A typical house contains more than 3,000 different components. You may hear people throwing around terms such as soffit, cornice and joist without knowing exactly what they are. Some of the names for house parts have made their way into common English usage in a non-housing context. One also finds house parts in people's names, such as the actor Clark Gable or tennis star Patrick Rafter. Here's a primer on some of the components of a typical house from John A. Kilpatrick's book Understanding House Construction , published by the Home Builder Press of the National Association of Home Builders.
Molding is found both on the interior and exterior of houses.
It is the wood, metal, plastic or plaster trim used around windows and doors, at the tops and bases of walls, along cornices, and for other decorative details. Crown molding is a decoration used to cover the area where the wall and the ceiling intersect. Flashing is sheet metal or plastic used to cover joints and openings in exterior surfaces of the house to protect against water leakage. Framing is the structural skeleton of the house, usually made of beams, studs and joists. The beams are members used to support the structure.