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A to Z Glossary of Home Improvement Terms - P

This page of our online a to z glossary is for home improvement terms beginning with the letter 'P'.

• Parapet - A low wall at the edge of a roof, usually formed by an upward extension of the wall below.
• Pargetting (Parging) - The plastering of a wall or ceiling and often patterned or decorated by scratching or modelling in low relief in the plaster coating.
• Party Wall - The common wall between two properties or houses.
• Pebbledash - External plaster which has had small stones (pebbles) added to it to give a rough finish.
• Pier - A masonry column, usually rectangular, which is used to support other structures.
• Pilot Hole - A small hole which is drilled to be used as a guide for drilling a larger one, or for a screw thread.
• Pitch - The angle or slope of a roof.
• Plaster - A mixture of lime, cement, sand and water with a strengthening agent used to cover walls and ceilings.
• Plasterboard - Sheets of plaster sandwiched between paper. Plasterboard is used to surface walls and partitions.
• Plate Glass - A high quality flat polished glass.
• Primer - The first coat of paint applied to a surface to prevent subsequent coats being absorbed into the surface. The paint used to do this is called primer.
• Pointing - Filling the joints in masonry with mortar to improve appearance and protect against the weather.
• Porch - A roof structure forming a small room to shelter the entrance of a house.
• Primary Colors - The primary colours are red, yellow and blue. Mixing these primary colors in different proportions creates all other colors.
• Putty - A dough-like cement mixture which is used to hold glass in frames and to fill in holes and cracks.