Glossary

Casing .......................................

The decorative trim around a door or window.

Clapboard ................................ 

A style of siding designed as a thin narrow board that is thicker at one edge than the other.

Codes ........................................

Rules and regulations for building, construction, plumbing, electric, and HVAC enforced by the city and county the house is located in.

Condensation ..........................

When the air inside an enclosure is warmer than the air outside the enclosure, the moisture vapor in the interior air will condense, creating small water droplets at the intersection of dissimilar materials (aluminum and gaskets).

Continuous Air Spacer ......... 

An air spacer within an insulating glass unit (IGU) that does not use corner keys to hold the spacer together, thereby eliminating the corner joint, the largest cause of seal failure.

Desiccant ..................................

A porous crystalline substance used to absorb moisture and/or sealant solvents from within the sealed air space of an insulating glass unit (IGU).

Dutchlap ....................................

A style of siding similar to clapboard but with a beveled edge that creates a dimensional effect.

Eaves .........................................

The lower edge of a roof, usually projecting over the side of the house.

Egress Window .......................

A window with specific release hardware and minimum clear opening size to allow occupants to escape through the window in case of a fire.

Extrusion ..................................

The finished form after pushing aluminum or vinyl through the die.

Fascia ........................................

A flat, horizontal member of a building in the shape of a band, used as molding or joint covering.

Flashing ....................................

Sheet(s) of metal or other material used to weatherproof critical joints and edges; often used at the angle between a chimney and a roof.

Frieze .........................................

The horizontal piece connecting the top of siding with the soffit.

Gable .........................................

The vertical, triangular portion of a roof, extending from the eaves up the ridge of the roof.  The triangular wall at the end of a roof structure.

Glazing ......................................

The process of installing glass or panels into the sash or frame of the window.

Heat Mirror™ by Traco ..........

A triple-ply insulating glass unit (IGU) utilizing a polyester internal film with a special coating to reflect heat, but allows light to pass through. Heat Mirror is a trademark of Southwall Technologies Inc.

Hip ...............................................

The point where 2 inclined roof planes meet at an outside corner.

Hung Window ..........................

A window in which the operating sash move up and down within the master frame. The weight of each operating sash is counterbalanced with balances to permit easy operation.

Insulating Glass Unit (IGU) ...

Two pieces of glass spaced apart and hermetically sealed to form a unit with an air space between. Heat transmission through this type of glass may be as low as half that without such an air space.

Interlock ....................................

A design feature which enables sash to engage one another when closed.

Jamb .........................................

The vertical member of a window frame.

Joist ...........................................

Horizontal structural member that sits on top of the beam and supports the subfloor.

Kiln Dried .................................

Process of drying lumber to stabilize it from warping and twisting.

Knot ...........................................

The portion of a branch or limb of a tree that appears as a hard, brittle circle on the edge or face of a piece of lumber.

Krypton .....................................

An inert, nontoxic gas used in insulating windows to reduce heat transfer. Has a higher R value than Argon.

LVL ............................................

Laminated Veneer Lumber; thin layers of wood which are glued together to form a strong beam. Comes in many different sizes depending on the application. Easier to work with than steel beams.

Laminated Glass ....................

Two or more lites of glass bonded together with a plastic inner layer. A typical application is a car’s windshield.

Level ..........................................

Term used to describe a horizontal surface or member as being perfectly flat so that a marble would not roll in any direction.

Lintel .........................................

Piece of angled metal or concrete used above a window or door opening to carry brick and block above the opening on the exterior of a house.

Lite .............................................

A single or monolithic glass pane.

Low E Glass ............................

A transparent coating applied to a glass surface to separate long wave (heat) energy and short wave (light) energy. The long wave is reflected back to the heat source. The short wave is allowed to pass through the coating.

Mantel .......................................

The shelf above a fireplace.

Moisture Content ...................

Weight of water contained in wood, usually expressed as a percentage of the weight of kiln-dried wood. Ideal moisture content is around 10 to 12%. This can be achieved with a humidity level of 40 to 45%.

Mullion .....................................

A vertical bar or divider in the frame between multiple windows, or doors.

Muntin ......................................

The horizontal and vertical molding in a pane of glass to produce a grid look. Custom muntins are available for most window units.

Natural Finish .........................

A transparent finish which seals and protects natural wood without vastly changing the color.

Non-Bearing Wall ..................

A wall which only supports its own weight. No other loads.

Nosing ......................................

The projecting edge of a molding. Usually referring to the projecting edge of a stair tread.

OSB ...........................................

Oriented Strand Board; thin chips of wood glued together to form 4’x8’ sheets. Comes in different thicknesses to be used as subfloor or sheathing.

Obscure Glass ........................

Mainly used for decoration, diffusion, or privacy. The pattern is rolled into the hot glass during glass manufacturing.

Oriel Window ...........................

A window with unequal sash.

Pier ............................................

A column or post used to support other structural members such as beams.

Pitch  .........................................

The slope of a roof or the ratio of the total rise to the total run of a roof. A 5/12 pitch roof means the roof rises 5 inches for every 12 inches of horizontal run.

