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Glossary of DIY Home Improvement Terms - P

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

• Pad saw - Tapered narrow bladed saw for cutting openings; a small starting . hole must be drilled first.
• Paint kettle - Metal container with handle for holding paint.
• Paint pad - A rectangular pile-covered foam pad attached to a handle and used to apply paint (usually emulsion) swiftly and smoothly to large surfaces.
• Pallet - A wooden plug built inro masonry to provide a fixing point for a door casing.
• Pan tile - A roof tile which has a double curve and interlocks with its neighbours.
• Papier mâché - An easy-to-shape material made of paper and paste.
• Pare - To remove fine shavings from wood with a chisel.
• Pargeting - The internal render of a chimney.
• Parquet - A form of wooden floor covering, usually polished. Traditionally, laying parquet involved the use of small pieces of wood. Today parquet is available in tile form.
• Parting bead - A narrow piece of wood which separates the two frames of a sash window.
• Partition wall - An internal wall that divides up areas but does not carry any direct load.
• Party wall - The wall between two houses over which each of the adjoining owners has equal rights in law.
• Pasting table - Lightweight folding table for laying wallpaper on to paste it.
• Pelmet - A decorative surround, usually made of fabric or wood, which covers a curtain heading, and adds definition to window treatments.
• Pelmet shelf - A wooden shelf fixed above a window to support a pelmet.
• Penetrating oil - A thin lubricant that will seep between corroded components and ease them apart.
• Peninsular unit - A free standing work unit which projects from a wall or run of cupboards.
• Pier - A masonry column, usually rectangular, used to support other structures.
• Pile - Surface of a carpet, and some fabrics, which is produced by the cut fibres standing vertically.
• Pilot hole - A small guide hole.
• Pin hammer - Lightweight hammer for driving small pins or tacks.
• Pincers - Jawed tool for extracting nails and tacks from wood.
• Pinch rod - A wooden batten used to gauge the width of a frame or opening.
• Pitch - Angle at which saw teeth are filed during sharpening; the distance between peaks of a screw thread.
• Plane iron - Cutting blade in a plane.
• Plaster - A mixture of lime, cement, sand and water with a strengthening agent used to cover walls and ceilings.
• Plasterboard - Standard sized sheets of plaster sandwiched between paper used to surface walls and partitions. There is a different surface on each side: grey for plastering, beige for painting.
• Plate glass - A high quality flat polished glass.
• Plinth - A rectangular panel, normally the base of a cabinet.
• Plugging chisel - Special tool with a slanted leading edge, for fast waste removal when chasing along brick joints.
• Plumb bob - A pointed, cone-shaped weight which hangs on a plumb or line and is used to determine verticality.
• Plywood - Thin, wooden sheets of an odd number glued together and laminated. Available in a number of grades and thicknesses.
• Point load - The concentration of forces on a very small area.
• Pointing - The finishing or filling of mortared joints. Decorative and weatherproofing finish for mortared brick joints.
• Portable workbench - Fold-up lighweight bench with a central grip feature that can be moved to site of work.
• Polyester - A technical term used to distinguish varnishes used in the manufacture of certain paints.
• Polypropylene - A plastic material with good resistance to heat and solvents.
• Polystyrene - A plastic compound, usually in the expanded form, for heat insulation and decorative purposes.
• Polyurethane - A synthetic resin used in paint manufacture.
• Power drill - Designed for drilling holes, the many available accessories and attachments turn this versatile instrument into any number of useful tools.
• Prefabricated units - Those items manufactured or assembled at a plant which require minimal on-site assembly.
• Preservative - Chemical formulation painted or sprayed on to wood to prevent decay.
• Primary colours - The primary colours are red, yellow and blue. Mixing these primaries in a variety of proportions creates all other colours.
• Primer - The first coat of paint applied to a wooden surface to prevent subsequent coats being absorbed; the material used to do this. A metal primer prevents corrosion.
• Profile - The outline or contour of an object.
• Profile gauge - Tightly-packed sliding needles held together by a centre bar which take on the outline of any object they are pressed against.
• PTFE tape - (Polytetrafluorethylene) Pliable tape used with threaded plumbing fittings to seal joints.
• Purlin - A horizontal beam that provides intermediate support for rafters or sheet roofing.
• Putty - A dough-like cement mixture used to set glass in frames and to fill in holes and cracks.
• PVA (polyvinyl acetate) - A chemical compound commonly used in adhesives.
• PVA adhesive - General purpose liquid adhesive that makes a good primer and sealer when diluted.
• PVC (polyvinyl chloride) - A plastic material with many applications, including electric cable sheaths.