ABS
Abbreviation for acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene. A type of rigid plastic used in plumbing pipes for drain, waste and vent systems. Can also be used for potable water pipes.
ACQ
Abbreviation for alkaline copper quaternary. A wood preservative chemical. See CCA.
ASHRAE
Abbreviation for American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers.
ASTM
Abbreviation for American Society for Testing and Materials.
AWG
Abbreviation for American Wire Gauge . Standard measuring gauge for non-ferrous conductors . Gauge is a measure of the diameter of the conductor .
above grade
Part of a structure or site feature that is above the adjacent finished ground level.
absolute humidity
Mass of water vapor present in a specific volume of air—usually expressed as grams per cubic meter of air. May also refer to the mass of water in a specific mass of dry air.
accessible design
A house, amenity or product design that allows access for people with disabilities. For example, accessible sink. See barrier-free.
activated carbon air filter
A filter activated by the absorption of moisture when pollutant gases, attracted by the carbon, adhere to the filter.
adaptable housing See Flexible housing terms.
adfreezing
The process by which one object becomes adhered to another by the binding action of ice.
adjustable steel column
A column often used in basements to support beams that is capable of being adjusted to suit a range of heights.
adobe See Construction types.
aeration
The adding of air.
aerator
A plumbing fitting that is used to break the water flowing from faucets into droplets to increase the wetting effectiveness and to improve taste.
aging-in-place See Flexible housing terms.
aggregate
Material such as gravel, crushed stone or sand that can be used as a base course for footings, patios and driveways or mixed with cement and water to make concrete. See mineral aggregate.
aggregate, coarse
An aggregate with particles 5 mm in diameter and over; includes crushed stone and gravel.
aggregate, fine
An aggregate with particles smaller than 5 mm in diameter; includes sand.
air barrier
The combination of durable, structurally supported and impermeable materials incorporated into the building envelope, continuous around the interior conditioned volume of the building , and sealed together to stop the indoor-outdoor movement of air
air chamber See Plumbing terms.
air change
The replacement of one complete house volume of air by either natural or mechanical means .
air change rate
The number of times the total volume of air within a room or an entire dwelling is exchanged by either natural or mechanical means .
air conditioning See Heating and cooling terms.
air dried See Lumber terms.
air duct
A pipe, tube or passageway that conveys air. Normally associated with heating, ventilating and air conditioning.
air exchanger See Ventilation terms.
air leakage
The uncontrolled flow of air through a building envelope or a component of a building envelope as a result of a pressure difference. See infiltration and exfiltration.
airlock entry
A vestibule sealed by a second interior door.
air permeability
A measurement of the degree to which a building material or component allows air to pass through it when it is subjected to a differential pressure.
air pocket
A space or void created by trapped air that accidentally occurs in concrete as a result of poor consolidation.
air pressure
The force per unit of area exerted by the atmosphere
or that is created by mechanical devices . It can have two components: static pressure which is the actual pressure of the fluid, which is associated not with its motion but with its state. Dynamic pressure is associated with the velocity of air flow.
air shutter See Heating and cooling terms.
air space
A cavity or space in walls, windows, or other enclosed parts of a building between various members.
air-supported structure
A structure consisting of a pliable membrane that achieves and maintains its shape by internal air pressure.
airtightness
The ability of the house building envelope, or a component of the building envelope, to resist air leakage.
air-to-air heat exchanger See Ventilation terms.
air-to-air heat pump See Heating and cooling terms: heat pump.
air-vapour barrier See air barrier and vapour barrier.
airway
The space left between roof insulation and roof decking to allow free movement of air.
air well
A space within a building, enclosed by walls, partially or totally open to the outside air at the roof, and designed to ventilate service rooms such as bathrooms and kitchens.
alarm system
A set of devices that triggers an alert in the case of intrusion, smoke, fire or the presence of a specific chemical in the air.
alternating current See Electrical terms.
ambient air temperature
The temperature of the air surrounding an object such as the air surrounding a house or the air surrounding a person in a room.
amenity area
An area within the boundaries of a multi-unit residential building site designed for private or common use, and which may include landscaped site areas, patios, common areas, communal lounges or swimming pools.
ampacity See Electrical terms.
ampere See Electrical terms.
anchor bolt
A steel bolt used to secure a structural member to concrete or masonry. It is usually deformed at one end to ensure a good grip in the concrete or masonry in which it is embedded.
anchor slot
A perforation through which a bolt can be inserted to secure a building structure to one of various components, such as bottom track, bottom plate or shelf angle .
angle bead
A small moulding placed over outside corners formed by the intersection of plastered or dry walled surfaces that protect them from damage.
angle boot See Heating and cooling terms.
angle iron
An L-shaped steel section frequently used to support masonry over a window or door opening. See lintel.
anhydrous lime
Quicklime.
annual growth ring
The combination of one early wood layer and one late wood layer Seen in a cross-section of a tree. One annual ring usually represents one year of growth.
anti-scald valve See Plumbing terms.
apartment
A room or suite of rooms used as living quarters. A dwelling unit in a multi-unit residential building. See dwelling, multiple.
apartment building
A type of multiple dwelling comprised of three or more dwelling units in which one unit is above another unit, and often with shared entrances and other essential facilities and services.
apparent sensible effectiveness
See Ventilation terms.
appliance
A device or instrument designed to perform a specific function, especially an electrical device, such as toasters, clothes washers and dryers, kitchen stoves, refrigerators, etc. for household use.
apron
(1) A plain or moulded finish piece below the stool of a window.
See Window terms.
(2) The extension of the concrete floor of a garage or other structure beyond the face of a building.
aquastat See Heating and cooling terms.
aquifer
A water-saturated underground formation of sand, gravel or fractured or porous rock, which can be a source for water supply.
arcade
A row of arches supported by columns, which may either be attached to a building or be free-standing.
arch
A form of structure with a curved shape spanning an opening and supported by piers, abutments, or walls and used to support weight and resist pressure.
arch brick
A brick with a wedge shape; also one with a curved face suitable for wells and other circular work.
architrave
Mouldings around openings and certain other locations to conceal joints or for decorative purposes.
Area terms
area
The size of a surface within specific boundaries, which is usually expressed in square meters or square feet .
areaway
An open subsurface space adjacent to a building used to admit light or air, or as a means of access to an area or floor level below grade.
building area
The maximum projected horizontal area of the building at or above grade within the outside perimeter of the exterior walls or within the outside perimeter of exterior walls and the centre line of firewalls.
floor area
The space on any storey of a building between exterior walls and required firewalls, including the space occupied by interior walls and partitions, but not including exits and vertical service spaces that pierce the storey.
net room area
The floor area of a room measured from finished wall to finished wall.
area drain See Plumbing terms.
armoured cable See Electrical terms: cable, armoured.
artesian groundwater
A confined body of water in the ground that is under pressure.
artificial stone
A special concrete unit resembling natural stone and made by mixing chippings and dust of natural stone with Portland cement and water.
asbestos
A highly heat-resistant fibrous silicate mineral used in fire- resistance and insulating materials. Known to be carcinogenic if inhaled.
asbestos cement
A fire resistant weatherproof building material made from Portland cement and asbestos. Used to make plain and corrugated sheets, siding, shingles and pipe.
ash
The solid waste remaining after combustion of a solid fuel.
ashlar See stonework.
aspect ratio See Heating and cooling terms.
asphalt
A dark brown to black highly viscous hydrocarbon produced from petroleum distillation residue and used in roofing and other construction materials as a waterproofing or cementing agent.
See Paving terms.
ASPE
Abbreviation for the American Society of Plumbing Engineers.
ASSE
Abbreviation for American Society of Sanitary Engineering.
assistive technology See Flexible Housing terms.
astragal
A moulding fastened to the edge of one of a pair of doors or window sashes to provide a seal when the windows or doors are in a closed position.
at grade
The elevation of part of a structure or site feature that is at adjacent ground level.
atmospheric burner See Heating and cooling terms.
atrium
An enclosed interior court, one or more levels high, onto which other rooms may open.
attic
The space between the upper floor ceiling and roof or between a knee wall and a sloping roof. Also called roof space.
attic hatch
The opening to an attic.
auto-fill valve See Plumbing terms.
automatic
Mechanically or electrically self acting .
auxiliary water See Water re-use and recycling terms.
awning
A roof like cover for a window or a porch. See Window terms and Sash types.
azimuth
The bearing or direction of a horizontal line measured clockwise from true North and expressed in degrees.
BRI
See building-related illness.
BTU
Abbreviation for British Thermal Unit. See Heating and cooling terms.
B-vent See Chimney terms.
Bacharach smoke number
See Heating and cooling terms.
bachelor apartment
An apartment consisting of one room serving as bedroom and living room, with a separate bathroom.
back bedding See back putty.
backdraft damper See Ventilation terms.
backdrafting
See Heating and cooling terms.
backfill
Material used for filling a trench or the excavation around a foundation wall.
backflow See Plumbing terms.
backflow preventer See Plumbing terms.
backing
Material used to provide reinforcement or a nailing surface for certain finish materials.
back pressure See Plumbing terms.
back pressure backflow See Plumbing terms.
back putty
Mastic material placed in rabbets before installing glass to provide a bed for the glass.
back siphonage See Plumbing terms.
backup wall
A steel stud, wood frame or concrete-masonry wall located within the exterior wall assembly of a building to resist lateral loads and to support exterior finishes, insulation, air and vapour barriers, and interior drywall or plaster.
back vent See Plumbing terms.
back-water valve See Plumbing terms.
baffle See Ventilation terms.
balance See Window terms.
balanced flue See Chimney terms.
balancing damper See Ventilation terms.
balcony
A gallery or platform, either cantilevered or supported, that projects from the wall of a building and is enclosed by a guardrail.
ballast
(1) material placed to hold down roof insulation and waterproofing systems,
(2) a device used to control the electrical current flowing in a circuit .
balloon framing See Wood framing.
baluster
A vertical member in a balustrade between the handrail and the treads or stringers in a staircase, or between a horizontal rail and the floor below. See guard.
balustrade
A protective barrier approximately 900-1,100 mm high at the edge of openings in floors or at the side of stairs, landings, balconies, mezzanines, galleries, raised walkways,
or other locations to prevent falls from one level to another. A balustrade may be solid or may have openings. See guard.
banister
The handrail of a staircase.
barge board
The finished board covering the gable rafter on a gable roof.
See facer board, verge board.
barometric damper or barometric draft regulator
See Heating and cooling terms.
barrier-free design
See Flexible housing terms.
baseboard
Interior trim at the intersection of the wall and the floor.
baseboard heater See Heating and cooling terms.
base course
In masonry, the first or bottom course of masonry units.
baseline
A line of known length and position that is used as a basis for establishing the locations of buildings, paths and other site installations.
basement
The lower storey of a building below or partly below ground level.
base moulding
Any moulding placed at the base of a column, wall and so on.
See shoe mould.
bat
A brick with one end intact and the other end cut off.
bathroom
A room usually containing a sink, a toilet and often a bathtub or shower or both.
bathtub
A fixed, open-topped tank used for bathing.
bathtub, roman
A deep bathtub that is either sunk below the floor level or installed away from enclosing walls.
bathtub, whirlpool
A deep bathtub equipped with a pump that recirculates the bath water.
batt See Insulation terms.
batten
A narrow strip of wood used to cover joints between boards or panels.
batter
A receding upward slope; normally applied to a wall or structural member where the thickness diminishes towards the top.
batter board
A board set adjacent to an excavation and used as a reference point to level and align the work.
bay
One of the intervals or spaces into which a building is divided by columns, piers or division walls.
bay window See Window terms.
BCIN
Abbreviation for Building Code Identification Number,
an identification system used in Ontario to identify persons who have specific qualifications with respect to building code knowledge.
beam
A horizontal structural member supported at two or more points.
beam pocket
A notch or space in a masonry or concrete wall in which the end of the beam is supported.
bearing capacity
The applied load per unit area of surface of any structure or soil that the structure or soil can support.
bearing plate
A metal plate for receiving and distributing the load from a column to a floor or one end of a truss to a wall.
bearing wall See partition.
bed
(1) Any horizontal surface that has been prepared to receive the element it will support.
(2) In masonry, the horizontal layer of mortar on which each course of masonry is laid.
bed joints
(1) The horizontal joints in brick-work or masonry.
(2) The radiating joints in an arch.
bed-moulding
Any moulding used to cover the joint at the intersection of a wall and projecting cornice.
bedrock
Solid rock underlying superficial material; may be exposed at the surface.
bedroom
A room used primarily for sleeping.
below grade
Any part of a structure or site feature that is below the adjacent finished ground level.
belvedere See Outdoor structure terms.
benchmark
A surveyor’s elevation reference point marked on an immovable surface, iron bar, pin or block.
bending stress
A stress resulting from the application of a non-axial force to a structural member measured in kilopascals or imperial equivalent, pounds per square inch .
berm
An earth embankment in the form of a linear mound;
often combined with fencing or planting to create a visual or sound barrier.
bevel
The sloping surface formed when two surfaces meet at an angle other than a right angle.
bevel siding
Boards normally 100-300 mm in width tapering to a thin edge and used as horizontal wall cladding with the thicker edge overlapping the thinner edge below.
bib
A tap or faucet that has been threaded for connection of a hose. Also known as a hose bib.
bidet
A shallow basin similar to a toilet that is equipped with a faucet and drain and is specifically used for washing the genital and anal areas.
bifold door
A door, often used for closets, that is hinged in the middle so that it requires less swing area than a standard door.
bitumen
Hydrocarbons, such as those found in asphalt and mineral pitch.
blackwater See Water re-use and recycling terms.
bleeding
A discharge of resin, gum, creosote, or other substance from lumber or water from concrete. See bleed water.
bleed water
Excess water in a concrete mixture which surfaces after the concrete has been placed.
blemish
Anything that mars the appearance of a material.
blind-nailing
Nailing in such a way that the nail heads are not visible on the finished face of the work.
blistering See Paint terms.
block, masonry
A manufactured concrete unit. See Construction types.
block, cellular
A masonry block that has uniformly distributed pores throughout its mass.
block plan
A plan of a building site showing the outlines of existing and proposed buildings.
blocked vent shut-off system
See Heating and cooling terms.
blocking
Small wood pieces used between framing members for bracing and to provide support for the attachment of drywall, shelving and cabinets.
blower door
A large fan-door assembly that can be installed in an exterior door to pressurize or depressurize a house or a building to determine airtightness characteristics. A blower door can be used to depressurize houses so that air leakage points can be identified with air leakage detection devices such as smoke pencils or thermographic cameras/video recorders.
blower door test
A diagnostic test using a blower door to measure the airtightness characteristics of a building. Results are usually given in air changes per hour as well as equivalent leakage area and normalized leakage area at a specific indoor-outoor air pressure difference . A blower door test is useful for assessing air leakage characteristics, finding air leakage locations, sizing ventilation systems and assessing the potential for depressurization.
blowing
A plastering defect that results when a conical piece is blown out of a finished surface because moisture in the plaster has mixed with an imperfectly slaked mixture of quicklime.
Also called pitting.
blue-stain See Lumber terms.
board foot See Lumber terms.
boiler See Heating and cooling terms.
bollard
A wood, concrete, or metal post used to prevent vehicles from entering or leaving an area. A short post containing an electrical outlet.
bond
In masonry, the pattern in which bricks or blocks are laid to tie the individual units together so that the entire wall acts as a complete unit.
boot See Heating and cooling terms.
borate-treated wood
Wood that has been pressure-treated with borax to improve resistance to decay and insect damage.
borrow pit
An excavation from which earth materials are obtained for use as fill.
bottom plate See Wood framing.
bottom track
In steel-frame construction, the bottom member to which the studs are attached and that is anchored to the floor.
bow window See Window terms.
bowing
A deviation from a straight line, measured at the point of greatest distance from the straight line. Often applied to lumber.
box beam
A beam made of plywood or oriented strand board on a lumber framework.
box column
A built-up hollow column of square or rectangular section generally used in porch construction.
box connector See Electrical terms.
box gutter
A wood gutter usually lined with metal and sometimes called a concealed gutter.
boxed track
A method of assembling steel stud walls in which studs are secured to an inverted top track held by an outer track attached to the ceiling, so that the backup wall is free of vertical loads but supports horizontal loads.
brace
An inclined lumber member used in walls and in trussed partitions or in framed roofs to form a triangle and thereby stiffen the framing. When a brace supports a rafter, it is called a strut.
braced framing See Wood framing.
bracing
Ties used for supporting and strengthening various types of buildings.
brad See Nail types.
branch See Plumbing terms.
branch circuit See Electrical terms.
branch duct See Heating and cooling terms.
branch vent See Plumbing terms.
breaking joints
(1) The laying of masonry units in a way to prevent vertical joints in adjacent courses from aligning.
(2) The distribution of joints in boards, flooring, lath and panels so no two adjacent end-joints are directly in line.
breech or breeching See Heating and cooling terms.
breech pipe See Heating and cooling terms.
breezeway
A covered passageway between a house and an auxiliary building.
brick
A masonry unit usually made from fired clay.
brick construction See Construction types.
brick facing See Construction types: brick veneer.
brick ledge
The edge of a foundation wall or projecting floor slab used to support brick.
brick lintel
A steel angle placed over a window or other opening to support brick.
brick mold
Trim used between exterior door and window frames and the wall finish material.
brick tie
A metal strap that provides lateral support to the brick veneer of a building by transferring lateral loads to the backup wall.
brick veneer See Construction types.
bridging See Wood framing.
bridging, cross See Wood framing.
bridging, thermal
The interruption of the continuity of a layer of thermal insulation within the building envelope by another material
with higher thermal conductivity that results in increased heat loss through the assembly and localized cold spots on the interior.
British Thermal Unit
See Heating and cooling terms.
broken joint See Joint terms.
broom finish
A method of finishing a concrete surface in which a stiff broom is used to give a roughened texture and linear pattern.
brownfield
Property where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.
building area See area.
building code
A set of regulations that defines the health and safety, functionality, accessibility, egress and other requirements for building construction.
building drain See Plumbing terms.
building envelope
The elements of a building, including their structural support, that separate conditioned space from unconditioned space.
Also referred to as “Building Enclosure”.
building orientation
The siting of a building on a lot. The term is often used when discussing solar orientation, which is the siting of a building with respect to access to solar radiation.
building paper
A heavy paper usually impregnated with bitumen, and applied under or behind exterior finish materials in wood-frame construction to protect the assembly from liquid water.
building-related illness
A medical condition caused by a building environment
and frequently involving an infection; differs from Sick Building Syndrome in that a building-related illness is substantiated
by clinical and laboratory findings, for example, Legionnaire’s Disease, in which micro-organisms are spread by air conditioning systems.
building sewer See Plumbing terms.
building site
A parcel of land suitable for building, or on which a building is being built or may be built. Also called plot.
building storm drain See Plumbing terms.
building storm sewer See Plumbing terms.
built-in transfer equipment
A system designed to aid people with mobility disabilities, consisting of ceiling-mounted tracks, lifting devices, a control panel and switches, an electric motor, a power supply and a backup battery.
built-up roof
A roof covering consisting of layers of roofing felt laid in pitch or asphalt. The top is finished with crushed stone, gravel, or a cap sheet. Generally used on flat or low-pitched roofs.
bulkhead In building construction
(1) An enclosed space below a ceiling that may conceal services.
(2) A structure above the roof of any part of a building enclosing a stairway, tank, elevator machinery, or ventilating apparatus, or any part of a shaft that extends above the roof.
(3) A sloping door or doors affording entrance to a cellar from outside a building.
bull float
A board of wood, aluminum or magnesium mounted on a pole that is used to spread and smooth horizontal concrete surfaces.
bull nose
A rounded corner used to give a decorative and finished appearance.
burl
A distortion of wood grain, usually caused by abnormal growth due to injury to the tree.
burner, atmospheric See Heating and cooling terms.
burner unit See Heating and cooling terms.
butt hinge
The most common type of hinge used for doors, comprised of hinged plates secured to the door and door frame.
butt joint See Joint terms.
butterfly damper See Ventilation terms.
buttress
A structural element built perpendicular to a wall in order to resist lateral thrusts.
butyl rubber sealant
A paintable, synthetic rubber sealant that bonds to most surfaces, including metal and masonry.
bypass damper See Heating and cooling terms.
CCA
Abbreviation for chromated copper arsenate, a wood preservative chemical. See ACQ.
CEBus
A home automation protocol developed by the Electronics Industry Association as a public communications standard. CEBus uses two-way communications transmitted via any available transmission media . See home automation.
CFC
A chemical used in refrigerants, solvents and blowing agents for many rigid insulations that is linked to ozone depletion if it escapes to the atmosphere.
CFM
Abbreviation for cubic feet per minute. A unit of measurement often used to express air flow.
CHBA
Abbreviation for Canadian Home Builders’ Association.
CMHC
Abbreviation for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
CSA Abbreviation for Canadian Standards Association.
CWC
Abbreviation for Canadian Wood Council.
CWWA
Abbreviation for Canadian Water and Wastewater Association.
cable Seee Electrical terms.
cable, armoured See Electrical terms.
camber
The amount of built-in curve given to an arch, arch bar, beam or girder to prevent the member from becoming concave due to its own weight or the weight of the load it must carry.
cambium
The layer of tissue just beneath the bark of a tree where the new wood and bark cells of each year’s growth develop.
canopy
A roof-like structure over an opening in an exterior wall or a walkway.
cantilever
A structural member that projects beyond a supporting column or wall and is counterbalanced or supported at only one end .
cant strip
A wedge or triangular-shaped piece generally installed on flat roofs around the perimeter or at the junction of the roof and adjoining wall.
cap
A plain or moulded block or other covering forming the top of a wall, pier, newel post or column; a wall coping, chimney cap. See Wood framing.
cap flashing
Flashing installed on a vertical surface to prevent water from migrating behind base flashing.
capillary action
The process of water movement through porous materials, or the action of surface tension which pulls a liquid column up a material against the gravitational pull.
capillary flow or capillarity
The flow of liquid within small pore passages in a material or between materials due to capillary action. Also called wicking.
capital
carbon dioxide
The upper part of a column, pilaster or pier, widened for decorative purposes or to distribute loads.
An odourless, invisible, non-combustible gas occurring naturally in the atmosphere. It is produced by animals through respiration, decomposition of organic materials and combustion of fuels. Carbon dioxide can be dangerous if present in high concentrations. Emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere contribute to global warming.
carbon filter
A device employing a carbon block or carbon granules to remove some particulates from water. Activated carbon in a carbon filter removes unwanted, volatile chemicals such as chlorine, toxic gases, solvents, pesticides and some trace minerals.
carbon monoxide
A colourless, odourless, and toxic gas produced during the combustion process that can be produced by kerosene heaters, wood burning appliances, unvented gas appliances and automobiles. Dangerous in low concentrations. Toxic effects accumulate with length of exposure.
carbon monoxide detector
A device used to detect the presence of carbon monoxide.
carpet
A fabric floor covering.
carport
A roofed but otherwise open shelter located adjacent to a dwelling for a vehicle.
carriage bolt
A round-headed bolt used in the assembly of wooden members when the bolt head will be exposed to view.
casement See Window terms.
casing
Decorative trim used to cover the gap between the wall finish and window and door frames.
catalyst
A substance that creates a reaction without being consumed in the process. For example, the catalyst in a catalytic combustion appliance is a coated ceramic honeycomb through which the exhaust gas is routed.
catch basin
A sub grade chamber usually built at the curb line of a street for the admission of surface water to a storm sewer or subdrain and that has a sediment sump designed to retain grit and detritus.
cathedral ceiling See Ceiling terms.
caulk To make tight with a sealing material.
caulking
Materials with widely different chemical compositions used to make a seam or joint air- or water-tight.
cavity wall
A wall contructed of masonry units with a cavity, usually 50 mm wide, between two wythes, or “skins”. The wythes are attached with metal ties or bonding units, and act together to resist loads.
centralized wastewater system
See Water re-use and recycling terms.
Ceiling terms
cathedral ceiling
A ceiling that is inclined, typically sloping up to the centre of the room. The ceiling may follow the roof slope or may have a slope that differs from the roof slope .
ceiling
The overhead inside surface of a room.
coffered ceiling
A ceiling featuring recesses in a regular pattern.
coved ceiling
A ceiling which is formed at the edges to give a hollow curve from wall to ceiling instead of a sharp angle of intersection.
vaulted ceiling
A ceiling with high arches.
dropped ceiling
A non-structural, secondary ceiling suspended below an existing ceiling or a roof or floor structure. It may be framed and finished in a manner consistent with the surrounding construction or consist of a modular grid of prefabricated light weight panels and suspension system. A dropped ceiling is usually provided to contain, conceal and provide passage space for lighting, wiring, plumbing, heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems.
