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Common Terms Used in the World of Remodeling
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Air Duct
A pipe or tube that is used to carry warm or cold air to and from a heating or air conditioning system or for ventilation purposes.
Awning Window
A window that has a single sash that is hinged at the top of the window, giving the window the effect of an awning.
Baseboard
A horizontal board that runs along at the joint between a wall and a floor to cover any gaps.
Batt
Insulation in the form of a solid unit, usually shaped to fit in between the studs of a framed wall.
Bearing Wall
A wall that supports a vertical load in a structure other than its own weight.
Bib (Bibcock)
A water faucet with a bent down nozzle to which a garden hose may be attached (also called a hose bib), usually on the exterior of the building.
Butt Joint
The square joining point of two pieces of material.
Casing
The framework that surrounds a door or window.
Chair Rail
A horizontal piece of molding that runs along a wall around a room at a height to protect the wall from the backs of chairs.
Chamfered Edge
A beveled edge formed at the right angle of a surface, typically at a 45 degree angle giving the edge a decorative look.
Chase
A typically vertical recess on the inside of a wall that accommodates plumbing, heating or other pipes.
Cistern
A reservoir to capture and store rain water.
Cove Lighting
Hidden light sources that direct their light on a ceiling from behind a cornice or horizontal recess.
Crawl Space
The area between the floor and the ground under the bottom floor of a house that has no basement that is used to access utilities that run below the house.
Double Glazing
A window pane formed of two pieces of glass with an area of sealed air space between them to insulate against heat passage.
Dry Wall
An interior wall surface that is constructed of a material other than plaster, typically gypsum wallboard.
Eaves
The section of the roof that extends beyond the exterior walls of a house.
Efflorescence
The salts (white powder substance) that forms on the surface of brick or masonry (also called saltpetering).
GFCI Receptacle
Means Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. Safeguards against a ground fault, which occurs when a person comes into contact with live electrical wiring.
Jamb
The exposed surfaces that line an opening for a door or window, including the vertical frames of a door or window.
Lath
A thin strip of wood used as the foundation or key for plastering, tiling or slating.
Load-Bearing Wall
A wall capable of supporting its own weight as well as the weight of other objects and forces.
Molding
Strips of decorative material often used ornamentally on bases, windows, doors and heads.
Nosing
The overhanging rounded edge of a stair tread.
Radiant Heat
Electrical coils, hot water tubes or steam pipes embedded in floors, ceilings or walls for heating.
Shim
A thin tapered piece of material used for the leveling of a building component or for filling a gap between two building components.
Skirt
Narrow board around the margin of a floor (also baseboard), or the vertical molded piece under a window sill to cover plaster edges (also apron).
Splash Block
A solid material that diverts roof water drainage away from the foundation of a house.
Strike
The metal plate located on the frame of a door that the doors latch slides into.
Studs
Vertical members - usually two-by-fours or two-by-sixes - to which horizontal pieces (plates) are nailed to frame walls.
Subfloor
Rough flooring, usually made of plywood sheets, nailed to the floor. Finished flooring, such as carpet, hardwoods or tile, are applied on top of the subfloor.
Sump
A tank or pit in the crawlspace or basement in which water collects to be pumped out with a sump pump.
Toenail
Driving nails at a slat into corners or other joints to attach one piece of lumber to another.
Tongue-And-Groove
Sheeting that includes a projecting edge of one end and a grooved edge on the other so that they may be interlocked when laid side by side.
Trap
A bend in a plumping pipe that holds water so sewer air will not escape through a plumbing fixture into the house.
Tread
The horizontal portion of a stair step.
Wainscoting
The wooden paneling that lines the lower three of four foot section of an interior wall.
Weather Stripping
Metal, felt, plastic or other material used around door and window openings to prevent the penetration of the air, water, dust, etc.
