Structures- Construction Flashcards
Brick (Foundation)
A foundation of brick laid on a concrete footing, found in some older houses
Cement Block (Foundation)
A foundation of cast blocks laid on a concrete footing
Footing (Foundation)
The Base on which the foundation walls sit. Usually poured concrete, twice the thickness of the walls
Poured Concrete (Foundation)
A foundation in which walls consist of concrete poured into forms
Slab (Foundation)
A horizontal concrete section used as a foundation
Stone (Foundation)
A foundation of field stone
Balloon Frame (General)
A housing framing method in which studs extend from foundations to roof. Floor joists are hung on the studs. Generally replaced by platform framing after 1945
Basement (General)
An area below grade level, generally accessible from inside the house, with sufficient clearance that a person can stand up in it. A full basement covers the area of the entire first floor
Bay (General)
A portion of a building that projects beyond the face of the building
Beam (General)
A horizontal structure member. May be solid timber, laminated wood, or metal
Bearing Wall (General)
A wall that supports part of the load above it
Blueboard (General)
A type of rough gypsum board used for sheathing interior walls
Bridging (General)
Diagonal bracing between floor joists to spread load
Building Paper (General)
An asphalt-saturated paper used as a covering over wall sheathing, roof decking, or a subfloor
Casing (General)
Finish trim around a framed wall opening
Crawl Space (General)
The area between first floor joists and ground in the house with ought a basement. often frilled with gravel. Clearance is not sufficient to allow a person to stand up
Deck (General)
A horizontal wooden surface attached to the exterior of a house
Domer (General)
A window structure with its own roof that projects from the main roof of a building
Downspout (General)
An externally mounted vertical tube that carries rain water from gutter to ground or drain tile
Drain Tile (General)
An underground tube that carries water away from the foundation footing or from the top of the foundation wall at the downspout
Drywall (General)
A type of smooth gypsum board used as an interior wall covering. Also called sheetrock and plasterboard
Eave (General)
The part of a roof that hangs beyond the external supporting wall
Facade (General)
The front of a building
Fascia (General)
A board that covers the ends of the roof rafters
Flashing (General)
Metal sheets or strips installed as waterproofing at roof edges and around junctures of roof surfaces and other wall and roof locations where leakage must be prevented
Girder (General)
A horizontal beam that supports other beams
Greenboard (General)
A water-resistant type of gypsum board
Gutter (General)
A trough at the roof eave or other low point that collects rain water from the roof and carries it to a downspout
Gypsum Board (General)
A wall paneling material composed of a core of gypsum between outer layers of heavy paper
Half-Timber (General)
A type of timber framing in which the timbers and filled space between timbers are left exposed on the exterior surface
Joist (General)
One of the parallel, horizontal beams that supports a floor or ceiling
Knee Wall (General)
A short wall from floor to rafter in a room with a sloped ceiling, such as an attic
Lath (General)
A wood or metal support for a semi-liquid wall covering material such as plaster or stucco
Lintel (General)
A horizontal supporting member across the top of a door or window opening
Masonry (General)
Construction using brink, stone, or concrete block
Partition (General)
A dividing wall, usually not a bearing wall
Plaster (General)
A mixture of gypsum, sand and lime applied by trowel over lath, plasterboard, or other plaster layer
Plate (General)
The top or bottom horizontal element of a stud wall
Platform Frame (General)
A house framing method in which each floor is built up individually and serves as the foundation for stud walls. Also called wester framing
Post (General)
A vertical structural member that supports a beam or girder
Rafter (General)
One of the parallel supporting members that holds the roof decking. Usually 2X6 or 2X8 solid timber (2X4 in some older houses)
Rise (General)
the number of vertical inches per horizontal foot (run) of a sloped roof; the height of a flight of stairs; the height of one step
Riser (General)
The vertical board that covers the front of a stair
Run (General)
The Horizontal dimension of a roof or stairway
Sheathing (General)
The rough covering of the shell of a structure, fastened to studs, rafters or joists as a support for a finish covering; typically composition board, plywood, or solid lumber (in older houses)
Sheetrock (General)
Drywall
Shoe (General)
Sole plate; finish trim around edges of a finished floor
Still (General)
Bottom horizontal member of a door or window frame; horizontal framing member bolted to a slab or foundation wall
Soffit (General)
The horizontal under-surface covering the area between the exterior wall and the end of rafters; the boxed-in area between the top of a row of cabinets and the ceiling
Termite Shield (General)
A mental or other barriers placed around foundation walls and wall penetrations to impede termites
Terrazzo (General)
