We have put together probably one of the most comprehensive pole building glossaries found on the internet today. And if you are like most people, if you can't see it, you still don't understand it very well.

If there is any pole building term you still don't understand, or one not yet listed here, please use the Contact Us page to email us. We will be glad to send drawings or pictures for illustration.

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Panels:	Sheet metal, usually with a ribbed configuration, used for roof and wall skin.
Panic Hardware:	A door-latching assembly incorporating a device which releases the latch upon the application of a force in the direction of egress travel.
Parapet:	The portion of a vertical wall of a building which extends above the roof line at the intersection of the wall and roof. Typically required for fire separation and is usually the vertical extension of a fire wall.
PCF:	Pounds per cubic foot.
Peak:	The highest point of the roof, which describes a horizontal line running the length of the building.
Penetration:	Measures the depth to which preservative chemicals are injected into wood. It is expressed as inches of penetration into the wood or percent of sapwood penetrated.
Pennyweight:	A measure of nail length, abbreviated by the letter d.
Personnel Door (or Entry Door or Man Door):	A pre-hung, hinged door allowing for access into the building by turning a lockset. Most popular size is 36 inches in width by 6'8" in height.
Pin:	Short, straight, stiff piece of wire with a blunt head and a sharp point, used especially for fastening.
Pitch:	The rise or angle of the roof stated in inches of rise per twelve inches of horizontal run.
Plumb:	Straight up and down, vertical.
Plywood:	A built-up panel of laminated wood veneers. The grain orientations of adjacent veneers are typically 90 degrees to each other.
Pole:	A round, unsawn, naturally tapered post.
Pole and Rafter (or Beam and Column):	A structural system consisting of a series of rafter beams supported by columns. Often used in animal "stall" or "grid" barns.
Post (or Column):	A rectangular primary structural member, sawn on four sides before treatment, is generally uniform in cross section along its length. May be either sawn or laminated dimensional lumber. It is the primary structural element of the building side and end walls. They are a vertical structural member used in a building to transfer loads from main roof beams, rafters and/or trusses to the foundation. Usually also supports a horizontal wind load. Generally partly embedded in the soil to provide lateral and vertical support for the structure.
Post Embedment Depth:	Vertical distance between the bottom of a post and the lower edge of the skirt board.
Post Foundation:	The embedded portion of a structural post and any footing and/or attached collar.
Post Frame:	A structural building frame consisting of a wood roof truss or rafters connected to vertical timber columns or sidewall posts.
Post Frame Building:	A building system whose primary framing system is principally comprised of post frames.
Pre-Painted Brake:	A machine used in cold forming metal sheets or strips into desired cross sections (frequently used for trims).
Pressure Preservative Treated Wood:	Wood pressure impregnated with an approved preservative chemical under approved treatment and quality control procedures.
Primary:	The main structural load carrying members of a system. Generally comprised of the columns, trusses, rafters and other main support members.
PSF:	Pounds per square foot.
Purlin:	A secondary horizontal framing member attached (generally at a right angle) to roof rafters or trusses. Laterally supports rafters and transfers load between exterior cladding and rafters/trusses. Serves as a structural member to which roof sheathing or roofing is attached. They resist gravity loads and uplift loads under wind loading conditions. As such they are a key structural element of the roof diaphragm assembly.