Dictionary of Interior Designing

Cabin - A room constructed with non-load bearing partitions with adequate provision of light and ventilation.

Cement - Cement in broadest term means any substance which acts as a binding agent for materials. Cement as applied to contruction and engineering is produced by calcining at high temperature an intimate mixture of calcareous , siliceous and aluminous substances and crushing the resulting clinkers to a fine powder.

Caisson - A caisson may be defined as a watertight structure made up of wood , steel or reinforced concrete , constructed in connection with excavation for foundation of bridges , piers.

Capital - In making of the columns , at their head the columns are enlarged so as to form a suitrable diameter of a particular span. This flared up portion of column head is called capital.

Cast-in-situ piles - The piles which are cast in position inside the ground are called the cast-in-situ piles.

Cavity wall - This consists of two walls so they form a cavity in between. The outer wall is half brick width and the inner wall is sufficiently thick.

Cellulose paints - This paint is made from celluloid sheets and amyl-acetate substitutes.

Casein paints - Casein is a protein substance extracted from milk curd which is mixed up with a base to form the paint which is usually available in the powder or pasty form.

Cement-based paints- This is a type of water paint in which white or coloured pigment and cements form the base.

Chamfering - It consists in takimg off the edges of a wooden members. Thus a chanfered member has a sloping or bevelled edge.

Chajja - A sloping or horizontal structural overhang usually provided over openings on external walls for protection from sun and rain.

Cofferdam - A cofferdam may be defined as a temporary structure constructed in a river or a lake or any other water-bearing surface for excluding water form a given site to enable the building operation to be performed on dry surface.

Courtyard - A space permanently open to sky , enclosed fully or partially by building and may be at ground level or any other level within or adjacent to a building.

Covered area - Ground area covered by the building immediately above plinth level. It does not include the spaces covered by some projections.

Counter flap hinges - This type of hinges has three parts and two centres. Provision of this type of hinge enable the shutters to be folded back to back.

Circular stairs - These stairs are circular in nature , in this form of stairs , al the steps radiate from a newel post or well hole , in the form of winders. These are generally constructed in R.C.C , cast iron or stone.

Clere story window - This type of window is used to achieve better ventilation and cooling effect in the living or main rooms of a building which have ceiling height greater than the surrounding rooms.

Closer - It is a portion of a brick cut in such a manner that its one long face remains uncut.

Cut string - It is a stringer with its upper surface having carriages or houses accurately cut to receive the treads and risers and the lower edge being parallel to the pitch of the stair.

Cogged joint - This joint is commonly provided between wall plate and the tie beam of wooden truss where it is essential to utilise the entire depth of the wall plate for bearing the tie-beam.

Colour washing - Colour wash is prepared by adding mineral colours (which are not affected by lime ) of desired shade to the prepared white-wash. This is applied in the same manner as white-wash.

Collar roof - With excessive loading conditions or increased spans the rafter of the couple closed roof tends to bend in the middle. This tendency is overcome by fixing the tie near the middle of the rafters. The truss then formed is called collar roof.

Common rafters - These are inclines wooden members laid from the ridge to the eaves. Cleats - These are short sections of wood or steel , nailed , screwed or bolted to the rafters of thetruss for supporting purlins.

Column - A column may be defined as an isolated vertical load bearing member the width of which is neither less than the thickness nor more than four times its thickness.

Combined footing - A combined footing is so proportioned that the centre of gravity of the supporting area is in line with the centre of gravity of the two column loads.

Composite masonry - Walls constructed from two or more building materials are termed as composite walls.

Composite roof triusses - Trusses built with the combination of wood and steel are termed as composite trusses.

Curing of concrete - It is the process of keeping the set concrete continuously damo for some days in order to enable the concrete gain more strength.

Connectors - These are the mettalic members used for connecting timber pieces in such a way that transmission of stress from one member to another is adequately ensured.

Coping - It is a covering placed on the exposed top of an external wall. It is essentially provided to prevent the seepage of water through the joints of the topmost couse of wall.

Corbel - It is the extension of one or more courses or brick or stone from the face of a wall.

Corner window - This type of window , as the name suggests , is essentially located in the corner of a room. By use of this window it is posiible to ensure light and ventilation from two directions at right angles.

Cornice - It is a horizontal moulded projection provided near the top of a building or at the junction of a wall and ceiling.

Couple close roof - In a coupled roof , the notches provided at the feet of the rafters prevent them from spreading , but with the time span , they spend and roof will collapse , thus to prevent this , the feet of the rafters are joined by a tie , which by holding them in position , prevents them from spreading and thrusting out of the wall. This is caled couple closed roof.

Course - A horizontal layer of bricks or stones is termed a course.

Cramped joint - The function of cramp which may be of slate or any metal , is to prevent the tendency of the joint to be pulled apart.

Crown - In arches , it is the highest point of the extrados or it is the highest part of the arch.