The Glossary

A large or principal beam of wood or steel used to support concentrated loads at isolated points along its length.

Placing of glass in windows or doors.

The surface of the ground around a building.

A strip of metal with a vertical lip used to retain the gravel around the edge of a built-up roof.

A method of constructing a home or another structure using energy efficient or recycled materials and energy efficient construction practices to reduce consumption of energy, water and other resources, protect occupant health, reduce waste, and reduce the building's impact on the environment.

A breaker or receptacle that detects excessive electrical current flow and stops electrical flow in the circuit. It is a required safety feature in many areas of the home where there is an increased risk of shock.

The connection of an electrical system to the earth. It is used to prevent damage and minimize the danger of electrical shock

A plaster-like material used to seal between ceramic and other tile in kitchens, showers, and baths.

A plywood or metal plate used to strengthen the joints of a truss.

A channel along the fascia to direct rainwater to a downspout.

A metal strap used to support piping or the ends of joists.

Wood produced from broad-leaved trees or trees that lose their leaves. Examples include oak, maple, walnut, and birch.

(a) A beam placed perpendicular to joists and to which joists are nailed in framing for chimney, stairway, or other opening. (b) A wood lintel.

The inner or outer floor of a fireplace, usually made of brick, tile or stone.

A device for removing heat from water or air and transferring the heat to another medium. Baseboard convectors are water to air heat exchangers.

A device, which uses compression and decompression of gas to heat and/or cool a house.

A hard and heavy brown to reddish brown hard wood. Used as face veneer for decorative interior plywood paneling and as solid lumber in special flooring applications. Pecan, a variety of the hickory family, has similar properties and construction applications.

The diagonal rafter that extends from the plate to the ridge to form the hip.

A roof that rises by inclined planes from all four sides of a building.

A water faucet made for the threaded attachment of a hose.

The electrical wires (typically black or red) used to carry current as distinguished from the neutral wires (usually white)

A horizontal sewer piping within a building, which receives waste from the soil stacks.

The watertight soil pipe extending from the exterior of the foundation wall to the public sewer.

A device, generally attached to a furnace, to supply or maintain humidity in a home.

A controlling device to regulate or maintain the desired degree of humidity in a house

A steel beam with a cross section resembling the letter I. It is used for long spans as basement beams or over wide wall openings, such as a double garage door, when wall and roof loads are imposed on the opening.

Any additions to property, which tends to increase its value, such as buildings, streets, sewers, etc.

A lamp in which a filament gives off light when sufficiently heated by an electric current.

It is steel reinforced poured concrete that allows the forms to stay in place and become a functional part of the house. The walls and floors will be concrete.

Any board suitable for insulating purposes.

Materials for obstructing the passage of sound, heat, or cold from one surface to another.

General term for all the finish molding, casing, baseboard, and cornice applied within the building by finish carpenters

A rafter that spans the distance from the wall plate to a hip, or from a valley to a ridge.

A type of window consisting of a number of long, thin, hinged panels.

The side and head lining of a doorway, window, or other opening.

A horizontal structural member, which supports the floor or ceiling system.

An electrical box used for wire splicing.

The piece, usually wedge shaped, at the top of an arch.

A metal, wood or plastic strip, placed at the lower edge of a door or on a riser of a step to protect it from damage by accidental kicking.

Lumber that has been kiln-dried, generally to a moisture content of 6 to 12 percent.