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Aggregate
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A mixture of sand and stone and a major component of concrete.
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Astragal
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A molding, attached to one of a pair of swinging double doors, against
which the other door strikes.
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Back Charge
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Billings for work performed or costs incurred
by one party that, in accordance with the agreement, should have been performed
or incurred by the party to whom billed. Owners bill back charges to general
contractors, and general contractor’s bill back charges to subcontractors.
Examples of back charges include charges for cleanup work or to repair
something damaged by another subcontractor, such as a tub chip or broken
window.
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Backfill
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The replacement of excavated earth into a trench around or against a
basement /crawl space foundation wall.
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Backing
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Frame lumber installed between the wall studs to give additional
support for drywall or an interior trim related item, such as handrail
brackets, cabinets, and towel bars. In this way, items are screwed and mounted
into solid wood rather than weak drywall that may allow the item to break loose
from the wall. Carpet backing holds the pile fabric in place.
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Balusters
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Vertical members in a railing used between a top rail and bottom rail
or the stair treads. Sometimes referred to as 'pickets' or 'spindles'.
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Balustrade
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The rail, posts and vertical balusters along the edge of a stairway or
elevated walkway.
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Base or Baseboard
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A trim board placed against the wall around the room next to the
floor.
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Base Shoe
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Molding used next to the floor on interior base board. Sometimes
called a carpet strip.
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Batt
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A section of fiber glass or rock wool insulation measuring 15 or 23
inches wide by four to eight feet long and various thicknesses. Sometimes
"faced" (meaning to have a paper covering on one side) or "unfaced" (without
paper).
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Batten
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Narrow strips of wood used to cover joints or as decorative vertical
members over plywood or wide boards.
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Bi-fold Door
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Doors that are hinged in the middle for opening in a smaller area than
standard swing doors. Often used for closet doors.
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Bypass Doors
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Doors that slide by each other and commonly used as closet doors.
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Blocking
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Small wood pieces to brace framing members or to provide a nailing
base for gypsum board or paneling.
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Block Out
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To install a box or barrier within a foundation wall to prevent the
concrete from entering an area. For example, foundation walls are sometimes
"blocked" in order for mechanical pipes to pass through the wall, to install a
crawl space door, and to depress the concrete at a garage door location.
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Blow Insulation
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Fiber insulation in loose form and used to insulate attics and
existing walls where framing members are not exposed.
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Board Foot
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A unit of measure for lumber equal to 1 inch thick by 12 inches wide
by 12 inches long. Examples: 1" x 12" x 16' = 16 board feet, 2" x 12" x 16' =
32 board feet.
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Boom
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A truck used to hoist heavy material up and into place. To put trusses
on a home or to set a heavy beam into place.
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Bottom Chord
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The lower or bottom horizontal member of a truss.
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Builder's Risk Insurance
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Insurance coverage on a construction project during construction,
including extended coverage that may be added for the contract for the
customer's protections.
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CO
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An abbreviation for "Certificate of Occupancy". This certificate is
issued by the local municipality and is required before anyone can occupy and
live within the home. It is issued only after the local municipality has made
all inspections and all monies and fees have been paid.
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Casement Window
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A window with hinges on one of the vertical sides and swings open like
a normal door.
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Casing
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Wood trim molding installed around a door or window opening.
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Ceramic Tile
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A man made or machine made clay tile used to finish a floor or wall.
Generally used in bathtub and shower enclosures and on counter tops.
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Chair Rail
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Interior trim material installed about 3 4 feet up the wall,
horizontally.
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Change Order
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A written document which modifies the plans and specifications and/or
the price of the construction Contract.
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Conditions, Covenants, and Restrictions (CC and Rs)
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The standards that define how a property may be used and the
protections the developer makes for the benefit of all owners in a subdivision.
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Crown Molding
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A molding used on cornice or wherever an interior angle is to be
covered, especially at the roof and wall corner.
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Double Hung Window
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A window with two vertically sliding sashes, both of which can move up
and down.
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Draw
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The amount of progress billings on a contract that is currently
available to a contractor under a contract with a fixed payment schedule.
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Drywall (or Gypsum Wallboard (GWB), Sheetrock or Plasterboard)
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Wall board or gypsum A manufactured panel made out of gypsum plaster
and encased in a thin cardboard. Usually 1/2" thick and 4' x 8' or 4' x 12' in
size. The panels are nailed or screwed onto the framing and the joints are
taped and covered with a 'joint compound'. 'Green board' type drywall has a
greater resistance to moisture than regular (white) plasterboard and is used in
bathrooms and other "wet areas".
