Jack Rafter
A rafter that spans the distance from the wall plate to a hip, or from a valley to a ridge.
Jacobean Style
A style of architecture and decoration prevalent in England during the reign of James I (1603-1625). It combines renaissance, Gothic and Palladian motifs. The furniture, which was generally made of dark stained oak, was heavy and complex in appearance.
Jalousie
A louvred window shutter.
Jamb
The vertical member forming the side of a door, window or wall opening frame. The hinge jamb is the jamb to which the hinges and pivots are installed. The strike jamb is the jamb in which a strike may be installed and away from which the door or window swings. A blank jamb is one that has not been prepared to receive hardware. Outer vertical frame member.
Japan
Dark varnish like Japanese lacquer, often applied to floorboards and door hardware (and a country but you already knew that).
Jappaning
A decorative technique in which furniture is coated with layers of coloured varnish in imitation of true Oriental natural lacquer.
Joint
An intentional gap between adjoining elements or between an element and some other portion of the structure. Joints may be horizontal, vertical, or inclined. Some types of joints are:
- Butt Joint
- Control Joint
- Cold Joint
- Construction Joint
- Dove-Tail Joint
- Fillet Joint
- Finger Joint
- Isolation Joint
- Movement Joint
- Lap Joint
- Mitre Joint
- Structural Joint
- Tongue And Groove Joint
Joist
A beam that supports a floor or ceiling. Joists are generally made of wood, steel, or concrete. They are often set parallel from wall to wall or across or abutting girders.
Juliet Balcony
A small roofed balcony as at the gable end of an attic.