10 of the many words I hadn’t heard of before working at HCS

I started working at HCS just over a year ago, and at first I felt like at times they were talking in a completely different language. It certainly took a while for certain words to become familiar and whilst I still have a long way to go, here are some of the ones I use all the time… and know what they mean!

• Efflorescence – a white powder that appears on bricks
• Delamination – peeling or flaking of paintwork
• Spalling – crumbling of brickwork
• Quoins – stone detail on corners of buildings
• Mycelium – a fungus like bacteria which causes tot in timber
• DPC – Damp Proof Course – a layer of waterproof material to prevent rising damp
• CWS – Cold Water Storage tank
• SVP – Soil Vent Pipe – transports waste from upper floor toilets, baths and sinks to underground drainage system
• EPC – Energy Performance Certificate – provides details of the energy performance of a property and how you can improve it
• PWM – Party Wall Matters – A party wall award is a legally binding document prepared to allow the owner to undertake works whilst safeguarding the rights of the adjoining owner

Hopefully reading this list has saved you a lot of time – it’s actually taken me a whole year to learn these! If you have any questions or need further definitions, don’t hesitate to get in touch!