Sometimes we speak our own language.

Below is a list of common building and construction terms you may hear when buying your new home.

A

Above grade - a term applied to any part of a structure or site feature that is above the adjacent finished ground level

A/C condenser - The outside fan unit of the air conditioning system, removes heat from the Freon gas, "turns" the gas back into a liquid, then pumps the liquid back to the coil in the furnace

Appraisal - An expert valuation of property

B

Balustrade - The rail, posts and vertical balusters along the edge of a stairway or elevated walkway

Base or baseboard - A trim board placed against the wall around the room next to the floor

Blow insulation - Fiber insulation in loose form and used to insulate attics and existing walls where framing members are not exposed

C

Cantilever - An overhang, where one floor extends beyond and over a foundation wall (e.g. at a fireplace location or bay window cantilever, normally, not extending over 2 feet)

Concrete - The mixture of Portland cement, sand, gravel, and water, used to make garage and basement floors, sidewalks, patios, foundation walls, etc., commonly reinforced with steel rods (rebar) or wire screening (mesh)

Construction drywall - A type of construction in which the interior wall finish is applied in a dry condition, generally in the form of sheet materials or wood paneling as contrasted to plaster

D

Double-hung window - A window with two vertically sliding sashes, both of which can move up and down

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

E

Electrical rough - Work performed by the electrical contractor after the plumber and heating contractor are complete with their phase of work, normally all electrical wires, and outlet, switch, and fixture boxes are installed (before insulation)

Expansion joint - Fibrous material (1/2" thick) installed in and around a concrete slab to permit it to move up and down (seasonally) along the non-moving foundation wall

F

Fascia - Horizontal boards attached to rafter/truss ends at the eaves and along gables, roof drain gutters are attached to fascia

Flakeboard - A manufactured wood panel made out of 1"- 2" wood chips and glue, often used as a substitute for plywood in the exterior wall and roof sheathing, also called OSB or wafer board

Furring strips - Strips of wood, often 1' x 2', used to shim out and provide a level fastening surface for a wall or ceiling

G

Gable - The end, upper, triangular area of a home, beneath the roof

Gyp board (also drywall, wall board, or gypsum) - A panel (normally 4' x 8', 10', 12', or 16') made with a core of gypsum (chalk-like) rock, which covers interior walls and ceilings

Grade line - a pre-determined line indicating the proposed elevation of the ground surface around a building

H

Haunch - An extension, knee-like protrusion of the foundation wall that a concrete porch or patio will rest upon for support

Heat Rough - Work performed by the heating contractor after the stairs and interior walls are built, includes installing all duct work and flue pipes, sometimes the furnace and fireplaces are installed at this stage of construction

Honey combs - The appearance concrete makes when rocks in the concrete are visible and where there are void areas in the foundation wall, especially around concrete foundation windows

I

I-beam - A steel beam with a cross section resembling the letter I, 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

Insulation board, rigid - A structural building board made of coarse wood or cane fiber in ½- and 25/32-inch thickness, can be obtained in various size sheets and densities

J

Joint - The location between the touching surfaces of two members or components joined and held together by nails, glue, cement, mortar, or other means

Joist - Wooden 2 x 8's, 10's, or 12's that run parallel to one another and support a floor or ceiling, and supported in turn by larger beams, girders, or bearing walls

K

Keeper - The metal latch plate in a door frame into which a doorknob plunger latches

Keyway - A slot formed and poured on a footer or in a foundation wall when another wall will be installed at the slot location, gives additional strength to the joint/meeting point

L

Laminated shingles - Shingles that have added dimensionality because of extra layers or tabs, giving a shake-like appearance, also called "architectural shingles" or "three-dimensional shingles"

Landing - A platform between flights of stairs or at the termination of a flight of stairs, often used when stairs change direction, usually no less than 3 ft. x 3 ft. square

Level - True horizontal, also a tool used to determine level

M

Moulding - A wood strip having an engraved, decorative surface, used to conceal or decorate a joint