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Elevation Sheet
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The page on the blue prints that depicts the house or room as if a
vertical plane were passed through the structure.
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Exposed Aggregate Finish
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A method of finishing concrete which washes the cement/sand mixture
off the top layer of the aggregate usually gravel. Often used in driveways,
patios and other exterior surfaces.
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Fascia
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Horizontal boards attached to rafter/truss ends at the eaves and along
gables. Roof drain gutters are attached to the fascia.
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Fixed Price Contract
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A contract with a set price for the work. See Time and Materials
Contract.
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Flashing
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Sheet metal or other material used in roof and wall construction to
protect a building from water seepage.
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Flatwork
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Common word for concrete floors, driveways, basements, and sidewalks.
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Footer, Footing
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Continuous 8" or 10" thick concrete pad installed before and supports
the foundation wall or monopost.
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Forced Air Heating
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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.
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Glued Laminated Beam (Glulam)
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A structural beam composed of wood laminations or lams. The lams are
pressure bonded with adhesives to attain a typical thickness of 1 ½" . (It
looks like 5 or more 2 X 4's are glued together).
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Grout
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A wet mixture of cement, sand and water that flows into masonry or
ceramic crevices to seal the cracks between the different pieces. Mortar made
of such consistency (by adding water) that it will flow into the joints and
cavities of the masonry work and fill them solid.
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Hip Roof
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A roof that rises by inclined planes from all four sides of a
building.
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Hose Bib
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An exterior water faucet (sill cock).
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H V A C
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An abbreviation for Heat, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning.
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I-Joist
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Manufactured structural building component resembling the letter "I".
Used as floor joists and rafters. I-joists include two key parts: flanges and
webs. The flange of the I joist may be made of laminated veneer lumber or
dimensional lumber, usually formed into a 1 ½" width. The web or center of the
I rafters I joists is commonly made of plywood or oriented strand board (OSB).
Large holes can be cut in the web to accommodate duct work and plumbing waste
lines. I joists are available in lengths up to 60 feet long.
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Jamb
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The side and head lining of a doorway, window, or other opening.
Includes studs as well as the frame and trim.
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Laminated Shingles
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Shingles that have added dimensionality because of extra layers or
tabs, giving a shake like appearance. May also be called "architectural
shingles" or "three dimensional shingles."
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Millwork
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Generally all building materials made of finished wood and
manufactured in millwork plants. Includes all doors, window and door frames,
blinds, mantels, panelwork, stairway components (ballusters, rail, etc.),
moldings, and interior trim. Does not include flooring, ceiling, or siding.
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Molding
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A wood strip having an engraved, decorative surface.
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Mullion
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A vertical divider in the frame between windows, doors, or other
openings.
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Newel Post
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The large starting post to which the end of a stair guard railing or
balustrade is fastened.
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Oriented StrandBoard or OSB
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A manufactured 4' X 8' wood panel made out of 1" 2" wood chips
and glue. Often used as a substitute for plywood.
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Particle Board
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Plywood substitute made of course sawdust that is mixed with resin and
pressed into sheets. Used for closet shelving, floor underlayment, stair
treads, etc.
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Partition
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A wall that subdivides spaces within any story of a building or room.
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Paver, Paving
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Materials—commonly masonry—laid down to make a firm, even surface.
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Percolation Test or PERC Test
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Tests that a soil engineer performs on earth to determine the
feasibility of installing a leech field type sewer system on a lot. A test to
determine if the soil on a proposed building lot is capable of absorbing the
liquid affluent from a septic system.
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Plenum
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The hot air supply duct leading from a furnace.
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Plywood
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A panel (normally 4' X 8') of wood made of three or more layers of
veneer, compressed and joined with glue, and usually laid with the grain of
adjoining plies at right angles to give the sheet strength.
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Post and Beam
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A basic building method that uses just a few hefty posts and beams to
support an entire structure. Contrasts with stud framing.
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P-Trap
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Curved, "U" section of drain pipe that holds a water seal to prevent
sewer gasses from entering the home through a fixtures water drain.
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Punch List
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A list of discrepancies that need to be corrected by the contractor.
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PVC or CPVC
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Poly Vinyl Chloride A type of white or light gray plastic pipe
sometimes used for water supply lines and waste pipe.
