C and D
 

Calcium Carbonate or Efflorescence - A white chalky material which is very often found in concrete basement walls and other concrete surfaces where water has leached some of the chemicals out of the concrete. Usually a sign of past or present moisture penetrations.

Cantilever - A beam or beams projecting beyond a support member.

Casement Window - A window with hinges on one of the vertical sides and swings open like a normal door (see diagram).

Casing - Trim work around a door, window, or other opening.

Caulking - A flexible material used to seal a gap between two surfaces e.g. between pieces of siding or the corners in tub walls.

Ceiling joist - One of a series of parallel framing members used to support ceiling loads and supported in turn by larger beams, girders or bearing walls.

Cement - A powder that serves as the binding element in concrete and mortar. Also, any adhesive.

Ceramic tile - A man-made or machine-made clay tile used to finish a floor or wall.

CFM (cubic feet per minute). A rating that expresses the amount of air a blower or fan can move.

Chalking - The tendency of some exterior paints to gradually erode away over a period of time.

Change order - A written document which modifies the plans and specifications and/or the price of the construction Contract.

Chip board - see Oriented Strand Board

Circuit breaker - A protective switch that automatically shuts off current in the event of a short or overload. Also see fuse, short circuit.

Class "A" - Optimum fire rating issued by Underwriter's Laboratories on roofing. The building code in some areas requires this type of roofing for fire safety.

Class "C" - Minimum fire rating issued by the Underwriters' Laboratories for roofing materials.

Clerestory - A vertical window located on a flat or pitched roof.

Cogeneration - The simultaneous production of heat and electricity in one system.

Collector - A glazed device, wall or window that captures sunlight for the purpose of providing space heat and domestic hot water.

Combustion chamber - The part of a boiler, furnace or woodstove where the burn occurs; normally lined with firebrick or molded or sprayed insulation; heat exchanger, which transfers heat to the air, water or steam distribution system, forms part of its walls.

Combustion efficiency - A measurable number that indicates the percentage of energy content in a fuel that is converted to heat; number is measured when heater is running in a stable, steady state.

Compression web - A member of a truss which connects the bottom and top chords and provides downward support.

Compressor - A mechanical device that pressurizes a gas in order to turn it into a liquid, thereby allowing heat to be removed or added; compressor is main component of conventional heat pumps and air conditioners.

Concrete - A basic building and paving material made by mixing water with sand, gravel, and cement often used for foundations, ground level floors, and sidewalks. Most concrete is made out of (1) Portland cement, (2) sand, and (3) gravel or aggregate. It is commonly reinforced with steel rods (rebar) or wire screening (mesh).

Concrete block - A hollow concrete 'brick' often 8" x 8" x 16" in size. Often used in low rise commercial and some residential construction.

Concrete board or Wonderboard - A panel made out of concrete and fiberglass usually used as a tile backing material.

Condensing unit - The outdoor segment of a cooling system. It includes a compressor and

condensing coil designed to give off heat. Also see evaporator coil.

Conduction - The direct transfer of heat energy through a material.

Conductivity - The rate at which heat is transmitted through a material.

Conduit - A metal tube used to run, house or contain electrical wire.

Contractor - A company licensed to perform certain types of construction activities. In most states, the generals contractor's license and some specialty contractor's licenses don't require of compliance with bonding, workmen's compensation and similar regulations. Some of the specialty contractor licenses involve extensive training, testing and/or insurance requirements. There are various types of contractors:

Convection - Currents created by heating air, which then rises and pulls cooler air behind it. Also see radiation.

Cooling load - The amount of cooling required to keep a building at a specified temperature during the summer, usually 78·F, regardless of outside temperature.

Cooling season - That time period each year during which a building needs to be cooled.

COP (coefficient of performance) - A measure of the efficiency of any heating unit— arrived at by dividing its output in BTUs by its input in BTUs.

Coping - A cap at the top of a wall that's rounded or beveled to shed water. Also, a curved cut made so that one contoured molding can join neatly with another.

Cord - 128 cubic feet of firewood. It is usually a stack eight feet long, four feet wide and four feet high.

Corner bead - Lightweight, perforated metal angle used to reinforce outside corners in drywall construction.

Corner assembly - The framing members used to change direction in an interior-exterior wall.

Corner brace - Diagonal supports set into studs to reinforce the area where a wall changes direction in a frame structure. In many areas plywood is used.

Cornice - The projection from a building that crowns or finishes the edge. Horizontal projection at the top of exterior wall which finishes the eaves of a building.

Courses - Parallel layers of building materials such as bricks, shingles, or siding laid up horizontally.

Cove - A concave curve where vertical and horizontal surfaces join.

Crawl space - Space between floor and ground of a house or building.

