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You are at:Home»DIY»Know your materials

Know your materials

Adhesives

PVA (polyvinyl acetate)
Wood adhesive
Contact adhesives
Grab adhesives
Epoxy-resin
Super glue
Polyurethane foam adhesive or foam filler

Architectural moulding

Skirting or skirting board
Architrave
Picture rail
Dado rail
Cornice

Bricks

Common bricks
Facing brick
Faced brick
Engineering brick
Airbricks
Firebricks
Concrete bricks
Calcium silicate bricks
Specialist bricks
Calculating how many to order
Cutting bricks

Building materials

Damp-proof membrane
Ground sheeting
Guy ropes
Flexible board
Foil-backed building paper
Masonry bolt
Membrane clips
Polythene sheeting
Reinforcing rods
Wall profiles
Wall ties
Weed proof membrane
Doorset
Building paper

Cement, aggregate and sand

Cement
Fire cement
Aggregate
Hardcore
Coarse aggregate or gravel
Ballast
Sand
Sharp sand
Builder’s and plasterer’s sand
Kiln-dried silver sand
Other materials used in mixing concrete and mortar

Ceramic wall tiles

Calculating the number of tiles required
Coloured tiles
Patterned tiles
Imported tiles
Insert tiles
Mosaic tiles
Ceramic borders and trims
Plastic and metal trim
Worktop trim
Tile adhesive
Grout
Epoxy grout

Concrete and stone blocks

Concrete blocks
Breeze blocks
Stone blocks
Screen blocks
Pilaster blocks
Thermal insulation blocks
Glass blocks
Calculating how many to order
Cutting blocks

Decking boards

Smooth decking board
Reversible decking board
Rough-sawn decking board

Decorating materials

Sugar soap
Paint stripper
White spirit
Filler
Masking tape
Sandpaper
Wet-and-dry paper
Aluminium oxide paper
Garnet paper
Steel wool
Emery cloth

Door furniture

Door handles
Catches
Magnetic catch
Ball catch
Roller catch
Hydraulic door closer
Concealed door closer
Hinges
Standard butt hinge
Rising butt hinges
Parliament hinges
Ball bearing hinges
Loose pin hinges
Flush mounted hinges
UPVC hinges
Strap/tee hinges

Door locks and bolts

Mortise lock
Cylinder rim lock
Door security bolt
Hinge bolt
Standard door bolt
Surface-mounted locking bolt
Security chain
Door viewer or spy hole
Hasp and staple

Electric cable and flex

Cable
New colour code system for cable cores
Old colour code system for cable cores
Cable sizes
Two-core-and-earth
Three-core-and-earth
Flex
Flex sizes
Two-core (live and neutral) flex
Three-core (live, neutral and earth) flex
Three-core curly flex
TV, phone and computer cables

Electric socket outlets and mounting boxes

Plastic socket outlets
Metal socket outlets
Sockets with indicators
Fused connection unit or FCU
Flex-outlet plates
Outdoor sockets
Flush mounting boxes
Surface mounting boxes
Pattress
Blanking plate
Master socket
Extension socket

Electric switches

Plastic switches
Metal switches
Pull cord switches
Dimmer switches
Architrave switches
Remote control switches

Electrical materials

Earth clamp
One-piece connector
PVC earth sleeving
Cable ties
Telephone joint box
Single pole
Double pole
Plastic terminal block
Fuse wire
Cartridge fuses
Catenary wire
Conduit
Junction box
Baffle

Fencing

Panel fencing
Close-board fencing
Palisade fencing (also known as a picket fence)
Interlap fencing
Post-and-rail
Ranch-style fencing
Trellis fencing
Fence posts
Square wooden post
Round wooden post
Concrete post
Angle-iron post
Other fencing materials
Post spike
Driving tool
Bolt-down post bracket
Post clip
Post caps
Capping strips
Arris rail
Arris rail bracket

