Building inspectors can uncover problems that should be addressed in remodeling and also monitor compliance with building codes during construction.
Remodeling Glossary
Having trouble relating to some of the construction or remodeling jargon that you're not used to? Don't worry, you're not alone. Use the handy locator below to search the glossary for terms you'd like to understand better. It is alphabetized, and easy to use.
| Face Staple | Stapling facing flange to the front side of a stud or rafter, along the 1_' dimension. |
| Faced Insulation | Insulation with an attached vapor retarder (kraft paper or foil-backed paper). |
| Fascia | Horizontal boards attached to rafter/truss ends at the eaves and along gables. Roof drain gutters are attached to the fascia. |
| Fenestration | Any opening in a building or home including doors or windows. |
| Fiber Glass Insulation | An energy-efficient glass fiber product used to ensure thermal and noise control performance. |
| Finger-jointing | A means of joining individual pieces of wood together to form longer lengths. The ends of the pieces are machined to form a set of interlocking fingers, which are then coated with adhesive and meshed together under pressure. |
| Finials | Also called decorative tips, these may come in different shapes, such as balls or pointed steeples, which attach to the top and bottom of a hinge for decoration. Only some hinges will accept these finials. |
| Fixed (window) | Non-venting or non-operable. |
| Fixed Price Contract | A contract with a set price for the work. |
| Flashing | The building component used to connect portions of a roof, deck, or siding material to another surface such as a chimney, wall, or vent pipe. Often made out of various metals, rubber or tar and is mostly intended to prevent water entry. |
| Flat Ceiling | A ceiling with no change in elevation. |
| Flush bolts | Bolts mounted in a door to lock a door in place. These bolts slide up into the jamb above the door, and down into the threshold or floor below door. These are used primarily on double doors, where one door is locked in place and the other door is the one used. |
| Foil-Faced Vapor Retarder | Created by coating a foil-backed paper with a thin layer of asphalt adhesive. The coated side of the foil-backed paper is then applied to the unfaced insulation material. The asphalt adhesive bonds the foil-backed paper and the insulation together. |
| Footing | Trenches of poured concrete around the perimeter of the house and below each pier or column that supports and distributes the weight of the house to the ground. |
| Forced Air Heating | A common form of heating with natural gas, propane, oil or electricity as a fuel. Air is heated in the furnace and distributed through a set of metal ducts to various areas of the house. |
| Frame | The enclosure in which window sash or door panels are mounted. |
| Framer | The carpenter contractor that installs the lumber and erects the frame, flooring system, interior walls, backing, trusses, rafters, decking, installs all beams, stairs, soffits and all work related to the wood structure of the home. |
| Framing | The structural wood and/or metal elements of most homes. The floor and ceiling framing is called the joist work. Wall framing is usually made out of 2 inches by 4 inches or 2 inches by 6 inch studs. |
| French hinged door | Hinged door(s) that has (have) wider panel members around the glass. |
| French sliding door | Sliding door having wider panel members around the glass, giving the appearance of a French hinged door. |
| Fungal Wood Rot | A common wood-destroying organism that develops when wood-containing material is exposed to moisture and poor air circulation for at least 6 months. Often and incorrectly referred to as dry rot. |
| Furring Strip | Flat piece of lumber used to build up an irregular framing to an even surface, either the leveling of a part of a wall or ceiling. |
| Fuse | A device often found in older homes designed to prevent overloads in electrical lines. |
