Inspection Terminology
Aggregates – Gravel, crushed stone, slag or mineral granules either embedded in a conventional built-up membrane’s bituminous flood coat or applied to a loose-laid roof system as a protective ballast. Aggregates are divided into two sizes – fine and course.
Alligatoring – Deep shrinkage cracks, progressing down from the surface in smooth surface membrane coatings and sometimes in bare spots of aggregate surfaced membranes. It is a consequence of hardening from the sun and air.
Amperage – The rate of flow of electricity through wire.
Anti-oxidant compound – A compound applied to aluminum wiring at the connections to promote a firm connection.
Appurtenance – Any architectural structure, whether decorative or functional, which protrudes from the exterior of a building.
Apron – A paved area such as a junction of a driveway with the street or with a garage entrance.
Asphalt – Dark brown to black, high viscous, bitumen produced from petroleum. Used as the waterproofing agent on built-up roofs.
Automatic flue damper – A device in the flue of the heating unit, which closes the flue when the unit is not in operation in order to prevent unnecessary heat loss up the chimney.
Backup – That part of the masonry wall behind the exterior facing and consisting of one or more widths of thickness of brick or other masonry material.
Ballast – Aggregate, concrete pavers or other material designed to prevent the wind from lifting a loose-laid roof system.
Ballcock assembly – The mechanism inside the toilet tank which governs the flushing of a toilet.
Berm – A built-up lip of asphalt or concrete which prevents run-off water from entering a garage or driveway.
Bitumin – Generic term for a amorphous, semi-solid mixture of complex hydrocarbons derived from petroleum or coal. Asphalt and coal tar pitch are the two basic bitumins of the roofing industry.
Bleedout – A condition which occurs when the effluent from a septic system rises to the surface instead of draining into the soil.
Blister – Spongy, humped portion of a roof membrane, formed by trapping air vapor under pressure, with the blister chamber located either between felt plies or at the membrane substrata interface.
Bracing – A technique used to stiffen the building. Its use has diminished with the advent of plywood sheathing.
Brick (common) – Any brick made primarily for building purposes and not especially treated for texture or color, but including clinker and over-burnt brick.
Brick (facing) – A brick made especially for facing purposes, usually treated to produce surface texture or made of select clay or otherwise treated for texture or color.
Built-up roof – A type of “flat” roof which is composed of several layers of roof felt and bituminous coating, often topped with gravel.
Built-up-roof-membrane (BUR) – Continuous, semiflexible roof covering of laminations or piles of saturated or coated felts alternated with layers of bitumin, surfaced with mineral aggregate or asphaltic materials.
BX-wiring – Electrical wiring wrapped in rubber with a flexible steel outer covering.
Cap sheet – Mineral-surfaced coated felt used as the top ply of a built-up roof membrane.
Casement window – A window that opens, usually outwards, on hinges at the vertical edge.
Caulking – The operation or method of rendering a joint tight against water.
Ceiling Joist – One of a series of parallel beams used to support ceiling loads.
Chimney cap – Concrete capping around the top of the chimney brick to protect the masonry work from the elements.
Chimney flashing – A shield used at junction of chimney and roof to prevent leaks.
Circulator pump – The pump on a hot water boiler which moves the water through the heating pipes and radiators.
Coal tar pitch – Dark brown to black solid bitumin obtained from coal tar, used as the waterproofing agent of a deadlevel or low-slope built-up roof.
Coated felt (or base sheet) – A felt that has been saturated with asphalt and later coated with a harder, more viscous asphalt which increases its resistance to moisture.
Cold-process roofing – Bituminous membrane comprising layers of coated felts bonded with cold-applied asphalt roof cement and surfaced with a cutback or emulsified asphalt roof coating.
Collar beam – A horizontal beam fastened between rafters which are opposite each other to add rigidity to the roof framing.
Compressor – The main element in a central air conditioning system. It compresses the gaseous refrigerant.
Condensate line – The line which removes dehumidified water from the air conditioning system’s evaporator coil area.
Coping – A capping or covering to a wall, either flat or sloping to throw off water. The material or member used to form a capping or finish on top of a wall to protect the masonry structure.
