine, fir, or larch), sugar, tobacco, peat, coal, or other organic substance. It contains hydrocarbons, resins, alcohols, and other compounds; it has a heavy resinous or bituminous odor. It is used as an antiseptic, for coating asphalt roads, preserving timber, caulk on wooden sailing ships, waterproofing for roofing papers, insecticide, in disinfectant soaps. Some tars, such as those obtained from pine or beech wood, have been mixed with linseed oil to form a dark brown glaze and for other purposes.

Heavy paper coated or impregnated with tar for use especially in building.

Pendant trimming, decoration, or garment, comprising loose strands. Before the 20th century, usually a wooden mold covered with strands of silk or worsted; now often merely a bunch of threads, cords, or other strands gathered together at the top.

Wood of the species Tectona grandis, native to south and southeast Asia, including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Myanmar; it is cultivated in many additional areas, including Africa and the Caribbean. Teak is a golden brown wood with a straight grain and coarse texture, very resistant to insects and decay. It is used for high quality furniture, boxes, chests, doors, shipbuilding, railway carriages, veneer, and in India also for building houses. Teak wood retains an aromatic leathery smell for over a hundred years or more.

A trademarked name for polytetrafluoroethyelene (PTFE) which was discovered by Roy Plunkett 1938 and first marketed as Teflon (TM) by DuPont in 1943. This fluorinated polymer is known for its resistance to adhesion, heat, oxidation, light, and chemicals. It is used chiefly for molding articles and for nonstick cookware.

Utility poles used primarily to support telephone lines or cables.

Additive to clay, such as sand or grit, that improves workability, uniform forming and drying.

Paint formed of an emulsion of fatty and watery constituents. The standard emulsion is usually created with egg yolk and water, with variants of man-made emulsions created with whole egg, linseed oil, casein glue, gum, or wax.

A coarse, variegated marble from Hawkins County, Tennessee. It is dark chocolate brown or red in color with white streaks and masses throughout and it usually contains some fossils.

A fine pink marble, suitable for sculpture, of which a number of varieties exist. Tennessee marbles are generally harder and more compact than other American marbles, making them more suitable for outdoor use but also making them more difficult to carve and polish.

Sheet steel coated with an alloy of 80% lead and 20% tin; widely used for roofing and construction work.

Level paved or planted areas, usually elevated above surrounding terrain and adjacent to buildings or parts of garden complexes.

A baked or semi-fired material that is usually a mixture of clay, grog, and water; it has been used for pottery, statuettes, lamps, roof tiles, and cornices since ancient times. It may be glazed prior to firing. To produce an item, terracotta is molded or shaped, dried for several days then fired to at least 600 C. It is fireproof, lighter in weight than stone, and usually brownish red in color.

Marble aggregate concrete that is cast in place or precast and ground smooth; used especially as a decorative surfacing on floors and walls.

Small, squarish pieces of colored marble, glass, stone, or tile used in making mosaics.

A material providing high resistance to heat flow; usually made of mineral wool, cork, asbestos, foam glass, foamed plastic, or diatomaceous earth, fabricated in the form of batts, blankets, blocks, boards, granular fill and loose fill.

Rods used as connecting members or braces, especially to counteract the spreading action of vaults or roofs.

Flat, solid, and relatively thin durable material generally used for roofing, flooring, or wall and ceiling covering; often rectangular or squarish in shape. For fired clay materials of varying shapes and thicknesses and with various uses in addition to covering, prefer "ceramic tile." For visual works, such as painting or sculpture, on a tile support, use "tiles (visual works)"; for visual work compositions comprising multiple tiles, use "tile work (visual works)."

Floor finishing materials that are composed of multiple pieces that are assembled and adhered to the floor as a unified surface.

Genus having approximately 30 species native to the Northern Hemisphere. A few species are ornamental and shade trees, among the most graceful of deciduous trees, with heart-shaped, coarsely toothed leaves; fragrant cream-colored flowers; and small globular fruit hanging from a narrow leafy bract. This genus was placed in the family Tiliaceae, but genetic research resulted in its being placed in Malvaceae. They are generally, but not always, called "lime" in Britain and "linden" or "basswood" in North America.

Refers to the method of constructing walls and partitions, sometimes floors, by pouring concrete or assembling wooden sections on site in a horizontal position, and then tilting them into place.

Wood in the form of large, squared or dressed pieces used for forming part of a built work or used to create a curving frame branching outward from the keel of a ship and bending upward in a vertical direction. Timber that is curved or bent may be a composite formed of several pieces rather than being a single piece of wood.

Wood of standing trees of a type or quality suitable for use by humans in construction, furniture making, or for other purposes. For dressed wood, use "timber (wood by form)."

Wood of standing trees of a type or quality suitable for use by humans in construction, furniture making, or for other purposes. For dressed wood, use "timber (wood by form)."

Pure metallic element having symbol Sn and atomic number 50; a soft, pliable, silvery white metal. Use also for this metal as processed and formed, usually in combination with other substances, to make various objects and materials.

Alloy in which tin is the principle component.

Thin, protective coating of tin applied to sheet iron or steel by electroplating or dipping.