May also be referred to as a false or suspended ceiling.
ceiling fan
A motorized fan with exposed blades installed on the ceiling and used to force the circulation of air within a room or space.
ceiling joist See Wood framing terms.
ceiling outlet See Electrical terms.
cellar
The portion of a building that is partly or wholly underground and that has more than one-half of its height, from finished floor to finished ceiling, below grade.
cellulose fibre insulation See insulation.
cement
A powdered substance made from lime and clay that, when mixed with water and sand, makes mortar or when mixed with water, sand and gravel, makes concrete.
cement grout
A mixture of cement, water and sand used for bedding bearing plates, setting anchor bolts and filling and smoothing foundation cracks.
cement mortar
A mortar in which the cement material is primarily Portland cement.
central air conditioner See Heating and cooling terms.
central heating See Heating and cooling terms.
centre line
A line, actual or assumed, that symmetrically divides a surface or object and is used as a reference for measurement.
centre to centre
A term used to describe the linear spacing between the centre points or lines of adjacent joists, studs and other deliberately positioned members or features.
ceramic fibre liner See Heating and cooling terms.
ceramic tiles See tile.
cesspool See Plumbing terms.
chain-link fence
A fence of woven steel wire attached to steel posts and rails.
chair rail
Interior trim material installed horizontally on walls about one metre above the floor that is both decorative and functional as it protects the wall finishes from damage by the backs of chairs.
chalking
The deterioration of paint by oxidation that results in a chalk-like powder.
chamfer
A sloped or bevelled edge.
channel iron
A C-shaped steel section that has a web with two flanges extending in the same direction.
charrette
A facilitated problem-solving and opportunity identification exercise involving a diverse range of expertise, knowledge and experience—such as planners, architects, landscape
architects, engineers, builders, developers, specialists, educators, students, community representatives, government staff and civic leaders—to focus and collaborate on overcoming barriers, addressing challenges and creating innovative planning, design, construction and operating solutions that address multiple objectives and mutual interests.
chase
A dedicated cavity in a wall or ceiling containing pipes, ducts, wiring etc. that may run vertically between floors or horizontally between rooms or to the exterior of the building.
check See Lumber terms.
checking See Paint terms.
check rails
The meeting rails in sliding or double-hung window sashes that meet when closed and are of sufficient thickness to overlap and form a seal.
check valve See Plumbing terms.
chimney
A structure of brick, stone, concrete, metal or other non- combustible material that is a housing for one or more flues that carry combustion products to the outdoors.
cap
A protective covering or housing for the top of a chimney for preventing the entry of rain, snow, animals, birds and so on, and for preventing wind-induced downdrafts.
chimney draft
The available natural draft of the chimney in normal conditions, causing smoke and room air to move from the higher pressure of the room to the lower pressure at the top of the chimney.
chimney flashing
Any kind of metal or composition material placed around a chimney where it penetrates through a roof to cover the joint and prevent water from entering.
chimney flue pipe, chimney lining
A passage housed in a chimney through which products of combustion are carried from a fuel burning appliance to the exterior. Also called chimney lining.
chimney saddle
A peaked flashing between a chimney and the roof to shed moisture around the chimney. See cricket.
chimney thimble
The connector that joins the vent connector through the wall to the chimney and liner.
double-wall flue pipe
A chimney flue used on wood-burning appliances. Made with a metal inner liner and a sealed or ventilated outer shell.
downdraft
The movement of air and products of combustion down a chimney in a direction opposite to that which is intended.
draft
The pressure difference between the base of a chimney and the surrounding air caused by the temperature difference between the interior or the chimney and the surrounding air, resulting in the flow of air and products of combustion upwards through the chimney.
draft regulator
A device such as draft hood or barometric damper designed to stabilize the draft of a natural draft combustion appliance.
factory-built chimney
A chimney consisting entirely of factory-made parts designed to be assembled without requiring fabrication on the building site. Includes B-Vent. L-vent and A-Vent chimneys:
type A
A double-walled, factory-built metal chimney used for oil, gas
& solid fuel combustion appliances. A 650°C metal chimney, designed to withstand high temperatures, is required for solid fuel or wood-burning appliances.
type B See B-Vent.
type L
A factory-built venting system usually used with oil-fired combustion appliances.
flue collar
That portion of an appliance designed for the attachment of a draft hood, vent connector or venting system.
flue gas condensation
Liquids that are formed when exhaust gas condenses on surfaces in the exhaust stream .
flue gases
A mixture of products of combustion and excess air produced by fuel-fired appliances.
flue pipe
The pipe conducting combustion products from the furnace or boiler to the chimney. Also called vent connector.
masonry chimney
A chimney that consists of a clay tile liner surrounded by brick or stone.
smoke pipe
Same as vent connector, however usually associated with a solid fuel appliance.
unlined masonry chimney
An older masonry chimney not lined with clay tiles, firebrick or stainless steel; not suitable for wood-burning appliances.
vent collar
That part of a fuel-fired appliance to which the vent connector is attached.
vent connector
The conduit connecting the fuel-fired appliance to the chimney thimble or the outside wall .
chord member See Truss terms.
circuit See Electrical terms.
circuit breaker See Electrical terms.
circuit vent See Plumbing terms.
circulating fan
A motor driven fan within a forced air system used to circulate air throughout a house.
circulating pump
A motor-driven device used to circulate water through a piping system in a house.
cistern
A tank used to collect and store water.
cladding
Any material that covers an interior or exterior wall.
clapboard
Horizontal exterior wood finish shaped or overlapped to provide a weather-resistant cladding.
clay soil See Soil terms.
cleanout, heating See Heating and cooling terms.
cleanout, plumbing See Plumbing terms.
clear lumber See Lumber terms.
clearance
The distance between stationary or moving objects or surfaces that are adjacent one another . See also Heating and cooling terms.
clerestory
An upper portion of a wall containing windows for supplying natural light into a building. A wall with windows located above an adjacent roof for the purpose of admitting light into the interior of a building.
clinch
To bend over the protruding ends of nails to increase withdrawal resistance.
clinch nails See Nail types. closed loop system See Plumbing terms. closet See House rooms.
closet, walk-in See House rooms.
closure
A device or assembly for closing an opening through a fire separation, such as a door, a shutter, wired glass or glass block, and including all components such as hardware, closing devices, frames, and anchors.
coaxial cable
See Electrical terms.
coefficient of expansion
A constant that represents the fractional change in length, area or volume per unit change in temperature at a given constant pressure.
coefficient of heat transmission
A constant that represents the ability of a material to transmit heat.
coefficient of performance
See Heating and cooling terms.
coffered ceiling See Ceiling terms.
cogeneration See Energy efficiency terms.
collar tie
A horizontal member used to provide intermediate support for opposite roof rafters, usually located in the middle third of the rafters. Also called collar beam or brace.
collector, air
A solar collector that uses air as the heat transfer medium.
collector, liquid
A solar collector that uses water or other liquid as the heat transfer medium.
collector, solar
A device that transforms solar radiation into usable heat.
collector, photovoltaic
A device that transforms solar radiation into usable electricity.
collector tilt
The angle of a solar collector assembly or the roof supporting it to the horizontal.
column
A vertical structural member consisting of one or more components acting together and loaded in the direction of its longitudinal axis.
combi water heater See Plumbing terms.
combined heat and power generation
See cogeneration.
combined sewer See Plumbing terms.
combined stress
The stress developed when more than one type of force acts on a structural member .
combo system/ integrated combo system
See Plumbing terms.
combustible and non-combustible material
Generally, combustible material is any material that burns, while non-combustible material does not burn. Materials are classified as combustible or non-combustible within the range of temperatures that may occur in a building either normally or under fire conditions. The term non-combustible is generally applied to materials that meet the acceptance criteria of
CAN4-S114-M, “Test for Determination of Non-Combustibility in Building Materials”.
combustion air See Heating and cooling terms. combustion chamber See Heating and cooling terms. combustion liner See Heating and cooling terms. common See Lumber terms.
common bond
A method of laying bricks that is similar to a stretching bond but with a course of headers every fifth, sixth, or seventh course. See stretching bond.
common wall See wall, common.
communal amenity area See Outdoor space terms.
composter
An outdoor plastic or wood container with air holes, spaces or louvres used to promote the natural decay of organic materials such as non-meat kitchen and garden waste. The resulting composted materials may be used to supplement the nutrients in lawns and gardens.
compression web member
See Truss terms.
concealed condensation
Condensation occurring inside an exterior wall or roof. Also referred to as interstitial condensation.
Concrete terms
aerated concrete
A lightweight concrete containing minute air-filled voids which account for a large part of its volume. It transmits less sound and heat than ordinary concrete. Also called cellular concrete.
air-entrained concrete
Concrete into which an admixture has been introduced to form minute air bubbles that improve freeze-thaw performance.
cellular concrete
See aerated concrete.
concrete
A carefully proportioned mixture of cement, coarse and fine aggregates and water.
concrete block
A formed, modular, building product made from cement,
fine aggregates and sand and commonly assembled for structural, infill and foundation walls.
concrete footing
A widened and thickened concrete base run continuously under foundation walls, or placed under a pier or column, to transfer and distribute structural loads to the ground.
concrete formwork
Wood or metal panels, or fabric material, in which concrete is placed and allowed to set to make foundations, footings, walls, piers or other parts of structures. Also called formwork.
concrete foundation
A concrete structure that supports a building by transferring and distributing live and dead loads to the supporting soil or rock.
curing
The maintenance of proper temperature and moisture conditions to promote the continued chemical reaction required to fully develop strength and other characteristics of concrete.
plain concrete
Concrete without reinforcement.
ICF
Abbreviation for Insulated Concrete Form. Modular formwork , consisting of parallel rigid polystyrene insulation faces held apart by metal or plastic spacers, that is assembled together and filled with concrete to form above and below grade walls.
reinforced concrete
Concrete to which tensile bearing materials such as steel rods or mesh are added for tensile strength and commonly used for concrete floors, columns and beams.
screed
A wood or aluminum device used to level and smooth concrete to the correct elevation during placement.
SIPS
Abbreviation for Structural Insulated Panel System. A structural wall or roof panel consisting of parallel wood sheathing or facing material bonded to an insulation core.
slump
A measure of the hardness and consistency of freshly mixed concrete based on on-site testing using a standard slump cone.
condensation
The transformation of the vapour content of the air into water on cold surfaces.
conditioned space
Any heated or cooled area of a building located within the building envelope.
condensing furnace See Heating and cooling terms.
condominium See Housing types.
conductivity
(1) The rate at which heat is transmitted through a material.
(2) The ability of a material to transmit electricity.
conductor See Electrical terms.
conduit, electrical See Electrical terms.
conifer, coniferous tree
A resinous tree with cone-like fruits and needle-like or scaly leaves; generally evergreen with a few deciduous exceptions.
connector, box See Electrical terms.
connector, wire See Electrical terms.
construction heater See Heating and cooling terms.
Construction types
adobe
A type of construction in which the exterior walls are built
of blocks that are made of soil mixed with straw and hardened in the sun.
block
A type of construction in which the walls are made of concrete block or structural clay tile.
brick
A type of construction in which exterior load bearing walls are made of brick or a combination of brick and other unit masonry.
brick veneer
A type of construction comprised of a single width of exterior, non-load bearing brick that is supported by a wood-frame, steel-frame, concrete or unit masonry back-up wall system.
double shell house
A type of construction wherein an interior building envelope is built within an exterior building envelope with a space provided between the interior and exterior envelopes for air circulation. On the south-side of the house, the space may form an atrium.
double-wall
A type of construction wherein an interior frame wall assembly is constructed adjacent to an exterior frame wall assembly.
Double-wall systems are typically used to achieve a greater depth of insulation to provide higher thermal resistance to heat losses and gains. Generally, only one of the walls is load-bearing.
factory-built housing
A type of construction where houses, or sections of houses, are constructed in a factory and then transported to the site for final assembly. Also referred to as “prefabricated”.
fire-resistive
Floors, walls, roof, etc. constructed of slow-burning or
non-combustible materials recognized by building codes or local regulations to withstand collapse by fire for a stated period of time.
insulated concrete form
A type of construction that uses modular formwork , consisting of parallel rigid polystyrene insulation faces held apart by metal or plastic spacers, that is assembled together and filled with concrete to form above and below grade walls.
manufactured
A type of construction where a house is constructed in one or more sections with permanent metal chassis and is completed on site with or without a permanent foundation.
modular
A type of construction where a house is manufactured in one or more sections in a factory for installation on a permanent foundation on site.
monolithic concrete
A type of construction or process in which the concrete for the wall, floor, beams, etc. is poured in one continuous operation.
non-combustible construction
Type of construction in which a degree of fire safety is attained by the use of non-combustible materials for structural members and other building assemblies.
panelized
A type of construction where a house is constructed in a factory and shipped to the building site in the form of wall, floor and roof panels for assembly on a permanent foundation.
plank framing See Wood framing.
post-and-beam framing See Wood framing.
prefabricated
A type of construction designed to involve a minimum of assembly at the site, usually comprising a series of large wood panels or precast concrete units manufactured in a plant.
steel-frame
A type of construction using small, repetitive members in which the structural parts are of steel or dependent on a steel frame for support.
wood-frame
A type of construction using small, repetitive members in which the predominant structural parts are of wood or are dependent upon a wood frame for support. See Wood framing.
contamination
Impurities in air, water or soil that may constitute a health hazard, or unintended elements in a material that may alter its performance or appearance.
continuous caulking
The application of caulking as a single bead with no joints and breaks.
contour interval
The difference in elevation between two adjacent contour lines.
contour line
A plotted line on a map or plan that joins points of equal altitude or elevation. Also called contour.
contract limit line
A line on a plan, section or elevation establishing the legal limit of the area inside which construction work is to occur.
contractor
A person or company hired for a particular job. In construction, a contractor may be hired to construct all elements of a building , but sub-contract other contractors such as electricians and plumbers, to complete specific work.
control joint See Joint terms.
control mat
A fabric or plastic pad with enclosed wiring that is placed on the floor or sidewalk inside and outside an automatic door which, when stepped upon, opens the automatic door.
controlled ventilation See Ventilation terms.
convection
The transport of heat by movement due to the rising of a gas or liquid when heated and the falling of the gas or liquid when cooled. Certain types of heating systems, such as baseboard heaters, rely on convection for the distribution of heat. Heat may be transported passively by gas or liquid motion that is independent of the heat , or heat itself
can cause gas or liquid motion by buoyancy and expansion .
convector See Heating and cooling terms.
convenience outlet See Electrical terms.
cook stove
A wood-burning appliance used for cooking. Some cook stoves are also capable of warming several rooms of a house and generating hot water.
co-operative See Housing types.
coping
(1) A covering at the top of a wall exposed to the weather and designed to shed water.
(2) A saw cut at the junction of two pieces of trim that meet at an angle.
corbel
A horizontal projection on the face of a wall formed by one or more courses of masonry, each projecting over the course below.
core
(1) The base for veneer or the piece or pieces between the surface layers.
(2) The piece remaining after the log has been cut into veneer by the rotary process.
(3) Preformed voids in unit masonry.
corner bead
In plastering, a metal strip placed on external corners before plastering to protect, align and reinforce the plaster finish. In gypsum board finishing , a strip of metal or wood fixed to protect external corners from damage.
corner board
A built-up wood member installed vertically on the external corners of a house or other frame structure against which the ends of the siding are butted.
cornerite
Metal lath cut into strips and bent to a right angle and used in internal angles of plastered walls and ceilings as reinforcing.
cornice
An often ornamental, molded or formed, horizontal projection at the top of walls and columns. Cornices complete and finish the appearance of walls and columns and can also protect surfaces below from precipitation.
corrugated steel
Sheet steel formed with parallel ridges to increase stiffness; used as a roof and wall covering and for other building purposes.
counter See Truss terms.
counter-balanced garage door
A garage door designed to open easily by means of a weight or a spring to counter-balance the weight of the door.
counter brace See Truss terms.
counterflashing
A flashing applied above another flashing to shed water over the top of the lower flashing and allow differential movement without damage to the flashing.
countersink
To make a cavity for the reception of a metal plate or the head of a screw or bolt so that it does not project beyond the face of the work.
course
A continuous layer of bricks or masonry units in buildings; the term is also applicable to shingles.
court
An open, unoccupied area, surrounded by buildings or walls on at least three sides with the fourth side partially or totally open to a street, yard or abutting property, designed primarily for the provision of light and air or to serve as the entrance to a building.
coved ceiling See Ceiling terms.
cowl
A cover, frequently louvered and either fixed or revolving, fitted to the top of a flue or vent to reduce down-draft.
crawl space
A low-clearance space between the lowest occupied floor of a house and the ground or slab-on-ground beneath.
creosote
(1) An oily liquid distilled from wood or coal tar used as a wood preservative.
(2) Unburned or partially unburned hydrocarbons which are by-products of wood combustion.
cricket
A small roof structure at the junction of a chimney or other vertical structure and a roof to divert rainwater around the chimney. See chimney saddle.
cross band
(1) The layers of veneer at right angles to tile face plies.
(2) To place layers of wood with their grains at right angles to minimize warping.
cross-bridging See Wood framing.
cross connection See Plumbing terms.
cross grain See Lumber terms.
cross ventilation
The provision of air supply and exhaust points at opposite sides of a room or space. Natural ventilation through a room or space by way of open doors, windows or gratings where the air flow mainly results from wind and stack pressure effects on the building.
crown moulding
A decorative moulding used where a wall meets the ceiling.
crushed stone
The angular pieces resulting from the mechanical crushing of stone. Not to be confused with gravel, which occurs naturally and usually has rounded surfaces.
cul-de-sac
A short street or passageway open at one end only; also called a dead end.
culvert See Site drainage terms.
cupping See Lumber.
curb
(1) A low structure or assembly used to define and retain the edge of a roof.
(2) A continuous, low, narrow strip of concrete used to define the limits of roadways, parking lots, walkways or other areas.
curb box See Plumbing terms.
curb, lowered
A section of curb which is lowered in order to bring the level of the curb close to the level of the roadway in order to ease passage.
curb, rolled
A curb which is tapered to one side to permit the free passage of wheeled vehicles. Also called mountable curb.
curing See Concrete terms.
current See Electrical terms.
curtain wall
A thin wall whose weight is carried directly by the structural frame of the building and which supports no vertical load other than its own weight.
cut
(1) The volume of earth that is removed by excavation.
(2) An opening in a material made by a blade or other sharp instrument.
cut and fill
The process of changing the land surface by excavating part of an area and using the resulting material to fill adjacent areas. See fill.
cut nail See Nail types.
DDC
Abbreviation for direct digital control. An approach to home automation that relies on dedicated wiring to receive analogue or digital signals and communicate messages to selected appliances, systems, equipment and fixtures.
dado
A rectangular groove in a board or plank.
damper See Heating and cooling terms.
dampproof course
A water-resistant material placed just above the ground level in a brick or stone wall to prevent ground moisture from wicking up the wall assembly.
dampproofing
(1) The act of covering the exterior or interior of a foundation wall with a protective material that resists the passage of moisture. Dampproofing may also include the installation of a moisture resistant material, such as sheet polyethylene, prior to pouring a basement floor slab and/or footings.
(2) Dampproofing can also refer to a material used to resist the passage of moisture into or through building elements such as concrete floor slabs, footings and foundation walls or to prevent moisture from transferring from one material to another such as masonry or concrete to wood.
darby float
A hand float or trowel used by concrete finishers and plasterers in preliminary floating and levelling operations. Also called a derby flicker.
datum
A reference point from which elevations and measurements are taken.
datum line
In surveying, the base line from which all lines or levels are taken.
dead bolt
A security lock installed on a door that has a bolt that can only be moved into position by the turning of a knob or key rather than the action of a spring.
dead load
The weight of all permanent structural and non-structural components of a building.
deadman
A piece of metal, concrete, or wood buried in the ground and used as an anchoring device.
decay fungi
Microbiological organisms that attack wood, including wood in buildings, as a source of nutrient.
decentralized wastewater system
See Water re-use and recycling terms.
deciduous
Woody plants or trees that lose their leaves each year.
deck
An elevated, framed, platform, typically attached to the first storey of a dwelling, that may be of sufficient size to accommodate seating, tables, planter boxes and other outdoor amenities.
deck roof See Roof types
defect An imperfection, lack or deficiency in a material, equipment or system that causes inadequacy or failure in terms of form or function.
deflection
The displacement of a structural element, such as a post, beam or lintel, under an applied load and/or its own weight.
deformation
Alteration in form that a structure undergoes when subjected to a weight or load.
deformed bar
A reinforcing bar made with surface irregularities, as transverse ridges, to improve the bond between the rod and surrounding concrete in which it is embedded.
degree day See Heating and cooling terms.
degree-day index
A measure of how relatively hot a year was when compared with the heating degree-day average. See Heating and cooling terms.
dehumidifier
An appliance designed to remove water vapour or moisture content from the air.
dehumidify
To reduce the quantity of water vapour or moisture content in the air of a room.
delayed action solenoid valve
See Heating and cooling terms.
demising wall
The partition wall that separates one suite from another or from the building’s common areas.
densification
An urban planning and development strategy that increases the number of people or residential units within established urban areas. Densification is achieved through planning practices
that permit and encourage secondary suites, laneway housing, mixed-use buildings, infill housing and the redevelopment of urban areas requiring renewal.
densified pellet
A pellet made of dried ground wood or other biomass waste and used as a fuel in a wood-burning appliance. See pellet stove.
depressurization
The condition of a house or part of a house when the air pressure inside is less than the outdoor air pressure, and commonly caused by kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans, clothes dryers, cook top fans and other exhaust appliances.
desiccant
A hygroscopic substance that removes moisture from air or materials in its vicinity.
design heat loss See Heating and cooling terms.
de-superheater See Plumbing terms.
detached house See Housing types.
dew point
The temperature at which a given air/water vapour mixture is saturated with water vapour . If air is in contact with a surface below this temperature, condensation will form on the surface.
diagonal ties
Structural elements which when affixed diagonally to and continuously across individual members that form roof trusses, framed walls, framed floors, etc., serve to brace the assembly against deformation.
diaphragm
See Wood Framing terms.
dielectric coupling See Plumbing terms.
diffuser See Ventilation terms.
diffusion
The movement of water vapour through materials as a result of a difference in vapour pressure. It is independent of air movement.
dilution air See Heating and cooling terms.
dimension stock See Lumber terms.
dinette See House rooms.
dining room See House rooms.
dip See Plumbing terms.
direct current See Electrical terms.
direct diversion system See Water re-use and recycling terms.
direct solar gain
Refers to the increase in temperature that occurs when solar thermal energy enters a building through windows where it heats interior spaces and is absorbed by floors, walls or other thermal mass features. A type of solar space heating strategy that receives, captures, stores and re-emits solar energy all within the same space served.
direct load control
The control of power to a non-essential residential appliance in order to divert power to essential appliances. For example, remotely turning off a swimming pool heater by a utility company when power is needed elsewhere. Direct load control
can be achieved through the use of simple timers or sophisticated two-way communications systems.
direct siphonage See Plumbing terms.
direct vent appliance See Heating and cooling terms.
disability See Flexible Housing terms.
distributed load
A load spread over an entire surface or along the length of a beam.
distribution box See Electrical terms.
distribution pipe See Plumbing terms.
domestic hot water/ water heater/service water heater
See Plumbing terms.
domestic hot water recirculating system
See Plumbing terms.
door casing
The material, with or without ornamental profiles and features, used to cover and finish the gap between a door frame and rough wall opening.
door jamb
Sides of a frame set in a wall or partition on which a door is hung.
door sill
A horizontal member forming the bottom of an outside door frame over which the door closes.
door stop
(1) A device fitted to a door, or on the floor or wall near a door, to hold it open as far as may be required, or to prevent the door from being opened beyond a certain amount.
(2) The strip against which a door closes on the face of a door frame.
dormer
A structure that projects from a sloping roof, usually provided to admit light or to add useable space under the roof. Could be a decorative feature.
dormer window See Window terms.
double glazing See Window terms.
double header See Wood framing. double-hung window See Window terms. double shell house See Construction types. double-wall flue pipe See Chimney types. dovetailing See Joint terms.
dowel
A wood or metal pin used to hold or strengthen two pieces of wood where they join; a pin or tenon fitting into a corresponding hole serving to fasten two pieces of wood together.
downdraft See Chimney terms.
downsizing See Heating and cooling terms.
downspout
A conduit which carries water from an eavestrough to the ground or storm drainage system.
draft See Chimney terms.
draft hood See Heating and cooling terms.
draft regulator See Chimney terms.
draft stop
An obstruction placed in a concealed space to block the passage of air upwards or across a building.
drain See Plumbing terms.
drainage piping See Plumbing terms.
drainage swale
A linear, depressed, landscape feature that captures, infiltrates and conveys stormwater. Swales are planted, often grassed and the depression is wider than it is deep, making them more subtle and attractive stormwater management strategies than ditches.
drainage system See Plumbing terms.
drainage tile
Pipe laid in gravel around the footings of a building to drain subsurface water away from the foundation walls.
drain water heat recovery
See Plumbing terms.
dress See Lumber terms.
dressing
The operation of squaring or smoothing stones or lumber for building purposes.
drier See Paint terms.
drip edge
A projecting metal, plastic, masonry or concrete edge, causing a liquid to break contact from a surface and fall.
drip leg See Plumbing terms: relief pipe.
drip mould
A projecting moulding arranged to divert rainwater from the face of a wall.
drip notch
A groove set into the underside of a horizontal projecting element, such as a window sill or balcony slab, that prevents rain or melt water that flows over the projection from adhering to and flowing over its underside. Drip notches help divert precipitation that would otherwise accumulate under projecting elements or drain down the surface of, or into, the building envelope.
driveway See Outdoor structure.
dropped ceiling See Ceiling terms.
drop siding
Cladding that is rabbeted and overlapped.
dry bulb temperature
The temperature of air. This is the usual temperature to which people refer, but the term is used to distinguish it from “wet bulb temperature” which is measured using a thermometer with a wetted bulb. Comparing the dry and wet bulb temperatures allows calculation of the relative humidity.
dry kiln See kiln.
dry rot
Decay of timber due to the attack of certain fungi.
dry-stone wall
A wall made of stone laid without mortar. Dry-stone walls are usually used as low retaining walls.
drywall
Gypsum board that is used as a finish material on interior walls and ceilings.
drywall compound
A type of plaster used to fill and finish the joints between sheets of drywall.
drywall finish
Interior wall and ceiling finish using gypsum board, joint compound and accessories.
dry well See Plumbing terms.
dual flush toilet
A water efficient toilet equipped to provide a high volume flush for solid waste and a lower volume flush for fluid waste.
dual piping/ distribution system
See Water re-use and recycling terms.
dual plumbing system See Water re-use and recycling terms.
dual venting See Plumbing terms.
duct See Heating and cooling terms.
ductless furnace See Heating and cooling terms.
duct tape See Heating and cooling terms.
duct sealant See Heating and cooling terms.
duplex See Housing types.
dwarf wall or partition See partition.
dwelling, multiple
A building or part of a building designed for residential occupancy and consisting of more than two units. Multiple dwellings include triplex, row and group houses, stacked townhouses,
and apartment buildings.
dwelling unit
A suite operated as a housekeeping unit, designed for use as a domicile by one or more persons and usually containing cooking, eating, living, sleeping and sanitary facilities.