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Register
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A grill placed over a heating duct or cold air return.
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Roof Sheathing or Sheeting
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The wood panels or sheet material fastened to the roof rafters or
trusses on which the shingle or other roof covering is laid.
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Rough Opening
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The horizontal and vertical measurement of a window or door opening
before drywall or siding is installed.
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R-Value
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A measure of insulation. A measure of a materials resistance to the
passage of heat. The higher the R value, the more insulating "power" it has.
For example, typical new home's walls are usually insulated with 4" of batt
insulation with an R value of R 13, and a ceiling insulation of R 30.
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Scribing
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Cutting and fitting woodwork to an irregular surface.
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Septic System
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An on site waste water treatment system. It usually has a septic tank
which promotes the biological digestion of the waste, and a drain field which
is designed to let the left over liquid soak into the ground. Septic systems
and permits are usually sized by the number of bedrooms in a house.
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Sheathing, Sheeting
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The structural wood panel covering, usually OSB or plywood, used over
studs, floor joists or rafters/trusses of a structure.
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Sheetrock Drywall, Wallboard, or Gypsum
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A manufactured panel made out of gypsum plaster and encased in a thin
cardboard. Usually 1/2" thick and 4' x 8' or 4' x 12' in size. The 'joint
compound'. 'Green board' type drywall has a greater resistance to moisture than
regular (white) plasterboard and is used in bathrooms and other "wet areas".
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Siding, (Lap Siding)
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Slightly wedge shaped boards used as horizontal siding in a lapped
pattern over the exterior sheathing. Varies in butt thickness from ½ to ¾ inch
and in widths up to 12".
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Soffit
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The area below the eaves and overhangs. The underside where the roof
overhangs the walls. Usually the underside of an overhanging cornice.
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Sonotube
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Round, large cardboard tubes designed to hold wet concrete in place
until it hardens.
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Specifications or Specs
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A narrative list of materials, methods, model numbers, colors,
allowances, and other details which supplement the information contained in the
blue prints. Written elaboration in specific detail about construction
materials and methods. Written to supplement working drawings.
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Strike
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The plate on a door frame that engages a latch or dead bolt.
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Subfloor
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The framing components of a floor to include the sill plate, floor
joists, and deck sheeting over which a finish floor is to be laid.
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T&G, Tongue and Groove
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A joint made by a tongue (a rib on one edge of a board) that fits into
a corresponding groove in the edge of another board to make a tight flush
joint. Typically, the subfloor plywood is T&G.
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TJI or TJ
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Manufactured structural building component resembling the letter "I".
Used as floor joists and rafters. I joist is commonly made of plywood or
oriented strand board (OSB). Large holes can be cut in the web to accommodate
duct work and plumbing waste lines. I joists include two key parts: flanges and
webs. The flange or from of the I joist may be made of laminated veneer lumber
or dimensional lumber, usually formed into a 1 ½" width. The web or center of
the I- joists are available in lengths up to 60'' long.
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Truss
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An engineered and manufactured roof support member with "zig-zag"
framing members. Does the same job as a rafter but is designed to have a longer
span than a rafter.
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Underlayment
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A ¼" material placed over the subfloor plywood sheeting and under
finish coverings, such as vinyl flooring, to provide a smooth, even surface.
Also a secondary roofing layer that is waterproof or water resistant installed
on the roof deck and beneath shingles or other roof finishing layer.
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Vapor Barrier
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A building product installed on exterior walls and ceilings under the
drywall and on the warm side of the insulation. It is used to retard the
movement of water vapor into walls and prevent condensation within them.
Normally, polyethylene plastic sheeting is used.
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Warranty
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In construction there are two general types of warranties. One is
provided by the manufacturer of a product such as roofing material or an
appliance. The second is a warranty for the labor. For example, a roofing
contract may include a 20 year material warranty and a 5 year labor warranty.
Many new homebuilders provide a one year warranty. Any major issue found during
the first year should be communicated to the builder immediately. Small items
can be saved up and presented to the builder for correction periodically
through the first year after closing.
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Wonderboard™
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A panel made out of concrete and fiberglass usually used as a ceramic
tile backing material. Commonly used on bathtub decks.
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Yard of Concrete
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One cubic yard of concrete is 3' X 3' X 3' in volume, or 27 cubic
feet. One cubic yard of concrete will pour 80 square feet of 3 ½"
sidewalk or basement/garage floor.
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