Home Building Glossary
Understanding home building terminology can help you be better informed in the new home building process. The follow are some common industry terms.
An abbreviation for air conditioner or air conditioning.
The outside fan unit of the air conditioning system. It removes heat from the freon gas and “turns” the gas back into a liquid and pumps the liquid back to the coil in the furnace.
The main electrical ON-OFF switch near the A/C Condenser.
A sum of money set aside in the construction contract for items which have not been selected and specified in the construction contract.
Bolts to secure a wooden sill plate to concrete, or masonry floor or wall.
A trim board that is installed beneath a window sill.
A molding, attached to one of a pair of swinging double doors, against which the other door strikes.
An opening that is placed in the drywalled ceiling of a home providing access to the attic.
The replacement of excavated earth into a trench around or against a basement /crawl space foundation wall.
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.
Vertical members in a railing used between a top rail and bottom rail or the stair treads. Sometimes referred to as ‘pickets’ or ‘spindles’.
A trim board placed against the wall around the room next to the floor.
Narrow strips of wood used to cover joints or as decorative vertical members over plywood or wide boards.
A structural member transversely supporting a load. A structural member carrying building loads (weight) from one support to another. Sometimes called a “girder”.
A point where a bearing or structural weight is concentrated and transferred to the foundation.
A wall that supports any vertical load in addition to its own weight.
Doors that are hinged in the middle for opening in a smaller area than standard swing doors. Often used for closet doors.
Fiber insulation in loose form and used to insulate attics and existing walls where framing members are not exposed.
The 2’ x 4”s or 6”s that lay on the subfloor upon which the vertical studs are installed.
This can be identified by its small metal door, usually on the side of the garage. It is a relay point that distributes power to your home. It also contains smaller sub-switches, or circuit breakers, that connect to different areas in a house.
A vertical facing of brick laid against and fastened to sheathing of a framed wall or tile wall construction.
Rounded drywall corners.
A window with hinges on one of the vertical sides and swings open like a normal door.
Wood trim molding installed around a door or window opening.
A written document which modifies the plans and specifications and/or the price of the construction contract.
A framed enclosed space around a flue pipe or a channel in a wall, or through a ceiling for something to lie in or pass through.
The path of electrical flow from a power source through an outlet and back to ground.
A device which looks like a switch and is usually located inside the electrical breaker panel or circuit breaker box. It is designed to (1) shut off the power to portions or all of the house and (2) to limit the amount of power flowing through a circuit (measured in amps).
An opening providing access to a drain line. Closed with a threaded plug.
The ductwork (and related grills) that carries room air back to the furnace for re-heating.
The outdoor component of a cooling system. It includes a compressor and condensing coil designed to give off heat.
Tooled, straight grooves made on concrete floors to “control” where the concrete should crack
This applies to horizontal decorative molding on the exterior of buildings and comes from the Italian word for “ledge.” They can be on top of walls, or over doors and windows. It can also apply to finish on siding or trim.
A metal flashing usually used on chimneys at the roofline to cover shingle flashing and used to prevent moisture entry.
A device that opens and closes to regulate airflow through chimneys, ducts, and vents.
An electrical circuit that serves only one appliance (ie, dishwasher) or a series of electric heaters or smoke detectors.
A large (generally 20 Amp) electrical ON-OFF switch.
The wooden style that the door slab will rest upon when it’s in a closed position.
This structure projects vertically from a sloping roof. It is often added to increase usable space in a loft. These pop-outs often contain a window opening.
A window with two vertically sliding sashes, both of which can move up
A pipe for carrying rainwater down from the roof’s horizontal gutters and down to the ground.
Are conduits or passages used in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) to deliver and remove air.
These apply to the right to enter or use a property by someone other than the property owner.
The horizontal exterior roof overhang.
A means of exiting the home. An egress window is required in every bedroom
Work performed by the Electrical Contractor after the plumber and heating contractor are complete with their phase of work, which involves running all the electrical wires, outlets, switches, and panels in the walls.
Work performed by the electrical contractor when the house is nearing completion. The electrician installs all plugs, switches, light fixtures, smoke detectors, appliance “pig tails”, bath ventilation fans, wires the furnace, and “makes up” the electric house panel. The electrician does all work necessary to get the home ready for and to pass the municipal electrical final inspection.
An ornamental plate that fits around a pipe extending through a wall or floor to hide the cut-out hole.
The board that runs along the side of the overhang and roof. It is also referred to as the “transition trim.”
A thin layer of water-resistant material that is installed to prevent leakage around windows, doors, the tops of foundation walls, and protrusions like chimneys.
The load-bearing portion of a home that essentially holds it in place. It is typically made of concrete and dug into the earth for stability.
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”. It also has a small reset button on the plug.
The end, upper, triangular area of a home, beneath the roof.
The trench or area in the yard where the gas line service is located, or the work of installing the gas service to a home.
A large or principal beam of wood or steel used to support concentrated loads at isolated points along its length.
Ground level, or the elevation at any given point. Also the work of leveling dirt.
A foundation wall that is poured at level with or just below the grade.
Refers to electricity’s habit of seeking the shortest route to earth.
A wet mixture of cement, sand and water that flows into masonry or ceramic crevices to seal the cracks between the different pieces.
