F

Brick of better quality used on the face of a wall.

The exposed width of a modeled piece of lumber after installation.

Veneer selected for exposed surfaces in plywood. Especially selected for fancy paneling.

Insulation with an attached vapor retarder (kraft paper or foil-backed paper).

Any material attached to the outer portion of a wall used as a finished surface.

A horizontal board nailed onto the ends of the rafters.

The front elevation or face of a structure.

An energy-efficient glass fiber product manufactured by Owens Corning to ensure the best thermal and noise control performance available.

A building board made with fibrous material and used as an insulating board.

Sand, gravel, or loose earth used to bring a sub-grade up to a desired level around a house.

A loose insulating material poured from bags or blown by machine into walls.

The angular cut at the end of a joist designed to rest on a brick wall.

A solid, tight closure of a concealed space, placed to prevent the spread of fire and smoke through such a space. In a frame wall, this will usually consist of 2 by 4 cross blocking between studs.

Any wall designed to resist the spread of fire between sections of a house. Firewalls are commonly used between the main structure and an attached garage. Fire resistant materials are designed specifically for this purpose.

A brick that is especially hard and heat-resistant; used in fireplaces.

A refractory mortar used to lay firebrick in the bed and walls of a fireplace.

Flat stone used for floors, steps, walks, or walls.

Sheet metal or other material used in roof and wall construction to protect a building from water seepage.

A ceiling with no change in elevation.

The space or passage in a chimney through which smoke, gas, or fumes ascend. Each passage is called a flue, which together with any others and the surrounding masonry make up the chimney.

Fireclay or terra cotta pipe, round or square, usually made in all ordinary flue sizes and in 2 ft. lengths. Used for the inner lining of chimneys with the brick or masonry work around the outside. Flue lining in chimneys runs from about a foot below the flue connection to the top of the chimney.

End rafters of the gable overhang supported by roof sheathing and lookouts.

A masonry section, usually concrete, in a rectangular form wider than the bottom of the foundation wall or pier it supports.

A common form of heating with natural gas, propane, oil or electricity as a fuel. Air is heated in the furnace and distributed through a set of metal ducts to various areas of the house.

The supporting portion of a structure below the first-floor construction, or below grade, including the footings.

The carpenter contractor that installs the lumber and erects the frame, flooring system, interior walls, backing, trusses, rafters, decking, installs all beams, stairs, soffits and all work related to the wood structure of the home. The framer builds the home according to the blueprints and must comply with local building codes and regulations.

The studs, rafters, joists, sole plates, and roof plates that form the skeletal structure of a house.

In house Construction, a horizontal member connecting the top of the siding with the soffit of the cornice.

The depth of frost penetration in soil. This depth varies in different parts of the country. Footings should be placed below this depth to prevent movement.

The use of wood strips (or other materials) as a method of finishing the interior face of masonry wall. Furring provides a space for insulation, helps prevent moisture transmission, and provides a level surface for paneling or other surface finishing treatment.

A device often found in older homes designed to prevent overloads in electrical lines. See Circuit Breakers.