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to a letter:
W
Wafer Board:
See Oriented Strand Board.
Walk-Through:
A final inspection of a home before "closing"
to look for and document problems that need to be corrected.
Walkways:
Designated areas for foot traffic.
Wall Out:
When a painter spray paints the interior of a
home.
Wane:
Bark, or lack of wood from any cause, on edge or corner
of a piece of wood.
Warping:
Any distortion in a material.
Warrantee:
In construction there are two general types of
warrantees. One is provided by the manufacturer of a product
such as
roofing material
or an appliance. The second is a warrantee for the labor.
For example, a roofing contract may include a 30 year
material warrantee
and a 5 year labor warrantee. Many (but not all ) new homes
come with a one year warrantee. Any major
issues found during
the first year should be communicated the builder at once.
Small items can be saved up and presented to
the builder in
a letter on the 11 month anniversary of the closing. This
gives the builder one month to make the necessary
corrections.
Waste and
Overflow: A bathtub drain assembly that has an
outlet at the top to remove overflow water when filling
the tub and an
outlet at the bottom
to remove waste water when the tub is drained.
Waste Pipe
and Vent: Plastic plumbing pipe that carries waste
water to the municipal sewage system.
Water Board:
Water resistant drywall to be used in tub and
shower locations. Normally green or blue colored.
Water Closet:
Toilet.
Water Meter
Pit (or Vault): The box, cast iron bonnet and
concrete rings that contain the water meter.
Water Repellant
Coating: Transparent coating or sealer applied
to the surface of concrete and masonry surfaces to repel
water.
Water Repellent
Preservative: A liquid designed to penetrate into
wood and impart water repellency and a moderate preservative
protection. It
is used for millwork, such as sashes and frames, and is
usually applied by dipping.
Water Table:
The location of the underground water, and the
vertical distance from the surface of the earth to this
underground
water.
Water Tap:
The connection point where the home water line
connects to the main municipal water system.
Water Vapor:
Moisture existing as a gas in air.
Water-Cement
Ratio: The strength of a concrete mixture depends
on the water cement ratio. The water and cement form a paste.
If the paste is
made with more water, the concrete becomes weaker. Traditionally,
concrete mixes have been identified in terms of
the ratio of cement
to fine aggregate to coarse aggregate. For example, the
ratio 1:2:4 refers to a mix which consists of 1 cu. ft.
of
cement, 2 cu. ft.
of sand and 4 cu. ft. of gravel. Cement and water are the
two chemically active elements in concrete and when
combined, form
a paste or glue which coats and surrounds the particles
of aggregate and upon hardening binds the entire mass
together.
Waterproofing:
The process where a building component is made
totally resistant to the passage of water and/or water vapor.
Wattage:
The electrical unit of power. A kilowatt is 1000
watts and electric customers are billed on how many kilowatts
of power
they have used.
Wax Ring
Job: Removing a toilet from the floor so that
a blockage can be manually removed or to replace a degraded
wax ring.
Replacing a new
wax ring on the bottom of the toilet to create a seal.
WC:
An abbreviation for water closet (toilet).
Weatherization:
Work on a building exterior in order to reduce
energy consumption for heating or cooling. Work involving
adding
insulation, installing
storm windows and doors, caulking cracks and putting on
weather-stripping.
Weatherstrip:
Jamb-width or narrower sections of thin metal
or other material to prevent infiltration of air and moisture
around
windows and doors.
Compression weather stripping prevents air infiltration,
provides tension, and acts as a counter balance.
Weep Hole:
A hole which allows for drainage of entrapped
water from masonry or glazing structures.
Weep Screed:
Tool used to drain moisture from concrete.
Weld:
The joining of components together by fusing. In thermoplastics,
refers to bonding together of the membrane using heat or
solvents.
Well Casing:
A steel or plastc pipe which serves as the lining
of a well, preventing it from caving in and protecting ground
water
from contamination
by surface water.
Well Casing
Head: A heavy, flanged steel fitting connected
to the first string of casing.
Well House:
A structure that encloses a well Commonly found
in the Midwest and Western States.
Wet or
Dry Surface Plastic Roof Cement: Superior performance
in cold and wet applications. Performs as a general-purpose
exterior repair
and maintenance material on damp or dry surfaces. Stops
roof and other leaks fast.
Wet Seal:
Application of an elastomeric sealant between
the glass and sash to form a weather tight seal.
Whole House
Fan: A fan designed to move air through and out
of a home and normally installed in the ceiling.
Widespread:
A style of lavatory faucet where the spout and
handles are separate. Flex hoses are used between the spout
and
handles to allow
adjustable centers, although this style of faucet is typically
used on 8" or 12" centers.
Wind Bracing:
Metal straps or wood blocks installed diagonally
on the inside of a wall from bottom to top plate, to prevent
the wall
from twisting,
racking, or falling over in a "domino" fashion.
Wind Uplift:
The upward force exerted by wind traveling across
a roof.
Window
Buck: Square or rectangular box that is installed
within a concrete foundation or block wall. A window will
eventually be
installed in this
"buck" during the siding stage of construction.
Window
Frame: The stationary part of a window unit; the
window sash fits into the window frame.
Window
Sash: The operating or movable part of a window;
the sash is made of window panes and their border.
Wire Nut:
A plastic device used to connect bare wires together.
Wire Size:
Conductors for building wiring are available in
AWG (American Wire Gauge) sizes ranging from No. 14 to 4/0.
The
larger the number
size, the smaller the diameter. For example, 10 is smaller
than 8. The larger the diameter of a wire, the lesser
the resistance.
Wonderboard™:
A panel made out of concrete and fiberglass usually
used as a ceramic tile backing material. Commonly used
on bathtub decks.
Wood Filler:
A heavily pigmented preparation used for fining
and leveling off the pores in open-pored woods.
Wood Rays:
Strips of cells extending radially within a tree
and varying in height from a few cells in some species to
4 inches or
more in oak. The
rays serve primarily to store food and to transport it horizontally
in the tree.
Wood-Fiber
Plaster: Consists of calcified gypsum integrally
mixed with selected coarse cellulose fibers which provide
bulk and
greater coverage.
It is formulated to produce high-strength base coats for
use in highly fire-resistant ceiling assemblies.
Work-Life:
The time during which a curing sealant remains
suitable for use after being mixed with a catalyst.
Woven Valley:
Method of valley construction in which shingles
from both sides of the valley extend across the valley and
are
woven together
by overlapping alternate courses as they are applied. The
valley flashing is not exposed.
Wrapped
Drywall: Areas that get complete drywall covering,
as in the doorway openings of bifold and bipass closet doors.
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