Product pages, planning guidance and electricians all use their own shorthand. This glossary translates the terms you are most likely to meet, with a link to the guide where each one matters.
Building and structure
Apex roof: a roof with two slopes meeting at a central ridge. Gives more headroom in the middle than a pent roof.
Pent roof: a single sloping roof, higher at one side. Common on sheds placed against a boundary.
Eaves: the lowest edge of the roof, where it meets or overhangs the wall. Eaves height matters for planning; see planning permission.
Ridge height: the highest point of the roof, measured from ground level.
Bearers: timber or composite beams that lift a building's floor off the base. See base options.
Ground screws: steel foundations screwed into the ground instead of digging footings.
Tongue and groove (T&G): cladding boards that slot into each other for a tight wall. See shed cladding explained.
Shiplap: profiled cladding boards that overlap and shed water.
Overlap cladding: rough-sawn boards that overlap; the budget option.
Noggin: a short horizontal timber between studs, used to stiffen a wall or give a fixing point for shelves.
Header (lintel): the horizontal member above an opening, such as a serving hatch, that carries the load.
Pressure-treated: timber with preservative forced in at the factory. See treating timber.
Vapour control layer: a sheet on the warm side of insulation that limits moisture moving into the wall. See insulation.
Log cabin: a building whose walls are made of interlocking logs. See log cabin bars.
Planning and rules
Permitted development: building work allowed without a planning application if every condition is met.
Principal elevation: usually the front of the house facing the road; outbuildings in front of it need permission in England.
Curtilage: the land around a house that belongs to it, usually the garden.
Article 4 direction: a council order removing some permitted development rights in an area.
Lawful development certificate: a formal confirmation from the council that a proposal is lawful.
Building Regulations: rules on how buildings are constructed, separate from planning. See Building Regulations.
Restrictive covenant: a promise in the title deeds limiting what can be built or done. See covenants and leasehold.
Statutory nuisance: noise or other problems that councils can take action on. See neighbours and noise.
Licensable activity: an activity, such as selling alcohol, that needs authorisation under the Licensing Act 2003. See home bar licence.
Temporary event notice (TEN): a way to carry out licensable activities at a one-off event. See TENs.
Electrical
RCD (residual current device): a safety device that cuts power quickly if current leaks to earth, reducing the risk of electric shock.
IP rating: a two-digit code showing protection against solids and water. See festoon lights and IP ratings.
Armoured cable: cable with a protective steel layer, often used for buried supplies to outbuildings.
Consumer unit: the fuse board that distributes power to circuits.
Notifiable work: electrical work that must be reported to building control or self-certified by a registered electrician. See power to a garden bar.
Bar fit-out
Back bar: the wall of shelves and storage behind the counter. See back bar shelving.
Foot rail: a rail along the bottom of the counter to rest feet on.
Kegerator: a fridge adapted to hold and dispense a keg. See beer taps.
Font: the tap tower on a bar counter.
Ambient temperature range: the surrounding temperatures an appliance is designed to work in. See fridges.
Drip edge: a groove or lip under a counter or sill that stops water running back.
Snug: a small, cosy room in a traditional pub. See pub-style bars.
Missing a term? Check the guide it came up in, or the official source linked at the foot of every rules page.