ECM
See Heating and cooling terms: electronically commutated motor
EF
See Heating and cooling terms: energy factor
ELA
Abbreviation for equivalent leakage area.
EMC
See Lumber terms: equilibrium moisture content.
EMCS
Abbreviation for Energy Management Control System. A system that controls humidity, air quality, temperature setting and energy to optimize energy use and occupant safety.
ER
See Window terms: Energy rating
ESCO
Abbreviation for Energy service company.
earthwork
The moving of surface materials to create a change of landform during site construction.
easement
See right-of-way.
An established entitlement that one property owner may have over the real property of another property owner.
Often refers to a right-of-way easement provided over the land held by one property owner to access the land of a neighbouring owner. May also apply to a right to a view, a right to solar access or the right to run services across a neighbouring property.
eave
The part of a roof that projects beyond the face of a wall.
eave soffit
The underside of an eave.
eavestrough
A trough fixed to an eave to collect and carry away the runoff from the roof. Also called gutter.
edge grain See Lumber terms.
edge sawn See Lumber terms.
edge nailing
Nailing lumber through its edge so that the nails are not visible on a floor or other finished surface.
edging
A linear barrier, often of paving stone, between two surface materials; commonly used between a lawn and gravel.
effective length See Ventilation terms.
efflorescence
A white, powdery deposit of soluble salts carried to the surface of brick, concrete, or mortar by moisture. The salts are left behind as the moisture evaporates resulting in the characteristic irregular white patterns on the surface of the material affected.
egress
An outlet; a place of exit. See Means of egress.
electric boiler See Heating and cooling terms.
electric furnace See Heating and cooling terms.
electric ignition See Heating and cooling terms.
Electrical terms
airtight electrical box
An approved electrical box designed to act as part of an air barrier system. Typically plastic with features that form an airtight seal around wires entering and leaving the box and with a flange to which the air barrier on the surrounding wall or ceiling can be sealed.
alternating current,AC
Electricity current that constantly changes direction at a fixed rate. Household electricity service, appliances and equipment are commonly AC-based.
ampacity
The current-carrying capacity of electric conductors expressed in amperes.
ampere
The unit of electrical current equivalent to the steady current produced by one volt applied across a resistance of one ohm.
ballast
A device used with a fluorescent-type lamp to provide the necessary starting and operating electric conditions.
branch circuit
The circuit conductors running between the final overcurrent devices protecting the circuit and the outlets and fixtures.
breaker panel
An electrical box that distributes electric power to each branch circuit and provides overload protection by means of circuit breakers.
cable
A bundle of insulated wire to carry an electrical current.
cable, armoured
Insulated wire with additional flexible metallic protective sheathing. Often referred to as BX cable.
ceiling outlet
An electric outlet for a ceiling lighting fixture or ceiling fan.
circuit
Continuous conducting path or wire through which electrical current flows.
circuit breaker
An electromechanical device designed to open a current- carrying circuit, under overload or short circuit conditions, without injury to the device; serves the same purpose as a fuse, that is, to prevent overheating in a circuit through overloading. Unlike a fuse, a circuit breaker can be reset rather than need to be replaced.
coaxial cable
A specially constructed single or multi-conductor cable which shields signals or data carried in the cable from electrostatic fields. Commonly used for cable television connections and has other applications in home automation systems.
conductor
A wire, cable or other form of metal of low resistance, capable of conducting or transmitting electrical current from one piece of electrical equipment to another, or to ground.
conduit, electrical
A protective pipe-like covering for electrical wiring.
connector, box
A device for securing a cable by its sheath or armour at the point it enters an enclosure such as an outlet box.
connector, wire
A device that connects two or more conductors, or connects one or more conductors to a terminal point to join electrical circuits.
convenience outlet
An outlet for portable equipment such as lamps or electrically operated equipment.
current
A flow of electricity.
direct current, DC
Electric current that moves in one direction only. Boats, cars commonly use DC electrical systems. Solar photovoltaic systems generate DC electricity that must be converted to AC by way of an inverter before it is usable at the household level or before it can be delivered to the electricity grid.
disconnect See Electrical terms: main switch.
distribution box
A protected housing which serves as the transition point between the service entrance and the distribution circuits and contains the overcurrent devices that protect each circuit.
electrical outlet and lighting gaskets
Foam gaskets designed to fit behind the cover plates of electrical receptacles, switches and lighting mounts to reduce air leakage into or out of walls and attics.
electrolysis
An electrochemical reaction between two dissimilar metals, such as copper and galvanized steel, causing corrosion of a joint where the two materials are in contact with each other.
electromagnetic radiation
Radiation produced by the electromagnetic field generated artificially by electric currents and naturally by the earth .
Electronically Commutated Motor
See Heating and cooling terms
electrostatic air filtration
The use of electronic air cleaners or plastic fibres to clean air by attracting particles with an electric charge.
feeder
A conductor that transmits electrical energy from a service supply, transformer, switchboard, distribution centre, generator or other source to branch circuit overcurrent devices.
fuse
A device capable of automatically opening an electric circuit under predetermined overload or short-circuit conditions by fusing or melting; an overcurrent device.
fuse rejecter
A plastic disc that fits into the base of a fuse socket that prevents the installation of a fuse of higher amperage than was planned for the circuit.
ground
A conducting body, such as the earth, or an electric circuit connected to the earth.
ground electrode
A heavy conductor or network of conductors, usually buried in the earth, to provide a conducting connection between an electrical circuit or equipment and earth.
ground fault circuit interrupter
A device designed to interrupt, almost instantaneously, an accidental connection between a live part of an electrical
system and ground when the current exceeds a very small predetermined value. This device reacts to a dangerous situation before a fuse or circuit breaker, and before a person can be harmed by the shock.
grounding system
All conductors, clamps, ground clips, ground plates or
pipes and ground electrodes by which the electrical installation is grounded.
hot bar
A metallic bar located in the distribution box that serves as a transition between the power-carrying service line and the fuse or circuit rake.
hot line
A power-carrying wire, usually black or red; an extension of the input power lines from the utility. A hot line is protected by a fuse or circuit breaker.
impedance
A measure of the degree to which an electrical component resists the flow of electrical current if a given voltage is applied .
insulate
To separate from other conducting surfaces by a material or air space that resists the passage of current.
insulation, electrical
Non-conducting covering applied to wire or equipment to prevent short circuiting.
inverter
A device for converting direct current to alternating current for use in a home electrical system. Direct current is usually in the form of electrical energy available from an alternate energy source, such as wind generator or solar photovoltaic panel, or from a battery storage system.
jump wire
A grounding wire that bridges the water meter to the ground electrode of street-side plumbing when the electrical system has been grounded to the house side of the plumbing system.
kilowatt hour
A unit of measurement of the consumption of electric energy over a fixed period of time specifically, the use of 1,000 watts for 1 hour.
knob-and-tube wiring
Very old wiring with single wires strung between porcelain knobs and through porcelain tubes.
load miser
An overload device that allows two demand loads on one set of fuses; usually used where the service is not of adequate size to supply two large loads simultaneously.
low melting point fuse
A fuse designed to blow, due to heat build-up, in addition to excessive current flow. Therefore, these fuses can trip when less than their rated current is flowing if sufficient heat is generated. Also called a Type P fuse.
lumen, lm
A unit of measurement for the amount of light emitted from a light source.
main switch
A two-pole switch capable of cutting off all the electricity in a system. It is installed between the meter and distribution box, or ahead of the meter.
meter
A device used for recording consumption of electricity.
meter socket
The socket that contains the electrical connections on both sides of the meter and into which the meter is installed.
net meter
A meter which records the balance of the flow of electricity to the house from the supply grid and from the house back to the supply grid.
neutral block
A metallic block of wire connectors located within the distribution box that serves as a transition between the service entrance neutral wire and the white return wires of the distribution system.
ohm
A unit of electrical resistance defined as the resistance between two points of a conductor when a constant application of one volt produces a current of one ampere.
outlet
A device on the wiring system at which current is taken to supply fixtures or appliances.
overload device
Any device affording protection from excess current, but not necessarily short-circuit protection, and capable of automatically opening an electric circuit either by fusing of metal or by electromechanical means. See fuse, breaker.
overloading
The surcharge of a circuit beyond the capacity of its conductors.
panel schedule
A diagram of the arrangement of fuses or breakers, identifying each circuit; usually found on the door to the panel where the circuit breakers or fuses are kept.
panelboard
A centre for controlling a number of circuits by means of fuses or circuit breakers, usually contained in a metal cabinet. Switches are sometimes added to control each circuit.
pigtail
A short length of electrical wire.
power
The amount of energy expended or produced in a given time; measured in watts.
power circuit
A circuit transmitting electric energy to a motor or to a heating unit too large to be served by an ordinary circuit.
receptacle
A contact device installed at the outlet into which electric cords can be plugged.
resistance See Electrical terms: impedance.
rocker switch
An electrical switch operated by touching the top or bottom of the control plate.
safety switch
A fused interrupter that will cut off all electricity to a major appliance.
service box
A metal box or cabinet that can be locked or sealed and is used to house fuses or circuit breakers.
service entrance panel See service box.
service head
A weatherproof device through which the service lines enter the service mast or conduit.
service line
The incoming power line to the distribution box.
service mast
A conduit extension used to raise the service head to a height adequate to assure proper clearance for overhead service lines.
short circuit
An accidental connection of two sides of a circuit through which nearly all the current will flow. Also called a short.
special purpose outlet
An outlet used for purposes other than ordinary lighting and power, usually fused separately. Most commonly used for ranges or clothes dryers.
stress strap
A clamp that holds an electrical cable firmly to an appliance to prevent any chance of the connector being pulled out under stress.
switch
A device for making, breaking or changing connections in a circuit.
three-way switch
A switch designed to operate in conjunction with a similar switch to control one outlet or light fixture from either of two points. Commonly used at opposite ends of stairs and hallways.
time delay fuse
An overcurrent device that allows a large surge current for a short period of time but will open if current demand is over its predetermined smaller rating on a continuous basis; used primarily to protect electric motor circuits, large appliances and stationary power tools. Also called a Type D fuse.
transfer switch
A switch which transfers household circuits from utility power to emergency generator or other, alternate power supply.
transformer
A device for changing the voltage characteristics of a current supply.
Type D fuse See time delay fuse.
Type P fuse See low melting point fuse.
volt
A unit of electromotive force or potential difference; equal to the electromagnetic field that causes a current of one ampere to flow through a conductor with a resistance of one ohm.
voltage
The measure of the difference in electrical energy between two points.
watt
A unit of measurement of electric power; the energy expended per second by an electric current of one ampere flowing through a conductor the ends of which are maintained at a potential difference of one volt.
wire nut
A plastic device used to connect conducting wires in junction boxes and outlets.
electronically- commutated motor
See Heating and cooling terms.
elevation
(1) The vertical distance between a point and a reference point .
(2) The exterior face of a building with respect to the direction it faces or its position relative to another reference point .
elevator
A lifting device in which a platform can be moved up or down a shaft, either by a cable from above or a hydraulic cylinder below.
enamel See Paint terms.
enclosed stairway See Stairway types.
end grain See Lumber terms.
end matched See Lumber terms.
end thrust
Pressure exerted in the direction of the ends of a structural member, such as a girder, beam, truss, or rafter.
Energy efficiency terms
air sealing
See air barrier. The application of weatherstripping, caulking and expanding foam, etc. to close off cracks and spaces at windows and doors and on walls and ceilings to seal joints in air barrier materials in order to reduce air leakage and resulting heat loss.
airtight drywall approach )
The use of interior drywall, gaskets, airtight electrical boxes and caulking to form a continuous air barrier system in a building.
cogeneration
The simultaneous generation of electricity and useful heat.
daylighting
The use of direct, diffuse, or reflected sunlight to supplement indoor lighting and reduce lighting energy use.
dimmer
A manual or automatic device used to reduce the amount of power delivered to lights to reduce energy consumption.
earth tube
An underground duct through which air is drawn to warm it in the winter and cool it in the summer.
EnerGuide rating system
A system developed by Natural Resources Canada for representing the energy efficiency of a house.
energy efficiency retrofit
Changes made to an existing building and its existing equipment and systems to reduce energy consumption. May also refer to adding an energy saving feature to an existing building that was not already provided in the original construction.
energy efficient mortgage
A type of home mortgage that takes into account the lower costs of operating an energy efficient home over a conventional home which could qualify the borrower for a larger loan amount than otherwise would be possible.
energy service company
A private company that undertakes energy retrofits at little or no cost to the owner and recovers its investment over time through the resulting energy savings. ESCOs may be involved in the operation of retrofitted buildings during the investment recovery period to help ensure energy savings are realized.
ENERGY STAR®
A voluntary labelling program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that identifies energy efficient products. Qualified products exceed minimum federal standards for energy consumption by a certain amount, or where no federal standards exist, have certain energy saving features. Such products may display the ENERGY STAR® label.
ENERGY STAR® for
New Homes Initiative
A new home program developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 and administered and promoted in Canada by Natural Resources Canada to encourage residential energy-efficient practices that help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. ENERGY STAR® homes may include more insulation, higher efficiency windows, heating and cooling systems and windows in comparison to code built houses.
Third party verification of ENERGY STAR® for New Home requirements is also an integral part of the Program.
EQuilibriumTM
A CMHC sustainable housing demonstration initiative bringing the private and public sectors together to develop homes
that address occupant health and comfort, energy efficiency, renewable energy production, resource conservation, reduced environmental impact and affordability.
fuel cell
An electrochemical device that converts fuel directly into electricity.
Healthy HousingTM
A term coined by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation used to describe housing that is healthy to live in, energy efficient, has low environmental impact, is resource efficient and affordable.
HERS
Abbreviation for Home Energy Rating System. A method of rating home energy efficiency. The HERS Index is a scoring system established by the U.S. Residential Energy Services Network in which a net zero energy scores 0, and a house built to the specifications of the HERS Reference Home, based on the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code, scores 100.
Generally speaking a home energy rating system, such as Natural Resources Canada’s EnerGuide Rating System is any system used to systematically characterize the energy performance of a house, often against established performance benchmarks.
HOT2000 Natural Resources Canada software used to predict energy consumption for homes and low-rise residential buildings. EnerGuide energy rating values are calculated which may be used as benchmarks for Home Identification programs such as R-2000 and Energy Star for New Homes.
LEED®
A rating system for high-rise, commercial and residential buildings that rates environmental impact and performance. Buildings are assessed in six categories: sustainable site; water efficiency; energy and atmosphere; materials and resources; indoor environmental quality; and innovation and design process. .
load shedding
Automatically or manually turning off energy loads to limit the peak energy demand, and related costs, that a building may otherwise experience or the utility must meet.
load shifting
Moving energy use from on-peak periods to off-peak periods to reduce peak energy loads or to take advantage of lower energy costs.
net metering
The use of a single electricity meter to measure household consumption as well as generation of electricity by wind or solar photovoltaic systems. The net electricity generated or consumed is purchased from or sold to the utility, respectively.
Net-Zero
The objective of balanced energy use and generation for an individual house or building. The energy consumed and generated by the house should achieve a net-zero balance on an annual basis. See also EQuilibrium.
Net-Zero energy home
A home that consumes as much energy as it produces on site, on an annual basis.
occupancy sensor
An optical, ultrasonic, or infrared device used to save energy by activating systems such as space conditioning systems, ventilation systems, or lighting systems in an occupied space or room and
to deactivate the systems when the space or room becomes unoccupied.
setback thermostat
A thermostat with an integral timer that can schedule the operation of a space conditioning system based on time of day and day of the week. Often used to lower the indoor temperature setpoint during unoccupied periods during the winter and raise it during the summer to reduce the operating time, and energy consumption, of the space conditioning system.
super insulated
Denotes the use of very high levels of insulation and construction practices to achieve very high levels of airtightness.
sustainable housing
Housing designed, built and operated using techniques, materials and technologies that result in houses that are highly energy efficient, make efficient use of resources, have low environmental impact, are healthy to live in, are affordable, and produce as much energy as they consume on an annual basis.
task lighting
The provision of lighting specifically to direct light on a task or an area of work to reduce general lighting needs and related energy consumption.
thermal energy storage
The storage of excess heat energy for use at later times.
weatherization
Retrofit measures, typically applied to the building envelope, to protect against heat loss and drafts. Originally directed at
replacing weatherstripping, air sealing cracks and holes and other such improvements, weatherization often also includes insulation retrofits and energy efficiency improvements to space heating and hot water heating systems.
Engineered wood
cross laminated timber
Cross Laminated Timber refers to large engineered wood panels manufactured by cross laminating three to seven layers
of softwood lumber and bonding the laminations with adhesives or fasteners.
engineered wood product
A term used to refer to manufactured composite wood products made up of a combination of smaller wood members, wafers or fibres bonded together with adhesives to make larger structural products. Examples of engineered wood products are defined below.
fibreboard, high-density
High-strength fibreboard designed for applications where increased strength is needed. Made by compressing wood fibres with resins under high pressure into an engineered substrate. Often used as an engineered floating floor core material. HDF pressure is greater than 50 lbs. per cubic foot or 800 kg per m3.
glulam
A beam or column made by gluing laminations of dimension lumber. Also called glued laminated timber.
I-joist
An engineered wood product formed by two dimensional lumber or LVL flanges that are adhered to the edges of an OSB or plywood web . I-joists are used to construct floors and may also be used as rafters.
laminated strand lumber
A wood product made by gluing wood strands into a billet that is then cut to size for uses such as headers, rim-joists
for floor systems, columns, joists and studs, headers, lintels and rim boards.
laminated veneer lumber
Lumber made of veneers of wood glued together using exterior grade glue.
oriented strand board
A structural panel product manufactured by gluing and high-temperature pressing of layers of thin wood strands, with each layer oriented at a right angle to adjacent layers.
parallel strand lumber
A structural wood product made by gluing long, thin strands of wood.
plywood
A wood panel made of layers of veneer joined with glue and usually laid with the grain of adjoining plies at right angles .
structural composite lumber
Generic terms for solid structural engineered wood products created by layering wood veneers, strands or flakes with exterior type adhesives into blocks of material known as billets. The billets are cured in a heated press and sawn to consistent
sizes that are easily worked in the field using conventional construction tools. Includes products such as laminated veneer lumber , parallel strand lumber , laminated strand lumber .
waferboard
Structural wood panel manufactured from randomly arranged wood wafers and bonded together with glue.
English bond
A masonry bond in which each course is alternately composed entirely of header or stretcher masonry units.
ensuite
A private room attached to another room, for example, an ensuite bathroom attached to a bedroom.
equilibrium moisture content
See Lumber.
equivalent leakage area
, f.)
An estimate of the total combined area of all the unintentional openings in the building envelope generally expressed in square centimetres or square inches. The ELA is usually obtained through a blower-door test. See also normalized leakage area .
erosion
The uncontrolled detachment and removal of soil particles by the action of water, wind or gravity.
escutcheon
A plate around an opening or penetration, such as a keyhole plate or the plate to which a door knob is attached.
evaporation
The process of changing a liquid into vapour by adding latent heat.
excavate
To dig or scoop out earth as for a foundation, underground services, etc.
exfiltration
The outward flow or escape of air or liquid. The term is often associated with the uncontrolled movement of indoor air to outdoors through intentional and unintentional openings in the building envelope.
exit
That part of a means of egress, including doorways, that leads from the floor area it serves to a separate building, an open public thoroughfare , or an exterior open space protected from fire exposure from the building and having access to an open public thoroughfare.
exit, access to
That part of a means of egress within a floor area that provides access to an exit serving the floor area.
exit, horizontal
An exit from one building to another by means of a doorway, vestibule, walkway, bridge or balcony.
expanded metal
A metal network formed by stamping or cutting sheet-metal and stretching it to form open meshes. It is used as reinforcing in concrete construction and as lath for plastering and stucco.
expansion bolt
A fastener commonly used for bolting wood or steel to concrete or masonry that is secured as a result of the bolt anchor spreading as the bolt is tightened. Also called a cinch anchor.
exterior trim
Exterior mouldings and members used to finish and cover unprotected edges or joints of exterior finishes or between elements such as the roof and walls, walls and windows, etc.
extrados
The upper curved line of an arch.
FBM
Abbreviation for board foot measure. See Lumber terms: board foot.
facade
The entire exterior side of a building that can be seen in one view. Typically refers to the principal, main, street facing or architecturally significant side of a building.
face nailing
Fastening a member by driving nails through it at right angles to its exposed surface.
facer board
The exterior trim board under the verge of gables sometimes referred to as verge board. See barge board.
facing
The external layer of a wall that is visible and exposed to the weather and supported by a structural wall behind.
factor of safety
The ratio of the maximum load a material, component or system can withstand before failure to the maximum load it is designed to carry. For example, if a rope that can carry up to 2,000 kg before breaking is specified to carry a load no more than 1,000 kg, the factor of safety is 2,000 divided by 1,000 = 2.
fan depressurization
The condition that exists when a fan is used to exhaust air from a building resulting in a lower pressure inside the building compared to the outside.
fascia board
An exterior, vertically positioned but horizontally running, trim member used to close and finish the outer exposed ends and faces of rafters and roof trusses. Fascia board may also support eavestroughing.
faucet See Plumbing terms.
feathering
Reducing gradually to a very thin edge.
feeder See Electrical terms.
felt paper
Building paper made from a paper base saturated with hot bitumen and used under roofing and siding as a protection against moisture.
fence
A structure used to separate one area from another. It can also be used to define or enclose, or partially enclose, an area.
fenestration
The distribution or arrangement of windows, doors, and ornamental trim.
fibreboard
A panel, plank or moulded shape made of glued wood fibres.
fibreglass
Very fine threads of glass massed to form wool-like thermal and acoustical insulation or be combined as a yarn and woven into fabrics that when embedded in synthetic resins make a very strong, lightweight material.
fibre optics
Thin hollow fibres through which coded light pulses are passed to transmit audio, video and data information.
fibre saturation point
The moisture content of wood when all the free water in the cell cavities has been lost, leaving water only in the cell walls and shrinkage begins .
fill
Earth, soil, or other material used to alter the existing topographic relief of an area or to adjust the level of an excavation. See cut and fill.
filler See Paint terms.
filter
A device that removes impurities from liquids or gases.
finial
An ornament, often long and narrow, set at the peak of a gable.
finished size
The overall measurements of any object completely finished and ready for use.
finish grading
The final surface adjustments made to a site after construction of buildings and other facilities. Usually applies to manual placing and raking of topsoil.
fire barrier
Fire resistant wall, door, and similar construction to prevent spread of a fire in a building. See fire stop.
fire brick
Brick made with high heat-resisting clay and used to line fireplaces, furnaces and chimneys.
fire clay
A clay with high heat resistance used to make fire brick and the mortar in which fire brick is laid.
fire compartment
An enclosed interior space in a building that is separated from all other parts of the building by enclosing construction that provides a fire separation with a required fire-resistance rating.
fire damper
A closure installed in an air-distribution system or in a wall or floor assembly that is normally held open but is designed to close automatically in the event of a fire to maintain the integrity of a fire separation.
fire detector
A device that detects a fire condition and actuates an alarm .
fire door
A fire-resistant door that can be closed to stop the spread of a fire.
fire load
The combustible contents of a room or floor area, including furnishings, finished floor, wall and ceiling finishes, trim, and temporary and movable partitions, expressed in the average weight of combustible materials per square metre.
fireplace
An opening or appliance at the base of a chimney where wood or gas is burned for heating and/or aesthetic purposes. Fireplaces are most often masonry, stone or metal and may or may not be built into the structure of a house.
fireplace insert
A manufactured firebox installed in a masonry fireplace opening to improve heat-transfer efficiency and safety.
fire-protection rating
The time in hours that a closure, window or glass block assembly will resist the passage of flames and the transmission of heat when exposed to fire under specified test and performance criteria.
fire-resistance rating
The time in minutes or hours that a material or assembly of materials will withstand the passage of flames and the transmission of heat when exposed to fire under specific test and performance conditions.
fire-retardant-treated wood
A wood product whose surface burning characteristics are reduced by impregnation with fire-retardant chemicals.
fire separation
A construction assembly that acts as a barrier against the spread of fire, and may or may not be required to have a fire-resistance rating.
fire stop
A draft-tight barrier within or between construction assemblies that acts to retard the passage of smoke and flames.
firewall
A wall of non-combustible construction that subdivides a building into limited fire areas or separates adjoining buildings
to resist the spread of fire, and that has a prescribed fire-resistance rating and the ability to remain structurally intact for the required fire-rated time.
flag stone
Flat stone, usually 25 to 75-mm thick, used for patios, pavement or sidewalks.
flame-spread rating
The measurement of flame spread on the surface of a material or an assembly of materials as determined in a standard fire test.
flange
(1) A projecting edge, rib, or rim.
(2) The top and bottom horizontal components of an I-beam or channel that are attached to the vertical web.
flashing
Water-proof sheet or other material placed to prevent water penetration or to direct and shed the flow of water over and off of the building envelope or other element.
flat slab
A concrete slab reinforced in two or more directions, without beams or girders except wall or trimmer beams, from which loads are transferred to supporting columns.
Flemish bond
In masonry, a bond consisting of alternate headers and stretchers in every course, each header being placed in the middle of the stretchers, in the courses above and below.