Plumb .......................................

Term used to describe a vertical surface or member as being exactly perpendicular.

Plumbing Vent  .......................

Pipe protruding through the roof which is attached to the waste lines in the house. Allows for sewer gases to escape and also allows for air to enter to keep the water flowing freely down the waste lines.

Plywood ...................................

A sheet of wood usually 4’x8’ made of three or more layers of veneer joined with glue, and laid with the grain of adjacent plies at right angles so the grains cross. An odd number of plies are used to provide balanced and stable construction.

Primer .......................................

The 1st coat of paint used to seal raw wood or drywall. Usually a specialized material is used to create the best bond with the finished coats.

Quality .......................................

Used to describe the type of materials and workmanship on a job. Ranges from poor quality to good quality to CarterWorx quality.

Quarter Round ........................

Small molding that looks like ¼ of a circle. Usually found where the floor and baseboard meet.

R-Value .....................................

The insulating properties of a material as measured by resistance to the flow of energy from inside a house to the outside. Higher numbers indicate better insulation. As a measurement of heat resistance, R- value = the number 1 divided by the U-value.

Rafter .........................................

Framing lumber set on angles that make up the structure of your roof. Cut on site and allows for unobstructed space in the attic.

Rake ..........................................

Trim that runs parallel to the roof slope to form the finish between the wall and a gable roof extension.

SPF ............................................

Spruce, Pine, Fir; this is a grade of construction lumber used for rough framing which can be cut from any of these 3 species of wood.

Sash ..........................................

The operating portion of a hung or horizontal sliding window.

Shake .......................................

A shingle split from a log, usually three to four feet long.

Sill .............................................

The lower horizontal member of a window frame.

Soffit .........................................

The horizontal underside of a part of the house, such as a ceiling, eave or roof overhang. Soffits are used to decorate and protect these parts of the house; they should be designed with ventilation to prevent damage from moisture and condensation.

Solid Core Siding ..................

A siding panel that is fused with a backing of contoured insulation to reduce energy loss and help straighten imperfect walls.

Subfloor ...................................

Material used on top of joists to close in the floor space. Usually 3/4x4’x8’ plywood or OSB and should be tongue and groove to keep the edges from flexing.

TJI ..............................................

This is actually a product name from the Trus Joist Company. It has become the common reference when referring to engineered floor joists. The “I” stands for I-joists. Commonly used in todays new homes for long floor or roof spans without center support.

Tempered Glass .....................

Glass that has first been cut to size, then heated to a very high temperature and then rapidly brought back to room temperature. It will withstand severe punishment from a blunt object; however, any pointed object will break the glass instantly and the glass will crumble into many, very small pieces. Typical applications include a car’s side and back windows, sliding glass doors, and entrance doors.

Thermal Break ........................

An element of low conductivity (polyurethane) placed between elements of higher conductivity (aluminum) to reduce the flow of heat and cold.

Tilt Window .............................

A hung window in which the lower sash is removed by raising the sash 4", releasing the tilt releases while supporting the sash weight, and releasing the sash pivot bars to remove the sash from the master frame. The top sash removal is similar. A tilt window cannot be a side load window.

Truss .........................................

Small framing lumber such as 2x4’s and 2x6’s; engineered and fabricated in triangular configurations to make up the roof structure on a house. The benefit over rafters is a quicker install and longer spans without center support.

U-Value ....................................

A measurement of heat transmission. The U value of a window is measured by the number of BTU's that will pass through each square foot of area per degree of temperature difference from one side of the window to the other (the lower, the better). U-value = the number 1 divided by the R-value.

United Inches (UI) .................

The sum total of one window width and one window height expressed in inches.

Valley ........................................

The point where 2 inclined roof planes meet at an inside corner.

Vent ..........................................

Usually associated with forced air heating and air conditioning systems. The vent covers the opening in the supply and return ducts at the wall junction. The supply vent is adjustable and the return vent is fixed.

Vinyl Siding ............................

Manmade material extruded to form interlocking planks. The best quality vinyl siding is made from pure vinyl – no fillers.

Wainscoting ...........................

Vertical paneling with a bead detail; also commonly used on porch ceilings.

Xenon .......................................

A colorless, odorless gas used in small light bulbs to produce an extremely bright light. Usually used for accent lighting such as under cabinet lights.

Yard ...........................................

Measurement for carpet, vinyl sheet flooring, and concrete. Carpet and sheet flooring measurement is a square yard which is a 3’x3’ area or 9 square feet. Concrete measurement is a cubic yard which is a 3’x3’x3’ area which is 27 cubic feet.

Yoke ..........................................

Curved copper pipes that the water meter is mounted to. This is located either in the house near the point of entry or in a small pit in the front yard.

Z-bar ..........................................

Metal flashing bent onto a “Z” shape, usually located above exterior window or door trim to protect the house from water infiltration.

Zone ..........................................

Usually referring to 1 heating system supplying heat to multiple areas (zones), each on their own thermostat and calling for heat at different times.

Zoning .......................................

Local government designation on how a property can be used including the type of buildings allowed and placement of structures.