UNIT

Use of Symbols
An alphabet of lines allows for clear communication through drawings; the Objectives
use of standard symbols makes for even better communication. Many fea-
tures of construction cannot be drawn exactly as they appear on the building.
Therefore, standard symbols are used to show various materials, plumbing After completing this unit,
fixtures and fittings, electrical devices, windows, doors, and other common you will be able to identify
objects. Notes are added to drawings to give additional explanations. and understand the meaning
It is not important to memorize all the symbols and abbreviations used in of the listed symbols:
construction before you learn to read drawings. You should, however, memo-
rize a few of the most common symbols and abbreviations so that you may learn Door and window
the principles involved in their use. Additional symbols and abbreviations can symbols
be looked up as they are needed. The illustrations shown here represent only
Materials symbols
a few of the more common symbols and abbreviations. A more complete refer-
ence is given in the Appendix. Electrical and mechanical
symbols
Reference marks for
Door and Window Symbols coordinating drawings

Door and window symbols show the type of door or window used and the direc- Abbreviations
tion the door or window opens. There are three basic ways for household doors
to openswing, slide, or fold, Figure 51. Within each of these basic types

Figure 51. Types of doors and their plan symbols.

Use of Symbols 25
 Figure 52. Window symbols.

26 Unit 5

Openmirrors.com
there are variations that can be readily understood from
their symbols. The direction a swing-type door opens is
shown by an arc representing the path of the door.
There are seven basic types of windows. They are
named according to how they open, Figure 52. The
symbols for hinged windowsawning, casement,
and hopperindicate the direction they open. In eleva-
tion, the symbols include dashed lines that come to a
point at the hinged side, as viewed from the exterior.
The sizes of windows and doors are usually shown
on a special window schedule or door schedule, but they
might also be indicated by notes on the plans near their
symbols. Door and window schedules are explained later.
The notations of size show width first and height second.
Manufacturers catalogs usually list several sets of dimen-
sions for every window model, Figure 53. The glass size
indicates the area that will actually allow light to pass. The
rough opening size is important for the carpenter who will
frame the wall into which the window will be installed. The
masonry opening is important to masons. The notations on
plans and schedules usually indicate nominal dimensions.
A nominal dimension is an approximate size and may not
Figure 53. Windows and doors can be measured in several
ways.
represent any of the actual dimensions of the unit. Nominal
dimensions are usually rounded off to whole inches or feet
and inches and are used only as a convenient way to refer
to the window or door size. The actual dimensions should
be obtained from the manufacturer before construction
begins.
Material Symbols
The drawing of an object shows its shape and location.
The outline of the drawing may be filled in with a material
symbol to show what the object is made of, Figure 54.
Many materials are represented by one symbol in eleva-
tions and another symbol in sections. Examples of such
symbols are concrete block and brick. Other materials
look pretty much the same when viewed from any direc-
tion, so their symbols are drawn the same in sections and
elevations.
When a large area is made up of one material, it is
common to only draw the symbol in a part of the area,
Figure 55. Some drafters simplify this even further by
using a note to indicate what material is used and omit-
ting the symbol altogether.
Electrical and Mechanical Symbols
The electrical and mechanical systems in a building
include wiring, electrical devices, piping, pipe fittings,
plumbing fixtures, registers, and heating and air condi-
tioning ducts. It is not practical to draw these items as
they would actually appear, so standard symbols have
been devised to indicate them.
The electrical system in a house includes wiring
as well as devices such as switches, receptacles, light
fixtures, and appliances. Wiring is indicated by lines
that show how devices are connected. These lines are
not shown in their actual position. They simply indicate
which switches control which lights, for example. Outlets
(receptacles) and switches are usually shown in their
approximate positions. Major fixtures and appliances are
shown in their actual positions. A few of the most com-
mon electrical symbols are shown in Figure 56.
Mechanical systemsplumbing and HVAC (heat-
ing, ventilating, and air conditioning)are not usually
shown in much detail on drawings for single-family
homes. However, some of the most important features
Use of Symbols 27
 PLAN AND SECTION SYMBOLS
EARTH ETC. CONCRETE

EARTH ROCK STONE REINFORCING STRUCTURAL LT. WEIGHT BLOCK

FILL BARS CONCRETE CONCRETE
METAL

STEEL, IRON ALUMINUM STRUCTURAL PLYWOOD FINISH ROUGH STUD WALL &
STEEL PARTITION
STONE

CUT STONE RUBBLE CAST STONE SLATE, COMMON FACE FIRE BRICK
(CONCRETE) BLUESTONE ON COMMON
SOAPSTONE
GYPSUM INSULATION GLASS

PLASTER ON BLOCK METAL STUD PLASTER BOARD LOOSE FILL RIGID SHEET &
MASONRY & PLASTER & PLASTER OR BATTS BOARD PLATE
PARTITION PARTITION

ELEVATION SYMBOLS

RUBBLE SQUARED RUNNING BOND STACK BOND SHEET GLASS CONCRETE

STONE STONE MASONRY MASONRY METAL PLASTER

SHINGLES BRICK CERAMIC

Figure 54. Material symbols.

