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.