Flexible housing terms
accessible housing
Dwellings that include features, amenities or products to better meet the needs of people with disabilities and thereby maximizing the number of people who can readily use them.
adaptable housing
A dwelling designed and constructed to be easily, and cost-effectively, modified at a later date as the needs and circumstances of the occupants change. For example, the
inclusion of a space for a home office or secondary suite or features that can accommodate occupants with changing mobility such as a roll-in shower, wider doorways, and level entranceways.
aging-in-place
The ability to remain in one’s home safely, independently and comfortably as one’s age and abilities change.
assistive technology
Devices, equipment and systems that provide people with physical, sensory and cognitive disabilities with an ability to live more independently and safely. Includes door bells that also activate a flashing light, personal emergency signalling systems, stair lifts.
barrier free design
Means that a building and its facilities can be approached, entered and used by persons with physical or sensory disabilities. They contain no architectural, design or psychological features that might prevent anyone, able-bodied or otherwise, from using the building or amenities.
disability
An activity limitation or participation restriction associated with a physical or mental condition or health problem.
FlexHousingTM
A concept developed by CMHC. FlexHousing is a built form in which the interior configuration can change over time to adapt to the needs of the homeowner. For example, over time the floor plan and services may be adapted to include: the addition or removal of a secondary suite; a change in room configuration
to create a new bedroom for a child or elderly parent; or, the addition of an office.
flexible housing
Housing that include specific design features that allows people to occupy their homes for longer periods of time, that meet
a wide range of occupant needs, and improve convenience. The four principles of flexible housing are adaptability, accessibility, affordability and healthy indoor environments.
flight
A series of steps between floors or landings.
float finish
A smooth finish applied to concrete or plaster.
floating
The equal spreading of plaster or concrete by means of a board called a float.
floor drain See Plumbing terms.
flooring
Material used in the construction of floors. The surface material is known as finished flooring while the base material is called sub-flooring .
floor joist See Wood framing terms: joist.
flue See Chimney terms: chimney flue pipe.
flue collar See Chimney terms. flue damper, automatic See Chimney terms. flue gases See Chimney terms.
flue lining See Chimney terms.
flue pipe See Chimney terms.
fluorescent lighting
Light produced by fluorescent lights. Also refers to fluorescent lamp-based lighting fixtures or lighting systems. Fluorescent light is produced when the phosphor coating applied to the inner surface of a sealed glass tube is struck by ultraviolet light released by mercury gas within the tube when an electric current is applied to it. Fluorescent lighting comes in linear, compact spiral and circuline forms.
flute
A rounded groove on a column or pilaster.
footing
The widened section, usually concrete, at the base or bottom of a foundation wall, pier or column that is designed to carry and distribute structural loads to the ground.
forced draft See Heating and cooling terms.
forced warm air-heating See Heating and cooling terms: warm air-heating system, forced.
formaldehyde
A colourless, pungent, and irritating gas that can be released by certain glues, insulation, furnishings, fibre and particle boards, plastics and curing agents.
formwork See Concrete terms: concrete formwork.
foundation
The lower portion of a structure, usually concrete or masonry, including the footings, that transfers the weight of the structure to the ground.
foundation dampproofing
See dampproofing
foundation waterproofing
High-quality, below-grade moisture protection. Used to prevent water from entering below-grade exterior concrete and masonry walls and floor slabs when hydrostatic pressure occurs.
foundation drain See Plumbing terms.
foyer See House rooms.
FPM See Heating and cooling terms.
flue gas condensation See Chimney terms.
framework
Carpentry work consisting entirely of framing or rough work.
framing
The rough timber work of a house, including the flooring, roofing, exterior walls, interior partitions, ceiling and beams.
framing system See Wood framing.
free-floating stud wall
A steel stud wall that is secured to the top track in such a way that it transfers horizontal loads but not vertical loads.
freehold See Housing types.
friction-fit batt See Insulation terms.
frieze
The middle part of the decorative design of a wall, between the architrave and the cornice; the decorated upper part of a wall, below the cornice.
frog
A hollow in the bottom of a brick to assist in bonding between courses.
front elevation
The view of the front face of a building.
frost heaving
The upthrust of ground, pavement or other objects in the ground caused by freezing of moist soil. It occurs when subsurface water freezes and expands along the frost line and draws additional water up from the unfrozen soil below by capillary action and vapour diffusion to form an ice lens.
As the ice lens grows upwards in the direction of heat loss, it will lift any soil, objects and structures above or to adjacent vertical surfaces to which
it becomes adhered.
fruiting body
A fleshy mass of material found on decayed wood that is responsible for the production of decay fungi spores. Its presence indicates an advanced stage in the deterioration of the wood.
A fruiting body assumes different physical characteristics depending on the decay fungi involved; some growths are bracket-like, others resemble mushrooms.
full foundation
A foundation deep enough to provide adequate ceiling to floor clearance for headroom in the basement under the entire building area.
fully-ducted ventilation system
See Ventilation terms.
fungi
Plant-like organisms that are decomposers of waste organisms and organic material and exist as yeast, mold, or mildew.
furnace See Heating and cooling terms.
furnace, electric See Heating and cooling terms: electric furnace.
furring
A strip applied to a wall or other surface as support for the finish material, or to increase its thickness. See strapping.
furring channel
A steel member used to support interior finish; the smallest horizontal member of a suspended ceiling.
fuse See Electrical terms.
fuse rejecter See Electrical terms.
GAMA
Abbreviation for the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association.
GAMA publishes AFUE ratings for furnaces and EF ratings for water heaters.
gable
The upper triangular-shaped portion of the end wall of a building.
gable end
The upper, often triangular-shaped, portion of a wall that is contained within or projecting from a roof.
gable roof See Roof types.
galvanized steel
Steel that has been dipped in molten zinc to protect it against rust and used where moisture is present, such as on roofing, flashing and hardware.
galvanized pipe
Pipe made of galvanized steel.
gambrel roof See Roof types.
garage See Outdoor structures.
garbage disposal device
A food-waste disposer mounted in the kitchen sink drain to grind food scraps into pieces small enough to be handled by household wastewater piping.
garden suite See Housing types.
gas-filled glazing See Window terms: gas-filled window.
gas-fired heating See Heating and cooling terms.
gauge
A standard for measuring the diameter of nails or wire and sheet metal thickness.
gauge
A system of measuring sheet metal thickness. Manufacturer’s Standard Gauge for uncoated steel sheet, Galvanized Sheet Gauge for galvanized sheet steel.
gazebo See Outdoor structure terms.
general contractor See contractor.
girder
A principal beam that supports secondary beams and stringers.
girt
A support between structural members to keep them in proper alignment.
glass fibre
Fine strands formed by blowing or drawing molten glass.
glass fibre insulation See Insulation terms: glass wool insulation.
glass-fibre board See Insulation terms.
glass wool insulation See Insulation terms.
glaze
(1) To put panes of glass in a sash, frame or prepared opening.
(2) Transparent liquid applied to tiles before being fired in order to produce a glossy surface.
glazed door
A door fitted with glass panels.
glazier point
Small, triangular metal piece inserted into the rabbet or wood sash to secure the glass before putty is applied.
glazier putty
A mixture of whiting and linseed oil used for fixing panes of glass into a frame after installation of glazier points.
glazing
A generic term for the transparent material in a window or door .
glazing bead
A moulding or stop around the inside of a frame to hold the glass in place.
glazing unit
A window component comprised of two or more glazing layers sealed around the outside edge to prevent air or moisture from entering the airspace and to prevent dirt and condensation between the panes.
glulam See Engineered wood, engineered wood product.
grab bar
A handle installed on a wall to support a person’s weight or assist in providing balance. Often used in bathrooms to help people access and have support at toilets or in bathtubs and showers.
May also be referred to as a support bar
grade
The average level of the ground surface around the foundation wall. Can also mean the site surface slope or gradient that can be modified by cut and fill.
grade line
A predetermined line indicating the proposed elevation of the ground around a building.
grade See Lumber terms.
gradient
The degree of inclination, or the rate of ascent or descent of a surface.
grading plan See Plan terms: plan.
grain See Lumber terms.
granny flat See Housing types.
granular materials
Materials including crushed stone, gravel or certain soils that are used for backfill or under slabs to allow for water drainage.
grass
Category of plants typically used for landscaping and erosion control.
grate, grating
An assembly of steel bars placed over an opening that permits water or air to pass through.
gravity furnace See Heating and cooling terms.
green See Lumber terms.
greenfield
Undeveloped land, sometimes previously used for agriculture, being considered for development.
greenhouse effect
Solar radiation admitted through a medium that is transformed to heat waves that cannot pass back through the medium.
The process was first observed in greenhouses, where glass admitted the solar radiation, then trapped the heat. The term is now applied to the Earth’s surface, where constituents of the atmosphere trap solar radiation.
greenhouse gas
)
Gases in the Earth’s atmosphere that absorb and emit radiation within the thermal infrared range, causing the atmosphere to increase in temperature.
greyfield
An obsolete, outdated, underutilized real estate that represent a promising opportunity for redevelopment, intensification and revitalization. Referred to as “greyfield” due to the large expanses of parking or asphalt areas. Greyfields do not typically require site remediation to deal with contamination from previous uses.
greywater
See Water re-use and recycling terms.
greywater treatment system
See Water re-use and recycling terms.
grid-tie
The linking of a building’s electricity-generating system
through a dedicated meter to the electrical grid. The building draws electricity it needs from the grid through a separate meter and not the generating system. Though not common, a grid-tied system may include batteries for back-up power in the event of a grid failure.
grill
An assembly of steel bars placed over a window to deter entrance through the window. Also used to describe inserts, or muntins, added to window panes to simulate old true divided windows. See Window terms: checker window.
grille See Heating and cooling terms.
ground See Electrical terms.
ground
A strip of wood or metal attached to a wall before plastering along the floor line and around windows, doors, and other openings as a plaster stop and thickness guide.
ground electrode See Electrical terms.
ground fault circuit interrupter
See Electrical terms.
ground floor
The floor of a building closest to grade. Also referred to as the first floor or storey.
ground source heat pump
See Heating and cooling terms.
grounding system See Electrical terms.
groundwater
Subsurface water located within the porous spaces in soil, sediment, and rocks. Groundwater originates from rain and melting snow and ice and is the source of water for aquifers, springs, and wells. The upper surface of groundwater is the water table.
grout
A free flowing mixture of cement mortar used to fill the spaces between masonry or between masonry and steel base plates.
Also used to fill spaces between ceramic tiles.
guard
A protective barrier around a floor opening or along the open sides of stairs or a ramp, landing, balcony, mezzanine, galleries, raised walkway and elsewhere to prevent falls from one level to another or inadvertent entry into a dangerous area.
guard rail
A guard consisting of a top rail and a mid-rail located approximately midway between the underside of the top rail and the floor.
gusset
A wood or metal plate attached across a joint to increase its strength and stability.
gutter
An eavestrough used to convey rainwater from the roof to
the downspout. A channel in a ground surface that conveys water from one place to another.
guy wire
A wire attached to support an upright object. Guy wires are often used to support newly planted trees or aerial antennas.
gypsum board
A panel product made from gypsum plaster with a paper covering on the front and back. See drywall.
H-beam
A structural beam shaped like an I-beam but with wider flanges.
H-clip
A small metal H shaped clip used to support and align butt joints in roof sheathing that are not supported by framing.
HERS See Energy efficiency terms.
HRAI
Acronym for Heating Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada.
HRV or heat recovery ventilator
See Ventilation terms.
HVAC
Abbreviation for heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Used to describe space-conditioning systems.
HVI
Abbreviation of Home Ventilating Institute. HVI publishes performance ratings for HRV, exhaust fans, range hoods, and static ventilation devices.
habitable room or space
A room or space intended primarily for human occupancy.
half-bath See House rooms.
handrail
A supportive horizontal or sloping rail at the top or side of a guard, wall or balustrade, intended to be grasped by a person’s hand for support, and to prevent falls.
hardware
Metal fittings such as door knobs, hinges, towel bars and closet rods.
hardwoods
The botanical group of trees that are broad-leaved, deciduous species .
hasp
A slotted plate attached to a door that fits over a u-shaped staple on a door frame and is used to secure the door with a padlock or peg.
hatch
A covered opening that provides access to an attic, roof, crawlspace. Smaller hatches may also be used to provide access to building services such as shut-off valves, dampers or for inspection of same.
header course
A wall course in which all the masonry units are headers.
header See Wood framing.
header
A masonry unit laid with its end exposed on the face of a wall.
head room
The space between the top of a person’s head and the ceiling or other structure above.
hearth
The floor and area immediately in front of a fireplace.
heating appliance See Heating and cooling terms.
heating degree day See Heating and cooling terms: degree day.
heat detector
A temperature-sensitive device programmed to be activated when the temperature rises above a preset point. Often used to trigger a fire alarm or activate a fire sprinkler.
heat detector, rate of rise
A mechanical device that sets off a warning bell when a sudden rise in temperature takes place.
heat exchanger See Heating and cooling terms
heat loss See Heating and cooling terms
heat pump See Heating and cooling terms.
heat recovery
The process of extracting heat that would otherwise be wasted. Heat recovery in housing usually refers to the extraction of heat from exhaust air or drain-water. See Heating and cooling terms: HRV, and Plumbing terms: DWHR
heat siphon trap See Plumbing terms.
Heating and cooling terms
air conditioning
The process of bringing air to a desired temperature , humidity and cleanliness .
air handler
A forced air assembly that performs one or more of the following functions: heating, cooling, ventilation, filtration, air mixing, humidification, dehumidification and is typically connected to an air distribution system.
air shutter
An adjustable device that controls the amount of combustion air supplied to an oil or gas furnace with atmospheric or power burners.
air source heat pump
A heat pump that transfers heat from the outdoor air to the indoor air for space heating during the winter and reverses the process in the summer to provide air conditioning. Consists of an indoor evaporator unit, typically within a forced air system and an outdoor condenser unit.
air-to-air heat exchanger See Ventilation terms.
air-to-water heat pump
A heat pump that transfers heat from the outdoor air to water for space and/or domestic water heating.
angle boot
A sheet metal duct fitting where the entering duct is at right angles to the rectangular opening, and the path of air turns 90 degrees.
annual fuel utilization efficiency
A value that describes the overall efficiency of an appliance, including off-cycle and parasitic losses. Calculated according to a DOE standard.
aquastat
A thermostat that senses water temperature in a boiler or water heater and controls either the circulating pump or the burner.
aspect ratio
The ratio of the longer dimension to the shorter dimension of a shape.
atmospheric burner
A burner with no fan or blower that relies solely on natural draft to acquire combustion air.
Bacharach smoke number
A measure of the quantity of smoke in flue gas obtained by comparing the soot spot on a filter paper to a grey scale that ranges from white to black in unit steps.
backdrafting
The reverse flow of outdoor air into a building through the barometric damper, draft hood, burner unit or fire box as a result of chimney blockage or the depressurization of a house relative to outdoors which overcomes the draft of the chimney.
Depressurization can be caused by stack or wind effects or the operation of exhaust appliances such as clothes dryers, rangehoods, and bathroom fans. Backdrafting can cause the
products of combustion from fuel-fired appliances to be spilled back into the interior of a building. Cold backdrafting occurs when the appliance is not operating and the chimney acts as an air inlet. Hot backdrafting occurs when the flow of hot flue gases is reversed during appliance operation.
balanced flue
A direct venting, or sealed combustion system where the movement of flue gases and incoming combustion air is driven by thermal buoyancy. Such systems are often but not always coaxial.
barometric damper
A counterweighted damper located in the venting system between a fuel-fired appliance and its chimney that is set so that variations in chimney barometric pressure will cause the damper to open or close gradually to maintain a constant draft in the chimney directly upstream of the damper.
baseboard heater
A thin linear heating appliance that has openings at the top and bottom through which air circulates and collects heat from an internal convector. Typically installed at the base of exterior walls under windows.
blocked vent shut-off system
A system designed to interrupt appliance main burner gas flow if the appliance venting system is totally blocked.
boiler
A closed pressure vessel that uses fuel or electricity for heating water to supply steam or hot water for heating, hot water, humidification or other applications such as electricity generation.
bonnet
That part of a forced air system which is located directly at the outlet of a furnace or air-handler. Sometimes called “supply plenum.” Often contains the evaporator coil of a central
split-system air-conditioner.
boot
A sheet metal fitting usually located at a supply terminal that provides a transition between round duct to rectangular duct or a register or diffuser. Common types include angle boot, universal boot and end boot.
branch duct
A passageway carrying air to or from a single register or grille.
breech or breeching
A flue or chamber for receiving flue gases from one or more flue connections and for discharging these gases through a single chimney flue or chimney liner connection. See chimney thimble.
breech pipe
A short pipe with one end permanently mortared into the breech of a masonry chimney and the other end free for the attachment of a vent connector or smoke pipe.
British Thermal Unit
A unit used to measure quantity of heat, defined as the quantity of energy necessary to raise the temperature of 1 lb. of water 1°F.
BTUH or BTU/H
Abbreviation for BTUs per hour, commonly used to rate heating appliance capacity and rates of heating or cooling energy flow.
burner
A device for the introduction of fuel to be ignited and burned in the combustion zone of a fuel-fired appliance.
burner unit
That part of an appliance or furnace that burns fuel to produce fire or heat.
bypass damper
An automatic device that allows recirculation of air between the supply and return plenums of a forced air system equipped with zone control.
central air conditioner
An appliance or system that produces cooled air in a central location for distribution to the rooms of a house. Often refers to a central forced air heating system equipped with a cooling coil in the supply plenum to meet space conditioning needs during the summer.
central heating
A heating system in which a number of rooms or spaces are heated from a central source, where the heating equipment is not located in the rooms or spaces being heated.
ceramic fibre liner
A prefabricated flexible liner for a furnace combustion chamber that is used with a retention head oil burner.
chimney liner
A ceramic or metallic liner forming a flue on the inside of a masonry chimney. A ceramic liner must be installed at the time of construction of the chimney. Metallic liners are usually
installed as retrofit in order to correct deterioration problems or to modify an existing chimney to make it suitable for use with fuel-fired appliances for which it was not originally designed.
chimney thimble
The connector that joins the vent connector or smoke pipe though the wall of the chimney to the chimney flue or liner. See breech or breech pipe.
cleanout
An opening in the chimney below the entrance of the flue pipe to enable residue removal.
clearance
The distance between a hot surface and an adjacent material; the space allowance provided to ensure adequate access room for maintenance, access or repair; the distance between an item requiring maintenance and the closest interfering surface.
coaxial vent
A combustion appliance venting system consisting of an inner pipe that conveys the combustion products to the outdoors and an outer pipe that draws in combustion air.
coefficient of performance
A measure of the efficiency of a heat pump or air-conditioning equipment. It is the ratio of input energy to output energy.
A device that has an energy input of 1 kW and an output of 3 kW, will have a C.O.P. of 3.
combination space and potable water heating system
A system that provides both domestic hot water and space- heating using potable water as the space-heating working fluid. This is distinct from a boiler-based system that may also provide space and domestic hot water heating, but the working fluid for space-heating is contained in a closed loop and is not potable.
combustion air
The air required to provide adequate oxygen for the burning of fuels in fuel-burning appliances. Some appliances use indoor air to provide this oxygen; others have a separate combustion air supply from outside.
combustion chamber
A space in the furnace or boiler where air and fuel are mixed and ignited, and combustion occurs.
combustion liner
A surface on the inside of a combustion chamber designed to withstand high temperatures.
comfort zone
.
The range of temperature, humidity and air velocity within which the majority of adults feel comfortable.
condensing furnace
A furnace with a heat exchanger that obtains additional heat by condensing water vapour from the combustion gases.
construction heater
A portable appliance designed for temporary space-heating during construction.
convector
A surface designed to transfer its heat to the air circulated over it by forced and/or natural convection. The heat may be supplied by electricity or hot water.
damper
A plate or vanes installed within a duct or venting system, or within registers, to control the flow of air.
degree day
A daily measure of the difference between the average outdoor temperature and 18°C. The seasonal sum of degree days below 18°C is used in calculating heating requirements.
degree-day index
A measure of how relatively hot a year was when compared with the heating degree-day average.
delayed action solenoid valve
A valve mounted on an oil burner to release oil only after the combustion blower starts.
delta T
design heat gain
Term used to express a temperature difference.
The total heat gained in a house per hour ) when the outside temperature is at the summer outdoor design temperature and the indoor temperature is at the summer indoor design temperature. Design heat gains includes heat gains through walls, ceilings, foundations, windows and doors as well as heat
gains through air leakage and ventilation. The design heat gain is used to size air conditioning systems.
design heat loss
The total heat loss from a house per hour or BTU per hour ) when the outside
temperature is at the winter outdoor design temperature and the indoor temperature is at the winter indoor design temperature. Design heat loss factors in conduction heat losses through walls, ceilings, foundations, windows and doors as well as heat lost through air leakage and ventilation. It does not include solar or internal gains. The design heat loss of a house is to size its space heating system.
design temperature
The outdoor and indoor temperatures used for sizing heating and cooling equipment. Outdoor temperatures are based on historical records for the geographic location of the house and probability . When the actual outdoor temperatures exceed design temperatures, the heating or cooling system may not be able to maintain the indoor design temperature unless oversized to do so.
design temperature, indoor
The indoor temperatures used to size the heating or cooling system.
design temperature, outdoor summer
The outdoor design temperature used to size the cooling system.
design temperature, outdoor winter
The outdoor design temperature used to size the heating system.
dilution air
Air admitted to a venting system at the draft hood, draft diverter, draft regulator or barometric damper.
direct vent appliance
A fuel-fired appliance constructed so that all the combustion air is supplied directly from, and the products of combustion are vented directly to, the outdoors by independent enclosed passageways connected directly to the appliance. Also called a sealed combustion system appliance.
downsizing
Reducing the firing rate and hence the heat output of a furnace.
draft hood
A device installed in the venting system between a furnace, boiler or hot water heater and chimney designed to provide for the exhaust of the products of combustion in the event of no draft, back draft, or stoppage beyond the draft hood;
prevent a back draft from entering the furnace; and to neutralize the effect of stack action of the chimney or gas vent upon the operation of the furnace to help maintain efficiency. Newer high efficiency appliances may not have draft hoods. Also known as
a draft diverter.
dual fuel system
A heating system that uses two sources of energy, such as wood and oil or gas and electricity.
duct
A conduit that conveys air in space heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems.
duct sealant, duct mastic
A material used to permanently seal joints, holes and cracks in ducts.
duct tape
Vinyl, cloth or foil tape used to seal around the seams of ductwork to temporarily reduce air leakage.
ductless furnace
A central furnace with no warm air registers or cold air return ducts.
ductless heating or cooling system
A compact heating and/or cooling appliance that delivers warm or cool air directly into the room where it is permanently installed. The indoor unit is connected to an outdoor condenser unit. Also referred to as mini-split, multi-split, or variable refrigerant flow heat pump systems.
ECM
Abbreviation for electronically commutated motor. ECMs are brushless direct current motors with integrated electronic controls that provide energy efficient operation over a range of motor speeds. ECMs are used in energy efficient furnaces, ventilation devices and pumps.
EER
Abbreviation for energy efficiency ratio, a method of reporting the energy performance of air-to-air heat pumps.
electric boiler
A hot water boiler where the water is heated by electric elements.
electric furnace
A warm air furnace in which the air is heated by electric elements.
electronic ignition
An ignition system in an oil or gas furnace that eliminates the need for a pilot light.
energy factor
Abbreviation for Energy Factor, a value which applies to the energy efficiency of water heaters and considers off-cycle and other losses in addition to steady-state efficiency.
energy recovery ventilator
See Ventilation terms.
end boot
A sheet metal fitting where the entering pipe is attached to the short side of the rectangular opening, and the path of air turns 90 degrees.
enthalpy
A term used to describe the heat content of air including both sensible and latent heat.
expansion tank
A tank in a hot-water system designed to contain water as the water in the system expands when heated.
external static pressure
The sum of a negative static pressure on the return or inlet side, and the positive static pressure on the discharge side of an air-moving device such as fan, furnace
or air handler.
FPM
Abbreviation for feet per minute, a commonly used term to describe air velocity in HVAC duct systems. See CFM.
fan coil unit
A factory-made assembly consisting of a fan and a hydronic coil for use in forced air space heating and/or cooling systems. Relies on an external source to provide heated or cooled water. May or may not be connected to supply and return air distribution systems.
finned-tube
A pipe to which fins have been attached in order to increase the heat transfer to or from the working fluid in the pipe to the air passing over the pipe and fins.
flame-retention head burner
A higher efficiency oil burner used in furnaces and boilers. Flame-retention head burners better mix air and fuel and require less excess air for good combustion.
flue damper, automatic
A damper added to a flue pipe downstream of a furnace or boiler and connected with automatic controls to the burner in order to reduce heat loss when the heating device is not operating.
forced air system
A heating and/or cooling system that uses a motor-fan set to distribute heated, cooled, and otherwise treated air via a central ductwork system to the different rooms of a house to meet space conditioning needs.
forced draft
Combustion air that is supplied under pressure to the burner of a fuel-fired appliance.
furnace
An appliance in which energy is converted to heat such as by burning gas or oil or by converting electrical energy to heat and the heat is typically delivered to the space by forced air.
gas-fired heating
A heating system in which the source of heat is either natural gas or propane.
geothermal system
A mechanical system that makes use of a heat exchanger and bore holes to extract energy from the ground for building heating or cooling. May or may not involve the use of a heat pump to upgrade the temperature of the extracted energy.
gravity furnace
A furnace used in a gravity space heating system. Unlike a newer appliance, a gravity furnace does not have a circulating fan, rather it delivers heated air to the supply air distribution ductwork by buoyancy of the heated air alone.
gravity space heating system
A space heating system found in older homes. It consisted of a gravity furnace and supply and return air ductwork but no circulation fan to force air flow. The system relied on the buoyancy of the heated air to distribute the warm air up to
the rooms above. Unlike newer forced air systems, the supply ducts often terminated at registers on interior walls. Cooler air was collected by floor grates located at exterior walls and under windows. The colder, denser air would fall back down to the furnace to be reheated. As the round branch supply air
ducts were connected to the furnace bonnet, the gravity furnace resembled an octopus and was often referred to as an octopus furnace or system.
gravity warm air-heating
A heating system with ductwork but no circulating fan that relies on the buoyancy of heated air to move it through the ductwork. A gravity furnace is sometimes referred to as an “octopus.”
grille
The non-adjustable slotted guard at the room end of a branch duct.
ground source heat pump
A heat pump used in a geothermal system.
heat exchanger
A device used to transfer heat from a liquid or gas to another liquid or gas where the two fluids are physically separated.