Cripples - Short studs above or below a door or window opening.

Crown - Paving slightly humped so that water will run off. Also a contoured molding sometimes installed at the junctures of walls and ceilings.

Cupping - A type of warping that causes boards to curl up at their edges.

Cut-in velocity - The wind speed at which a wind machine (usually a horizontal axis machine) begins to turn and generate electricity.

Cut-out velocity - The wind speed at which a wind machine stops turning in order to protect against blade damage and generator burn-out.

Dado - A groove cut into a board or panel intended to receive the edge of a connecting board or panel.

Damper - A valve inside a duct or flue that can be used to slow or stop the flow of air or smoke.

Damp-proofing - The coating applied to the exterior of a foundation wall with a waterproofing material such as foundation coating.

Dead band control - A control subsystem on a thermostat that allows the heating or cooling system to remain on until room temperatures exceed the set temperature by several degrees.

Degree-day (DD) - A measure of climatic severity used to estimate heating or cooling energy consumption; for heating, if average outdoor temperature for a day is 10· below 65·F (or 55·F), the day has 10 heating degree-days.

De-humidistat - A control mechanism used to operate a mechanical ventilation system based upon the relative humidity in the home.

Delta T - The difference between two temperatures.

Design-day heat load - The total heat load of a structure under the most severe conditions (temperature and wind) likely to occur; estimates of these conditions generally based on 30 years of weather records and quote a figure which will be exceeded only 1 percent of the time.

Design temperature - The most severe temperature likely in a given location.

Designer - One who designs houses, interiors, landscaping or other objects. When used it the context of residential construction it usually suggests that a designer is not a licensed architect. Most jurisdictions don't require an architectural license for most single family construction.

Direct-gain system - A passive solar heating system in which the collector is a window opening into the living space.

Distribution efficiency - The efficiency with which a heating system provides heat to a building.

District heating - Heating of buildings by hot water or steam produced at a central boiler and distributed through a network of pipes.

Double hung window - A window with two vertically sliding sashes. This is a very common older window design, was usually made out of wood and tends to require frequent repairs.

Dead bolt - A locking device that can be activated only with a key or thumb turn. Unlike a latch, which has a beveled tongue, dead bolts have square ends.

Decking - The material installed over the supporting framing members to which the roofing material is applied.

Directional Light - Light intensity at the center of the beam. Used for flood and spot light bulbs types.

Do-it-yourself (DIY) - The process of doing any project by oneself. Some may traditionally have been contracted out to a professional or in the case of a klutz done by one's spouse or father-in-law. If necessity is the mother of invention it is also the father of DIY.

Dormer - A small pitched structure projecting from a roof, usually with a vertical window.

Double cylinder - A type of lock that must be operated with a key from inside as well as outside.

Double-hung window - A window that has a top sash and bottom sash, both of which move up and down.

Double-pane window - Two panes of glass sealed at the edges to create dead air space. The sealed air acts as an insulator.

Downsizing - Measures taken to reduce a heating system's capacity to make it more compatible with a building's heating requirements; often done following major weatherization.

Drain-back - An active liquid solar system that empties the collectors and pipes, storing the liquid in a reservoir; system avoids freeze-up problems.

Drain-down - Similar to drain-back systems, except the liquid is thrown away (to the house drains) each time the collectors are emptied.

Drain tile - A perforated, corrugated plastic pipe laid at the bottom of the foundation wall used to drain excess water away from the foundation. It prevents water from seeping through the foundation wall.

Drying in - The construction process generally considered to be from the foundation plate up through the application of exterior finish materials.

Dry rot - see Fungal wood rot

Drywall or Gypsum Wallboard (GWB) or Sheet rock or Plasterboard - A wall finish consisting of a manufactured panel made out of gypsum plaster and encased in a thin cardboard. Usually +" 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.

Dry wall - A masonry wall laid up without mortar.

Drywall - A basic interior building material consisting of big sheets of pressed gypsum faced with heavy paper on both sides. Also known as gypsum board, plasterboard, and Sheetrock (a trade name).

Duct - A tunnel made of galvanized metal or rigid fiberglass, which carries air from the heater or ventilation opening to the rooms in a building.

DWV (drain-waste-vent) - The section of a plumbing system that carries water and sewer gases out of a home.

E and F
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 and thus causing a gas leak.

Easement - A formal contract which allows a party to use another party's property for a specific purpose. e.g. A sewer easement might allow one party to run a sewer line through a neighbors property.

Eave - The projecting overhang at the lower edge of a roof.

EER (energy efficiency ratio) - A measure of cooling efficiency computer by dividing a cooling unit's output in BTUs by its input in watts.

Efflorescence - A whitish powder sometimes exuded by the mortar joints in masonry work. It's caused by salts rising to the surface.

