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F
Facade:
The front of a building. Frequently, in architectural terms
an artificial or decorative effort.
Face Brick:
Brick made especially for exterior use with special
consideration of color, texture and size, and used as a
facing on a
building.
Face Glazing:
A system having a triangular bead of compound
applied with a putty knife, after bedding, setting, and
clipping the
glazing infill
in place on a rabetted sash.
Faced Concrete:
To finish the front and all vertical sides of
a concrete porch, step(s), or patio. Normally the "face"
is broom
finished.
Facing
Brick: The brick used and exposed on the outside
of a wall. Usually these have a finished texture.
Factory
Mutual (FM): Insurance agency that has established
stringent guidelines for maximum construction integrity
as it relates
to fire and environmental
hazards. Their specifications have become industry standards.
Fall/Flow:
The proper slope or pitch of a pipe for adequate
drainage.
Fascia:
A flat, horizontal board enclosing the overhang
under the eave.
Fasteners:
A general term covering a wide variety of screws
and nails, which may be used for mechanically securing various
components of a
building.
Faucet:
A device for regulating the flow of a liquid from
a reservoir such as a pipe or drum.
Feathering
Strips: Tapered wood filler strips placed along
the butt edges of old wood shingles to create a level surface
when re-
roofing over existing
wood shingle roofs. Also called "horsefeathers."
Felt:
A very general term used to describe composition of roofing
ply sheets, consisting of a mat of organic or inorganic
fibers either unsaturated, impregnated with asphalt or coal
tar pitch, or impregnated and coated with asphalt.
Female
IPS: Pipe connection where the threads are on
the inside of the fitting. See FIP.
Female
Threads: See FIP.
Fenestration:
Any glass panel, window, door, curtain wall or
skylight unit on the exterior of a building.
Ferrous:
Refers to objects made of or partially made of
iron, such as ferrous pipe.
Ferrule:
Metal tubes used to keep roof gutters "open."
Long nails (ferrule spikes) are driven through these tubes
and hold the
gutters in place
along the fascia of the home.
FHA Strap:
Metal straps that are used to repair a bearing
wall "cut-out," and to "tie together"
wall corners, splices, and bearing
headers. Also,
they are used to hang stairs and landings to bearing headers.
Fibered
Aluminum Roof Coating: High-performance metallic
reflective barrier for prepared roofing, metal surfaces
and exterior
masonry. Reflects
sun's harmful rays, reduces energy costs in summer and winter
while prolonging surface life.
Fibered
Roof and Foundation Coating: Combined application
for this special medium-viscosity-grade fibered material.
Use as a
roof or foundation
coating.
Fibered
Roof Coating: Optimal protection for low-sloped
roofs. This thick, high-quality coating seals fine cracks
and openings.
Renews and rejuvenates
old composition roofing and prolongs roof life. Also performs
well on metal or concrete surfaces.
Fiberglass
Mat: An asphalt roofing base material manufactured
from glass fibers.
Field Measure:
To take measurements (cabinets, countertops, stairs,
shower doors, etc.) in the home itself instead of using
the
blueprints.
Fillet
Bead: Caulking or sealant placed in such a manner
that it forms an angle between the materials being caulked.
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Foremost home inspector search engine.
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 and normally
painted (instead of stained).
Finish:
In hardware, metal fastenings on cabinets which
are usually exposed such as hinges and locks.
Finish
Carpentry: The hanging of all interior doors,
installation of door molding, base molding, chair rail,
built in shelves, etc.
Finish
Coat: The last coat applied in plastering intended
as a base for further decorating or as a final decorative
surface. Finish
coat usually consists
of calcified gypsum, lime and sometimes an aggregate. Some
may require the addition of lime or sand on
the job. The three
basic methods of applying it are trowel, flat and spray.
Finish
Grade: Any surface which has been cut to or built
to the elevation indicated for that point. Surface elevation
of lawn, driveway
or other improved
surfaces after completion of grading operations.
FIP (Female
Iron Pipe): Standard threads that are on the inside
of a pipe fitting.
Fire Block:
Short horizontal members sometimes nailed between
studs, usually about halfway up a wall. See also 'Fire Stop.'