Examples include ventilation system air to air heat exchangers or domestic hot water system water to water heat exchangers.
heat gain
The gain of heat to a building from outdoors through the transfer of energy by conduction, radiation, convection and mass transfer. The unit of measurement is watts or British thermal units per hour . Heat gain calculations are used to size space cooling systems.
heat loss
The loss of heat from a building to outdoors through the transfer of energy by conduction, convection, radiation and mass transfer. The unit of measurement is watts or British thermal units per hour . Heat loss calculations are used to size space heating systems.
heat pump
A thermodynamic heating/cooling appliance used to transfer heat in space conditioning and water heating systems.
Major components are the condenser and evaporator.
heat recovery ventilator
See Ventilation terms.
heating appliance
A device to convert energy from fuel or electricity into heat.
heating load
The amount of heat required to keep a building at a specified temperature during the heating season, regardless of outside temperature.
hot surface igniter
A type of electronic ignition system.
hot water space heating system
The circulation of hot water from a boiler or other source through a system of supply and return pipes to radiators located in the spaces to be heated. Does not include fan coil or combination space and hot water heating systems.
HRV See Ventilation terms.
hybrid heating system
A space heating system that uses two sources of energy such as electricity and oil or heat pumps and natural gas or heat pumps and electricity. Hybrid heating systems are typically installed to provide flexibility with respect to which space heating energy source is used based on the relative costs of the energy supplied. See also dual fuel system.
hydronic heating system See hot water space heating system.
indoor-outdoor control
A control used to raise or lower the temperature of the water within a hot water space heating system as a result of changes in outdoor temperatures. The controller helps the system to better meet indoor comfort conditions, reduce heat losses from the distribution system and in some cases improve boiler efficiency.
induced draft fan
A fan located downstream of the furnace that assists the flow of combustion products. May exist in either a spillage susceptible or non-spillage susceptible combustion venting system.
induced draft flue system
A type of combustion venting system equipped with a fan downstream of the combustion chamber. Such a system may be either spillage susceptible or non-spillage susceptible.
in-floor electric heating system
An electrical heating system where mats or panels containing electrical heating elements are incorporated into a floor assembly that evenly radiates the heat into the space.
in-floor hydronic heating system
A hot-water heating system in which warm water is pumped through a system of pipes incorporated into a floor assembly and which evenly radiates the heat into the space. Such a system includes both high-mass and low-mass assemblies.
kerosene heater
A space heater, often unvented, that uses kerosene as a fuel.
make-up air See Ventilation terms.
manifold
A device for receiving or distributing fluids or gases in plumbing, heating, gas supply piping or combustion venting systems.
MBTUH
Abbreviation for thousands of British Thermal Units per Hour . For example, a furnace with a heating capacity of 98,000 BTUH would also be described as having a capacity of 98 MBTUH. MBTU and MBH are sometimes used in place of MBTUH.
mechanically vented induced draft
A method of combustion venting whereby combustion air is supplied to the fuel-fired appliance from the building and the products of combustion are drawn from the appliance and vented outdoors by means of a fan and dedicated sealed vent.
natural draft
A combustion venting system for fuel-fired appliances that relies on airflow resulting from the difference between atmospheric air density and the lower density of hot combustion products within the chimney to vent the combustion products outdoors.
naturally aspirating See atmospheric burner.
non-spillage susceptible combustion venting system
A combustion venting system that is not susceptible to flue gas spillage induced by depressurization of the house. This includes direct-vent and positive induced draft venting systems.
non-spillage susceptible, sealed combustion venting system
A combustion venting system that is aerodynamically separated from the indoor air. Combustion air is drawn into the system from outdoors to the burner unit and then the combustion products are vented directly outdoors,
all within a sealed system designed to prevent the spillage of combustion products indoors.
nozzle
The device by which fuel is sprayed and atomized into the combustion chamber, where it is mixed with air, ignited and burned.
oil burner
An assembly comprising a forced draft fan, a fuel pump ignition and a fuel/air mixing system that are the normal components
of an oil-fired combustion appliance.
packaged air conditioner
An air conditioner in which all of the components are contained in a single package. This includes window-mounted air conditioners, through-the-wall air conditioners, and
roof-top-mounted units. See PTAC.
panel heating
Coils or ducts installed in wall, floor or ceiling panels to produce a large surface that provides a low-intensity supply of heat.
panel radiator
A heating unit placed on, or flush with, a flat surface, and designed to function essentially as a radiator.
pilot light
A small, continuous, flame within a gas appliance that is used to ignite the main gas burner of the appliance. May also be a small electrical light used to visually signal the operational status of equipment or
a system.
plenum
In a forced air system, the ductwork connected to the furnace. The supply air plenum delivers conditioned air from the furnace to the supply air trunk duct. The return air plenum receives air from the return air trunk duct and delivers it back to the furnace. A plenum may be formed by a ceiling or floor space that is used to supply air to, or return air from, a room.
plenum heater
An electric resistance heater located in the warm air plenum.
positive induced draft See mechanically vented induced draft.
potable water
space-heating system
See combination space and potable water heating system.
power sidewall venter
A device installed at the end of a vent system at the vent termination and which provides draft induction.
PTAC
Abbreviation for Packaged Terminal Air Conditioning Unit.
A packaged air conditioner that is usually mounted as a through- the-wall unit and is often found in hotel or motel rooms.
radiant heating
A heating system designed to transfer radiant energy from a heat source directly to objects or people in the heated space. In dwellings, radiant heating systems are most often electric wire or hot water piping loops embedded within the ceilings, walls or floors of a building.
radiation
The transfer of heat from a hot surface to a cooler surface or object by radiation in the far infrared temperature range.
radiator
The part of a heating system used to deliver heat to a room primarily. More commonly refers to a unit through which hot water is circulated as the heat source. May also refer to electric heating devices as well.
register
A combination grille and damper assembly through which conditioned air from a forced air system flows.
return air
Air that is returned from a space to an air handling unit, furnace or fan-coil by the return air system for the purposes of filtering, conditioning and recirculating of air within the space.
return air system
A system of passages, ducts and plenums allowing air from the rooms or spaces served to be returned to the return air
connection of a furnace or air handler. Also called cold air return.
sealed combustion appliance
See direct vent appliance.
SEER
Abbreviation for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. SEER is a measure of the energy efficiency of an air-conditioner and heat pump. The higher the SEER, the more efficient the equipment is.
side-wall venting
A method of combustion venting in which the flue gases are conveyed out the side wall. Such systems may be positive-induced draft or direct-vent systems.
single-pipe venting system
A method of combustion venting using a single pipe.
If side-wall vented, then the system is usually considered to be positive-induced draft. The system may or may not have a dilution air inlet.
smoke number See Bacharach smoke number.
smoke pipe
A pipe conveying products of combustion from a solid or liquid fuel fired application to a chimney flue.
space heater
A space-heating appliance for heating the room or space within which it is located, without the use of ducts.
space heating
The heating of the rooms or spaces within a building.
spillage
The intermittent or continuous escape of combustion gases into the indoor air of a building from a flue gas venting system. Spillage may occur if a flue gas venting system is blocked or disconnected, or has holes or cracks through which combustion gases can escape. Spillage can also occur as the result of backdrafting.
spillage-susceptible combustion venting system
A combustion venting system that is susceptible to flue gas spillage induced by depressurization of the house.
This includes all natural draft chimney-connected fuel-fired appliance venting systems.
split system air conditioner
An air conditioning system that consists of evaporator and condenser units connected by refrigerant piping. The evaporator is typically installed in the supply air plenum of a forced air system where it uses chilled refrigerant, delivered from the outdoor condenser unit, to cool air flowing through the system. Refrigerant warmed in the evaporator flows back to the outdoor condenser unit where it is re-cooled and is then returned
back indoors to the evaporator unit. “Mini” split system air conditioners also have outdoor condenser units but the indoor evaporator unit is a self-contained packaged appliance that is used to cool a single room or space.
steady state
A situation of equilibrium in a heating system when the temperatures are constant.
steady state efficiency
The efficiency of a combustion appliance under constant operation, without consideration of off-cycle losses.
steam heating
Heating by means of the circulation of steam through a system of pipes and radiators.
supplementary heating
Heating provided to an area in excess of the minimum required heating for that area, usually under separate thermostatic control and designed to offset occupant discomfort.
supply air
Air supplied from an air handling unit, supply air, fan furnace or fan-coil through the supply air system to a room or space. Supply air may be recirculated return air, outdoor air, or a mixture of the two.
thermostat
An instrument that responds to changes in temperature in a room or space and automatically controls the operation of a heating or cooling device.
thimble
A lining, such as metal, for an opening, as in a roof or wall, through which a stove pipe or chimney passes.
ton
A nominal measure of cooling capacity. 1 ton = 12,000 BTUH of cooling. Historically, 12,000 BTUH is equal to the energy required to melt 1 ton of ice over a 24-hour period.
trunk duct
In a forced air system, the ductwork used to distribute conditioned air from the supply air plenum to the individual supply air duct branches and that collects air from the return air branches and delivers it back to the return air plenum.
two-pipe venting system
A combustion venting system for a fuel-fired appliance in which combustion air is drawn in from outdoor and delivered to the burner unit by one pipe and combustion products are vented directly outdoors by the second pipe. Also called a direct vent and sealed combustion venting system.
two-stage furnace
A furnace with two heating output rates to better match furnace output to heating load to reduce fuel consumption, reduce on-off cycling and improve efficiency.
universal boot
A sheet metal boot where the entering pipe is at right angles to the rectangular opening, and the path of air is straight through.
variable speed furnace
A furnace equipped with a fan-motor set capable of varying airflow according to the space conditioning needs.
vent
A system of pipes and components connected to a combustion appliance to conduct the products of combustion to the outside.
vent, condensing
The plastic or stainless steel pipe used to exhaust the combustion products from a condensing fuel-fired appliance. Due to the expected occurrence of flue gas condensation within the pipe, control measures such as continuous slope for drainage and condensate traps and drains must be provided.
vent damper device, automatic
A device installed in the venting system of a gas-fired appliance that automatically opens the venting system when the appliance is in operation, and closes it when the appliance is not operating.
vented appliance
A combustion appliance designed to be installed with a venting system that conveys the products of combustion to the outside.
vented space heater
A space heater with a chimney or other means to exhaust combustion products outside a house.
venting system
The system employed to conduct flue gases from the appliance to the outside by means of a chimney, vent connector, or vent, by natural or mechanical means. May also include a means to bring combustion air in from outside, especially in the case of a direct vent appliance.
wall furnace
A compact, self-contained, vented furnace in or on a wall that supplies conditioned air directly to the adjacent rooms or spaces through registers and receives return air directly through grilles without the use of ducts.
warm air-heating system, extended plenum
A warm air-heating system where the round warm air ducts are connected to centrally located rectangular trunk supply and return ducts. Supply branches proceed to outlets usually
located in the floor at exterior walls. Return air inlets are located on interior partitions or the floor. This is the most common type of forced air system.
warm air-heating system, forced
A warm air-heating system in which circulation of air is effected by a fan. See forced air system.
warm air-heating system, gravity
See gravity warm air-heating.
warm air-heating system, perimeter
A warm air-heating system where the warm air ducts are around the perimeter usually embedded in a concrete slab of a basement-less house.
warm air-heating system, radial
A warm air-heating system where the warm air ducts extend radially from a central plenum to the perimeter usually embedded in a concrete slab of a basement-less house.
wood stove
A wood-burning space-heating device.
zone damper
An automatic damper in a forced air-heating or cooling system that opens or closes in order to control the temperature in a specific heating or cooling zone.
heating degree day See Heating and cooling terms: degree day.
heat pump See Heating and cooling terms.
heel
The end of a rafter or truss that rests on a lintel or on the top plate of a wall.
height of building
The vertical distance between a horizontal plane through average grade level and a horizontal plane through:
(a) the highest point of the roof assembly, in the case of a building with a flat roof or a deck roof, ; or
(b) the average level of that portion of a sloping roof between the highest ceiling level and the highest point of the roof.
height of building in storeys
The number of storeys contained between the highest roof of a building and the floor of its first storey.
high-efficiency fireplace
A fireplace that uses advanced combustion and heat exchange to increase heating efficiency.
high-efficiency particulate filter
An air filter made of submicron glass fibers that is capable of removing 99.97 per cent of all particles greater than
0.3 micrometre from an airstream. Typically used in facilities manufacturing electronics and pharmaceuticals but may also be used in residences when occupants are highly sensitive to airborne particulate matter.
hip
The sloping ridge of a roof formed by two intersecting roof slopes.
hip rafter See Rafter types.
hip roof See Roof types.
home automation
The use of integrated microprocessor based intelligence and communications to control a wide range of household operations such as space conditioning, ventilation, air conditioning, entertainment, security, lighting, appliances and safety systems. Networked home automation systems allow the equipment, appliances and systems in a home to communicate to better achieve convenience, comfort, energy efficiency, and safety.
home office See House rooms.
home security system
An alarm system used in homes to detect undesirable events, such as fire or burglary. It can be simple or sophisticated , but must incorporate a detector and an alerting mechanism, such as a bell or siren, or a signal to a remote monitoring source.
hose bib See bib.
HOT2000 See Energy efficiency terms.
hot bar See Electrical terms.
hot line See Electrical terms.
hot tub
A tub large enough for more than one bather and often fitted with water jets. Also called a whirlpool or by other trade names.
hot water priority control
A control found in a boiler or potable water space-heating system that assigns priority to the supply of hot water over heating, when hot water heating is required.
hot-water tank See storage water heater.
house-as-a-system
An approach to house design, operation, and understanding of house performance that considers the cumulative effects and interaction of the envelope with the heating, cooling and other mechanical systems, and how the occupants use the house.
House rooms
basement
The part of a building that is wholly or partly below ground level. It is often finished to provide additional living space to the house.
bathroom
A room used for personal care, usually containing a sink and a toilet, often with a bathtub or shower.
bedroom
A room used primarily for sleeping.
cellar
A below grade space that typically serves as a storage space. Though a synonym for basement, cellars are generally not fully conditioned, habitable spaces.
closet
A small area, usually enclosed, used for storage.
closet, walk-in
A large closet designed to have additional floor space to allow a person to stand within the enclosed area of the closet.
crawl space
A low space between the lowest floor of a house and the ground. It may be open to the outside, or be part of the heated space of the house.
dinette
A small space, usually attached to a kitchen, used for informal dining.
dining room
A room set aside for eating, usually furnished with a table and chairs.
family room
Large room designed as a recreation centre for members of a family.
foyer
The entry area of a home. See vestibule.
half-bath
A room used for personal care, consisting of a sink and a toilet.
home office
A room or rooms set up as a business office within a private home. A home office usually contains office equipment, such as personal computing equipment, telephone, photocopier and fax.
Housing types
detached house
A house containing one dwelling unit and not attached to any other building or construction. Also referred to as a single-detached house.
duplex
One of two dwelling units located one above the other in a building.
garden suite
A small dwelling adjacent to the main house on a lot.
granny flat
A colloquial term that can refer to a garden suite or to a small apartment in the main house.
link housing
A type of row housing in which each house is separated from the next by a utility room, such as a garage or laundry room.
maisonette
A form of horizontal multiple housing in which one dwelling shares three party walls with adjacent dwellings, one wall of which may be an internal corridor. Access to the dwelling is at grade, to either the exterior or the corridor, or both.
row housing
A row of similar, attached units, often narrow and with small yards.
humidifier
A device that may be portable or incorporated into the heating system’s ductwork to increase the level of humidity in a house.
humidistat
A control mechanism that regulates the operation of a humidifier, dehumidifier, or ventilator based on the amount of humidity in the house air.
humidity
A measure of the water vapour present in the air. Usually expressed as relative humidity. See also relative humidity
humidity ratio
The amount of water vapour in the air expressed as a ratio of the mass of the water divided by the mass of the dry air containing the water . See also relative humidity and dew point
hurricane clip
A metal strap used to secure roof members to a top wall plate.
hybrid heating system See Heating and cooling terms.
hybrid ventilation system See Ventilation terms.
hygrometer
A device used to measure relative humidity.
IAQ
Abbreviation for Indoor Air Quality. A general term relating to the presence of chemical and biological contaminants in the air within a building.
I-beam
A steel beam with a cross section resembling the capital letter I.
ICF See Concrete terms.
I-joist See Engineered wood.
ISO
Abbreviation for International Organization for Standardization.
ice capping See Plumbing terms.
ice damming
The formation of a layer of ice on a roof, typically at the eaves, which can cause water leakage through the roof, into the attic and the house below. The layer of ice can grow to the point where it can cause the melt water from the roof to back up under the shingles and infiltrate into the attic and house below. Tends to indicate a poorly insulated attic space and/or air leakage from the house into the attic space.
impact insulation class
A rating system that measures noise transmission due to structural impact and vibration through floor-ceiling assemblies.
impedance See Electrical terms.
impermeable
A term applied to a soil or a material that does not permit the passage of water.
incandescent lamp
A light bulb that uses an electrically charged metal filament that glows white hot.
indirect siphonage See Plumbing terms.
indirect water heater See Plumbing terms.
indoor-outdoor control
See Heating and cooling terms.
induced draft fan See Heating and cooling terms.
induced draft flue system
See Heating and cooling terms.
infiltration
The inward flow or escape of air or liquid. The term is often associated with the uncontrolled movement of outdoor air into a building through intentional and unintentional openings in the building envelope.
infrastructure See utility.
insertion water heater See Plumbing terms.
insolation
The amount of solar radiation received on a surface.
instantaneous water heater
See Plumbing terms.
Insulation terms
batt insulation
Pre-cut, glass fibre, mineral wool or other fibrous insulating material, of varying thicknesses and densities, sized to fit between framing members.
blanket
Insulation that covers a hot water tank in order to conserve energy.
blown insulation
Low density, loose-fill, insulation material that is injected into attic spaces, walls and other areas usually with a blower device.
cellulose fibre insulation
Loose-fill insulation made from shredded recycled newsprint that has been chemically treated to resist fire and fungal growth.
expanded polystyrene insulation
A rigid, lightweight, insulation material formed from bonded, air containing coarse polystyrene beads that is typically formed into board insulation and other shapes such as those used
for insulated concrete forms . The interfaces between the polystyrene beads render the material more permeable to moisture than extruded polystyrene insulation.
extruded polystyrene insulation
A type of rigid, lightweight, closed cell, insulation material formed by extruding chemically dissolved polystyrene beads. The uniform, fine, closed cell structure results in lower moisture permeability and higher insulating performance per unit depth than expanded polystyrene insulation.
friction-fit batt
Thermal insulation without vapour barrier that is held secure within the building frame by friction without additional fastening.
glass fibre board insulation
A semi-rigid panel of insulation made from compressed fibre glass often used as an insulated sheathing over above and below grade exterior walls.
glass wool insulation or glass fibre insulation
An insulating material composed of glass fibres that are formed into lightweight batts of uniform thickness.
insulate
The application of insulation. See insulation. See Electrical terms.
insulated spacer
A non-metallic material with low heat conductivity applied along the perimeter of a pane of glass to separate, and seal, the panes of glass of a multi-pane, energy efficient window. Insulated spacers enhance the energy performance of windows and reduce the risk of condensation.
insulating wool See mineral fibre insulation.
insulation
A material with above-average thermal resistance that inhibits the flow of heat or other forms of energy.
isocyanurate plastic foam
An open-celled, semi-flexible, plastic foam insulation made from a combination of isocyanurate, resins and catalysts; can also be used as an air barrier.
loose fill
Insulation made from a variety of materials, with particles ranging in texture from granular to fluffy. Loose fill is excellent for filling hard-to-access spaces, or where the space may be irregular or cluttered with obstacles. It is not appropriate for below-grade application.
mineral fibre insulation
Insulation made from various fibrous materials to produce blanket or batt insulation.
mineral wool
A material used for insulating buildings and produced by sending a blast of steam through molten slag or rock; common types include rock wool, glass wool and slag wool.
natural fibre insulation
Insulation made from cotton, recycled clothing, hemp, wool, flax, etc. formed into batts, semi-rigid and rigid panels using adhesive binders and treatments for fire and pest/fungal resistance.
phenolic foam board
An insulation board manufactured from phenol formaldehyde resin; suitable for areas where space is at a premium but high insulation values are required. Phenolic foam must be protected from exposure to sunlight and water.
polyisocyanurate board
An insulation board made of closed-cell plastic used where space is at a premium and a high insulating value is desirable.
polyurethane insulation
An open- or closed-cell insulation containing refrigerant gases that can also be used as an air barrier, but not as a vapour barrier.
rigid or board insulation
Dense insulation material that is structurally rigid, commonly available in sheets 1,200 x 2,400 mm.
spray-applied foam insulation
Cellulose and polyurethane foam insulating material applied under pressure from a sprayer to wall surfaces or within attic, crawlspace and floor cavities. Cellulose can be mixed
with water and adhesives to adhere to vertical surfaces within open cavities.
urea formaldehyde foam insulation
A foam insulation injected into wall cavities.
vacuum insulation panel
Highly insulating panel formed by sealing a light-weight,
rigid, porous core material within a foil envelope and evacuating much of the air from within the panel. The resulting thermal insulation value attributable to the vacuum formed within the panel can be as high as RSI 5.2 per centimetre .
vermiculite
A mineral that once heated expands and fills with air which provides it with insulating properties. Vermiculite insulation
is a loose, light weight granular material that is poured in place. As vermiculite insulation may contain asbestos, it can represent a health concern if disturbed.
insulation, electrical See Electrical terms.
interlocking paving stones
See Paving terms.
interceptor See Plumbing terms.
interstitial condensation See concealed condensation.
Internal Gain
Heat from human bodies, lighting, appliances and other objects not designed specifically for space-heating, but that contribute heat to the building that can reduce heating requirement and increase cooling requirements.
invert
The level at the bottom of the inside of an underground drainage pipe or a manhole.
island
In cabinet terms, a freestanding section of counter with cupboards or shelves underneath, usually found in a kitchen.
isocyanurate plastic foam See Insulation terms.
J-channel
Metal or plastic edging used to finish and protect the edge of drywall where it terminates without abutting another surface. May also refer to a channel like product applied around window and doors to receive, conceal and protect the exterior siding that abuts, or runs along, the openings.
jack rafter See Rafter types and Wood framing.
jack stud See Wood framing.
jalousie window See Window terms.
jamb
The side member or lining of a doorway, window or other opening.
joinery
The fitting and fastening together of pieces of wood into a finished wooden member or structure. It includes fine carpentry, bench carpentry and other forms of finish woodworking.
joint cement
See drywall compound
joint
The point or area where two or more members or components connect or come together. See Joint terms.
Joint terms
broken joint
The manner of laying masonry units so as to avoid vertical joints in adjacent courses from lining up. Also the distribution of joints in lumber sheathing, flooring, lath and panels so no two adjacent end-joints are directly in line. Also known as staggered joint or step joint.
butt joint
A joint made by fastening two members together end-to-end without overlapping.
construction joint
A joint between successive pours in concrete work.
control joint
A joint tooled or cut into the surface of concrete in order to control the location of cracks due to expansion and contraction.
dovetailing
In carpentry, interlocking joints that resist being pulled apart. A series of pins extending from one board lock into a series of tails cut into another board.
expansion joint
A joint in a concrete or masonry structure designed to permit expansion without damage to the structure.
flush joint
A mortar joint in which the surface is in the same plane as the surface of the masonry wall of which it forms a part.
joint sealant
A setting but flexible material used to prevent the passage of liquids or gases through a joint.
lindermann joint
A glued dovetail joint, shaped by a lindermann jointer, joining two pieces of wood edge to edge longitudinally.
matched joint
In carpentry, a tongue and groove joint.
mitre joint
A joint between two pieces of material on a line bisecting the angle of their junction.
joist See Wood framing
joist bridging See Wood framing: cross-bridging
joist hanger
A steel section shaped like a stirrup and fastened to a joist or beam to provide end support for joists, headers etc.
joist strap
A formed steel member used to support and secure the ends of joists where they abut supporting rim joists, beams or girders.
joule
A metric unit of energy used to quantify heating and cooling. One joule is equal to the work done by a force of one newton when its point of application moves one metre in the direction of action of the force, equivalent to a watt-second. Symbol: J. The British Thermal Unit is used to quantify heating and cooling in Imperial units.
jump wire See Electrical terms.
K
kerfed member
Lumber with regular saw cuts on one side to permit bending.
kerosene heater See Heating and cooling terms.
key plan See Plan terms.
keyway
A slot formed in a concrete footing into which the wall concrete is placed to provide lateral support for the wall at the bottom.
kiln
A heated chamber for drying lumber, bricks, etc.
kiln-dried lumber See Lumber.
kilowatt hour See Electrical terms.
king post
The upright member in the centre of a simple truss, extending from the apex to the middle of the bottom chord.
kitchen See House rooms.
kitchenette See House rooms.
knee wall See Wall terms.
knob-and-tube wiring See Electrical terms.
knot
The remnant of a tree branch that may be present in sawn lumber. The grading of lumber is affected by knot location, size and whether the knot is sound or loose.
