Lesson 7 - Construction Issues

Question 1

Stud

Answer 1

-Vertical framing members found in wall construction. Typically placed 12”, 16” or 24” on center.

Question 2

Beam

Answer 2

-A horizontal structural member that supports a floor. Beams are typically wood, cold formed metal framing or steel.

Question 3

Bearing Walls

Answer 3

-Structural walls that transfer building loads down to the foundation. Joists, beams, and roofs are typically supported by bearing walls.

Question 4

Bond Beam

Answer 4

-Concrete set in soil

Question 5

Circuit Breaker

Answer 5

-The safety valves for electrical systems

Question 6

Construction Drawings

Answer 6

-Drawings produced by Architects that describe the quantities of a
building.

Question 7

Specifications

Answer 7

-A written document produced by an Architect that describes the quality of construction for a building.

Question 8

Mandated warranty for new construction according to the NYS General Business Law 36- B

Answer 8

1) 1 year of workmanship
2) 6 years for material defects
3) 2 years for plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems

Question 9

Title X

Answer 9

-A Federal law that makes real estate licensees liable for the disclosure of lead paint.

Question 10

Radon

Answer 10

• A colorless, odorless gas that is emitted from soils, rocks and water as a result of radioactive decay in certain areas of the country.
• Remember: radon typically enters the house through the basement or cracks in the foundation.

Question 11

Asbestos

Answer 11

• A naturally occurring mineral fiber sometimes found in older homes. It is hazardous to health when a possibility exists of exposure to inhalable fibers. Homeowners should be alert for friable asbestos and always seek professional advice in dealing with it.
• Asbestos was commonly used in insulation (around boilers, ducts, pipes, sheeting, and fireplaces), floor tiles, ceiling tiles, roof shingles and flashing.

Question 12

Asbestosis

Answer 12

-A chronic lung disease caused by inhaling asbestos fibers.

Question 13

Lead

Answer 13

• A material used in pipes and paint of many older homes.
• The Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 sets forth the procedures in disclosing the presence of lead-based paint for sales of properties built before 1978.

Question 14

Clean Air Act (CAA)

Answer 14

-Federal law designed to control air pollution on a national level.

Question 15

Platform framing

Answer 15

-Most common type of framing used in residential construction

Question 16

Balloon framing

Answer 16

-An alternative to platform framing;, however, it is considered illegal in NYS

Question 17

Footing

Answer 17

-A footing is a horizontal concrete member, set in the soil, which supports a building’s foundation wall.
The footing is located at the bottom of the foundation wall.
The footing is the lowest structural member in a house/building.

Question 18

Sill Plate

Answer 18

-The sill plate is a horizontal wood member that sits on top of the house’s foundation.
It is used as a nailing surface for the floor system.
A sill plate is considered the lowest horizontal beam and wood member in the frame of a house.

Question 19

Joists

Answer 19

-Horizontal beams or timbers that support a floor

Question 20

Eave

Answer 20

-The lowest part of the roof that projects beyond the wall of the structure

Question 21

Soffit

Answer 21

-The area under the roof extension

Question 22

Fascia

Answer 22

-The area of material facing the outer edge of the soffit

Question 23

Pitch

Answer 23

• Also known as the slope

- Typically used in describing the slope of a roof, driveway, sidewalk

Question 24

Flashing

Answer 24

-Flashing is added at joints/bends/corners on the exterior of a house (typically made of metal and/or rubber materials), which prevents water from entering the house.
For example, flashing is added around the base of a chimney (where the chimney meets the roof).

Question 25

Sheathing

Answer 25

-Sheathing refers to panels that span between wall studs and cover the exterior wall or interior walls.
Sheathing is typically made of plywood on the exterior of the building, and gypsum board on interior walls.

Sheathing on the exterior wall is typically covered with by wood, vinyl, or aluminum siding, or bricks.
Sheathing on interiors walls (gypsum board) is painted.

Question 26

Siding

Answer 26

-​Siding materials on buildings can be metal (such as aluminum), wood or vinyl. Behind the siding is a layer of sheathing.

Question 27

Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation (UFFI)

Answer 27

-Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation (UFFI) is a type of foamed in-place insulation that releases formaldehyde gas.
UFFI contains large amounts of formaldehyde, which is why it has rarely been used by building contractors since the 1980s.

Question 28

R-Value

Answer 28

-R-value is a measurement of the ability of insulation to slow the transfer of heat or cold.
In other words, it is the degree of resistance to heat transfer of a wall.
The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power.
Generally, the higher the R-value, the thicker the insulation

Question 29

BTU Ratings

Answer 29

-BTU stands for British Thermal Unit.
BTU is a measure of heat energy. It measures the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.

Question 30

Blueprints

Answer 30

-Architectural drawings that describe the layout and construction of a house. These drawings describe the quantities used in construction.

Question 31

Forced Warm Air System

Answer 31

-A forced warm air system consists of a furnace that contains a fan, a heat source such as gas or oil, and filters. The system extracts cool air from in and out doors and passes this cool air through the heat sources. The warmed air flows through ducts to the rooms.

Question 32

Fuse

Answer 32

-A device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current.

The fuse melts and opens the circuit, causing electric power to stop when overheating occurs.

Question 33

Circuit Breaker

Answer 33

-Circuit breakers perform a similar function but are more convenient and safer than fuses.
Circuit breakers trip; that is, they switch off the electric power for a given circuit when the current increases beyond the system’s capacity.

Question 34

CFCs

Answer 34

CFCs are synthetic chemical substances used in refrigerators and air conditioners, Styrofoam products, aerosol dispensers, and cleaning agents.
CFCs have been shown to lead to the depletion of the ozone layer.

Most home air conditioning units use HCFCs, known as Freon.

Question 35

Polychlorinated bihpenyls (PCBs)

Answer 35

-PCBs were widely used as dielectric and coolant fluids, for example in transformers, capacitors, and electric motors.

PCBs have been known to leak in to the ground from electrical transformers. PCBs appear in groundwater and soil.