Elbow (ell) - A plumbing or electrical fitting that lets you change directions in runs of pipe or conduit.

Electric resistance coils - Metal wires that heat up when electric current passes through them and are used in baseboard heaters and electric water heaters.

Electrical entrance package - The entry point of the electrical power including: (1) the 'strike' or location where the overhead electrical lines connect to the house, (2) The meter which measures how much power is used and (3) The 'panel', 'circuit breaker box 'or 'fuse box' where the power can be shut off and overload devices such a fuses or circuit breakers and located.

Emissivity - The efficiency with which a body or material warmer than its surroundings emits radiation.

Energy dissipation basin - A pit or ditch sometimes filled with gravel which is used to collect storm water. Water in the ditch soaks into the ground slowly thus preventing soil eroding runoff and flooding.

Estimating - The process of calculating the cost of a project. This can be a formal and exact process or a quick and imprecise process.

Exposed aggregate - A method of finishing concrete which washes the cement/sand mixture of the top layer of the aggregate - usually gravel. Often used in driveways, patios and other exterior surfaces.

Eutectic salts - A phase-change material.

Evaporator coil - The part of a cooling system that absorbs heat from air in your home. Also see condensing unit.

Expansion joint - Flexible material between two surfaces that enables joints to ride out differing rates of expansion and contraction.

Facing brick - The brick used and exposed on the outside of a wall. Usually these have a finished texture.

Fascia board - Horizontal trim attached to the outside ends of rafters or to the top of an exterior wall.

Felt - Highly absorbent fiber material saturated and impregnated with asphalt and used as backing for rock surfaced roofing materials. Made from organic, asbestos or glass fibers to result in a strong, absorbent and flexible product.

Female Any part, such as a nut or fitting, into which another (male) part can be inserted. Internal threads are female.

Finger joint - A manufacturing process of interlocking two shorter pieces of wood end to end to create a longer piece of dimensional lumber or molding. Often used in jambs and casings.

Finish roof - Shingles, asphalt, etc. used to cover the exterior of a roof.

Fire brick - Brick made of refractory ceramic material which will resist high temperatures. Used in a fireplace.

Fire blocking. Short horizontal members sometimes nailed between studs, usually about halfway up a wall.

Firebrick - Highly heat-resistant brick for lining fireplaces and boilers.

Fixed price contract - A contract with a set price for the work. See Time and Materials Contract.

Flame retention burner - An oil burner, designed to hold the flame near the nozzle surface; generally the most efficient type for residential use.

Flashing - The building component used to connect portions of a roof, deck, or siding material to another surface such as a chimney, wall, or vent pipe. Often made out of various metals, rubber or tar and is mostly intended to prevent water entry.

Floating - The next-to-last stage in concrete work, when you smooth off the job and bring water to the surface.

Floor girder (girder) - A horizontal beam supporting the floor joists.

Floor joist - One of a series of parallel framing members used to support floor loads and supported in turn by larger beams, girders, bearing walls or foundation.

Flue - A pipe or other channel that carries off smoke and combustion gasses to the outside air.

Flue damper - An automatic door located in the flue that closes it off when the burner turns off; purpose is to reduce heat loss up the flue from the still-warm furnace or boiler.

Fluorescent lamp - A light source that instead of "burning" as incandescent bulbs do, uses an ionization process to produce ultraviolet radiation. This turns into visible light when it hits a coating on the tube's inner surface.

Footing - The base on which a masonry wall rests. It spreads out the load to prevent settling.

Forced-air heating - 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 plastic ducts to various areas of the house.

Framing - The structural wood and/or metal elements of most homes. The floor and ceiling framing is called the joist work. Wall framing is usually made out of 2" x 4" or 2" x 6" studs. See - rafters, posts, and beams.

Framing in - The construction process generally considered to be from the foundation plate up to the application of exterior finish materials.

Frost line - The depth to which the ground freezes below the surface. This varies from region to region, and determines how deep footings must be.

Fungal wood rot - A common wood destroying organism which develops when wood containing material is exposed to moisture and poor air circulation for a long (6 month +) period of time. Often and incorrectly referred to as dry rot.

Furring - Lightweight wood or metal strips that even up a wall or ceiling for paneling or drywall. On masonry, furring provides a surface on which to nail.

Fuse - A safety device designed to burn out if a circuit shorts or overloads. This protects against fire. Also see circuit breaker, short circuit.

G and H
Gable - The triangular end of an exterior wall above the eaves of a pitched roof.

Gable roof - A roof which slopes from two sides only.

Gable stud - The stud at the gable of a roof where the exterior finish is applied.

Gang nail plate - A steel plate attached to both sides at each joint of a truss.