L
LSL Abbreviation for laminated strand lumber. See Engineered wood products: laminated strand lumber.
LVL Abbreviation for laminated veneer lumber. See Engineered wood products: laminated veneer lumber.
lacquer See Paint terms.
lag-screw
A heavy wood screw with a square head and a coarse thread used in lieu of a bolt where there is access from one side only.
laminated
Layers of wood glued, screwed or nailed together to form a unit. The term is also applied to flooring made of pieces of timber laid on edge.
laminated strand lumber See Engineered wood product: laminated strand lumber.
laminated veneer lumber See Engineered wood product: laminated veneer lumber.
landing
A platform between a series of steps.
landing board or tread
The first board on a landing immediately over the last riser.
landscaping
The arrangement of plants, trees, grass, pathways, and other surfacing and outdoor structures on a site for decorative and functional purposes.
lane
A passageway or right-of-way dedicated to public use.
lap siding
Horizontal boards used as exterior cladding on buildings where the lower edge of each row of boards overlaps the upper edge of the row of boards located below to shed water.
latch
A bevelled metal tongue in a door lock that can be engaged by closing the door .
latent heat
The heat required to evaporate a liquid, or the heat produced by condensing a vapour to a liquid while the temperature remains constant.
lateral thrust
That component of a load that is exerted in the horizontal direction.
lath
Strips of wood or metal, or metal mesh, applied to walls and ceilings as a base to support plaster. May also refer to gypsum or other suitable board material used to support plaster.
lattice
An open framework of criss-crossed wood, plastic or metal strips.
lavatory
(1) A wash basin.
(2) A room containing a wash basin and a toilet.
layout plan See Plan terms.
leach field See Plumbing terms: absorption field.
leaching
(1) The migration of a material to the surface. In masonry, leaching often leaves a salty deposit on the surface.
(2) The washing out of soluble nutrients and other elements from the soil by rainwater or irrigation, that alters the fertility and physical composition of the soil.
leader See Plumbing terms.
lean-to
A secondary structure appended to a main building and covered with a single slope roof.
leasehold See Tenure types.
LED lighting
Lighting fixtures equipped with low energy consuming, long-lived light emitting diodes .
ledger strip
A strip of lumber fastened along the side of a beam or wall for supporting floor joists.
lien
A legal instrument an individual or firm can use to secure compensation for unpaid labour or materials provided for
the construction of the property. A lien must be settled before the ownership in the property can be transferred thereby ensuring contractors and professionals receive payment for materials and services provided. Also referred to as a construction or mechanic’s lien.
light See Window terms.
light standard
Pole upon which an electric light fixture is mounted, normally outdoors.
lintel
A horizontal structural member that supports the load over an opening such as a door or window. See Window terms.
link housing See Housing types.
living room See House rooms.
litre per second See Ventilation terms.
load miser See Electrical terms.
loam See Soil terms.
lobby
A public or common entrance space in a multi-unit building.
lock nut
(1) A nut designed and fabricated with features that ensure that it self-locks when tightened into position and will not work loose.
(2) Also may refer to a check nut that is screwed down firmly against another nut to prevent it from working loose.
lookout rafter See Rafter types and Wood framing terms.
loose fill See Insulation terms.
lot line
The line that bounds a plot of ground legally described as a lot in the title of a property. See property line.
lot levy
A lot fee charged by a municipality for municipal services.
louver
A slatted opening for ventilation in which the slats are placed to exclude rain, sunlight, or vision.
low-emissivity window
See Window terms.
low-flow showerhead
A showerhead designed to produce high pressure with a reduced flow of water during a shower.
low melting point fuse See Electrical terms.
lumber
The wood of trees that has been cut and prepared for use as a building material. See Lumber terms.
Lumber terms
air dried
Lumber that has been seasoned under natural atmospheric conditions.
board
Sawn lumber less than 50 mm thick and wider than 100 mm .
board foot
A measure of lumber volume defined as one inch thick, one foot wide, and one foot long, equivalent to 144 cu. in. .
blue-stain
A blue-grey discolouration of lumber caused by certain fungi or insect damage that usually affects appearance but not strength.
check
A longitudinal crack in timber that may be caused by seasoning too quickly.
clear lumber
Lumber that is free of knots and other blemishes.
common
A grade of lumber containing defects which renders it unsuitable for appearance applications.
cross grain
Wood fibres that do not run parallel to the long dimension of a piece of lumber.
cupping
A curvature occurring in the transverse section of sawn wood.
defect
A fault, irregularity or blemish in lumber that detracts from utility, durability, strength or appearance.
dimension stock
Dressed lumber cut to standard sizes .
dress
To plane one or more sides of a piece of sawn lumber.
dressed size
The dimension of lumber after planing to a smooth surface.
edge grain
Lumber that is sawn at approximately right angles to the annual growth rings so that the growth rings form an angle between
45-90 degrees with the widest face surface. Also referred to as ‘quarter sawn’.
end grain
Wood grain that is exposed when the fibres are cut transversely.
end matched
Lumber with tongued-and-grooved ends.
equilibrium moisture content
The point at which wood is stable and in equilibrium with the humidity of its surroundings and it is no longer gaining or losing moisture.
face side
The side of a piece of lumber or a panel that has the best appearance quality .
fine-grain
Wood with narrow annual rings.
finger joint
Lumber fabricated by end joining one or more lengths together by cutting complementary finger-like projections into the ends that are then interlocked and glued.
finished size
The size of lumber after planing and after seasoning.
flat sawn
Lumber sawn is cut tangential to the annual growth rings so that lumber has annual growth ring forming angles between 0 to 45 degrees to the widest face. Flat sawn lumber is characterized by an arching grain pattern on the widest face.
grade
A classification of lumber based on strength or appearance characteristics.
grain
The arrangement or direction of wood fibres and the relative width of the growth rings .
green lumber
Lumber that has not dried to the fibre-saturation point .
kiln-dried
Lumber that has been dried in an oven.
laminated veneer lumber See Engineered wood product.
MSR
Abbreviation for Machine Stress-Rated Lumber. Lumber whose strength has been determined in a testing machine as opposed to being graded visually by a lumber grader.
mudsill
Timber placed directly on the ground as a foundation for a structure.
nominal size
The rough cut dimension of lumber prior to drying and planing. For example, lumber that has a nominal size of 2 x 4 in. is about 1 ¾ x 3 ½ in. actual size.
parallel strand lumber
See Engineered wood product.
plank
A wood board 114 mm or more in width designed to support a load on its wide face.
quarter sawn
Lumber that is sawn along the radius of a log, 45 to 90 degrees to the annual growth rings. Referred to as quarter sawn as logs are first quartered along their length before being cut along the radial direction. Quarter sawn lumber has its widest face aligned with the radius of the log so that the growth rings are orientated between 45 to 90 degrees with the widest face. Also referred to as ‘edge grain’.
rough lumber
Sawn lumber that has not been planed.
select
A high-quality piece of lumber graded for good appearance.
shiplapped lumber
A form of matching lumber. A section one-half the thickness of the board is cut from the upper side of one edge, and a similar section from the lower side of the opposite edge.
tongue-and-groove lumber
A board or plank machined with a groove on one edge and a corresponding tongue on the other so that successive pieces can be mated together.
wane
Bark or lack of wood on the edge or corner of a piece of lumber.
warp
Any variation from a true surface in lumber such as bow, cup, or twist as a result of drying.
Lumen, lm See Electrical terms.
M
MSR See Lumber terms.
machine bolt
A bolt with a square or hexagonal head and an unthreaded upper portion of the shank.
main sewer See Plumbing terms. main shut-off valve See Plumbing terms. main stack See Plumbing terms.
main switch See Electrical terms.
maintenance
The process of sustaining the level of physical quality of an existing building and site through inspection, cleaning, and repair.
maisonette See Housing types.
make-up air See Ventilation terms.
manifold See Heating and cooling terms.
mansard roof See Roof types.
mantel or mantelpiece
A decorative shelf placed above a fireplace.
manufactured home
A dwelling unit built in a factory.
manufacturer’s specification
Product description, installation, use and maintenance instructions provided by a manufacturer that need to be followed for satisfactory service and to maintain the product warranty.
masonry
Stone, brick or other earthen products used for building.
masonry heater
A wood-burning device that takes advantage of mass in the form of bricks or stone in order to store and later release the heat it produces. Stored heat can radiate for hours after the fire is extinguished.
mastic
A material used as a flexible adhesive or sealer.
matched joint See Joint terms.
means of egress
A continuous path of travel provided for the escape of persons from any point in a building or contained open space to separate building, an open public thoroughfare or an exterior open space protected from fire exposure from the building and having access to an open public thoroughfare. Means of egress includes exits and access to exits.
mechanical air filtration
The forcing of air by mechanical means through a filter screen and filtering medium. Mechanical air filtration is designed to capture particles such as dust, dander and pollen. Finer filters can be used to capture micro-organisms.
mechanical equipment
All equipment included under the general headings of elevators, fire suppression, plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and gas piping.
mechanical systems
Assemblies and interconnections of mechanical equipment that provide services such as heating, ventilation, domestic hot water, fire suppression, conveyance, etc.
mechanical ventilation See Ventilation terms.
meeting rail See Window terms.
membrane filter
A filtering device containing a thin material with very small pores through which water is forced under pressure to remove impurities including micro-organisms.
mesh
Expanded metal, woven wire, or welded wire used as a reinforcement for concrete, plaster, or stucco.
metal lath
Expanded metal or woven wire used to provide a base for cement, plaster or stucco.
metal primer See Paint terms.
meter See Electrical terms.
meter socket See Electrical terms.
meter stop See Plumbing terms.
methane
The gas produced by the decomposition of materials such as those in landfill sites. Methane is the principal constituent in natural gas.
mezzanine or mezzanine floor
An intermediate floor between the floor and ceiling of any storey.
microclimate
A localized climate that differs from the surrounding climate due to topography, drainage, vegetation, orientation to the sun or influence by man-made structures like buildings and parking surfaces.
mildew
Fungi that grow on damp materials, including building materials, plants, paper, leather and so on.
millwork
Building materials made of wood that are produced in a mill including moldings, door and window frames, doors, windows, and stairs.
mineral aggregate
An aggregate consisting of a mixture of broken stone, broken slag, crushed or uncrushed gravel, sand, stone, screenings, and mineral dust. See aggregate.
mineral fibre See Insulation terms.
mineral wool See Insulation terms.
mitre joint See Joint terms.
mixing valve See Plumbing terms.
mobile home
A factory-manufactured house that is installed on a wheeled frame for movement to the building site.
modular brick
Brick designed for use in walls built in accordance with modular dimensional standards.
modular See Construction types.
modular home
A manufactured house built using modular components.
module
A standard unit of measurement in building construction.
modulus of elasticity or coefficient of elasticity
The ratio of the unit stress to the unit deformation. Often called Young’s modulus.
modulus of rupture
The value of unit fibre stress computed on the assumption of linear variation of stress when a beam is ruptured under a known transverse load.
moisture barrier
A material used to retard the passage or flow of vapour or moisture into or through walls, roofs and foundations.
See dampproof course, vapour barrier.
moisture content
The amount of water in a material expressed as a percentage of the oven-dry weight of the material.
mold
A fungus that grows on surfaces or in materials as a result of damp conditions.
momentum siphonage See Plumbing terms: indirect siphonage.
monolithic
A structure made of a continuous mass of material.
See Construction types.
monument
A permanent marker of stone or metal set to mark a property or reference line; also used for elevation. See benchmark.
mortar
A bond-making material made from measured proportions of cement, sand and water.
mortar bed
Layer of mortar on which any structural member, masonry unit, or tile is laid.
mortise
(1) An indentation in a board or door to receive a lock or hinge.
(2) An indentation made in a column or beam to receive a tenon.
moulding
Shaped lumber used for decorative purposes.
mountable curb See curb, rolled.
mudsill See Lumber terms.
mud slab
(1) A rough concrete layer placed in a crawl space floor.
(2) A rough concrete pad used to level rock under a foundation.
mullion See Window terms.
municipal stop See Plumbing terms.
muntin See Window terms.
mycelia
The thread-like parts of a fungus that invade a material and transport dissolved nutrients.
N
NBC
Abbreviation for National Building Code .
NLGA
Abbreviation for National Lumber Grades Authority.
NRC
Abbreviation for National Research Council .
nailer
A strip of material used as a base for attaching finishing materials.
nailing, blind
A method of fastening in which the nail is driven into the edge of the board at an angle so that the head is concealed by the edge of the next board. Sometimes called secret nailing.
natural convection
Heat transfer from one part of a fluid, including air, to another by the flow of the fluid from the hotter parts to the colder.
natural gas
A mixture of gaseous combustible hydrocarbons made up mostly of methane but also smaller amounts of ethane, propane and butane. Natural gas is piped to buildings for space heating, domestic hot water, cooking, fireplaces and clothes drying.
natural ventilation
The movement of outdoor air into and out of rooms and other spaces in a building through intentional openings, such as windows and doors, and infiltration through unintentional
openings in the building envelope. Natural ventilation is driven by stack effect and wind.
naturally aspirating See Heating and cooling terms: atmospheric burner.
naturescaping
The practice of natural landscaping, or gardening with native plants.
neat cement
A cement mortar mixture made without the addition of sand or other aggregate.
negative pressure See Ventilation terms.
neoprene
A firm and compressible synthetic rubber that is used as a backer rod for sealants in deep joints, in gaskets in windows and doors and in sheet waterproofing membranes.
net zero See Energy efficiency terms.
neutral block See Electrical terms.
neutral pressure plane See Ventilation terms.
newel
A post to which the stair railing or balustrade is fastened.
nitrogen dioxide
An air pollutant caused by high-temperature combustion in the presence of nitrogen.
node zero
In electrical and home automation applications, the point where incoming cabling and wiring comes together to connect to a central control system.
nominal size See Lumber terms.
nominally horizontal See Plumbing terms.
non-bearing partition
See Wall terms: non-load-bearing wall.
non-combustible See combustible and non-combustible material.
non-combustible construction
See Construction types.
non-potable water See Water re-use and recycling terms.
non-renewable energy source
A source of power derived from a finite natural resource such as fossil fuel. See renewable energy source.
non-slip or non-skid
A surface specially prepared to minimize slipping.
normalized leakage area
The equivalent leakage area from a blower-door test divided by the area of the exterior envelope of the house.
nosing
The rounded and projecting edge of a stair tread, windowsill, countertop.
nozzle See Heating and cooling terms.
OBC
Abbreviation for Ontario Building Code.
oakum
A treated hemp used to caulk joints in a bell and spigot pipe and fittings.
objective-based code
A building code written in a way that describes the outcome that must be achieved and provides latitude for users to determine the solution. The 2005 National Building Code contains objective-based requirements. See prescription-based code.
occupant load
The number of persons for which a building or part thereof has been designed.
octopus See Heating and cooling terms.
off-gassing
The release of volatile substances from construction materials and finishes.
offset
(1) The amount by which something is out of line.
(2) A horizontal ledge.
(3) See Plumbing terms.
ogee or O.G.
A moulding with a profile in the form of the letter S; it has the outline of a reversed curve.
ogive
(1) A pointed or gothic arch.
(2) One of the diagonal groins or ribs of a vault.
ohm See Electrical terms.
forced draft See Heating and cooling terms.
on-centre See centre to centre.
on-demand hot water heater
See Plumbing terms: instantaneous water heater.
on-demand hot water circulation system
See Water re-use and recycling terms.
oxy-PEX See Plumbing terms. open loop system See Plumbing terms. open stairway See Stairway types.
organic solvents
Carbon-containing compounds such as varsol or paint thinner, used to dissolve or disperse other substances.
oriel window See Window terms.
orientation
The angular position of an axis or surface, such as a building wall, with respect to compass direction.
oriented strand board or OSB
See Engineered wood product.
outcrop
A surface of bare rock protruding from the surrounding soil cover.
outdoor air See Ventilation terms.
Outdoor structure terms
balcony
A cantilevered or supported platform that projects from the wall of a building and is protected by a railing.
belvedere
A structure attached to a house to provide a view.
deck
An elevated, framed, platform, typically attached to the first storey of a dwelling, that may be of sufficient size to accommodate seating, tables, planter boxes and other outdoor amenities.
garage
An enclosed space designed to hold one or more automobiles .
gazebo
A small, free-standing structure, usually roofed and open-sided, partially enclosed or screened.
patio See Outdoor space: patio
perron
An outdoor stairway and landing platform at the main entrance to a building.
play structure
A structure for providing different play opportunities such as climbing, crawling, sliding, and swinging.
porch
A structure attached to the exterior of a building, often forming a covered entrance.
portico
A type of porch with columns and a pediment.
terrace
A relatively level area adjoining a building.
veranda
An open gallery attached to the exterior of a building. Also known as a porch if located at the entrance.
outlet See Electrical terms.
out-of-plumb
A term used to describe a member that is not vertical.
overhang
A part of a building that extends beyond its supporting structure.
See cantilever.
overload device See Electrical terms.
overloading See Electrical terms.
PLC
Abbreviation for power line carrier. In home automation applications, signals that travel through a building’s existing power supply wiring.
PVC
Abbreviation for polyvinyl chloride , a plastic used for pipes, siding, window frames, cable jackets, etc.
packaged air conditioner See Heating and cooling terms.
paint
A decorative and protective coating applied to substrates
that is comprised of pigment , solvent and binders—also known as vehicles— .
See paint terms.
blistering
The forming of bubbles or blisters on the painted surface while the paint coat is still elastic.
chalking
A powdery chalk-like surface coating resulting from the oxidation of paint.
checking
The cracking of paint.
coating
A paint, varnish or stain used to provide colour or protection to a finished surface.
colloidal paint
A paint made with pure pigments and without fillers. The pigments are not ground, but are reduced to extremely fine particles and colloidally suspended in the paint.
drier
A volatile liquid emitted from paint as it dries.
enamel
A type of paint that dries with a hard, glossy, protective surface.
epoxy
A coating comprised of two components that form a chemical bond and result in a tough, durable paint with outstanding corrosion resistance.
filler
A coating used to fill the pores of open-grained wood such as oak in preparation for final finishing.
incompatibility
Successive paint coats of radically different composition causing premature failure of the final coat.
lacquer
A chemical coating typically used for furniture finishing because of its very fast drying capability.
latex paint
A general term which covers water-based paints that use synthetic polymers such as acrylic, vinyl acrylic , styrene acrylic as binders.
metal primer
A paint used as a preparation first coat on steel or other metals.
oil paint
Paint in which the pigment is suspended in a drying oil, commonly linseed oil.
palladian window See Window terms.
pane See Window terms.
panel
(1) A sheet of OSB, plywood, or other material.
(2) A thin board with all its edges inserted in a groove of a surrounding frame of thicker material.
(3) A portion of a flat surface recessed below the surrounding area, distinctly set off by moulding or some other decorative device.
(4) A section of floor, wall, ceiling or roof, usually prefabricated and of large size, handled as a single unit in the operation of assembly and erection.
panelboard See Electrical terms.
panel heating See Heating and cooling terms.
panel-joint See Truss terms.
panel-point See Truss terms.
panel radiator See Heating and cooling terms.
panic bar
A horizontal bar that spans an exit door that, when pressure is applied to it, opens the door latch allowing the door to open outwards. Typically used on emergency exits from buildings to facilitate rapid evacuation.
parallel strand lumber or PSL
See Engineered wood product.
parapet
A wall at the edge of a surface, such as a roof, terrace, bridge, etc., and that extends above the surface.
parapet wall
That part of an exterior wall, party wall or firewall extending above the roof line.
parging
A coat of plaster or cement mortar applied to masonry or concrete walls.
parquet
Flooring made in geometrical designs with small pieces of wood.
partial depth foundation
A foundation that contains a crawl space, storage area or some other non-living space, whose height is less than that of a normal basement.
particleboard
A wood panel product made from sawdust, glue and wood particles and widely used as an underlay for countertops, shelving and furniture.
particulates
Solid particles that are airborne. Respirable particulates are those particulates smaller than 10 microns in diameter that can be inhaled deeply into the lungs.
parting strip
A thin strip of wood set into the head and jamb of a window frame to hold the sash apart.
partition wall See Wall terms.
pascal
A unit measurement of pressure in the metric system. 250 pascals = 1.0 w.g.
passive solar gain
Heat gain within a material or space as a result of solar energy entering through windows.
passive solar design
The design of buildings to capture, store and utilize solar energy for space heating and lighting while also controlling solar energy to reduce space cooling—all without the use of mechanical or electrical systems.
patio See Outdoor space.
paving
A hard surfacing material on a roadway, terrace, walkway or other area. See Paving terms
Paving terms
asphalt paving
A composite material used for construction of pavement.
It consists of a mixture of asphalt binder and mineral aggregate laid down in layers and compacted.
checker block paving
A surface of concrete paving blocks with open sections in which grass can be grown, in order to create an overall checkerboard pattern.
cobble, cobblestone
Small and roughly squared or egg-shaped stone.
compacted earth
An area of bare soil, made dense by artificial means or by pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
concrete paving
Surface of cast-in-place Portland cement concrete, normally installed on a base of crushed stone or gravel.
granite sett
A surface of granite blocks of rectangular shape and of approximately brick-size dimensions.
interlocking paving stones
Paving stones that either interconnect to form a larger paved surface or that are laid down in such a way that they constrain one another from movement.
patio block
A precast concrete paving slab available in a variety of shapes, sizes and finishes. Normally larger than paving stones.
paver See paving stone.
pay-back
The calculation of the period of time required for the savings from an improvement to repay the added first cost of the improvement.
pebble dash
An exterior wall finish made by dashing pebbles against freshly applied mortar; usually applied to stucco walls.
pedestal
A metal cabinet housing electricity, cable and telephone connections. A short, upright, load-bearing platform,
base or pier that supports another element such as a column.
pediment
A low-pitched gable.
peeling See Paint terms.
pellet stove
A stove that uses wood pellet fuel as an alternative to firewood.
permit
Municipal authorization to construct, alter or demolish a building. Utility authorization to supply, alter or remove electrical, plumbing and gas services.
peninsula
In cabinet terms, a counter with cupboards and shelves underneath with only one of four sides attached to a wall.
pergola
A garden or deck structure consisting of an overhead open framework supported by posts.
perimeter drain See weeping tile.
permafrost See Soil terms: other soils.
permeable
Able to permit the passage of liquid or gas.
perron See Outdoor structure terms.
PEX See Plumbing terms.
phenolic foam board See Insulation terms.
photovoltaic
A device that directly converts sunlight into electricity. When light energy strikes the surface of a photovoltaic device, a direct current is created.
pier
In construction, a column of masonry, concrete, steel or wood, used to support another structural member.
pigment See Paint terms.
pigtail See Electrical terms.
pilaster
A column or pier forming an integral part of a wall and partially projecting from the wall face.
pile
(1) Height of carpet fibres.
(2) A steel, concrete or timber column driven into the ground to provide support for a structure.
pilot light See Heating and cooling terms.
pipe
A metal or plastic tube for moving liquids or gases.
pitch
(1) Dark-coloured bituminous or resinous substances consisting of fusible, viscous to solid, distillation residue of tars; especially coal tars.
(2) See Truss terms.
pitched roof See Roof types.
pitting See blowing.
plain concrete See Concrete terms.
plan
A graphic representation of a site, building or other object as projected on a horizontal plane, to a given scale. See Plan terms.
key plan
A small-scale plan that relates each part of the site to the whole; normally used in conjunction with a set of working drawings.
layout plan
A plan that shows the exact locations and horizontal dimensions of proposed site-works, buildings, roads and site features in relation to the existing site and structures.
planting plan
A plan indicating the locations, types, and numbers of plants to be installed on a site.
plant list, plant schedule
A chart used with the planting plan to summarize the plant quantities, their botanic names, size or calliper, and the manner of root preparation.
plot plan
A plan indicating the location of a house on a lot. A graphic representation of a site, building or other object as cut through and projected on a vertical plane, to a given scale.
site development plan
A detailed plan illustrating the proposed arrangement of a site, including site layout, grading, hard materials and planting.
Sometimes called site plan or plot plan.
plank See Lumber terms.
plank framing See Wood framing.
plaster
A white, often gypsum-based, powder that, when mixed with water, becomes a paste that can be used to coat ceilings and walls or fill cracks.
plasterboard See gypsum board.
plate
(1) The horizontal member at the base of a wood-frame wall.
(2) A member placed on or in a wall or on a beam to support girders, rafters, etc.
(3) A non-structural protective unit, such as a push-plate, kick-plate, etc. See Wood framing: wall plate.
platform framing See Wood framing.
platform lift
A type of open elevator used to transport a person in a wheelchair from one floor to the other.
play space See Outdoor space terms.
play structure See Outdoor structure terms.
plenum See Heating and cooling terms.
plenum heater See Heating and cooling terms.
plot See building site.
plot plan See Plan terms.
plough
To cut a groove in a board or plank.
plumb
Vertical or vertical aligned. To make vertical.
plumb line
A strong, heavy string or cord with a weight on one end used to establish a vertical line, a perpendicular line to horizontal or to serve as a reference line when establishing vertical alignment or positioning.
plumbing
The pipes, fixtures and other equipment for the supply of potable water, venting and the removal of waste and storm water. See plumbing terms.
