Buying a house in the USA opens up a whole world of new terms that you never knew existed. For example, gazebo or pavilion – these are gazebos. The difference is that a gazebo usually has a floor. There is also a Pergola – a gazebo with a leaky roof. In the simplest case, it’s just a roof on leg-columns. Men’s cave is a room or shed where the homeowner spends time. Turns out, there is a specific name for a space where the lady of the house can seclude herself – She shed. Generally, sheds are small buildings on the property for various uses, mostly serving as a barn, and a she shed is a specifically designed building (or barn?) for the lady of the house. Simply something (usually a fabric) that creates shade can be called a canopy – essentially, it’s a tent. There’s a separate category – playhouses. These are small houses for children, featuring a variety of designs, practically mini-homes with an entryway, rooms, a kitchen, all set up in the backyard to delight the kids. There is also a separate playset including a slide where kids can climb and so on – it’s called swingsets, although there might not specifically be any swings there. Another feature is the sunroom – a glass or screened room attached to the house, designed for enjoying the sunlight without leaving home. Also, in our bedroom, there are windows on the ceiling, they’re called skylights here. There are two doors leading outside from the house – one regular, and the other fully transparent – called a storm door. Often in hot weather, the inner door is left open, thus more light enters the house but not the insects. And during heavy rain, it prevents water streams from entering the house. Well, probably everyone understands what a backyard is – it’s the back yard. Ours is fenced, to the delight of Yuki. There’s also a deck – usually a wooden platform connected to the actual house, most often on the same side as the backyard. Our platform is at the height of the second floor – essentially, it’s a balcony, only larger, quite expansive. You’ve certainly seen such mini-homes with very steep roofs and window – those are dormers.
Hi, I'm Rauf Aliev. 