Fire Brick:
Brick made of refractory ceramic material which
will resist high temperatures. Used in fireplaces and boilers.
Fire Rated:
Descriptive of materials that have been tested
for use in fire walls.
Fire Retardant
Chemical: A chemical or preparation of chemicals
used to reduce flammability or to retard spread of flame.
Fire Stop:
A solid, tight closure of a concealed space, placed
to prevent the spread of fire and smoke through such a space.
In a
frame wall, this
will usually consist of 2x4s cross blocking between studs.
Fire Wall:
Any wall built for the purpose of restricting
or preventing the spread of fire in a building. Such walls
of solid masonry or
concrete generally
sub-divide a building from the foundations to two or more
feet above the plane of the roof.
Fire-Resistive:
In the absence of a specific ruling by the authority
having jurisdiction, applies to materials for construction
not
combustible in
the temperatures of ordinary fires and that will withstand
such fires without serious impairment of their usefulness
for at least 1
hour.
Fireplace
Chase Flashing Pan: A large sheet of metal that
is installed around and perpendicular to the fireplace flue
pipe. Its
purpose is to confine
and limit the spread of fire and smoke to a small area.
Fish Tape
(Fish Wire): Material used to advance wire through
a conduit.
Fishplate:
A wood or plywood piece used to fasten the ends
of two members together at a butt joint with nails or bolts.
Sometimes
used at the junction
of opposite rafters near the ridge line.
Fitting:
A general term that usually refers to faucets,
shower valves, tub fillers, or various piping parts such
as tees or elbows.
Fixed Price
Contract: A contract with a set price for the
work. See Time and Materials Contract.
Fixture:
In plumbing, the devices that provide a supply
of water and/or its disposal, e.g. sinks, tubs, toilets.
Flagstone
(Flagging or Flags): Flat stones, from 1 to 4
inches thick, used for rustic walks, steps, floors, and
the like.
Flake:
A scale-like particle. To lose bond from a surface
in small thin pieces. Sometimes a paint film "flakes."
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.
Flame Retention
Burner: An oil burner designed to hold the flame
near the nozzle surface. Generally the most efficient type
for
residential use.
Flapper
Valve (Plumbing): A valve that replaces a tank
stopper in a toilet. Creates a seal between the tank and
the bowl.
Flash Point:
The critical temperature at which a material will
ignite.
Flashing:
Material used around any angle in a roof or wall
to prevent leakage.
Flat Glass:
A general term that describes float glass, sheet
glass, plate glass, and rolled glass.
Flat Grain:
Flat grain lumber has been sawed parallel to the
pith of the log and approximately tangent to the growth
rings, i.e., the
rings form an angle
of less than 45° with the surface of the piece.
Flat Mold:
Thin wood strips installed over the butt seam
of cabinet skins.
Flat Paint:
An interior paint that contains a high proportion
of pigment and dries to a flat or lusterless finish.
Flat Seam:
A seam at the junction of sheet metal roof components
that has been bent at the plane of the roof.
Flatwork:
Common word for concrete floors, driveways, basements,
and sidewalks.
Fleet Averaging:
By using a point system, builders can show compliance
with energy building requirements by using average
figures for all
air conditioning units in the same sub division.
Flex Hose:
A flexible pipe or tube usually made of braided
stainless steel. Commonly used with widespread or Roman
tub
faucets to provide
variable centers.
Flexible
Metal Conduit: Conduit similar to armored cable
in appearance but does not have the pre-inserted conductors.
Float Glass:
Glass formed on a bath of molten tin. The surface
in contact with the tin is known as the tin surface or tin
side. The
top surface is
known as the atmosphere surface or air side.
Floating:
The next-to-last stage in concrete work, when
it is smoothed and water is brought to the surface by using
a hand float or
bull float.
Floating
Wall: A non-bearing wall built on a concrete floor.
It is constructed so that the bottom two horizontal plates
can compress
or pull apart if
the concrete floor moves up or down. Normally built on basements
and garage slabs.
Floor Plan:
The basic layout of building or addition, which
includes placement of walls, windows and doors as well as
dimensions.
Floor Plate:
See Floor Plan.