Figure 55. Only part of the area is covered by the brick symbol, although the entire building will be brick.

may be shown. Piping is shown by lines; different types Reference Marks

of lines represent different kinds of piping. Symbols for
pipe fittings are the same basic shape as the fittings they
A set of drawings for a complex building may include sev-
represent. A short line, or hash mark, represents the joint
eral sheets of section and detail drawings. These sections
between the pipe and the fitting. Plumbing fixtures are
and details do not have much meaning without some way of
drawn pretty much as the actual fixture appears. A few
knowing what part of the building they are meant to show.
plumbing symbols are shown in Figure 57.

28 Unit 5

Openmirrors.com
Figure 56. Some common electrical symbols.
Callouts, called reference marks, on plans and elevations
indicate where details or sections of important features
have been drawn. To be able to use these reference marks
for coordinating drawings, you must first understand the
numbering system used on the drawings. The simplest
numbering system for drawings consists of numbering the
drawing sheets and naming each of the views. For example,
Sheet 1 might include a site plan and foundation plan;
Sheet 2, floor plans; and Sheet 3, elevations.
On large, complex sets of drawings, the sheets are num-
bered according to the kind of drawings shown. Architectural
drawing sheets are numbered A-1, A-2, and so on for all the
sheets. Electrical drawings are numbered E-1, E-2, and E-3.
A view number identifies each separate drawing or view on
the sheet. Figure 58 shows drawing 5 on Sheet A-4.
Because most of the drawings for a house are
architectural, and the drawing set is fairly small, letters
indicating the type of drawing are not usually included.
Instead, the views are numbered, and a second number
shows on which sheet it appears. For example, the fourth
drawing on the third sheet would be 4/3, 4.3, or 4-3.
Numbering each view and the sheet on which it
appears makes it easy to reference a section or detail
to another drawing. The identification of a section view
is given with the cutting-plane line showing where it
is taken from. For example, the section view shown in
Figure 59 shows the fireplace at the cutting-plane
line in Figure 510. Notice that the cutting-plane line
in Figure 510 indicates that the section is viewed
from the top of the page toward the bottom, with the
Use of Symbols 29
 Figure 57. Some common plumbing symbols.

fireplace opening on the right. That is how the section Abbreviations

view in Figure 59 is drawn. This numbering system is
also used for details that cannot be located by a cutting-
Drawings for construction include many notes and
plane line. The drawing in Figure 5-11 is a typical wall
labels of parts. These notes and labels are usually
section, meaning that it is typical of a section view of any
abbreviated as much as possible to avoid crowding
outside wall. This typical wall section includes a callout
the drawing. The abbreviations used on drawings are
referencing a detail drawing of the roof cornice or eave.
usually a shortened form of the word and are easily
The cornice detail is Drawing 4 on Sheet A-4 and is shown
understood. For example, BLDG stands for building. The
in Figure 512. Notice that the detail faces the opposite
abbreviations used throughout this textbook and on the
direction from the typical wall section. That is because,
related drawings are defined in the Appendix.
being a typical section, not a specific section, it represents
all exterior walls regardless of the direction they face.

30 Unit 5

Openmirrors.com
Figure 58. This is drawing 5 on Sheet A-4.

Figure 59. This section view is drawing 2 on Sheet 5.

Use of Symbols 31
 Figure 510. Plan for fireplace detailed in Figure 59.

Figure 511. The detail of this cornice is shown in drawing 4 on

Sheet A-4, Figure 512.

32 Unit 5

Openmirrors.com
Figure 512. This is the detail of the cornice in Figure 511.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
Can you perform these tasks?
Identify window types by their symbols.
Identify materials by their symbols.
Identify the most common plumbing equipment by its
symbols.
Reference details by their symbols.
Define several common abbreviations used on con-
struction drawings.

Identify the most common electrical equipment by its

symbols.

Use of Symbols 33
 ASSIGNMENT 2. What is meant by each of these abbreviations?
a. GYP. BD.
1. What is represented by each of these symbols? b. FOUND.
c. FIN. FL.
d. O.C.
e. REINF.
f. EXT.
g. COL.
h. DIA.
i. ELEV.
j. CONC.
3. Where in a set of drawings would you find a detail
numbered 6.4?
4. Where in a set of drawings would you find a detail
numbered 5/M3?

34 Unit 5

Openmirrors.com