Cornice – Any projecting ornamental molding along the top of a building.
Course – One of the continuous horizontal layers or rows of masonry units which, bonded together, form a masonry structure.
Creosote – A black, gummy, combustible substance which is formed when wood burns. Since it tends to cling to the inner lining of the chimney, it should be removed periodically as a precaution.
Delamination – Separation of felt plies in a built-up membrane; separation of insulation boards into horizontal strata.
Door Jamb – An upright surface that lines an opening for a door.
Drain Tile – An underground drainage system used to carry off excess water at foundation footings.
Eave – The extension of a roof beyond the house walls.
Economic life – The average expected useful life span, based on industry standards.
Efflorescence – White powder that forms on the surface of masonry when moisture is present.
Effluent – Treated sewage from a septic tank, usually over 99% liquid.
Ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) – Thermosetting, synthetic rubber used in single-ply elastomeric sheet roof membranes.
Expansion joint – A bituminous fiber strip used to separate blocks or units of concrete to allow free movement and prevent cracking due to expansion from temperature changes.
Fascia – A flat, horizontal member of cornice placed in a vertical position.
Felt – Flexible sheet used in a roofing system produced by interlocking fibers with a binder or through a combination of mechanical work, moisture and heat.
Fiberboard – A flexible board-like material made from pressed fibers of wood.
Fishmouth – Membrane defect consisting of an opening in the edge lap of a felt in a built-up membrane; a consequence of an edge wrinkle.
Flagstone (flagging, flags) – Flat stones from 1 to 4 inches thick, used for walks, steps and floors.
Flashing – Connective devices that seal membranes at walls and other roof interruptions. Base flashings form the upturned edges of the watertight membranes; cap flashings shield exposed edges and joints of the base flashing.
Floor joist – One of a series of framing members which rests on outer foundation walls and interior girders.
Flooring – The interior horizontal surface of the house. May only be plywood if carpeting is used.
Footing – A concrete horizontal base on which the house foundation rests.
Foundation – Construction below or partly below grade which provides support for the house.
Flue – A passageway in a chimney for conveying smoke, gases or fumes to the outside air.
Gargoyle – Water spout or decoration in the form of a grotesque human or animal figure which projects from a wall or water table of a building.
Glaze coat – Thin protective coating of bitumin applied to the lower piles or top ply of a built-up membrane when application of additional felts or the flood coat and aggregate surfacing is delayed.
Gravel – Coarse granular aggregate from crushed rock, used as a protective surfacing or ballast on a roof system.
Gravel stop – Flanged device, usually metallic, projecting above the roof level, designed to prevent loose aggregate, leaves or other waste from rolling or washing off the roof and providing a finished edge detail for the roof.
Ground fault interrupter (GFI) – A sensitive safety device used on circuits where there is a high risk of electrical shock due to the presence of water.
Grout – A mixture of cementitious material, cement or lime for example, and sufficient water to make a consistency that will flow without separation of ingredients.
Gutter – An open channel installed along the eave of a roof to take away rain water.
Header – (1) A brick laid lengthwise along a wall and serving as a bond. A masonry unit laid flat with its largest dimension perpendicular to the face of the wall. It is generally used to tie two wythes of masonry together. (2) A framing member across the top of an opening to distribute the load.
Heat Exchanger – The chamber in a furnace or boiler which separates the heated household air or water from the burned flue gases.
Hollow wall – A wall built of solid masonry units laid in and so constructed as to provide an air space within the wall.
Ice dam – A building up of ice at the lower section of the roof caused by melting snow which refreezes at the cold overhang.
Internal gutters – Gutters which are built into the roofs of older homes.
Junction box – A covered box in which electrical wires are connected to each other.
Kneewall – A support wall in the attic which runs from the floor joists to the rafters in order to give strength to the roof framing.
Knob and tube wiring – This is an old wiring technique in which the wiring is fastened to the framework of the building with a porcelain knob. Porcelain tubes act as bushings to insulate the holes where the wires pass through the framework.
