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Gable:
The end of a building as distinguished from the front or
rear side. The triangular end of an exterior wall from the
level of the eaves to the ridge of a double-sloped roof.
In house construction, the portion of the roof above the
eave line of a double-sloped roof.
Gable End:
An end wall having a gable.
Gable Roof:
A type of roof with sloping planes of the same
pitch on each side of the ridge. Has a gable at each end.
Galvanize:
To coat a metal with zinc by dipping it in molten
zinc after cleaning.
Gambrel
Roof: A type of roof which has its slope broken
by an obtuse angle, so that the lower slope is steeper than
the upper
slope. A double
sloped roof having two pitches.
Gang Nail
Plate: A steel plate attached to both sides at
each joint of a truss. Sometimes called a Fishplate or Gusset.
Gas Lateral:
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.
Gaskets:
Pre-formed shapes, such as strips, grommets, etc.,
of rubber or rubber-like composition, used to fill and seal
a joint or
opening either
alone or in conjunction with a supplemental application
of a sealant.
Gate Valve:
A valve that lets you completely stop, but not
modulate, the flow within a pipe.
Gauge:
The thickness of sheet metal and wire, etc.
Gauge Board
(Spot Board): Board used to carry grout needed
to patch small jobs.
General
Contractor: A contractor responsible for all facets
of construction of a building or renovation.
General
Contractor (Prime Contractor): A contractor responsible
for all facets of construction of a building or renovation.
GFI or
GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters): Special
devices capable of opening a circuit when even a small amount
of current
is flowing through
the grounding system.
GFRC (Glass
Fiber Reinforced Concrete): Material used in wall
systems that resembles but generally does not perform as
well
as concrete. Usually
a thin cementitious material laminated to plywood or other
lightweight backing.
Girder:
A main beam upon which floor joists rest. Used
to support concentrated loads at isolated points along its
length, usually
made of steel or
wood.
Girdle:
A large principal beam made of steel, reinforced
concrete, wood or combination of these, used to support
other structural
members at isolated
points along its length.
Glass:
A hard, brittle substance, usually transparent,
made by fusing silicates under high temperatures with soda,
lime, etc.
Glass-Base:
Roll roofing product built on a fiberglass base
sheet constructed with a heavyweight TAMKO fiberglass mat,
coated
with weathering-grade
asphalt. Used as a base sheet in select TAMKO modified asphalt
and fiberglass roofing systems and as
an alternate for
TAMKO Type 43 Coated Base Sheet in any TAMKO specification.
Hot-asphalt applied or mechanically fastened.
Glass-Seal:
3-tab self-sealing fiberglass shingles with a
traditional square-tab design. A thick layer of weathering-grade
asphalt
gives them extra
waterproofing protection. They are U.L. Class A fire rated
and backed by a 20-year limited warranty. Algae-
resistant granules
optional.
Glaze Coat:
In roofing, a light uniform mopping of bitumen
on exposed felts to protect them from the weather, pending
completion
of the job.
Glazing:
A generic term used to describe an infill material
such as glass, panels, etc. Also the process of installing
an infill
material into a
prepared opening in windows, door panels, partitions, etc.
Glazing
Bead: In glazing, a strip surrounding the edge
of the glass in a window or door which holds the glass in
place.
Glazing
Channel: In glazing, a three-sided, U-shaped sash
detail into which a glass product is installed and retained.
Globe Valve:
A valve that lets you adjust the flow of water
to any rate between fully on and fully off. Also see Gate
Valve.
Gloss (Paint
or Enamel): A paint or enamel that contains a
relatively low proportion of pigment and dries to a sheen
or luster.
Gloss Enamel:
A finishing material made of varnish and sufficient
pigments to provide opacity and color, but little or no
pigment of
low opacity. Such
an enamel forms a hard coating with maximum smoothness of
surface and a high degree of gloss.
Glued Laminated
Beam (Glulam): A structural beam composed of wood
laminations or lams. The lams are pressure bonded with
adhesives to attain
a typical thickness of 1 ½" . (It looks like 5 or more
2x4s are glued together).