Floor coverings

Self-levelling compound
Vinyl tiles
Sheet vinyl
Linoleum
Cork tiles
Ceramic tiles
Terracotta and quarry tiles
Carpet
Underlay
Gripper strips
Angled grippers
Double-sided tape
Metal threshold strips
Stair rods
Laminate wood floors
Natural fibres

Gates

Close boarded (feather-edged) gate
Panel gate
Open-boarded palisade gate
Open-boarded framed gate
Frame and panel gate
Wrought iron gate
Barred gate

Glass

Float glass
Patterned glass
Heat-efficient glass
Solar-control glass
Low-emissivity glass
Non-reflective glass
Etched glass
Mirror glass
Self-cleaning glass
Safety glass
Toughened glass
Laminated glass
Wired glass
Fire resistant glass
Glazing putty

Guttering

Types of guttering
Guttering brackets
Stopend
Downpipe
Pipe clip
Running outlet
Stopend outlet
Gutter angle
Offset bend
Hopper head
Shoe
Union joint
Roof and gutter sealant
Two-part bracket

Light bulbs

Standard light bulb
Reflector bulb
Halogen bulb
Long-life bulb
Low-energy bulb or compact fluorescent lamp (CFL)
Fluorescent tubes
Light emitting diodes (LED)

Light fittings

Pendant lights
Lamp holder
Batten lamp holder
Angled batten lamp holder
Ceiling rose
Flex
Lampshade
Surface-mounted ceiling lights
Recessed ceiling lights
Wall lights
Track lights
Fluorescent lights
Strip lights

Mounting boxes for electric switches

Surface-mounted switches
Flush-mounted switches
Mounting boxes for stud partition walls
Mounting boxes for architrave switches

Nails, pins and fasteners

Oval wire nail
Round wire nail
Round lost-head wire nail
Masonry nail
Clout nail
Plasterboard nail
Annular ring shank nail
Square twist nail
Plastic-headed nail
Springhead nail
Cut clasp nail
Cut floor nail
Carpet tacks
Upholstery nail
Pins
Pin picture hook
Glazing sprig
Corrugated fasteners
Staple
Corner clips
Sliding clips

Paint

Primers and sealers
Knotting
Primer
Primer-sealer
Rust-neutralising primer
Fungicide
Undercoat
Topcoats
Emulsion
Eggshell
Satin paint
Gloss paint
Acrylic matt paint
Non-drip paint
Textured paint
Masonry paint
Metal paint
Cement paint
Solar reflective paint
Paint thinners
Bitumen paint

Patio and driveway materials

Natural stone slabs
Reconstructed stone slabs
Paving blocks
Bricks and brick pavers
Cobblestones
Tarmac
Gravel
Stone chippings
Concrete
Edging

Pipe joints and other fittings

End-feed
Solder-ring
Brass push-fit
Brass compression
Grab-ring push-fit
Colleted push-fit
Solvent-weld
Push-fit
Plastic compression
Elbows
Reducers
Tees
Reducing Tee
Couplers
Stop ends
Inserts
Flexible connectors or hoses
Traps
Shower trap
Shallow bath trap
Shallow bottle trap
P-trap
Telescopic trap
Double inlet trap
S-trap
Toilet U-bend
Ninety-degree pan connector
Straight pan connector
Pipe collar
Wall plate elbow joint

Pipes used in plumbing

Metal pipes
Copper pipe
Chrome-plated copper pipe
Micro-bore copper pipe
Plastic supply pipes
CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) pipe
PB (polybutylene) pipe
PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) pipe
Plastic waste and drainage pipes
ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) pipe
PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipe
Polypropylene pipe
UPVC (unplasticised polyvinyl chloride) pipe

Plasterboard

Plasterboard variations
Other materials used when plasterboarding

Plastering materials

Bonding plaster
Browning plaster
Exterior plaster
Finishing coat
Interior undercoat plaster
One-coat plaster
Patching compound
Plasterboard finish
Ready-mixed plasters
Ready-mixed undercoat plaster
Ready-mixed finishing coat