Rubber cushions, usually filled with compressed air, which fit around the wheels of a vehicle.

Pure metallic element having symbol Ti and atomic number 22; a hard, lustrous, silvery metal. Use also for this metal as processed and formed, usually in combination with other substances, to make various objects and materials.

A velvety-black variety of cryptocrystalline quartz, siliceous shale, or similar substance used by jewelers for testing the purity of precious metal, especially gold, by the streak left on the stone when rubbed with the metal.

Ornamental openwork of masonry found in the upper parts of Gothic style windows; also, similar motifs and forms in various materials applied decoratively, as on walls, furniture, and other objects.

Various types of paths or tracks worn by the passage of persons or animals travelling in a wilderness area, or deliberately maintained for passage through various outdoor environments.

A dense, crystalline or microcrystalline limestone that was formed by the evaporation of river or spring waters. It is named after Tivoli, Italy ("Tibur" in Latin), where large deposits occur, and it is characterized by a light color and the ability to take a good polish. It is typically banded, due to the presence of iron compounds or other organic impurities. It is often used for walls and interior decorations in public buildings. It is distinguished from "tufa" by being harder and stronger.

Woody, perennial plants usually with a single, long, self-supporting stem or trunk, and which grow to a considerable height.

Figures of three equal arcs or lobes, separated by cusps.

Collectively used for decorative or additional material serving to finish, decorate, or complete.

In engineering, structural members such as beams, bars, or rods, usually fabricated from straight pieces of metal or timber, that form a series of triangles lying in a single plane; based on the principle that a triangle cannot be easily distorted by stress. Trusses were probably first used in primitive lake dwellings during the early Bronze Age, about 2500 BCE. The first trusses were built of timber. The Greeks used trusses extensively in roofing; trusses were used for various construction purposes in the European Middle Ages. A major impetus to truss design came in the development of covered bridges in the United States in the early 19th century. Cast iron and wrought iron were succeeded by steel for railroad truss bridges. Trusses are also used extensively in machinery, such as cranes.

Species of coniferous tree native to eastern North America, from Minnesota, through southern Quebec, Nova Scotia, and in the Appalachian Mountains to Georgia and Alabama. Populations occur in several areas east and west of the Appalachians, including Pennsylvania.

Calcareous, porous limestone formed by the precipitation of calcium carbonate at the vents of springs and geysers, along streams, or on the bottoms or shores of lakes. It is distinguished from travertine by generally being soft and easily crumbled.

Rock composed of the finer kinds of volcanic detritus.

General term for material from the leaves and stems of several species of large aquatic grass used by Native Americans in house construction, making mats, rafts, etc. From an Aztec word, "tullen."

Wood of any tree belonging to the genus Nyssa, found in North America and Asia. It is soft, light, and tough and is used in the manufacture of bridge and pier decking and construction.

A triclinic mineral of blue, blue green, or yellowish green color.

Small towers, especially when corbelled out from a corner.

Refers to the architectural order characterized by unfluted columns, torus bases, unadorned cushion capitals, and plain friezes.

A bright red pigment prepared by depositing an organic red dye, such as alizarin, on a red iron oxide base.

General term for material made from tusks, which are large protruding teeth found in elephants, walruses, narwhals, and boars. Tusks, like other teeth, have a soft center surrounded by hard dentin primarily composed of calcium hydroxyapatite with smaller amounts of calcium carbonate, calcium fluoride, magnesium phosphate, and ossein. A hard durable enamel forms a smooth outer surface. Tusk has been used to make sculptures, handles, and other items.

Strong string composed of two or more strands twisted together, especially that which measures less than 3/16 of an inch in diameter.

A natural brown clay earth pigment that contains iron and manganese oxides, silica, alumina, and lime; tending to be less orange-red than sienna. The term refers to the region of Umbria, Italy, although the pigment is found elsewhere in the world, notably on Cyprus. It has been used as a pigment since prehistoric times.

Genus containing around 450 species of shrubs or dwarf shrubs,, many of which produce edible berries.

Marble that is streaked or marked with a different color or colors.

A solution of a resin in a volatile solvent or a drying oil, which when spread out in a thin film, dries and hardens by evaporation of the volatile solvent, or by the oxidation of the oil, or both; applied as a protective coating or to enhance the appearance of the surface underneath.

Plants collectively, usually referring to plants or vegetal growths in a defined area. For the kingdom of plants, use "Plantae (kingdom)."

Warp pile weave, typically silk, with a short, soft dense pile produced by a supplementary warp that is raised in loops above the surface of the textile through the introduction of rods during the weaving; the loops may be cut or left uncut.

Material in the form of thin sheets that is intended to be used for a decorative purpose. Veneer is usually of wood, but also occasionally ivory, tortoiseshell, or brass, often used to cover the surface of furniture or another object constructed of coarser and cheaper wood.

Walls with a masonry face or revetment that is attached, but not bonded, to the body of the wall and does not exert a common reaction under load. Walls with a masonry face or revetment that is attached, but not bonded, to the body of the wall and does not exert a common reaction under load.