GPF (Gallons
Per Flush): The unit of measurement by which flow
rate of toilets are measured and regulated. Current U.S.
regulations for
toilets require a maximum of 1.6 GPF.
GPM (Gallons
Per Minute): The unit of measurement by which
the flow rate of faucets and showerheads is measured and
regulated.
Grade Beam:
A foundation wall that is poured level with or
just below the grade of the earth. An example is the area
where the 8' or
16' overhead garage
door "block out" is located, or a lower (walk
out basement) foundation wall is poured.
Grade MW:
Moderate Weather grade of brick for moderate resistance
to freezing used, for example, in planters.
Grade NW:
No Weather brick intended for use as a back-up
or interior masonry.
Grade SW:
Severe Weather grade of brick intended for use
where high resistance to freezing is desired.
Graduated
Payment Mortgage (GPM): A fixed-rate, fixed-schedule
loan. It starts with lower payments than a level payment
loan;
payments rise annually,
with the entire increase being used to reduce the outstanding
balance. The increase in payments may
enable the borrower
to pay off a 30-year loan in 15 to 20 years, or less.
Grain:
The direction, size, arrangement, appearance,
or quality of the fibers in wood.
Granules:
The mineral particles of a graded size which are
embedded in the asphalt coating of shingles and roofing.
Gravel:
Loose fragments of rock used for surfacing built-up
roofs, in sizes varying from 1/8" to 1¾."
Grid:
The completed assembly of main and cross tees in a suspended
ceiling system before the ceiling panels are installed.
Also the decorative
slats (munton) installed between glass panels.
Ground:
Refers to electricity's habit of seeking the shortest
route to earth. Neutral wires carry it there in all circuits.
An additional
grounding wire
or the sheathing of the metal-clad cable or conduit protects
against shock if the neutral leg is interrupted.
Ground
Iron: The plumbing drain and waste lines that
are installed beneath the basement floor. Cast iron was
once used, but
black plastic pipe
(ABS) is now widely used.
Ground
System: The connection of current-carrying neutral
wire to the grounding terminal in the main switch which
in turn is
connected to a
water pipe. The neutral wire is called the ground wire.
Grounding
Rod: Rod used to ground an electrical panel.
Grounds:
Guides used around openings and at the floorline
to strike off plaster. They can consist of narrow strips
of wood or of
wide sub-jambs
at interior doorways. They provide a level plaster line
for installation of casing and other trim.
Groundwater:
Water from an aquifer or subsurface water source.
Grout:
A hydrous mortar whose consistency allows it to
be placed or pumped into small joints or cavities, as between
pieces of
ceramic clay, slate,
or tile. Also, various mortar mixes used in foundation work
to fell voids in soils, usually injected through drilled
holes.
Grout or
Grouting: A cement mortar mixture made of such
consistency (by adding water) that it will flow into joints
and cavities of
masonry work to
fill them solid.
Gun Consistency:
Sealant formulated in a degree of viscosity suitable
for application through the nozzle of a caulking gun.
Gunite:
A construction material composed of cement, sand
or crushed slag and water mixed together and forced through
a
cement gun by pneumatic
pressure, used in the construction of swimming pools.
Gusset:
A flat wood, plywood, or similar type member used
to provide a connection at intersection of wood members.
Most
commonly used at
joints of wood trusses. They are fastened by nails, screws,
bolts, or adhesives.
Gutter:
Metal or wood trough at the eaves of a roof to
carry rain water from the roof to the downspout.
Gutter
Strap: Metal bands used to support the gutter.
Guy Wire:
A strong steel wire or cable strung from an anchor
on the roof to any tall slender projection for the purpose
of support.
Gypsum
Board: See Drywall.
Gypsum
Keene Cement: Material used to obtain a smooth
finish coat of plaster, for use over gypsum plastic base
coats only and
in areas not subject
to moisture. It is the hardest plaster.
Gypsum
Plaster: Gypsum formulated to be used with the
addition of sand and water for base-coat plaster.
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