Plumbing terms
absorption field, leach field
The area that receives water from the septic tank via a network of underground perforated pipes, supports biological treatment of the water and disperses it to the surrounding ground.
air chamber
A piece of vertical piping with a closed upper end used in water distribution piping to prevent water hammer.
air gap
The vertical distance between the outlet of a water supply fixture and the flood level of a vessel or fixture into which the supply fixture discharges. Air gaps are provided to ensure contaminated or unsanitary water cannot back up into the potable water supply.
anti-scald valve
A mixing valve designed specifically to regulate the temperature of the hot water supply to faucets, showers, bathtubs and other fixtures to prevent user injury or death by scalding.
appliance
A receptacle or equipment that receives or collects water, liquids, or sewage and discharges water, liquids, or sewage either directly or indirectly to a drainage system.
area drain
A drain installed to collect surface water from an open area.
arm
A short pipe to which a shower nozzle is attached.
auto-fill valve
A valve controlling the flow of liquid into a reservoir, such as a toilet tank.
automatic control valve
A valve controlling a water faucet that detects the presence
of an object or human body. Can be mechanical or electrical. Infrared sensors detect body presence and turn the water on or off accordingly.
backflow
(1) The flow of water or other liquids, mixtures or substances in the wrong direction into the distributing pipes of a supply of potable water that may make the water in the pipe
non-potable; .
(2) The backflow of sewage into a basement or fixture due to overflow conditions in municipal storm water and sewage pipes.
backflow preventer
A device to prevent the flow of water or sewage in the wrong direction.
back pressure
A higher pressure on the sewage side of a drainage system that results in flow in the wrong direction.
back pressure backflow
The reversal of normal flow in a distribution system due to the downstream pressure increasing above that of the supply pressure.
back-siphonage
The reversal of normal flow in a system caused by negative pressure in the supply piping.
back vent
A pipe installed to vent a trap or waste pipe connected to the vent system at a point above the fixture served by the trap or waste pipe. Also referred to as back vented.
back-water valve
A valve installed in a building drain or building sewer to prevent sewage from flowing back into the building.
branch
A soil-or-waste pipe that is in one storey, connected at its upstream end to the junction of two or more soil-or-waste pipes, or to a soil-or-waste stack, and connected at its downstream end to another branch, a soil-or-waste stack, or a building drain.
branch vent
A vent pipe connecting one or more individual vent pipes to a vent stack or a stack vent.
building trap
A device that is installed in a building drain or building sewer to prevent circulation of air between a drainage system and a public sewer. See also fixture trap.
cesspool
A collecting tank that releases raw sewage to be leached into the ground with no provisions for the breakdown and treatment of the sewage.
check valve
A one-way valve in distribution or service piping, used to prevent backflow.
circuit vent
A vent pipe that is connected at its lower end to a branch and at its upper end to a vent stack or is terminated in open air.
cistern
A tank used to collect and store water.
cleanout
A pipe fitting that is designed to provide access to a pipe to permit pipe cleaning.
closed loop system
In a hydronic or other system that uses water as a heat transfer medium. The system is maintained at a lower pressure than the potable water system, and once filled, fresh water from the
potable system is not normally admitted except for service or to compensate for leaks. The water contained in closed loop system is not potable.
combi water heater
A low-mass boiler with integral capacity to heat hot water, usually by means of an internal heat exchanger and often with hot water priority control. Used for space heating and domestic hot water.
combined sewer
A sewer that is designed to conduct sewage, clear waste water and stormwater.
combo system
/integrated combo system
See combination space and potable water heating system.
cross-connection
A potentially dangerous arrangement whereby the potable water supply is unintentionally connected, or has the potential to be connected, to a non-potable water supply.
curb box
A shut-off valve located between the dwelling and the municipal water main.
de-superheater
A heat exchanger associated with a heat pump or air conditioner that cools super-heated refrigerant gas, usually with incoming domestic water. When used as a domestic hot water pre-heater, free hot water heating is provided and the efficiency of the heat pump or air conditioner is increased.
dielectric coupling
A device used to separate galvanized steel and copper distribution piping to prevent corrosion caused by electrolysis.
dip
The low point in a trap seal.
direct siphonage
The loss of trap seal as a result of unequal pressure conditions caused by the rapid flow of water through the trap.
distribution pipe
A pipe to convey water from a service pipe to a fixture or outlet, and includes the control valves and fitting connected in it, but not a meter, control valve, or other device owned and controlled by the supplier of the water.
domestic hot water recirculation system
A system comprised of a small pump and return piping, or a pump and special valves which ensures that the water in the hot water supply pipes is maintained at a useful temperature close to the fixtures, when a central hot water heater is used. In a house, this can result in significant reductions in overall water use. In
a larger building, this system is required to maintain reasonably short wait times for hot water at points of use.
domestic water heater/ water heater/service water heater
An appliance which provides heated water for domestic uses such as hand-washing, dishwashing, showering, bathing and laundry.
drain
A pipe used to carry off waste or storm water.
drain water heat recovery unit
A static heat exchanger installed on the principal drain stack to recycle heat energy from shower waste water to preheat water entering the domestic water heater, or to preheat water serving the shower.
drain, building
That part of the lowest horizontal piping that conducts sewage, clear waste water or stormwater from a building to a building sewer.
drainage piping
All the connected piping that conveys sewage to a place of disposal, including the building drain, building sewer pipe, soil stack, waste stack and waste pipe. It does not include the main sewer or piping used for sewage in a sewage plant.
drainage system
An assembly of pipes, fittings, fixtures, traps and appurtenances that is used to convey sewage, clear waste water, or stormwater to a public sewer or a private sewage disposal system, but does not include subsoil drainage pipes.
drip leg See relief pipe.
dry well
A covered pit with open-jointed or pervious linings that receives drain water from roofs, basement floors or area-ways and holds it until it leaches or seeps into the surrounding soil.
dual venting
An arrangement whereby two fixtures using a common drain are vented with a single vent attached near their junction.
faucet
A device that regulates the flow of water from a pipe or a vessel. Also called a tap.
first-hour rating
The amount of hot water that a water heater can provide in the first hour of operation; a combination of the storage capacity and how quickly the water heater can heat incoming cold water to the desired temperature.
fixture
A receptacle, appliance, apparatus or device in a plumbing system that may receive potable water or discharge sewage or clear waste water.
fixture trap
S-shaped piping under a sink or other fixture that retains a water level that prevents sewer gas from entering a living area through a drain.
flapper
A rubber plate in a toilet tank that lifts during flushing to allow water to flow out of the tank and into the bowl; the flapper then drops into the valve seat and seals, allowing the tank to refill.
floor drain
A waste water outlet and trap usually placed at the low point on a sloping floor for disposing water that may spill or flood onto the floor.
foundation drain
A drain installed around the outside of a foundation wall below the level of the foundation floor to collect and convey surface and ground water away from the foundation.
heat siphon trap
An S-shaped loop in the hot water line leaving the hot water tank to prevent convection siphoning of hot water into the distribution piping while the tank is sitting idle.
horn
The round opening on the underside of a toilet.
ice capping
The formation of ice on top of a vent.
indirect siphonage
The loss of a trap seal as a result of vacuum pressure caused by the rapid passage of drain water from another fixture through the drain stack.
indirect water heater
A domestic water heater that derives its heat from another source such as hot water from a boiler. Indirect water heaters may be instantaneous, or storage type.
insertion water heater
A type of indirect water heater that is a heat exchange element inserted into the water jacket of a boiler.
instantaneous water heater
A compact, often wall-hung, domestic water heater with or no storage capacity that heats water flowing through it to the required service water temperature in a single pass. Also referred to as tankless water heater.
interceptor
A receptacle installed to prevent oil, grease, sand or other materials from passing into a drainage system.
leader
A pipe that is installed to carry stormwater from a roof to a building storm drain or sewer or another place of disposal.
main sewer
The public sewer, including its branches.
main shut-off valve
A valve capable of stopping the flow of all the water to a house distribution system.
main stack
The principal soil, waste stack or vent stack in a plumbing system that connects the system to the open air.
meter stop
A main shut-off valve for a water meter.
mixing valve
An automatic valve that mixes two streams of water of different temperatures to maintain a constant discharge temperature.
May be self-powered or motorized. Often used to limit hot water delivery temperature to fixtures to avoiding scalding of occupants. See also anti-scald valve.
momentum siphonage See indirect siphonage.
municipal stop
nominally horizontal
offset
open loop system
A main shut-off valve located immediately adjacent to the municipal water main; not considered part of a dwelling’s plumbing.
At an angle of less than 45 degrees with the horizontal.
A combination of elbows or bends that brings one section of the pipe out of line but parallel with the other section.
Refers to the water heat transfer loop in a potable water space- heating system. The loop is maintained at the same pressure as the potable water system and the water in the loop is continually renewed with incoming water and is considered to be potable.
oxy-PEX See PEX.
PEX
plumbing system
pollution
Acronym for Cross-linked Polyethylene. PEX pipe is non-metallic flexible plastic piping for hot and cold potable water service as well as for open and closed loop potable water systems. A sub-type of PEX is equipped with a barrier to oxygen diffusion which is used in closed loop hydronic systems.
A drainage system, venting system, and water system.
The presence of impurities that may affect water taste, appearance, and potability.
potable water
preheat tank
pressure reducing valve
pressure relief valve
pump exerciser
Water that meets Health Canada’s Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality or the equivalent provincial/territorial requirements for safe drinking water.
A vessel used to store water that is partially heated by alternative means such as solar heat before it is fed into the domestic hot water tank.
An automatic valve that admits water from a potable water system into the closed loop of a hydronic heating system in order to maintain minimal pressure in the hydronic system. Usually installed together with a back-flow preventer.
A safety valve that prevents pressure in a plumbing system, hot water tank or other vessel from exceeding a preset limit by
opening and allowing the discharge of pressure from the system thereby preventing damage and injury.
A control that operates a water pump in a potable water space- heating system intermittently for the purpose of preventing water from becoming stagnant in the system.
relief pipe
An overflow pipe for a temperature and pressure safety relief valve installed on a hot water tank. Also called a drip tube.
riser
A supply pipe that extends through at least one full storey to convey water.
rod
A long, flexible apparatus used to clean a drain pipe by mechanical means.
roof jack
A rubber sleeve fitted around the plumbing waste vent pipes to provide a watertight connection with the roofing membrane.
roughing-in
The installation of plumbing that is enclosed in the walls, ceilings, attics and under the basement floor.
safety valve
Temperature and pressure relief valve that protects hot water tanks from both excessive temperature and excessive pressure; also includes backflow preventers that prevent water from moving in both directions in a pipe.
sanitary sewer
An underground conduit for the purpose of conveying waste water and sewage from a building .
sanitary unit
A toilet, urinal, bidet or bedpan washer.
self-siphonage See direct siphonage.
septic bed See absorption field, leach field.
septic tank
A sewage settling tank designed to retain sludge for a sufficient period to achieve satisfactory decomposition of organic solids by bacterial action, and bleed liquids off to an absorption field.
service pipe
The pipe that conveys water between the main shut off valve on the public water system and the control shut off valve in a supply system.
sewage
Liquid waste that contains animal, mineral or vegetable matter in suspension or solution.
sewer, building
shut-off valve
side-arm water heater
sludge
soil-or-waste pipe
soil-or-waste stack
stack
A pipe that is connected to a building drain 900 mm outside the wall of a building to conduct sewage, clear waste water or stormwater to a public sewer or private sewage disposal system.
A device that interrupts the flow of water through distribution piping.
An indirect water heater connected to a boiler. It is often located as a separate vessel above the boiler and uses gravity circulation between the heater and boiler. It may also pump water between the heater and boiler and be located beside the boiler.
The solids that remain after wastewater treatment.
A sanitary drainage pipe that carries the discharge of a sanitary unit.
A vertical soil-or-waste pipe that passes through one or more storeys and includes any offset that is a part of the stack.
That part of drainage piping that is vertical and that runs from a building drain or sewage tank to the open air and includes offsets not exceeding 1,525 mm horizontal distance from the vertical stack.
stack vent
storage water heater
storm drain, building
storm drainage pipe
storm drainage piping
storm sewer, building
A vertical vent pipe that is an extension of a soil-or-waste stack.
A water heater with integral storage of water.
The horizontal piping of storm drainage piping in or adjacent to a building that receives discharge from storm drainage piping and conveys it to the building storm sewer.
Any pipe in a storm drainage system.
All the connected piping that conveys stormwater to a place of disposal, and includes the building storm drain, building storm sewer, rainwater leader and area drain.
That part of storm drainage piping outside a building that connects the building storm drain to the main storm sewer; it starts at a point 900 mm from the outer face of the wall of the building and terminates at the property line or place of disposal on the property.
stormwater
Water that originates during precipitation events; Rainwater, melted snow or ice, water in the subsoil, and run off from overwatering.
subdrain
A drain that is at a lower level than the building drain and the building sewer.
subsoil drainage pipe
A perforated pipe that is installed underground to intercept and convey ground water.
subsurface drain
A drain, other than a foundation drain, installed to collect water from subsoil.
sump
A watertight tank that receives the discharge of drainage water from a subdrain or a foundation drain and from which the discharge flows or is ejected into drainage piping by pumping.
sump pump
A pump, usually electrically operated, to remove water that collects in a sump.
temperature and pressure relief valve
See safety valve.
temperature control valve
A valve that delivers water to a sink, bath or shower at a preset temperature. See also mixing valve and anti-scald valve.
thermal expansion relief valve
Automatic relief valve designed to relieve excess pressure on the house side of a potable water system, avoiding nuisance weeping of safety valves. May be stand-alone or built into a water closet ball-cock assembly.
trap seal
The vertical depth of water between the weir and the trap dip.
trap seal loss
The loss of a trap seal by water in the trap falling below the level necessary to maintain an airtight seal.
vacuum breaker
A device that breaks a vacuum action and hence stops backflow.
vent stack
A continuous run of vent pipe connected to a soil stack, waste stack or building drain and terminating in the open air.
venting system
An assembly of pipes and fittings that connects a drainage system with outside air to assure circulation of air and the protection
of trap seals in the drainage system by maintaining atmospheric pressure. See also Heating and cooling terms.
water closet
A toilet bowl and its accessories.
water filter
A device or system externally connected to a water source that removes particulates to improve the water quality.
water hammer
The vibration of a water pipe that occurs when a valve or faucet is closed suddenly.
water jacket
A heat exchange chamber adjacent to the combustion chamber of a boiler through which water is circulated and heated.
water meter
A device for measuring the quantity of water passing through a water service.
ply
Used to denote the number of thicknesses of building paper; in plywood, a layer of wood veneer: three-ply, five-ply, etc.
plywood See Engineered wood product.
pollution See Plumbing terms.
polyethylene
A common plastic used to make flexible tubing, air and vapour barriers, roof vents, etc.
polyisocyanurate board See Insulation terms.
polystyrene
A thermoplastic material commonly used for insulation.
polysulfide sealant
A paintable sealant that remains flexible after curing; ideally suited for use on stone, masonry and concrete surfaces.
polyurethane insulation See Insulation terms.
pony wall See Wall terms.
porch See Outdoor structure terms.
portico See Outdoor structure terms.
Portland cement
A grey powder made from limestone that is mixed with sand and water to make mortar, or mixed with sand, small stones or gravel, and water to make Portland cement concrete. Patented in 1824 by English bricklayer Joseph Aspdin, who named it “Portland” because its colour is similar to limestone quarried on the Isle of Portland, a peninsula on England’s southern coast.
positive pressure
See Ventilation terms.
post-and-beam framing See Wood framing.
potable water See Plumbing terms.
power See Electrical terms.
power circuit See Electrical terms.
power sidewall venter See Heating and cooling terms.
preheat tank See Plumbing terms.
prefabricated construction
See Construction types.
prescription-based code
A building code written in a way that describes what must
be done to meet safety, health and performance requirements. The National Building Code was a prescription-based code before 2005. The 2005 NBCC contains performance requirements in addition to the prescriptive requirements.
See objective-based code.
preserved wood foundation
A foundation made with wood and plywood that has been pressure-treated with preservative chemical to provide long-term resistance to decay and insects.
preservative treatment
The application of a chemical by brushing or by pressure-treating to lumber or plywood to make it resistant to insect and
decay damage.
pressure difference
The difference in pressure between two zones in a house, or between the air enclosed by the house envelope and the outside air surrounding the envelope. A pressure difference may also occur in appliances and systems that convey gases or fluids, such as ventilation ducts and plumbing pipes.
pressure equalized rainscreen
A wall designed to prevent rain penetration by relieving the forces that drive water into the wall. Also called pressure modulated rainscreen.
pressure-reducing valve See Plumbing terms.
pressure-treated wood
Wood that has been treated with chemical preservatives in a pressure chamber to make it resistant to decay and insect damage.
prevailing wind
The direction from which the wind blows most often during a specific season of the year.
primer See Paint terms.
principal fan switch See Ventilation terms.
principal ventilation capacity
See Ventilation terms.
principal ventilation fan See Ventilation terms.
privacy zone See Outdoor space terms.
private
A room or a space intended for the exclusive use of a single household, or individuals within the household.
profile
A side-view drawing of a building or building feature.
propane
A gaseous fuel derived from natural gas and used for space and water heating and cooking. Typically supplied from a tank located on the property but outside the building itself.
property line
protocol
public
A line established by survey that sets the legal boundaries of a property.
A procedure or standard of communication, such as that used in a home automation system, as in the CEBus protocol.
A room or space designed to be used in common by the occupants of the building, or by the general population.
public space See Outdoor space terms.
pump exerciser See Plumbing terms.
purlin See Truss terms.
putty
A plastic substance used by glaziers, painters and finish carpenters for sealing glass in sash and filling small holes in wood such as those left by nails.
pyramid roof See Roof types.
pyrolytic coating See Window terms.
quarry tile See tile.
quarter round
A plain moulding in the shape of a quarter circle.
quarter sawn See Lumber terms.
queen-post truss
A truss used in timber-frame construction that has two vertical posts supporting the chords above.
quicklime
A white powder used in cement and mortar.
R-2000 See Energy efficiency terms.
RSI
Abbreviation for resistance system international. Coefficient of thermal resistance expressed in metric units. It indicates the ability of a material to resist heat transfer and is often used to characterize insulation materials.
R-value
The coefficient of thermal resistance of a building material or assembly . See RSI. See also Thermal resistance value.
rabbet
(1) A groove cut in the surface along the edge of a board, plank, plywood, particleboard or other timber.
(2) The recess in a brick jamb that receives a window frame.
(3) The recess in a door frame to receive the door.
rabbet joint See Joint terms.
radiant heating See Heating and cooling terms.
radiant stove
A wood stove that supplies heat to a room by direct radiation compared to other wood stoves that use convective air flow. Cast iron stoves and those with heavy steel plate surfaces are usually radiant type stoves.
radiation See Heating and cooling terms.
radiator See Heating and cooling terms.
radius of curvature
The distance between the centre line of a circular section stairway, wall, walkway, curb or other building feature and the centre of the corresponding circle.
radon gas
An odourless and colourless, naturally occurring radioactive gas formed by the disintegration of radium, that is found in most soils and is carcinogenic with prolonged exposure. It can enter a house from the soil beneath and around the house foundation, or through a floor drain.
raft foundation
A layer of concrete, usually reinforced, extending under the entire area of a building and projecting outside the line of its walls; normally used to provide a foundation in cases where the ground alone is not capable of supporting design loads.
rafter See Wood framing.
rail
(1) A piece of timber or metal extending from one post to another, as in fences, balustrades, staircases, guards, etc.
(2) A horizontal member in a wood door.
rail post
A newel post.
railroad tie
A creosote-treated piece of lumber sometimes used for landscape applications after its railroad service life has ended.
rain penetration
Rainwater that penetrates roofs, walls, windows, doors or foundations through openings.
rainscreen
A wall construction system that adds a second line of defence to water penetration and includes an airspace between the two barriers so that water entering the first line of defence can escape back to the outside and the space between the walls can dry between wettings. See pressure equalized rainscreen.
rainwater harvesting system
See Water re-use and recycling terms.
rainwater See Water re-use and recycling terms.
rainwater leader
A downpipe from a roof or gutter, located inside a building and designed to carry water from a roof to a drain or to the exterior ground surface.
rake
An incline, as in a pitched roof. The end of a wall that slopes or rakes back; slope.
raked joint
A joint in masonry veneer where the mortar is tooled so that its surface is recessed from the face of the masonry.
ramp
A sloping surface that provides a pedestrian or vehicular connection between two levels.
random bond
A type of masonry construction in which the masonry units are not laid in any regular pattern.
range
A kitchen appliance with heating elements and usually combined with an oven.
range hood See Ventilation terms.
range top fan See Ventilation terms.
receptacle See Electrical terms.
recess
An indentation in the surface of a wall or ceiling.
reclaimed wastewater See Water re-use and recycling terms.
recycled material
Material made from pre-consumer materials diverted from the waste stream of a manufacturing process and/or from post- consumer materials diverted from residential, commercial and institutional waste streams.
register See Heating and cooling terms.
rehabilitation
Restoration of a building or site to its original condition or to an improved condition.
reinforced concrete See Concrete terms.
reinforcing mesh or welded wire mesh
A grid of welded steel wires used to resist tension stresses in concrete slabs. See Concrete terms: reinforced concrete.
reinforcing steel
Steel bars used in concrete construction to provide tensile strength. See Concrete terms: reinforced concrete.
relative humidity
The amount of water vapour in the air compared to the amount of water that air at the same temperature could hold if the air was totally saturated. See humidity ratio and dew point.
relief pipe See Plumbing terms.
rendering
The surface treatment of a concrete, masonry, or stucco wall to improve its appearance or increase its resistance to water penetration.
renewable energy source
A source of energy from an inexhaustible source such as wind and solar or from naturally and rapidly renewing sources such as wood and crop biomass waste. See non-renewable energy source.
renovation
The act of restoring, changing or improving a structure or room.
restoration
The process of returning a building or site to its original appearance.
retaining wall
(1) A wall erected to hold back or support a bank of earth.
(2) A wall subjected to lateral pressure other than wind pressure.
(3) An enclosing wall built to resist the lateral pressure of internal loads.
retention pond See Site drainage terms.
retrofitting
The process of adding equipment, systems, components or other elements to a building post-construction.
(2) Often used with respect to adding additional insulation, controls, energy efficient equipment and windows,
solar systems, airtightness, etc. to a building to improve energy efficiency.
RETScreen See Energy efficiency terms.
return air See Ventilation terms.
return air system See Heating and cooling terms.
reused material
Material reused without any remanufacturing or processing.
ribband See Wood framing terms.
ribbon See Wood framing terms: ribband.
ridge
The summit line of a roof; the line where the rafters meet.
ridge beam See Wood framing terms.
ridge board See Wood framing terms.
ridge roof See Roof types: gable.
ridge vent
A metal or plastic linear vent installed along the ridgeline of a roof for attic ventilation.
rift sawn See Lumber terms: quarter sawn.
right-of-way
The right to pass over property owned by another, usually based upon an easement.
rigid material
A material with enough rigidity to be free-standing and fastened with nails or screws, such as rigid insulation.
ring, annual growth See annual growth ring.
ripping
The sawing of wood parallel to the grain.
rip-rap
Rock or other material placed on a slope to prevent erosion or to support an embankment.
riser
(1) The vertical board under the tread in stairs.
(2) In plumbing, a supply pipe that extends through at least one full storey to convey water.
rocker switch See Electrical terms.
rod See Plumbing terms.
roman bathtub See bathtub, roman.
roof joist See Wood framing terms: joist.
roof space See attic.
roof tile See tile.
gambrel
A type of roof that has its slope broken by an obtuse angle, so that the lower slope is steeper than the upper slope.
green roof
A roof designed to support topsoil and plants to reduce rainwater runoff, heat island effect and decrease the building’s space conditioning requirements. May also be referred to as a garden roof.
hip
A roof that has all sides sloping up to a centre point or ridge.
mansard
A roof that has two slopes with the lower slope almost vertical, and the upper almost horizontal.
monitor
A type of gable roof commonly used on industrial buildings that has a raised portion along the ridge with openings for light and/ or air.
pavilion
A pyramid-shaped roof, usually with four similar sloping sides.
pent
A sloped, and often decorative, roof structure typically attached to an exterior wall between storeys to protect and shade windows and door openings below. May also refer to a shed roof.
pitched
A roof that has one or more sloping surfaces pitched at angles greater than necessary for drainage.
polygonal
A roof that forms a figure bounded by more than four straight lines.
pyramid
roof deck, roof garden
roll roofing
shed
A hip roof that has four sloping surfaces, usually of equal pitch, that meet at a peak.
An area designed for residents’ communal use on the roof of a building or other structure.
An asphalt-based roofing material that comes in rolls and is laid in an overlapping, or shingled, manner horizontally across a roof deck.
A roof with only one set of rafters, falling from a higher to a lower wall.
room or space, habitable
rose
rotary cut veneer
roughcast
rough grading
A room or space intended primarily for human occupancy.
The wide, flat part of a doorknob that fits snugly against the door.
Veneer cut by revolving a log against a knife running the length of the log, set in such a manner as to cut off from the log a thin sheet of a definite thickness and continuous length.
A type of external plastering in which small sharp stones are thrown or cast against the surface being coated. See stucco.
The initial modification of site levels. Usually carried out with a bulldozer or other heavy equipment; applies normally to subsoil rather than topsoil.
rough lumber See Lumber terms.
rough opening
(1) An unfinished window or door opening, measured between framing members.
(2) The distance between framing members in an unfinished door or window opening.
roughing-in See Plumbing terms.
row housing See Housing types.
rubble
run
Masonry of rough, undressed stones. When only the roughest irregularities are knocked off, it is called scabbled rubble; and when the stones in each course are rudely dressed to nearly a uniform height, ranged rubble. See Masonry types.
The horizontal stringer measurement used in stair framing.
run
The horizontal distance of a stair tread as measured from riser to riser.
running bond See stretching bond.
runoff See Site drainage terms.