Mudsill - Bottom horizontal member of an exterior wall frame which rests on top a foundation, sometimes called sill plate, also sole plate, bottom member of interior wall frame

N

Natural finish - A transparent finish which does not seriously alter the original colour or grain of the natural wood, natural finishes are usually provided by sealers, oils, varnishes, water repellent preservatives, and other similar materials

Newel post - The large starting post to which the end of a stair guard railing or balustrade is fastened

O

Open-hole inspection - When an engineer (or municipal inspector) inspects the open excavation and examines the earth to determine the type of foundation (caisson, footer, wall on ground, etc.) that should be installed in the hole

Overhang - Outward projecting eave-soffit area of a roof; the part of the roof that hangs out or over the outside wall

P

Pitch - The incline slope of a roof or the ratio of the total rise to the total width of a house (i.e., a 6-foot rise and 24-foot width is a one-fourth pitch roof), roof slope is expressed in the inches of rise, per foot of horizontal run

PITI - Principal, interest, taxes and insurance (the four major components of monthly housing payments)

PVC or CPVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) - A type of white or light gray plastic pipe sometimes used for water supply lines and waste pipe

Q

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

R

Rafter - Lumber used to support the roof sheeting and roof loads, generally 2 x 10's and 2 x 12's are used, rafters of a flat roof are sometimes called roof joists

Roughing-in - The initial stage of a plumbing, electrical, heating, carpentry, and/or other project, when all components that won't be seen after the second finishing phase are assembled

Resistance Value (RSI or R-Value) - A measure of insulation, measure of a material's resistance to the passage of heat, the higher the R value, the more insulating "power" it has (e.g., typical new home's walls are usually insulated with 4" of batt insulation with an R-Value of R-13, and a ceiling insulation of R-30)

S

Slump - The "wetness" of concrete (e.g., a 3-inch slump is dryer and stiffer than a 5-inch slump)

Sound attenuation - Sound-proofing a wall or sub-floor, generally with fiberglass insulation

Spec home - A house built before it is sold, builders speculate that they can sell it at a profit

T

Threshold - The bottom metal or wood plate of an exterior door frame, they are adjustable to keep a tight fit with the door slab

Truss - An engineered and manufactured roof support member with "zig-zag" framing members, does the same job as a rafter but is designed to have a longer span than a rafter

Turnkey - A term used when the subcontractor provides all materials (and labour) for a job

U

Underlayment - A material placed under finish coverings, such as flooring or shingles, to provide a smooth, even surface for applying the finish

Utility easement - The area of the earth that has electric, gas, or telephone lines, these areas may be owned by the homeowner, but the utility company has the legal right to enter the area as necessary to repair or service the lines

V

Vapor barrier - A building product installed on exterior walls and ceilings under the drywall and on the warm side of the insulation, it is used to retard the movement of water vapor into walls and prevent condensation within them (e.g., polyethylene plastic sheeting)

Vent - A pipe or duct which allows the flow of air and gasses to the outside, another word for the moving glass part of a window sash (i.e., window vent)

Voltage - A measure of electrical potential, most homes are wired with 110- and 220-volt lines, 110-volt power is used for lighting and most of the other circuits, 220-volt power is used for the kitchen range, hot water heater, and dryer

W

Weatherization - Work on a building exterior in order to reduce energy consumption for heating or cooling, any work that involves adding insulation, installing storm windows and doors, caulking cracks, or putting on weather-stripping

Weep holes - Small holes in storm window frames that allow moisture to escape (drain)

Y

Yard of concrete - One cubic yard of concrete is 3' x 3' x 3' in volume, or 27 cubic feet, one cubic yard of concrete will pour 80 square feet of 3 ½" sidewalk or basement/garage floor

Z

Z-bar flashing - Bent, galvanized metal flashing installed above a horizontal trim board of an exterior window, door, or brick run, prevents water from getting behind the trim/brick and into the home

Zoning - A governmental process and specification which limits the use of a property (e.g., single-family use, high-rise residential use, industrial use), zoning laws may limit where you can locate a structure