Glossary of Terms
Alcove
A recessed area in a room.
Apron
Trim attached below a tabletop or window sill, or concrete slab at the approach to a garage door.
Appliance Garage
A common name for a roll-up or single door unit placed under a wall cabinet.
Architect
An individual who is licensed by the state and has formal education and experience. Architects have an overall knowledge of design.
Awning Window
A window that is hinged near the top, so the bottom opens outward.
Backfill
The replacement of earth into a trench or pier excavation around and against a basement foundation.
Backsplash
The raised lip on the back edge of a countertop to prevent water from running down the back of a cabinet.
Banquette
A built-in upholstered bench along a wall, often used in breakfast areas.
Baseboard
A board placed along the bottom of a wall next to the floor.
Bay Window
Any window projecting outward from the walls of a building.
Beam
Any major horizontal structural member.
Bearing Partition/Wall
A partition that supports any vertical load in addition to its own weight.
Breakfront
A large cabinet or bookcase whose center section projects beyond the two end-sections.
Breezeway
A covered and sometimes enclosed walkway from one point to another. Most commonly used between a house and garage.
Building Codes
Municipal rules regulation safe building practices and procedures. The codes generally encompass structural, electrical, plumbing and mechanical remodeling and new construction.
Building Restriction Lines
The outside edge of an area on a property that can be built on.
Burled Wood
A hard wood cut from a large rounded growth on a tree characterized by a large swirl and often used as a veneer or inlay.
Casement Window
A window that is hinged at one side so the opposite side opens outward.
Casing
An enclosed frame around a door or window opening.
Certificate of Occupancy
A certificate issued by the building department stating that the house has been built in accordance with the local building code and zoning ordinance, and may be occupied.
Concealed Hinge
A hinge that is attached to the door and the inside end panel of a cabinet, making it not visible from the exterior of the cabinet.
Cove Lighting
Concealed light sources placed behind cornice or other horizontal recess that directs the light on a reflecting ceiling.
Dampproofing
Vapor barrier or coating placed on foundation walls or under concrete slabs to prevent moisture from entering the house.
Design/Build Contractor
Design/build is a concept developed to benefit the remodeling homeowner by providing both quality design and construction services within the same general contracting company. A design/build contractor will be able to see your project through from start to finish, keeping design, engineering and budget in mind. Some design/build firms have architects on staff, others use certified designers.
Designer
An individual who has expertise in specific areas of the home such as kitchens, interiors, baths, space design, etc. Designers often specialize in particular types and should be either certified or licensed.
Diagonal Cabinet
A cabinet used to span across a corner; other terms for this type of cabinet are wall angle, lazy susan angle, or corner wall cabinet.
Dormer
A window set vertically in a structure projecting through a sloping roof.
Double Hung Windows
A window consisting of two sashes that can slide vertically.
Drywall
Also known as wallboard, gypsum board, plasterboard, and by the trade name Sheetrock, a wall-surfacing material composed of sheets of gypsum plaster sandwiched between a low-grade backing paper and a smooth-finish front surface paper that can be painted.
Eaves
The overhang of a roof projecting over the walls.
Egress Window
Windows whose clear dimensions are large enough that it can serve as a fire exit.
Elevations
A drawing that shows vertical dimensions.
Exposed Hinge
A hinge attached to the door and the front frame of the cabinet, making it visible from the exterior of the cabinet.
Flashing
Material used to prevent seepage of water around any intersection or projection in a roof.
Floor Plan
A drawing showing the arrangement of rooms, the locations of windows and doors, and complete dimensions.
Footing
A masonry section, usually concrete, in a rectangular form wider than the bottom of the foundation wall or the pier it supports.
Foundation
The part of a building or wall which supports the superstructure.
Framing
The rough structure of a building, including interior and exterior walls, floor, roof and ceilings.
Girder
A beam that supports floor joists.
General Contractor
An experienced remodeling contractor whose knowledge of materials and methods has been gained by years on the job. General contractors are also the right choice for projects that have been designed by an architect or designer to manage the construction of those designs.