A type of finished flooring composed of stones or stone chips imbedded in a hard medium
Top Plate (General)
The upper plate of a stud wall, supporting joists or rafters
Tread (General)
The horizontal surface of a stair
Trim (General)
Woodwork, millwork, molding and other finishing materials
Underlayment (General)
Plywood or other type of panel applied to a subfloor as a support for finished flooring
Wallboard (General)
Gypsum board or composition board used as an interior wall covering
Asbestos (Insulation)
A fibrous final used for fireproofing electrical insulation, around heating pipes and ducts, also applied as a spray covering on walls and ceilings; now regarded as a hazardous substances subject to environmental regulation
Batting (Insulation)
Fibrous material, usually fiberglass, wadded together, backed with foil or paper, and formed into a roll; designed to fit between studs of a standard stud wall
Blown (Insulation)
Loose insulating material blown into spaces between studs and wall surfaces
Fiberglass (Insulation)
A cotton-like consisting of glass and resin
Firestop (Insulation)
A fire-resistant material used to impeded the speed of flames
Foam (Insulation)
Polystyrene or other expanding foam sprayed into gaps
Foam Board (Insulation)
Light-weight solid board composed of polystyrene foam and cut to fit between studs
R-factor (Insulation)
A measure of the efficiency of insulation against heat transfer
Vapor Barrier (Insulation)
A waterproof material that prevents warm, moisture-laden indoor air from meeting colder outdoor air and condensing
Beveled Siding (Exterior Covering)
Siding consisting of horizontally overlapped boards that are thinner on the upper edge than on the lower
Board and Batten (Exterior Covering)
Siding that is applied in vertical panels or boards with the vertical joints covered by narrow strips
Brick (Exterior Covering)
Outside structural wall or veneer consisting of brick and mortar. In residences, generally regarding as low-maintenance, fireproof and decorative
Clapboard (Exterior Covering)
A type of smooth beveled siding, generally narrow, that is common in older frame houses
Redwood Siding (Exterior Coverings)
Siding, usually beveled, made of cedar or redwood. Noted for resistance to weather, it may be installed with rough or smooth side out, and may be stained, painted, or only sealed
Shingle (Exterior Coverings)
A thick, wooden shingle, also called a shake, which can be applied vertically as siding
Shiplap (Exterior Covering)
A type of wooden siding milled on both edges so that the edge of one board overlaps the edge of the next board
Siding (Exterior Coverings)
Exterior finish or “skin” of a wall; typical types are vinyl, aluminum, beveled wood, shingle, and board and batten
Stucco (Exterior Coverings)
A cement-based material applied in semi-liquid form over metal lath. Kind of also stucco is sometimes applied to plywood panels
Tongue and Groove (Exterior Coverings )
A type of wooden siding milled with a groove on one edge and a protruding “tongue” on the other so that the edge of one board fits into the edge of the next board
240 Volt Service (Electrical)
The type of electrical supply required by such household appliances as air conditioners, washers, and dryers. Usually separate from the normal household supply of 120 volts
Amperage (Electrical)
A measure of the overall capability of the household supply. 100 amp service is the modern minimum standard
Bus Bar (Electrical)
A solid metal bar in a service entrance panel or subpanel. A hot bus bar is connected to the main power source. Neutral bus bar provides a terminal for all neutral wires and is part of the grounding connection
BX (Electrical)
A flexible, metal-armored type of self-contained wiring that is installed without conduit. Also called AC (armored cable)
Circuit Breaker (Electrical)
A resettable device that interrupts a circuit when there is an overload or fault on the line
Conduit (Electrical)
Metal piping used to carry flexible wiring
Fuse (Electrical)
A device that interrupts a circuit when there is an overload or fault. The fuse must be replaced after it has performed the interruption
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (Electrical)
A device that monitors the current entering and leaving a receptacle or circuit. When incoming and outgoing currents are unequal, the device instantly opens the circuit. Used particularly in bathroom, garage and outdoor receptacles
Junction Box (Electrical)
A box that contains wire splices or cable connections, but devices
Outlet Box (Electrical)
A box that protects wire connections and holds a device such as a switch or receptacle
Rheostat (Electrical)
A dimmer switch that allows gradient control of current
Romex (Electrical)
A type of nonmetallic, sheathed, multi-conductor cable
Service Entrance Panel (Electrical)
The main control box for a household electrical system, containing the connection to the power supply, the main disconnect, circuit breakers, and the grounding connection
Subpanel (Electrical)
A panel containing hot and neutral bus bars to distribute power coming from the service entrance panel
Switch (Electrical)
A device installed on a hot wire to break the connection between the hot bus bar and a device connected beyond the switch