Flow Rate:
The rate by which water is discharged from an
outlet. For example, the standard flow rate of a showerhead
is 2.5
gallons per minute.
Flue:
A pipe used to exhaust smoke, gas or air.
Flue Collar:
Round metal ring which fits around the heat flue
pipe after the pipe passes out of the roof.
Flue Damper:
An automatic door located in the flue that closes
it off when the burner turns off; its purpose is to reduce
heat loss
up the flue from
the still-warm furnace or boiler.
Flue Lining:
Fire clay or terracotta pipe, round or square,
usually made in all ordinary flue sizes and in 2-foot lengths,
used for the
inner lining of
chimneys with the brick or masonry work around the outside.
Flue lining in chimneys runs from about a foot below
the flue connection
to the top of the chimney.
Fluorescent
Lighting: A fluorescent lamp is a gas-filled glass
tube with a phosphor coating on the inside, normally with
two pins
that extend from
each end. Gas inside the tube is ionized by electricity
which causes the phosphor coating to glow.
Flush Glazing
(Pocket Glazing): The setting of a light of glass
or panel into a four-sided sash or frame opening containing
a
recessed "U"
shaped channel without removable stops on three sides of
the sash or frame and one channel with a removable
stop along the
fourth side.
Flush Valve:
The valve separating the water in the tank from
the bowl.
Flux:
A material applied to the surface of copper pipes and fittings
to assist in the cleaning and bonding process.
Fly Rafters:
End rafters of the gable overhang supported by
roof sheathing and lookouts.
Folded
Seam: In sheet metal work, a joint between sheets
of metal wherein the edges of the sheets are crimped together
and
folded flat.
Foot Print:
See Floor Plan.
Footing:
The underground support for a foundation or support
post.
Footings:
Wide pours of cement reinforced with re-bar (reinforcing
bar) that support foundation walls, pillars, or posts. Footings
are part of the
foundation and are often poured before the foundation walls.
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.
Form:
Temporary structure erected to contain concrete during placing
and initial hardening.
Foundation:
The supporting portion of a structure below the
first floor construction, or below grade, including the
footings.
Foundation
Coating: High-quality below-grade moisture protection.
Used for below-grade exterior concrete and masonry wall
damp-proofing to
seal out moisture and prevent corrosion.
Frame Inspection:
An inspection of the home's structural integrity
and its compliance to local municipal codes.
Framer:
The carpenter contractor that installs the lumber
and erects the frame, flooring system, interior walls, backing,
trusses,
rafters, decking,
installs all beams, stairs, soffits and all work related
to the wood structure of the home. The framer builds the
home according
to the blueprints and must comply with local building codes
and regulations.
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 2x4 or 2x6 studs. See Rafters, Posts, and Beams.
Free-Tab
Shingles: Shingles that do not contain factory-applied
strips or spots of self-sealing adhesive. See also self-sealing
shingles.
Frieze:
In house construction, a horizontal member connecting
the top of the siding with the soffit of the cornice.
Frostline:
The depth of frost penetration in soil. This depth
varies in different parts of the country. Footings should
be placed below
this depth to prevent
movement.
Fully Tempered
Glass: Flat or bent glass that has been heat-treated
to a high surface and/or edge compression to meet the
requirements of
ASTM C 1048 kind FT. Fully tempered glass, if broken, will
fracture into many small pieces (dice) which are more
or less cubical.
Fully tempered glass is approximately four times stronger
than annealed glass of the same thickness when
exposed to uniform
static pressure loads.
Fully-Adhered:
A completely attached (adhered) roof membrane.
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 months +) period of time. Often and incorrectly
referred to as dry rot.
Fungi (Wood):
Microscopic plants that live in damp wood and
cause mold, stain, and decay.
Fungicide:
A chemical that is poisonous to fungi.
Furnace:
A heating system that uses the principle of thermal
convection. When air is heated, it rises and as the air
cools it settles.
Ducts are installed
to carry the hot air from the top of the furnace to the
rooms. Other ducts, called cold air returns, return the
cooler air back
to the furnace.
Furring:
Strips of wood or metal applied to a wall or other
surface to even it and normally to serve as a fastening
base for finish
material.
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