Lally column – A steel tube filled with concrete used to support girders or other floor beams.
Lintel – A horizontal structural member that supports a load over an opening such as a door or a window.
Loose-laid roof system – Design concept in which insulation boards and membrane are not anchored on the deck, but ballasted by loose aggregate or concrete pavers.
Low water cut off – A safety device on a steam boiler which automatically shuts the unit off if the water level becomes low.
Main girder – The main support that usually runs between foundation walls to carry the weight of a floor.
Masonry – Stone, brick, concrete, hollow tile, concrete-block, gypsum-block or other similar building units or materials bonded together with mortar to form a wall, pier, buttress or similar mass.
Membrane- Flexible or semiflexible roof covering – the waterproofing component of the roof system.
Mineral-surfaced sheet – Asphalt, saturated felt, coated on one or both sides and surfaced on the weather exposed side with mineral granules.
Mortar – A mixture of cementitious materials and aggregate, with or without the addition of plasticizers or other admixtures, reduced to a plastic state by the addition of water and suitable for use to bind masonry units together.
Neoprene – Synthetic rubber used in fluid-or-sheet applied elastomeric single-ply membranes or flashings.
Parapet – A low wall, placed to protect any spot where there is a sudden drop – as in along the roof.
Parapet wall – A dwarf, barrier or section of wall extending above the roof.
Parge Coat – A coating of a foundation wall to retard the passage of water.
Pilaster – A projection of the foundation wall used to support a floor girder or stiffen the wall.
Pitch pocket – Flanged, open-bottomed metal container placed around a column or other roof penetrating element and filled with bitumin or plastic cement to seal the joint.
Plot plan – A diagram showing the underground components of a septic system.
Ply – Layer of felt in a built-up roof membrane.
Pointing – Mortar or the process of pushing mortar into a joint after a brick is laid.
Pointing up – The filling in of the joints in masonry work with mortar in order to improve its strength.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) – Thermoplastic polymer, formulated with a plasticizer, used as a single-sheet membrane or liquid coating.
Ponding – A water pool created by improper drainage or a depression in, the roofing surface, which is lower than the drain.
Potability test – A test done on water to determine if it is suitable for drinking.
Private water system – A water supply system other than a municipal system. It could be a well, cistern, pond or other water source system.
Protected membrane roof (PMR) – Roof assembly with insulation on top of the membrane instead of vice versa, as in the conventional roof assembly.
Radiant heat – Coils of electricity, hot water or steam pipes embedded in floors, ceilings or walls to heat a room.
Rafter – One of a series of structural members designed to support roof loads.
Rake – Trim which is inclined; that is neither vertical nor horizontal.
Reglet – Horizontal groove in a wall or other vertical surface adjoining a roof surface for anchoring flashing.
Reverse polarity – A condition within an electrical receptacle where the hot and neutral lines are reversed and the current flows in the opposite direction than in other receptacles.
Ridge board – The horizontal member at the top of the roof where the rafters meet.
Ridging – Membrane defect characterized by upward displacement of the membrane, usually over insulation-board joints.
Reinforced brick masonry (RBM) – Brick masonry in which metal is embedded in such a manner that the two materials act together in resisting forces.
Reveal – That portion of a jamb or recess that is visible from the face of the wall back to the frame placed between jambs.
Roll roofing – Coated felts, generally mineral-surfaced, supplied in rolls and designed for use without field-applied surfacing.
Romex wiring – Modern wiring which is encased in plastic.
Roof Covering – The outer surface of the roof designed to withstand the elements.
Roof Sheathing – These are flat boards that are nailed to the rafters to which is fastened the covering.
Sash lines – The cord or chain that attaches the counter balance weights to each double hung window sash.
Screwjack column – An adjustable metal support post generally used under beams.
Scupper – Channel through parapet, designed for peripheral drainage of the roof, usually as safety overflow system to limit accumulation of ponded rainwater caused by clogged drains.
Septic tank – The first part of a septic system in which sewage settles to the bottom and liquid components are siphoned off the top to the drainage field.