The beam that is used in the opening of a doorway, window, or stairway. These beams support the joists on a first-floor structure.
The fireproof area directly in front of a fireplace.
The electrical cable that carries power from the main circuit breaker panel to the first electrical box, plug, or switch in the circuit.
Acronym standing for “Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning.” HVAC applies to systems used for moving air to heat and cool residential and commercial buildings. HVAC systems are also responsible for filtering and cleaning indoor air.
Any material high in resistance to heat transmission that, when placed in the walls, ceiling, or floors of a structure, and will reduce the rate of heat flow.
The side and head lining of a doorway, window, or other opening. Includes studs as well as the frame and trim.
Includes all exterior walls and any interior wall that is aligned above a support beam or girder. Normally, any wall that has a double horizontal top plate.
The joint of two pieces at an angle that bisects the joining angle. For example, the miter joint at the side and head casing at a door opening is made at a 45° angle.
An inspection made by a municipal building inspector after the drywall material is hung with nails and screws (and before taping).
A horizontal piece of building material used to span an open space from front to back or sideways. Joists not only support the floor, but they also tie the walls together for structural stability. Can be a single piece of wood or an engineered composite.
A piece of plumbing designed to prevent sewer gases from rising into homes. Its name is derived from the fact that it combines two 90-degree joints with a horizontal overflow pipe. It is the shape of a letter “P.”
Work performed by the plumbing contractor after the Rough Heat is installed. This work includes installing all plastic ABS drain and waste lines, copper water lines, bathtubs, shower pans, and gas piping to furnaces and fireplaces.
Work performed by the plumbing contractor to get the home ready for a final plumbing inspection. Includes installing all toilets (water closets), hot water heaters, sinks, connecting all gas pipe to appliances, disposal, dishwasher, and all plumbing items.
A vertical framing member usually designed to carry a beam. Often a 4″ x 4″, a 6″ x 6″.
The first, base coat of paint when a paint job consists of two or more coats. A first coating formulated to seal raw surfaces and holding succeeding finished coats.
A list of discrepancies that need to be corrected by the contractor.
A small trim molding that has the cross section of a quarter circle.
An electrical outlet.
A substance that remains a gas at low temperatures and pressure and can be used to transfer heat. Freon is an example and is used in air conditioning systems.
A structure that holds back a slope and prevents erosion.
A name brand of nonmetallic sheathed electrical cable that is used for indoor wiring.
Sleeves that fit around the black plumbing waste vent pipes at, and are nailed to, the roof sheeting.
The wood panels or sheet material fastened to the roof rafters or trusses on which the shingle or other roof covering is laid.
The horizontal and vertical measurement of a window or door opening before drywall or siding is installed.
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.
The portion of the sanitary sewer which connects the interior waste water lines to the main sewer lines. The side sewer is usually buried in several feet of soil and runs from the house to the sewer line.
A protective covering or casing used in floor, wall, and roof assemblies. It is usually made of composite wooden board or panel material and gives a home structural integrity and rigidity.
All components of a house employing sheet metal, such as flashing, gutters, and downspouts.
A situation that occurs when hot and neutral wires come in contact with each other. Fuses and circuit breakers protect against fire that could result from a short.
The finished exterior covering of the outside walls of a frame building.
A window with one vertically sliding sash or window vent.
Usually, a wood member embedded in concrete, as in a floor, that serves to support and to fasten the subfloor or flooring.
Pipe installed under the concrete driveway or sidewalk, and that will be used later to run sprinkler pipe or low voltage wire.
An architectural feature located on the underside, not base of any construction element, ie. the exposed siding underneath the roof. The word soffit is derived from French and literally means “something fixed underneath.”
A metal plate that is attached to a doorjamb. When the door shuts, the bolt extends into the strike plate’s hole, thereby securing it.
A vertical wood framing member, also referred to as a wall stud, attached to the horizontal sole plate below and the top plate above.
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.
A depression in the ground that redirects rainwater. It relies on the forces of gravity to collect the water and carry it away from a house.
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.
A device which relegates the temperature of a room or building by switching heating or cooling equipment on or off.
The bottom metal or wood plate of an exterior door frame.
The finish materials in a building, such as moldings applied around openings (window trim, door trim) or at the floor and ceiling of rooms (baseboard, cornice, and other moldings). Also, the physical work of installing interior doors and interior woodwork, to include all handrails, guardrails, stair way balustrades, mantles, light boxes, base, door casings, cabinets, countertops, shelves, window sills and aprons, etc.
The plumbing drain and waste lines that are installed beneath the foundation.
Used for resisting moisture intrusion through the wall, floor, ceiling, or roof. It is usually a plastic or foil sheet incorporated into a walls structure.
The “V” shaped area of a roof where two sloping roofs meet. Water drains off the roof at the valleys.
This valve, which is usually located in the basement or outside in a utility area, allows the water supply to be shut off to a home.
Small openings that let water drain from within a wall assembly. They are necessary to allow air circulation and permit moisture to escape from behind the veneer.
The stationary part of a window unit; window sash fits into the window frame.
The operating or movable part of a window; the sash is made of window panes and their border.
Home Buying Glossary
As you start shopping for a new home, you may encounter some new terms. So, we created this handy glossary to help you move through the home buying process.