Glossary Terms: G F H I

Front 1

eave

Back 1

the section of a roof that projects over a wall below

Front 2

edge band

Back 2

thin veneer of material(such a wood) applied to the edge of a panel, such as plywood

Front 3

efflorescence

Back 3

powdery deposit on the surface face of masonry. It is a result of water leaching to the surface and transporting chemical salts from within the structure.

Front 4

EIFS

Back 4

exterior insulation and finish system. Coating system of reinforced stucco applied to the surface of an insulated plastic foam board.

Front 5

elevation

Back 5

a drawing of the front, side, or rear of an object

Front 6

escutcheon

Back 6

a cover plate on door hardware; or cover for the gap around piping where it enters a surface.

Front 7

fascia

Back 7

a vertical band (wood or other material) secured to the cornice or roof overhang.

Front 8

fenestration

Back 8

he placement of windows on a wall surface.

Front 9

finished lumber

Back 9

wood that has been dressed (milled or sanded) to be used for constructing cabinetwork and other building trim.

Front 10

firebrick

Back 10

a brick that is hard and withstands great heat. It is used to line fireplaces, furnaces, etc.

Front 11

fire door

Back 11

a door that resists fire and prevents it from spreading between spaces. Fire doors are rated as 20-minutes, one hour, two-hour, etc.

Front 12

fire resistant

Back 12

capable of slowing the spread of or providing a barrier to fire.

Front 13

fire stopping

Back 13

fire resistant material installed to close the opening through or around the edge off a floor, to prevent the spread of fire between levels.

Front 14

firewall

Back 14

a wall assembly that prevents fire from spreading between adjacent spaces. firewalls are rated as 1 hour, 2 hour, 3 hour, and 4 hour

Front 15

fixed window

Back 15

a sealed, non opening window or glass section

Front 16

fixture

Back 16

an item of plumbing or electric equipment. the term is also used to denote other specialty terms such as medical, laboratory, and display elements ( as used in retailing and commercial facilities)

Front 17

flagstone

Back 17

a flat stone used for flooring, steps, walls, and walks

Front 18

flange

Back 18

the horizontal top and bottom sections of a steel beam

Front 19

flashing

Back 19

the sheet metalwork used to make a construction assembly weathertight

Front 20

flitch beam

Back 20

a structural beam utilizing a steel beam sandwiched and bolted between two non wood members

Front 21

float

Back 21

to use a trowel (or tool called a float) to spread cement, stucco, plaster, gypsum joint compound, or other workable materials

Front 22

floor joist

Back 22

a horizontal structural member that supports and distributes floor loads

Front 23

floor plan

Back 23

a view from above in a building where an imaginary horizontal cut has been made about four feet above the floor plan

Front 24

flue

Back 24

a vertical shift that exhausts smoke from a wood or gas fireplace; also, the piping used to exhaust gases from water heaters and furnaces

Front 25

flush

Back 25

aligned, level, or even

Front 26

footing

Back 26

an enlarged base that supports a wall, pier, or column, and distributes the weights of a structure onto the ground

Front 27

framing

Back 27

the wood or steel construction of a building's framework

Front 28

french door

Back 28

pair of glazed doors hinged at the door frame jambs, and swinging to meet in the center of the opening

Front 29

frieze

Back 29

a decorative board of cornice trim fastened to a structure

Front 30

frost line

Back 30

the depth at which frost penetrates the ground during the winter season

Front 31

furred

Back 31

lined with a separate surface material, as on a wall, ceiling, or other assembly

Front 32

furring

Back 32

narrow strips of wood or metal secured to a wall or ceiling for the purpose of providing a new ground (surface) to attach other finished materials

Front 33

galvanized

Back 33

treated with zinc and lead to prevent rusting

Front 34

gauge

Back 34

measure designating the diameter of a wire or thickness of a sheet of material, such as metal

Front 35

GFIC

Back 35

Ground fault interrupter circuit

Front 36

Glass block

Back 36

masonry unit made of glass, with a hollow center

Front 37

glazing

Back 37

installing glas in windows or doors

Front 38

glue-laminated beams

Back 38

structural beams composed of layer of wood glued together under pressure. abbreviated as glulam

Front 39

grain

Back 39

direction of longitudinal axes of wood grain fibers found in wood members

Front 40

grout

Back 40

a pastelike mixture of cement, sand, and water used for laying and filing joints in masonry construction

Front 41

gusset plate

Back 41

a metal plated used to connect various portions (chords) or a truss

Front 42

gypsum

Back 42

material made of hydrated sulfate of calcium, used to make sheets of wallboard

Front 43

hardboard

Back 43

a sheet material made by compressing and gluing fine fibers of wood

Front 44

head

Back 44

the top off a door or window

Front 45

hearth

Back 45

noncombustible horizontal surface immediately outside of a fireplace opening

Front 46

heartwood

Back 46

center region of cells in a tree trunk

Front 47

heat pump

Back 47

mechanical unit that can heat or cool buildings using refrigeration cycles of air or liquid mediums

Front 48

hollow core door

Back 48

door made with face veneers separated by an inner core or gridded spacers, with a solid material around the four edges

Front 49

hose-bib

Back 49

an exterior mounted water faucet. it is frost-proofed in cold climates