Shingling – Pattern formed by laying parallel felt rolls with lapped joints so that one longitudinal edge overlaps the longitudinal edge of one adjacent felt; whereas, the other longitudinal underlaps the other adjacent felt. Shingling is the informal method of applying felts in a built-up roofing membrane.
Shower pan – The metal receptacle below tiled shower floors.
Siding – The exposed surface of exterior walls of frame buildings.
Sill plate – One of a series of horizontal framing members resting on top of the foundation walls.
Slab – Concrete floor placed directly on earth or gravel base and supported on the footings.
Slag – Porous aggregate used as built-up bituminous membrane surfacing, comprising silicates and alumino-silicates of calcium and other bases, developed with iron in a blast furnace.
Smoke chamber – A large void over the fireplace damper that prevents the smoke from backing up into the room and also prevents rainwater from entering the firebox.
Smooth-surfaced roof – Built-up roofing membrane surfaced with a layer of hot mopped asphalt or cold-applied asphalt-clay emulsion or asphalt cutback, or something with unmopped inorganic felt.
Soffit –The visible horizontal underside of the eave or overhang of a house. The underside of an arch, floor, lintel, stair or other similar construction.
Soil stack – Vertical plumbing pipes for waste water.
Soldier – A brick laid on its edge so that its longest dimension is parallel to the vertical axis of the face of the wall.
Solid wall – A wall built of solid masonry units, laid contiguously, with the spaces between the units filled completely with mortar. Also, walls built of solid concrete.
Spall – A small fragment removed from the face of the stone, brick or other masonry material by a blow or by the action of the elements.
Spalling – The flaking of the top ¼” or ½” of the face of the stone, common with brick and soft stone.
Splash block – A small masonry block laid with the top close to the ground surface to receive roof drainage from downspouts and to carry it away from the building.
Stack (or chimney) – Any structure or part of a structure partly or wholly exposed to the atmosphere which contains a flue or flues for the discharge of gasses.
Steam vent – A vent on a steam radiator which allows the air in the radiator to escape as steam begins to fill the radiator and automatically closes when the radiator is full of steam.
Stucco – Most commonly refers to an outside plaster made with Portland cement as its base.
Stud – One of a series of vertical members of the house framing to which horizontal sheets are nailed.
Sub-flooring – A wood or fibrous material that is nailed to the floor joists and then receives the finished flooring.
Sump – A pit in the basement or crawl space floor which collects water so it can be pumped out.
Swale – A wide, shallow depression in the ground to form a channel for storm water drainage.
Tearoff – Removing a failed roof system down to the skeletal deck.
Thermal shock – Stress produced phenomenon resulting from sudden temperature change in a roof membrane when, for example, a rain shower follows brilliant, hot sunshine.
Through-wall flashing – Water-resistant membrane or material assembly extending through a wall’s horizontal cross-section and designed to direct water flow through the wall to the exterior.
Toilet seal – A seal, usually wax, which joins the toilet base to the drain pipe.
Tread – The horizontal part of a stair step.
Veneer – A facing masonry material attached, but not bonded, to the backing.
Vent – Opening designed to convey water vapor or other gas from inside building or building component to the atmosphere.
Vent pipe – A pipe which allows gas to escape from the plumbing system.
Voltage – The pressure behind the flow of electricity.
Wall board – An interior wall surface of plasterboard or material other than plaster.
Wall sheathing – A sub-surface material nailed to exterior studs to back the siding.
Wall tie – Strip of metal used for tying a facing veneer to the body of a wall.
Water table – (1) The level below which the ground is saturated with water. (2) A slight projection of masonry or mid-wall cornice, designed as an architectural decoration or, when slightly above the ground, as a protection against water.
Weep hole – A small hole in a wall or storm window which permits water to drain off.
Well log – A chart indicating well data such as depth, size of equipment, etc.
Window Casing – The framing members containing and supporting the windows of the house.
Window well – A metal or masonry frame outside of a basement window which keeps the earth away from the window yet allows light to enter.
Withe or Wythe – A single thickness of brick laid up to form a wall.
Wood Preservative – A liquid compound (with or without stain) which helps to preserve wood.