Glossary of Terms

A/C- An abbreviation for air conditioner or air conditioning. A/C Condenser- The outside fan unit of the Air Conditioning system. It removes the heat from the freon gas and "turns" the gas back into a liquid and pumps the liquid back to the coil in the furnace. A/C Disconnect- The main electric..

Back Charge- 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 contractors bill back charges to subcontractors. Exampl..

CO- 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. Caisson- A 1..

Dado- A groove cut into a board or panel intended to receive the edge of a connecting board or panel. Damper- A metal "door" placed within the fireplace chimney. Normally closed when the fireplace is not in use. Dampproofing- The black, tar like waterproofing material applied to the exterior of..

Earnest Money- A sum paid to the seller to show that a potential purchaser is serious about buying. Earthquake Strap- A metal strap used to secure gas hot water heaters to the framing or foundation of a house. Intended to reduce the chances of having the water heater fall over in an earthquake a..

FHA strap- Metal straps that are used to repair a bearing wall "cut-out", and to "tie together" wall corners, splices, and bearing headers. Also, they are used to hang stairs and landings to bearing headers. Face nail- To install nails into the vertical face of a bearing header or beam. Faced c..

GF C I, or G F I- Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter- an ultra sensitive plug designed to shut off all electric current. Used in bathrooms, kitchens, exterior waterproof outlets, garage outlets, and "wet areas". Has a small reset button on the plug. Gable- The end, upper, triangular area of a home..

H Clip- Small metal clips formed like an "H" that fits at the joints of two plywood (or wafer board) sheets to stiffen the joint. Normally used on the roof sheeting. Hardware- All of the "metal" fittings that go into the home when it is near completion. For example, door knobs, towel bars, handr..

I-beam- 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 bear down on the opening. I-joist- Manufactured structural building component resembling the letter "..

J Channel- Metal edging used on drywall to give the edge a better finished appearance when a wall is not "wrapped" Generally, basement stairway walls have drywall only on the stair side. J Channel is used on the vertical edge of the last drywall sheet Jack post- A type of structural support made..

Keeper- The metal latch plate in a door frame into which a doorknob plunger latches. Keyless- A plastic or porcelain light fixture that operates by a pull string. Generally found in the basement, crawl space , and attic areas. Keyway- A slot formed and poured on a footer or in a foundation wal..

Laminated shingles - 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." Laminating- Bonding together two or more layers of materials. Landing- A platform between fl..

Male- Any part, such as a bolt, designed to fit into another (female) part. External threads are male. Mantel- The shelf above a fireplace opening. Also used in referring to the decorative trim around a fireplace opening. Manufactured wood- A wood product such as a truss, beam, gluelam, microla..

Nail inspection- An inspection made by a municipal building inspector after the drywall material is hung with nails and screws (and before taping). Natural finish- A transparent finish which does not seriously alter the original color or grain of the natural wood. Natural finishes are usually p..

O C- On Center- The measurement of spacing for studs, rafters, and joists in a building from the center of one member to the center of the next. Oakum- Loose hemp or jute fiber that's impregnated with tar or pitch and used to caulk large seams or for packing plumbing pipe joints Open hole inspe..

Padding- A material installed under carpet to add foot comfort, isolate sound, and to prolong carpet life. Pad out, pack out- To shim out or add strips of wood to a wall or ceiling in order that the finished ceiling/wall will appear correct. Paint- A combination of pigments with suitable thinner..

Quarry tile- A man-made or machine-made clay tile used to finish a floor or wall. Generally 6" X  6"  X 1/4" thick . Quarter round- A small trim molding that has the cross section of a quarter circle...

Rabbet- A rectangular longitudinal groove cut in the corner edge of a board or plank. Radiant heating- A method of heating, usually consisting of a forced hot water system with pipes placed in the floor, wall, or ceiling. Also electrically heated panels. Radiation- Energy transmitted from a hea..

Saddle- A small second roof built behind the back side of a fireplace chimney to divert water around the chimney. Also, the plate at the bottom of some—usually exterior—door openings. Sometimes called a threshold. Sack mix- The amount of Portland cement in a cubic yard of concrete mi..

T & G, tongue and groove- 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. Tab - The exposed portion of strip shingles defined by cutouts. Ta..