Plain Biff
Unthreaded faucet outlet, which cannot take a hose connection. 

Plaintiff
In a legal action, the party initiating the suit to obtain relief from the court against the defendant.

Plancher Cut 
Horizontal trim cut which is done on the end of a rafter. 

Plancier
Under part of a cornice or eave. A horizontal plywood surface. 

Plane
1. A flat, level, even surface. 
2. Flat based, hand held carpentry tool for smoothing and shaping wood. The bottom has a flat base with a slot which has a blade that shaves and smoothes the wood when the plan is moved across the surface. The blade may be adjusted to make a deeper cut. 
3. A level of achievement. 

Planer
1. Wood plane which has horizontal blades, adjustable for cut depth, which are mounted in a horizontal, rotating, power driven cylinder. The wood is held steady while being moved past the cutters, allowing for an exacting amount of cutting to be done. 
2. Metal shaping machine, which has a mounted cutting too with a movable table so that metal can be moved back and forth for shaping or cutting. 

Planer Gauge 
Measuring instrument, used to precisely check slot widths, consisting of two inclined adjustable planes that can cause the assembly to become thinner or thicker and are then locked in place to use as a gauge of set caps. 

Planer Milling Machine 
Milling machine to be used for heavy milling work. 

Planer, Rotary 
Shank mounted rotary blade cutter that can be used in a drill press for planning wood surfaces. 

Planet Gear 
Used in a differential gear, the planet gear engages, revolving around the sun gear, which is also revolving. 

Plank 
A long, thick length of wood at least 1 ½" thick and 6" wide. Very often planks are much larger. 

Plank and Beam Framing
To create large, unobstructed areas, the structural loads are situated on larger and fewer members than in conventional framing. 

Plank Flooring 
Random width and length wood flooring strips. Wide boards, over 3 " in width but usually 6" or 7", with tongue and groove edges that are screwed to the floor with plugs inserted into the holes for the appearance of wooden pegs.

Planned Community 
Description of a neighborhood built with certain guidelines in mind. 

Planned Unit Development (PUD) 
Residential project that features dense clusters of houses surrounded by areas of open space, owned in common and maintained by a nonprofit association. 

Planning Commission 
Governmental body having the responsibility for planning the future development of a jurisdictional area. A planning commission is responsible for developing and managing a zoning ordinance as well as interfacing with a professional planning department. 

Planning Grid 
Grid which shows the dimensions of a structure in multiples of four to give the builder some choice in locating openings and allowing matching of vertical and horizontal surfaces. Material lists are matched to the grid, so that use of the standard sized materials, can minimize waste. 

Plano Lens 
The nonprescription, protective lens used in safety glasses and goggles. 

Plan View 
A floor plan of a structure that is shown from a horizontal plane above the structure. 

Plasma 
High pressure ionized gas, a good conductor of electricity and can be affected by a magnetic field, which is used in a cutting process that uses an electric arc to ionize the gas, turning it to plasma. 

Plasma Spraying 
Metal spraying process that is used to apply a hard surfacing to a softer material to add wear resistance while still retaining their original characteristic. This process uses an electric arc between an electrode and a nozzle, through which an ionized gas flows to melt the coating and to spray it onto the material in question. 

Plaster
Pasty textured wall finish consisting primarily of calcium sulfate and water and applied by hand to walls or ceilings, which then hardens. 

Plaster Board 
Another term for drywall, gypsum or plaster wrapped construction material, produced in large sheets to be nailed to wall studs. 

Plaster Ears
Projecting pieces of wood on the sides of cabinets, which allow the cabinet to be trimmed to completely fill a space. Alternately, the metal ear-like tabs on electrical boxes, which keep the box from falling through the wall opening. 

Plaster, Exposed Aggregate 
Commonly referred to as stucco, it's a mixture of cement, sand and lime and normally used on exterior walls. 

Plaster Grounds 
Temporary guides made of strips of wood that are attached to surfaces being plastered, to use as a guide to keep surfaces smooth and the thickness consistent. 

Plaster, Gypsum 
Interior plastering material consisting of calcined gypsum powder and/or lime with sand that is made into a paste when water is added. 

Plaster Lath 
The backing fastened to structural members onto which plaster is applied. Lath originally was strips of wood fastened the framing members. Today, gypsum or metal lath are used the most commonly used types of lath because they are inexpensive and can be installed in sheets, covering a large area very quickly 

Plaster of Paris
Dehydrated gypsum that is mixed with water to form a rapidly setting material. Plaster of Paris sets too rapidly to be practical for most building applications, but it is useful for ornamental creations. 

Plaster, Portland Cement 
Finish for interior and exterior walls, it consists of Portland binder and aggregates. 

Plaster Ring 
Extension for a recessed electrical box made of steel or plastic which brings the face edge of the box even with the surface of the wall. 

Plasterboard 
Gypsum or plaster wrapped construction material, produced in large sheets to be nailed to wall studs. Also called drywall, wallboard, or Sheetrock, it comes in a variety of sizes: 4' wide in 6', 7', 8', 10', 12' and 16' lengths and 3/8', ½" and 5/8" thicknesses. The 5/8" thickness comes in only the 4' X 8' size because of its weight and is normally used to fireproof walls. 

Plastic
1. Any of the various non-metallic compounds, synthetically produced, often from organic compounds by polymerization, and which can be molded into various forms and then hardened or formed into pliable sheets for commercial use. 
2. In a flexible or changing state. 
3. Capable of being molded or shaped. 

Plastic Anchor Sleeve 
Tapered plastic sleeve which is inserted into a hole in sheetrock, lining the hole and tightly holding the screw that is inserted into it. 

Plastic Cement 
Cement which is more able to be worked due to the agents added which create more flexibility and toughness. 

Plastic Conduit 
Electrical conduit made of plastic, such as PVC, which makes it cheaper and easier to use.

Plastic Electrical Boxes 
PVC, fiberglass or polyester electrical boxes that are used with nonmetallic cable. 

Plastic Laminate 
Countertop sheet material made of fibrous material and resins. 

Plastic Piping 
Polyvinyl chloride, a lightweight, resilient, chemical resistant, strong and durable thermoplastics, with an long lifespan, made into piping which is often used for cold water systems and where chemicals are found. There is bell and spigot pipe, with a bell on one end, which has an internal elastomer seal to hold the lubricated plain end of the next piece of pipe, by making a fluid-tight joint. Solvent cement joint pipe joins the ends by applying a primer to soften the surface of the material, with the solvent cement being applied to the pipe end and the inside of the fitting end, then inserting the pipe into the fitting using a twisting motion to spread the solvent cement. The cement cures rapidly and the joints fuse together. 

Plastic Wood 
Trade name of a substance used for patching wood, which is available in a number of tints and which can be stained. Though it is like putty prior to use, it hardens and can be sanded. 

Plasticity
The workability of a material, such as plaster. 

Plasticizer 
Compound which increases flexibility and toughness when added to another compound. 

Plastics 
Synthetic compounds made from petroleum products. Plastics can be formed into various shapes and are widely used in many types of manufacturing.