Gate valve - A valve that lets you completely stop—but not modulate—the flow within a pipe.

Generating capacity - The total amount of electrical power that a utility can produce at any one time.

GeoBond - Fireproof 'plaster like' material: http://www.geobond.net. Used for firewalls, concrete patching and other areas where fire retardant materials are required or desired.  

Geothermal energy - Energy from hot water or steam warmed deep inside the earth's crust.

GFI or GFCI or ground fault current interrupter - A electrical device used to prevent injury from contact with electrical appliances. Required in new homes in: bathrooms, kitchen, garage, out of doors and in other locations where one might be in contact with a grounded surface and an electrical appliance. Most GFIs are located in the receptacle itself and can be identified by the presence of a 'test' and a 'reset' button.

Girder (floor girder) - A horizontal beam supporting the floor joists.

Glauber's salts - A phase-change material.

Glazing - The process of installing glass, which commonly is secured with glazier's points and glazing compound.

Globe valve - A valve that lets you adjust the flow of water to any rate between fully on and fully off. Also see gate valve.

Grade - Ground level, or the elevation at any given point.

Grain - The direction of fibers in lumber or other materials.

Ground - Refers to electricity's habit of seeking the shortest route to earth. Neutral wires carry it there in all circuits. An additional grounding wire or the sheathing of metal-clad cable or conduit—protects against shock if the neutral leg is interrupted.

Groundwater - Water from an aquifer or subsurface water source.

Grout - Thin mortar that fills the joints between tiles or other masonry.

Gypsum board - See drywall.

Hardboard - A manufactured building material made by pressing wood fibers into sheet goods.

Header - Heavier framing—usually doubled and laid on edge— at the top of a window, door, or

other opening. In masonry, a header course of bricks or stones laid on edge provides strength.

Heat capacity - The quantity of heat that a given volume of a material can hold for each unit increase in temperature, usually given in terms of Btu's per degree Fahrenheit per cubic foot.

Heat exchanger - A device, usually made of coils of pipe, that transfers heat from one medium to another; for example, from water to air or water to water.

Heat gain - Heat coming into a home from sources other than its heating/cooling system. Most gains come from the sun.

Heat loss - Heat escaping from a home usually to outside air. Heat gains and losses are expressed in Btu's per hour.

Heat of fusion - The quantity of heat released when a material freezes or absorbed when it melts (in Btu's per pound).

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

Heating load - The amount of heating required to keep a building at a specified temperature during the winter, usually 65·F, regardless of outside temperature.

Heating season - The time period during which a building needs to be heated.

HID (high intensity discharge) lamp - A lamp that operates in the same way as a fluorescent tube, but that has a bulb like incandescent lamps.

Hip roof - A roof with four sloping sides.

Hot wire - The wire that carries electrical energy to a receptacle or other device—in contrast to a neutral, which carries electricity away again. Also see ground.

Humidity - The quantity of water vapor contained in air (in pounds per pound of air).

Hybrid system - A solar system that combines both active and passive elements, for example, a passive system that contains fans or blowers to aid heat circulation.

Hydronic Heating - A heating system which uses various types of fuel to heat water which is then distributed through pipes to radiators located in various portions of the house.

Hydropower - Energy produced by water, for example, at a hydroelectric dam.

I and J
Incandescent lamp - A lamp employing an electrically charged metal filament that glows at white heat.

Indirect-gain system - A passive solar system in which the glazing is separated from the living space by a heat storage wall that may be masonry or containers of water.

Infiltration - The passage of air from indoors to outdoors and vice versa; term is usually associated with drafts from cracks, seams or holes in buildings.

Inside corner - The point at which two walls form an internal angle, as in the corner of a room.

Insolation - The amount of sunlight falling upon a surface, usually measured in Btu's per square foot per hour or Btu's per square foot per day.

Insulation - Material used in a building's walls, ceiling, floor or roof to hinder the flow of heat.

Interior finish - Any coverings that cover the interior walls of a house. Examples are drywall, paneling, etc.

Internal gains - Sources of heat within a building that are not part of the heating system, for example, people, animals, lights and appliances.

Inverter - A device that converts direct current to alternating current, either mechanically or with solid state circuitry.

IQ-Home - Home Design Website: http://www.iq-home.com

Isolated-gain system - A passive solar system in which the collector, storage and living space are all physically separated from one another.

Jack post - A type of structural support made of metal, which can be raised or lowered through a series of pins and a screw to meet the height required. Basically used as a replacement for an old supporting member in a building.

Jambs - The top and sides of a door, window, or other opening. Includes studs as well as the frame and trim.

Joint compound - A synthetic-based formula used in combination with paper tape to conceal joints between drywall panels. Also see taping.

Joists - Horizontal framing members that support a floor and/or ceiling.