Design Glossary - D
Distribution Board:
“panel” An insulated board that connects the circuits to the main supply and incorporates the fuses of circuit breakers.
Distribution Box:
Small metal box joined to conduit and giving access for connecting branch circuits.
Doors - Braced:
Ledged and vertically boarded door with horizontal and diagonal supports.
Doors - Framed:
Wooden door with strong outer frame.
Doors - Ledged:
Vertically boarded door with three horizontal battens.
Dormer Window:
Vertical window protruding through sloping roof. Usually has its own pitched roof.
Double Hung Window:
A window with an upper and lower sash. Each sash is carried by cords and weights and slides up and down.
Double Tracks:
(drapery) These are useful for when you want to use two sets of curtains, or a pelmet and a curtain.
Dovetail Joint:
A joint used in timber joinery for joining timber pieces at right angles with dovetail or fan shaped tenons. From the 18th century these were often concealed by flat pieces of timber in high quality pieces of furniture.
Dowel:
A round headless piece of wood (sometimes metal) used to hold two adjacent parts together. The dowel is inserted into holes of the same size.
Downlighters:
hese are forms of spotlights that rely on the reflected light off the floor; a downlight can be used to illuminate an object directly at a pinch. Downlights come in all sorts of forms that give a narrow beam that spreads down to the floor. They are recessed or semi recessed and may be a feature or extremely discreet. Some have baffles or reflectors and are able to be angled to direct light to wash a wall i.e. a wall washer.
Dormer windows
Distribution Board
Downpipe:
Pipe, which carries rainwater to the ground from the roof gutters.
DPM:
Damp-proof membrane. Usually known as DPC Large area of damp-proof course (q.v.) laid, for instance, under a basement floor. It is a sheet material or coating that has a low water vapour transmission property, minimising water vapour penetration in buildings.
Dragging: (paint effects) this is a process which creates fine vertical irregular lines, a soft textured look to walls generally. It is achieved by applying a translucent colour glaze over a base coat and then using a dry wide brush, dragging it over the glaze before it dries. It gives the impression of fabric covering.
Downpipe
Drain Cock:
Tap fixed at lowest point of a water system through which the system can be drained.
Dralon:
Acrylic fibre used mainly for furnishing fabric.
Drill:
(fabric) Sturdy cotton with diagonal twill weave. Normal colour grey, but it is also dyed.
Drum Top Table:
A round top table with a deep top that usually contains drawers. Set on a tripod stand.
Double Hung Window
Dry Rot:
Timber decay due to attack by certain fungi.
Dual Complementary Color Scheme:
Two colors side by side and their two complementary colors opposite them on the colour wheel.
Dual complementary color scheme
Duck:
Sturdy utility cotton fabric.
Duplex:
(wallcovering) Two sheets of paper, which are bonded or laminated together.
Duvet Cover:
A duvet is a simple form of bed cover. It is basically like a very large pillowslip with fasteners at one end. It hangs just below the mattress line so a valance is usually required. Inside the cover you can insert, depending on the season, wool, down or polyester inner. They are ideal for children as it makes it very easy to make their own bed.
Dwang (nogging):
A short piece of timber fixed between timber framing.
Dye:
(fabric) Dye is a soluble or insoluble colouring matter used to colour something. All dyes vary and have different degrees of effect with different fibres