Refers to distinctive glass made in Venice, Italy. It can refer to early glass made from about 450 CE when glass-makers from Aquileia fled there and were soon joined by others from Byzantium. In addition, the term is particularly used to refer to glass made on the Venetian island of Murano from before 1292 to the present day. It is generally a sodiac type of glass; soda glass is light in weight and highly ductile. Venetian glass incorporates a number of styles and techniques although Venetian glass-makers particularly excelled in the making of colored glass, agate glass, opaque white glass (lattimo), cristallo, filigrana, and millefiori. Engraving is rarely found while enameling and gilding are common, particularly in fifteenth- and sixteenth-century specimens. In order to protect their profits and the secrets of Venetian glass, the Venetians confined glassmakers under pain of death to the island of Murano; however, the techniques were eventually imitated in "Altare glass" and "façon de Venise." For glass made exclusively on Murano, see "Murano glass."

A permanent, reddish brown pigment that was originally prepared from a natural red ocher, but since the 18th century has been manufactured by calcining ferrous sulfate (copperas) with lime or calcium carbonate in a ratio of around 15-40% ferric oxide and 60-80% calcium sulfate. It is used in oil paints, house paints, and as a paper colorant.

A light or dark green massive serpentinite, commonly with veinlets of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate. It is capable of being polished and is commercially considered a marble; it is also considered to be among the highest-quality serpentinites.

Pigment composed of basic copper acetate and having a dark bluish-green color. Verdigris has been manufactured since ancient times by placing copper plates over vats of fermenting grape skins; the acetic acid quickly reacts to form basic copper acetate. When used directly as a pigment, it discolors from green to black in oil paints, fades in watercolor paints, and reacts with a paper support. It is used to make copper resinate, as a drier for linseed oil, to dye fabrics, and as a colorant and fungicide in antifouling paints.

A fine-grained white marble from Vermont that is highly valued by sculptors; it may contain bluish-gray veins or clouds.

Architecture built of local materials to suit particular local needs, usually of unknown authorship and making little reference to the chief styles or theories of architecture.

Primary roof beams in Native American and Spanish American adobe construction; usually rough-hewn logs of fir or pine, and often left projecting beyond the exterior wall plane.

Trailing or twining plants, whose stems require support.

Generic term for materials derived from vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, or vinylidene chloride. Commonly used with reference to all polymers and copolymers of which vinyl chloride is a constituent. Use more precise terminology for known materials such as "polyvinyl chloride" or "polyvinyl acetate."

Basalt that has chemically changed over time to become a type of soapstone that is blackish-green when cracked open; it is found in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont regions of Virginia.

Refers to thick homogeneous opaque structural glass used especially for ornamental finish on surfaces exposed to the weather.

Tile, often glazed, designed to be used as a facing on a wall.

Building board, usually made of wood pulp, gypsum, or plastic, and used for surfacing walls and ceilings.

Papers or paperlike materials, often decorative in nature, made primarily for attachment to walls and ceilings but sometimes applied to other surfaces.

Wood of several trees belonging to the genus Juglans, ranging in color from grey-brown to purple brown, used in making cabinetwork, veneer, butts and rifle stocks.

A liquid made up of molecules of hydrogen and oxygen (HO2). When pure, it is colorless, tasteless, and odorless. It exists in gaseous, liquid, and solid forms; it is liquid at room temperature. It is the liquid of which seas, lakes, and rivers are composed, and which falls as rain. Water is one of the most plentiful and essential of compounds. It is vital to life, participating in virtually every process that occurs in plants and animals. One of its most important properties is its ability to dissolve many other substances. The versatility of water as a solvent is essential to living organisms. The term "water" is typically used to refer to the liquid form of this compound; for the solid or gaseous forms, use "ice" or "water vapor."

Courses of stone projecting beyond the face of a wall to guide water away from the face of the wall. Courses of stone projecting beyond the face of a wall to guide water away from the face of the wall.

Brick formed in molds that have been watered in order to prevent the brick from sticking; brick formed in the slop molding method.

Perpendicular or very steep descents of the water of a stream. May be used for artificial waterfalls only if highly naturalistic in form and context; otherwise prefer "cascades" or "fountains."

A framework of interwoven rods, poles, or branches; used with daub as a building material.

Construction consisting of upright posts or stakes interwoven with twigs or tree branches and plastered with a mixture of clay and straw.

Designates heavy metal wire welded together in a grid pattern and used as reinforcing in concrete slabs.

Wood of the Tsuga heterophylla, commonly found from Alaska to northern California.

Wood of the Thuja plicata species, having a reddish to dull brown heartwood with a faint, sweetish odor. The wood is used for shingles, boat making, and other purposes for which resistance to moisture, decay, and insect damage is important.

Photographic process that uses a collodion binder which must be coated on the support, exposed, and developed before the collodion has become dry. A silver halide is the light-sensitive agent, and the process may be used to produce positives or negatives.

General term referring to wood from several species, including Chamaecyparis thyoides (Atlantic White Cypress), Cupressus lusitanica (Mexican White Cedar), and Thuja occidentalis (Eastern Arborvitae).