Grade
A designation of quality or the ground level or elevation.
Green Design
A design, also referred to as a sustainable design or eco-design, which conforms to environmentally sound principles of building, material, and energy use. A green building, for example, might make use of skylights, recycled building materials, and energy efficient appliances.
HVAC
Heating, venting and air conditioning.
Laminate
Any thin material such as wood or plastic glued to the exterior of a cabinet, countertop or other surface.
Lattice
Wood, wrought iron, or other material formed in a cross-hatch design.
Linoleum
An all natural flooring material made of linseed oil, cork dust, wood flour, tree resins, ground limestone, and pigments; regarded as environmentally friendly flooring.
Masonry
Anything constructed of stone, brick, concrete, hollow tile, concrete blocks, gypsum blocks or similar materials.
MDF
Medium density fiberboard. Used in interior trim pieces. Similar to a lightweight masonite. Membrane Roof: Roofing consisting of a single waterproof sheet.
Molding
An embellishment in strip form, made of wood or other structural material, that is used to decorate or finish a surface, such as the wall of a room or around a door or window.
Non Bearing Wall
A wall supporting no load other than its own weight.
Nosing
A term applied to the rounded edge of a board.
Particleboard
A structural sheet material composed of compressed wood chips, flakes or small wood particles such as sawdust, held together with special glues.
Partition Wall
A wall that divides space but plays no part in a building's structural integrity.
Pergola
A garden passageway made of stone, brick or wooden columns that support an overhead trellis on which vines are trained.
Permits
Documents issued by the code enforcement office allowing work to be legally performed.
Pitch
The incline of a roof.
Plaster
A mixture of lime, sand and water used to cover outside and inside wall surfaces.
Plumb
Exactly perpendicular, vertical.
Portico
A covered entrance to a house, usually supported by decorative columns.
Radiant Heating
A method of heating consisting of a forced hot water system with pipes placed in the floor, wall or ceiling.
Retaining Wall
A wall that holds earth in place vertically.
Reveal
A term used for doors and windows that means the amount of space (gap) between the door and its frame. The reveal should be equal all around if the unit is installed properly.
Sash
The frame holding the glass in a window.
Setback
The distance from a street or front property line to the front of a building.
Shutters
Lightweight, louvered or flush, wood or nonwood covers located at each side of a window. Some are made to close over windows to shut out light or give protection from the weather. Others are fastened to the wall and used as decoration.
Siding
The finish covering of the outside wall of a frame building. It may be made of horizontal weather-boards, vertical boards and battens, shingles, or other material.
Sisal
A natural, durable fiber frequently used for floor coverings.
Sistering
The process of reinforcing a framing member by joining another piece of lumber alongside it.
Shoe Molding
A strip of wood next to the floor on interior baseboard.
Site Plan
The drawing that shows the boundaries of the building, its location, site utilities.
Soffit
The underside of the roof overhang.
Stud
Vertical member of a frame wall, placed at both ends and most often every 16" on center.
Subcontractor
A contractor working for a general contractor. Examples could be: plumbers, electricians, or hvac contractors. Called "subs" for short.
Toe Kick
Indentation at the bottom of a floor-based cabinet.
Trim
Finish materials, such as moldings, applied around openings (window trim, door trim).
Universal Design
The design of products and environments to be as accessible to useable by all people, regardless of
age, size, or physical ability, to the greatest extent possible without the need for adaptation or specialized design.
Veneer
Thin sheets of wood applied to a furniture surface.
Vinyl Siding
A type of exterior siding made of plastic requiring little to no maintenance with a life expectancy of twenty-years. The color is a part of the molded vinyl and will not fade or wear off under normal conditions.
Wainscoting
An application of wood paneling up to the middle or lower half of a wall.
Weatherstripping
Metal, wood, plastic, or other strips installed around door and window openings to prevent air infiltration.
Zoning Ordinances
Local regulations affecting property uses and type of construction. They set forth the minimum lot sizes; number of family units in each dwelling; the maximum height of a building; and the minimum setbacks and sideyards.