Plumbing insulation

Self-adhesive foam wrap
Plastic foam tube
Glass fibre
Cylinder jackets

Plumbing materials

Booster pump
Flux
Feed-and-expansion tank
Jointing compound
Jubilee clip
PTFE tape
Solvent cement
Plastic resin sealant
Plumbers putty
Silicone spray
Solder
Soft paraffin paste
Tail pipes
Union nut
Ventilator plate
Washer and seating set
Ceramic discs
Gland packing string
Silicone grease
Fibre washer

Plumbing valves

Stop valve
Isolating valve (also called a service valve)
Gate valve
Drain valve
Non-return valve (also called a check valve)
Toilet cisterns
Brass lever arm and ball float valve
Siphon valve
Bleed valve
Connecting valve tailpieces

Roofing materials

Timber structures
Straps and plates
Restraint strap
Timber connector
Truss clip
Heavy-duty truss clip
Roofing felt
Breathable felt
Bitumen-based roof felt
Plastic felt
Timber battens
Fixings
Roof coverings
Clay tiles
Concrete tiles
Slate tiles
Wooden shingles
Asphalt shingles
Other types of roofing tile
Ridge tiles
Hip or bonnet tiles
Cloaked verge tiles
Valley tiles
Flashing
Lead flashing
Self-adhesive flashing repair
Flashing strip primer
Glass-reinforced polyester (GRP)
Ventilation materials
Tile or slate vents
Ridge vent
Soffit vent
Butyl rubber roofing material
Cold adhesive
Liquid bitumen compound

Screws

Screw heads
Slot-head
Phillips
Posidriv
Dual-purpose
Hexagonal-headed
Square-headed
Clutch-head security screw
Screw profile
Countersunk head
Round head
Pan head
Types of screw
Traditional wood screw
Modern wood screw
Masonry screw
Drywall screw
Decking screw
MDF (medium density fibreboard) screw
Coach screw
Chipboard screw
Self-tapping screw
Mirror screw
Dowel screw

Sealant

Interior sealant
Exterior sealant
All-purpose sealant
Floor sealant
Bathroom and kitchen sealant
Sanitary sealant

Taps

Pillar tap
Handwheel handle tap
High-neck tap
Lever handle tap
Mixer taps
Monobloc mixer tap
Bath/shower mixer tap
Kitchen mixer tap
Bath or basin mixer tap
Hose union bib cock

Timber

Softwoods
Hardwoods
Buying timber

Timber treatments

Wood preservative
Wood filler
Wood hardener
Stain
Oil
Dye
Wax
Varnish
Pressure-tested

Wall and floor insulation

Fibreglass blanket insulation
Loose-fill insulation
Polystyrene plasterboard
Insulating plasterboard
Insulation board
Rigid board insulation
Semi-rigid fibre insulation batts
Insulated storage decking
Acoustic mat
Acoustic slab

Wall plugs and combination fixings

Common wall plug
Frame fixing
Hammer fixing
Metal expansion bolts
Fixings for hollow cavity walls
Cavity wall plugs
Self-drilling cavity wall plug
Hollow-wall anchor
Spring toggle
Gravity toggle

Wallpaper

Standard paper
Lining paper
Woodchip paper
Vinyl wallpaper
Relief wallpaper
Washable wallpaper
Flock wallpaper
Metallic/foil wallpaper
Cork wallpaper
Grasscloth wallpaper
Hessian

Wallpaper pastes

All-purpose paste
Heavy-duty paste
Fungicidal paste
Ready-mixed paste
Stain-free paste
Repair adhesive
Size

Window furniture

Window stay
Friction hinges

Wood-based board

Blockboard
Chipboard
Moisture-resistant chipboard
Veneered chipboard
MDF
Moisture-resistant MDF
Fibreboard
Hardboard
Plywood
Cutting wood-board
Using a panel saw
Using a power saw

Glossary

Glossary

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DIY Categories
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Self Build Guide
How to find a building plot
Evaluating a building plot (2023)
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Self build construction options
Self build architect and design considerations (2023)
Self build planning permission and legal consents
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