SMACNA
Abbreviation for the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association.
saddle See chimney saddle.
safety plug
A plastic plug that can be inserted into electrical outlets to protect children from electric shock.
safety switch See Electrical terms.
safety valve See Plumbing terms.
sandblasting
The process of scouring a surface with a powerful jet of sand for cleaning, removal of finishes or for adding surface texture.
sanitary sewer
See Plumbing terms.
sanitary unit See Plumbing terms.
sapwood
The outer layers of the tree containing living cells. The sapwood is generally lighter in colour than the heartwood and usually less rot-resistant.
sash See Window terms.
scaffold, scaffolding
A temporary erection of timber or steelwork, used in the construction, alteration or demolition of a building to support workers, their tools and materials.
scarf joint See Joint terms.
scratch coat
The first coat of plaster or stucco that is scratched to form a bond for the second coat.
scribing
The process of transferring the profile of an irregular surface to a material, such as fitting woodwork to an irregular surface.
scupper
(1) An opening for drainage in a wall, curb or parapet.
(2) The drain in a downspout or flat roof, usually connected to the downspout.
sealant
A general term for flexible, air and water-tight material used on the inside and outside of buildings to prevent the leakage of air and water through intersections in, and penetrations though, the building envelope. Also used to seal and finish joints around plumbing fixtures, shower and tub walls, backsplashes etc.
sealant, acoustic
A non-hardening synthetic sealant appropriate for use in assemblies with acoustic ratings. May also be used to seal joints in polyethylene sheet air/vapour barriers.
sealant, acrylic latex
A paintable water-based emulsion sealant used on non-porous surfaces such as aluminum, glass and ceramic tile and to seal and finish joints in wood surfaces.
sealant, silicone
A flexible, water-proof sealant that is durable and effective for sealing joints in materials subject to wet conditions such as bathtubs, shower stalls, sinks, faucets, etc. that is not typically paintable but has adhesive characteristics that allow it to be used for sealing joints subject to movement.
sealed combustion appliance
See Heating and cooling terms.
sealer
A coating applied directly over an uncoated wood, concrete, ceramic tile grout, masonry and other materials to protect the surface and to prevent moisture penetration.
seasoning
The drying of lumber in the open air or in a kiln.
security system See home security system.
segregation
The separation of course aggregate from the cement mortar within mixed concrete during transport or placement which can cause the formation of rock pockets or honeycombing that can result in localized deficiencies in strength and other properties.
select See Lumber terms.
self-siphonage See Plumbing terms: direct siphonage.
semi-detached See Housing types.
sensible heat
Heat energy that results in a change in temperature of a substance without changing the state of the substance and does not include latent heat.
sensible recovery efficiency
See Ventilation terms.
septic bed See Plumbing terms.
septic tank See Plumbing terms.
service box See Electrical terms.
service head See Electrical terms.
service line See Electrical terms.
service mast See Electrical terms.
service pipe See Plumbing terms.
serviced lot
A parcel of land with connections available to public utilities, communications and road transportation.
servitude See easement.
setback
(1) Where a lower storey extends beyond a higher storey, the horizontal distance between the faces of the exterior wall of one storey and the exterior wall above it.
(2) The horizontal distance between the wall of a building and the adjacent street line or property line.
settlement
The sinking of an area after construction; often caused by inadequate soil compaction.
sewage See Plumbing terms.
sewer, main See Plumbing terms: main sewer.
sewer, storm See Plumbing terms: building storm sewer.
shake
A shingle split from a block of wood and used for roofing and siding.
shake
Defect originating in a living tree due to frost, wind or other causes, or occurring through injury in felling, driving, etc. that later shows in the manufactured lumber, most commonly as partial or complete separation between the growth rings.
shared wall, common wall
See Wall terms.
shear
A force that causes or tends to cause two contiguous parts to slide relative to each other in a direction parallel to their
plane of contact. A force applied across the section of a member or fastener.
shear wall See Wall terms.
sheathing
Lumber, wood panels or other types of panels used to cover the exterior framework of a building.
sheathing membrane
A general term for sheet material, such as asphalt treated paper, spun bonded polyolefin and synthetic rubber, that is applied to the exterior walls of a building as protection against the passage of air and/or water.
sheathing paper
A semi-permeable paper treated with bituminous tar or asphalt and used under exterior wall cladding as protection against the passage of water or air.
shed roof See Roof types.
sheet metal ductwork
All sheet metal components used for ducts in space heating, ventilating and air conditioning.
sheet metal work
All sheet metal building components such as flashing, gutters, and downspouts.
shelter tube
A tunnel constructed by subterranean termites as a means of protection while moving between the subterranean colony and an above-ground food source.
shim
A thin piece of material, sometimes tapered, used to fill a space between two objects, level objects, or to position and provide support for a construction element such as a window or door installed in a rough opening.
shingle
A relatively thin and small unit of roofing partially laid in overlapping layers as a roof covering or as cladding on the sides of buildings.
shiplap See Lumber terms: shiplapped lumber.
shoe mould
For interior finish, a moulding strip placed against the baseboard at the floor. Also called base shoe or carpet strip.
shoring
The method of temporarily supporting, by props of timber or other material, buildings and the sides of excavations.
short circuit See Electrical terms.
shut-off valve See Plumbing terms.
shutter
A shutter with insulating and air sealing attributes that can cover and seal a window opening to reduce heat loss.
shutter, thermal
A shutter with insulating and air sealing attributes that can cover and seal a window opening to reduce heat loss.
siding
A material used as an exterior wall covering.
simplified ventilation system
See Ventilation terms.
sill
The horizontal member forming the bottom of an opening for a door or window. See also Window terms.
sill plate See Wood framing.
single-family dwelling See Housing types.
sink
A receptacle for washing or for disposing of liquid wastes.
site drainage
The removal of surface water from a site by natural run-off, percolation into the ground or through a storm sewer system.
manhole
A chamber constructed to give inspection and maintenance access to a sewer, water main or other underground service.
retention pond
A basin in which sudden influxes of surface runoff are held temporarily before being released gradually into a drainage system.
runoff
Excess surface water that flows over a site instead of percolating through the soil.
sewer
A pipe that carries waste water or sewage.
sewer, lateral
The portion of the sanitary sewer that connects the interior waste water lines to the main sewer lines.
storm sewer
A sewer pipe that carries stormwater, surface drainage, and street wash but not sewage or industrial wastes.
swale
A small channel that is usually grassed and is wider than it is deep.
site furnishings
Outdoor site accessories such as benches, planters, refuse containers, chairs, tables, playground equipment, shelters, etc. See street furnishings.
site preload
A weight of sand or gravel placed on a building site to compress underlying soil to improve its bearing capacity and suitability for building.
skylight
A glazed opening in a roof to admit natural light and, if operable, to provide ventilation.
slab
A thick, flat object.
(1) A door without hardware and hinges.
(2) The outside piece removed from a log during the lumber manufacturing process.
(3) A horizontal concrete surface.
slab construction
A form of construction with the superstructure supported by a concrete slab.
slaking
The combination of quicklime with water.
sleeper
(1) A horizontal timber laid on the ground to distribute a load.
(2) A strip of wood resting on a floor or roof to support a wood floor or deck.
sleeve
A pipe or other insert installed in a building assembly prior to concrete placement for the routing of mechanical and electrical services.
slope
The ratio of a vertical drop to a horizontal distance, and often expressed as a percentage. Also called gradient. See Truss terms.
sludge See Plumbing terms.
slump See Concrete terms.
smart appliance
A home appliance that contains a microprocessor capable of receiving and sending signals to a home automation system control unit or to a remote control point, such as a utility.
smart house
A dwelling containing an automated system to control functions such as security systems, zone heating and cooling appliances, and entertainment systems, and to facilitate communication.
smoke alarm
A safety device that detects airborne smoke and issues an audible alarm, thereby alerting people nearby to the danger of fire.
smoke chamber
That part of a fireplace system that connects the fireplace to the chimney and allows a channelling of the flue gases to occur.
smoke control zone
A compartment within a floor area that is separated from the remainder of the floor area in such a way as to be smoke-tight for a predicted period.
smoke detector
A device that is activated when the concentration of airborne combustion particles in the surrounding air exceeds a predetermined level. A smoke detector may initiate an alarm, activate fire doors and smoke shutters or interrupt power to an appliance.
smoke pipe See Heating and cooling terms.
snap header or false header
A half length of brick sometimes used in brick facing.
sod
A matting of grass and soil that is cut just below the roots and then used on a new site to provide quick grass cover.
soffit
The underside of a building element such as staircase, roof overhang, beam, etc.
softwood
Lumber from conifers or evergreen trees commonly used for wood frame construction.
Soil terms
acid soil
Typically found in a coniferous forest, a soil with a pH value below 6.6; based on a 1 to 14 rating of acid to alkaline, with
7.0 being neutral.
alkaline soil
A soil with a pH over 7.3 and found in many arid regions. An alkaline soil is often poorly drained.
alluvium
A soil consisting of material that has been deposited by running water.
clay
A very fine-grained material possessing appreciable dry strength. When dry, clay may shrink and is relatively impermeable to water. When wet, clay may swell and become liquid.
clay loam
A soil containing from 20 to 50 per cent sand particles, 20 to 30 per cent clay particles, the remainder being silt particles.
clay soil
A soil containing over 65 per cent clay particles.
coarse-grained
Soil with relatively large particle sizes, for example sandy soil, that is usually low in minerals, but drains well. In the Unified Soil Classification System a soil is coarse-grained when 50 per cent or more of the soil by weight is retained
by a no 200 sieve.
cobbles and boulders
Cobbles are 75-200 mm in size and boulders are greater than 200 mm.
expansive soil
Fine grained soils, such as clay, that swell when they absorb water and shrink as they dry out. The swelling of expansive soils can exert enough force to crack foundation walls and floors.
fine-grained
Soil with relatively small particle sizes, for example clay soils, that is usually rich in minerals, but drains poorly. In the Unified Soil Classification System a soil is fine-grained when more than 50 per cent of the soil by weight passes a
No. 200 sieve.
gravel
Rocks or rock pieces smaller than 75 mm but larger than No. 4 sieve .
hard-pan
A firm, unyielding, unbroken, compacted soil.
humus
The material resulting from decomposing organic matter in the soil.
loam
A rich soil composed of clay and sand containing a proportion of vegetable matter.
organic
Soil with a high humus content, that usually contains raw plant residues and microorganisms produced by the decomposition of organic matter.
organic material
Fibrous structure usually brown or black when moist. Spongy. Usually has characteristic odour. Descriptive terms: organic terrain including muskeg, peat, and sphagnum bog.
partly organic
Organic clay, organic silt, etc. Depending on amount of organic material, these soils usually have some of the characteristics
of their inorganic counterparts. Usually highly compressible ; usually have characteristic odour.
peat moss
Partially decomposed plant material, often used as mulch and soil amendment.
permafrost
A layer of soil or bedrock that is permanently frozen; found throughout northern regions and scattered at higher elevations in other regions of Canada.
sand
Smaller than No. 4 sieve but larger than No. 200 sieve.
sandy loam
Soil containing 50 to 80 per cent sand particles, less than 50 per cent silt particles and less than 20 per cent clay.
soil-or-waste pipe or waste stack
See Plumbing terms.
soil test
A sampling of a site to determine the characteristics of its soils and to map their locations, and drainage and bearing capacities; usually accomplished by borings and subsequent laboratory analysis.
solarium
An attached greenhouse-like space for general use as living space.
solar collector
A device that transforms solar radiation into usable heat or electricity.
solar air collector
A solar collector that heats air.
solar liquid collector
A solar collector that heats a liquid such as water or a glycol solution.
solar heat gain coefficient
See Window terms.
solar photovoltaic collector
A solar collector that creates electricity.
solar collector tilt
The angle between the plane of the surface of a solar collector, or the roof directly supporting it, and the horizontal plane.
solar system, active
A solar system that uses solar collectors, mechanical and electrical devices such as fans, pumps and controls, to collect, store and distribute energy derived from the sun. Examples include
solar domestic hot water heating, solar air heating and solar photovoltaics for electricity generation.
solar system, hybrid
A passive solar system that uses both mechanical and passive devices to collect and utilize energy.
solar system, passive
A solar system that makes use of building elements to collect, store and distribute energy derived from the sun. Examples include solar chimneys that use the heat of the sun to drive indoor-outdoor air exchange and combinations of south facing glazing coupled with shading devices and thermal mass to capture and re-emit solar energy.
sole plate See Wood framing terms.
solenoid valve
A valve that is electrically operated.
sound attenuation
(1) Measures and features for reducing noise transmission.
(2) Degree to which sound levels are reduced across a door, window, wall, roof or floor assembly.
sound transmission class
A rating system used to describe the performance of wall, floor and other assemblies in reducing airborne sound. See impact insulation class.
space-heating See Heating and cooling terms.
spalling
The breaking off of the surface layer of concrete or brick work; usually caused by frost action, or the corrosion of metal reinforcement in concrete.
span
The horizontal distance between the supports for trusses, beams, rafters, joists or any other load carrying member not continuously supported along its length.
special purpose outlet See Electrical terms.
specification
A detailed written description of the type and quality of materials and workmanship required for a project.
spillage See Heating and cooling terms.
splash block
A small masonry block laid with the top close to the ground surface below a downspout to receive roof drainage and divert it away from the building.
spline
A thin, rectangular strip of wood used to join and reinforce the joint between two members with corresponding grooves or slots cut into them to receive the reinforcing strip.
split system air conditioner
See Heating and cooling terms.
spore
A single cell capable of reproducing certain types of plant or plant-like life, including fungus.
springing line
The point at which an arch, coved ceiling or similar construction departs from a vertical plane.
sprinkler
(1) A device used to distribute water on grass, gardens.
(2) A device activated by heat or smoke to suppress a building fire.
spunbonded polyolefin
A fabric sheet material applied to a building exterior to reduce air infiltration and water ingress; often referred to as “house wrap”.
sputtered See Window terms.
square
(1) A 100 square foot measure applied to roofing and siding material.
(2) Term used to describe when two elements are at right angles to each other.
stack See Plumbing terms.
stack effect
The vertical movement of air due to differences in indoor- outdoor air density that increases the buoyancy of the indoor air relative to that of the outdoor air. This difference occurs as a result of differences in indoor-outdoor temperature. The
buoyancy forces driving stack effect increase with building height and temperature difference. In cold climates, stack effect tends
to cause air to leak into the bottom of a building and out of the top.
stack vent See Plumbing terms.
staggered joint See Joint terms: broken joint.
staircase
A flight of steps leading from one floor, storey or level to another and includes landings, stringers, risers, newel posts, handrails and balustrades.
stair landing
A platform between flights of stairs.
stair lift
A motorized chair or platform that travels up and down a guide rail installed along, or adjacent to, a staircase. A stair lift provides people in wheelchairs, or those with mobility problems, with ease of access to the different levels of a house that it connects.
stair stringer
A structural member used to support stair trea
starter strip
Roofing material applied at the eaves to provide waterproof protection by filling in the spaces under the cut-outs and joints of the first course of shingles.
steady state See Heating and cooling terms.
steam heating See Heating and cooling terms.
steel-frame construction See Construction types.
steel stud
A vertical member made from bent sheet metal used to construct steel-frame walls.
step
A change in elevation.
step flashing
Overlapping rectangular or square pieces of flashing used at the junction of a shingled roof and walls. Also called shingle flashing.
step joint See Joint terms: broken joint.
stile
A vertical piece of a sash, door, or piece of framing or panelling to which the ends of the rails are attached.
stool
The flat, narrow shelf forming the top member of the interior trim at the bottom of a window.
stoop
A low platform, with or without steps, outside the entrance door of a house.
stop
(1) A moulding along the inner edges of a door or window frame.
(2) A valve used to shut off water to a fixture.
storey
The portion of a building situated between the top of any floor and the top of the floor immediately above it, or, in the case
of the uppermost storey of a building, the ceiling immediately above it. Storey is often used to describe the height of a building in terms of the number of habitable floors above grade.
storey, first
The storey with its floor closest to grade and with its ceiling more than 1,800 mm above grade.
storm See Window terms.
storm door
An extra outside door for protection against inclement weather.
storm sewer See Site drainage terms.
storm window See Window terms.
stormwater See Plumbing terms.
stove or muffler cement
A high temperature compound used to seal joints in masonry and factory built chimneys.
stove, wood See wood stove.
strapping
A wood batten fixed to the faces of walls and ceilings to support siding, drywall, lath and plaster and other finishes. See furring.
street furnishings See site furnishings.
stress
An internal force that resists a change in shape or size caused by external forces.
stress, ultimate
The highest unit stress a piece of material can sustain at, or just before, failure.
stress strap See Electrical terms.
stretcher
A brick that has been laid so that its length is in line with the face of the wall.
stretching bond
A masonry bond in which bricks are laid as stretchers with vertical joints located at or near the middle of the stretchers above and below.
stretching course
An external or visible course of bricks that is made up entirely of stretchers.
strike plate
The part of a door lock set that is fastened to the jamb.
stringer
(1) A long, heavy horizontal timber that connects upright posts in a structure and supports a floor.
(2) The inclined member that supports the treads and risers of a stair.
strip flooring
Wood flooring consisting of narrow, matched strips.
strongback
A wood batten fixed at right angles to the tops of cross framing members or ceiling joists in order to align and level them.
structural timber
Timber used in construction to bear loads and therefore graded on the basis of the suitability of the entire piece for that purpose.
strut
(1) A structural member that is designed to resist longitudinal compressive stress such as members supporting a ridge beam or rafters.
(2) A short column.
stucco
A cement mixture used as an exterior covering for walls.
See roughcast.
stud See Wood framing terms.
subdrain See Plumbing terms.
subfloor
Boards or wood panels fastened to floor joists to support the finished floor, such as carpet, ceramic tiles, vinyl, linoleum or hardwood.
subflorescence
A condition in masonry where mineral salts in crystalline form accumulate below the surface of masonry material. The accumulation and expansion of these salts create pressures that may result in the loss of surface material, exposing weaker material on the interior.
sub-grade
The prepared and compacted ground level that receives pavement or topsoil; the end product of rough grading.
sub-slab ventilation system, soil gas ventilation system
A mechanical ventilation system used to evacuate, and safely vent, soil gases such as radon outdoors. Typically consists of perforated sub-slab piping located in the gravel bed beneath the basement floor slab that is connected to an exhaust fan that continuously vents soil gases outside.
subsoil drainage pipe See Plumbing terms.
subsurface drain See Plumbing terms.
sump See Plumbing terms.
sump pump See Plumbing terms.
supplemental fan See Ventilation terms. supplementary heating See Heating and cooling terms. supply air See Heating and cooling terms.
support bar See grab bar.
sustainability, environmental
The capacity to endure; the ability of an activity to continue over an indefinite period without permanent depletion or damage to the environment.
swale See Site drainage terms.
switch See Electrical terms.
T
T-rail
A steel bar with a T-cross section.
tactile strip
Raised lettering or textured surface strip to warn people with visual disabilities when a staircase begins and ends, or to warn of some other feature in the house design.
tailpiece See Wood framing.
tamp
To compact soil or other material by applying repeated vertical blows, either manually or with a mechanical device.
tap See Plumbing terms: faucet.
taping
tar
The finishing of joints between drywall sheets by means of a tape that covers the joints and the application of drywall joint compound that covers, conceals and provides a smooth paintable finish over the tape.
A bituminous material, liquid or semi-solid, that has adhesive and waterproofing properties.
task lighting See Energy efficiency terms.
temperature control valve
temperature rod
tempering
tenon
tensile strength
tension
See Plumbing terms.
A small steel rod embedded in concrete to limit cracking due to expansion and contraction.
The use of heat to increase the strength of a material such as steel or glass.
The end of a piece of lumber formed to fit into a mortise.
The ability of a structure or structural member to resist tension. A force that pulls or stretches.
termite
termite shield
terrazzo
thermal break
thermal bridge
An insect that lives in warm, humid conditions and feeds on cellulose material such as wood.
A corrosion resistant, continuous, sheet metal barrier installed along the top of a foundation wall, or at supporting foundation piers, to prevent the passage of termites between the ground and the house.
A floor finish consisting of cement and marble granite chips and applied over concrete and floated, ground, and polished to a smooth surface.
A material of low thermal conductivity used in a building assembly to reduce the flow of heat by conduction from one side of the assembly to the other via thermal bridges. Thermal breaks may be provided to reduce heat loss through thermal bridges such as metal window frames, concrete floor slabs and steel studs.
A component, assembly or area of the building envelope that has noticeably higher thermal conductivity than the surrounding area. Examples include metal window frames, balcony slabs, shear walls and steel studs. Depending on the size of the thermal bridge and its thermal characteristics, a reduction in the overall thermal insulation value of the envelope can result.
Thermal bridges can cause higher heat loss, increased space heating consumption, comfort problems and condensation- related indoor moisture problems.
thermal envelope
thermal insulation
thermal resistance value
thermal storage, phase change
thermal storage, rock bed
thermography
The insulated assembly, including walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors, that encloses a building to reduce heat loss or heat gain and that protects it from exterior temperature variations.
A generic name for all materials used specifically to control or reduce heat transfer. See Insulation terms.
A precise measurement of a material’s resistance to heat flow. The higher the resistance value, the slower the rate of heat transfer through the material . See RSI, R-value.
A heat-storage system based on materials such as eutectic salts that change from solid to liquid as they absorb heat and revert from liquid to solid as they lose it.
A heat-storage system that makes use of stone or masonry mass in an insulated container to store heat for later use.
The process of surveying for temperature anomalies in a building, including air leaks, missing insulation, water leaks, water saturation, buried piping, and electrical faults using heat detecting visual equipment.
thermostat See Heating and cooling terms.
thimble See Heating and cooling terms.
three-way switch See Electrical terms.
threshold
throat
tile
A shaped wood or metal strip used on top of exterior door sills to separate and protect the interior flooring from exterior elements or to bridge and finish two different floor finishes at interior doorway locations. A threshold may be beveled to gently slope out of the doorway on either side.
The narrowing passage located between a fireplace and smoke chamber or flue.
(1) A surface covering made up of small pieces of ceramic or stone set in a grout or similar fixing material.
(2) A small piece of ceramic or stone that is a component of a tiled surface.
(3) A fired clay pipe or plate, often glazed to make it water-resistant.
timber
(1) Standing trees of commercial size.
(2) Felled trees or logs suitable for conversion into lumber products.
(3) A piece of lumber with a minimum dimension of 125 mm
time delay fuse See Electrical terms.
toenailing
Fastening one piece of lumber to another by nailing through the first at an angle into the second. Usually done when it is not possible to lap or align the two pieces in such a way to allow perpendicular nailing. Toe nailing at opposite angles can increase the strength of the joint.
toilet, integral
A toilet that has a regular cleansing spray or a soft mist spray, a warm water bidet and a hot air drier and automatic flusher.
toilet, low-flush
A toilet designed to reduce the amount of water consumed when the toilet is flushed.
ton See Heating and cooling terms.
tongue-and-groove lumber
See Lumber terms.
tooled joint See Joint terms.
topography
The configuration of the surface of a site; its relief, landforms, and slopes.
top plate See Wood framing terms.
top soil See Soil terms.
total ventilation capacity See Ventilation terms.
townhouse See Housing types.
track
An assembly used at the bottom and top of a steel stud wall to align and secure the studs.
transfer seat
A chair, sometimes based on a hydraulic system, that allows a person with a mobility disability to get into a bathtub by swinging the feet over the side and lowering themselves in. Can also refer to a similar system allowing a person with a mobility disability to get in and out of bed.
transformer See Electrical terms.
transom
(1) The horizontal bar that divides a window into heights or stages.
(2) The opening above a door or window used for light or ventilation.
trap seal See Plumbing terms.
trap seal loss See Plumbing terms.
tread
The horizontal part of a step, as opposed to the vertical riser.
treated lumber
A wood product that has been treated to improve its decay or fire resistance.
trellis
An open framework or lattice used as a screen or to support climbing plants.
trim
(1) The work the mechanical and electrical contractors perform as a building is nearing completion.
(2) Interior and exterior finish materials such as mouldings applied around openings or at the floor and ceiling of rooms .
trimmer See Wood framing terms.
Trombe wall
A masonry or concrete wall behind large floor-to-ceiling glass or other glazing material; its purpose is to absorb and store solar heat to be used later.
trowelled surface
A cement or mortar surface that has been given a smooth finish by means of a trowel.
trunk duct See Heating and cooling terms.
truss
A rigid, open web, metal or wood framework used to support floors or roofs. Trusses can also be used in the walls of highly energy efficient houses as a way to provide increased wall thickness for insulation.
tuck-pointing
The repair of a mortar joint by cutting a groove in the surface of the joint and repointing or filling the groove with mortar.
turpentine
A petroleum-based, volatile oil used as a thinner in paints and as a solvent in varnishes.
Type D fuse See Electrical terms: time delay fuse.
Type P fuse See Electrical terms: low melting point fuse.
U
U factor
A measure of the propensity of a material or an assembly of materials to conduct heat, measured in watts per square metre per degree Celsius. The U factor is the inverse of the R-value, i.e., U = 1/R.
ULC
Abbreviation for Underwriters’ Laboratories of Canada, an independent, not-for-profit product safety testing and
certification organization accredited by the Standards Council of Canada, under the National Standards System.
ULF
)
Abbreviation for ultra low flow with respect to water conserving faucets and showerheads and ultra low flush for water conserving toilets.
ultimate stress See stress.
underlayment
unit stress
(1) A sheet material placed over the subfloor sheathing and under finish coverings, such as vinyl flooring, to provide a smooth, even surface.
(2) A secondary roofing layer that is waterproof or water- resistant, installed on the roof deck and beneath shingles or other roof-finishing material.
The average stress applied over a given unit of area. A common unit of measurement is newtons per square meter , Pascals or pounds per square inch .
universal boot See Heating and cooling terms.
universal design See Flexible housing terms.
urea formaldehyde
urea formaldehyde foam insulation
urethane foam sealant
utility
A volatile organic compound used in adhesives, moulded articles and finishes.
See Insulation terms.
An insulating foam used for filling large joints and cavities where conventional sealant materials may not be suitable, such as around plumbing and vent openings.
A public or private service such as water, telephone, electricity and sewage disposal.
V
VOC
A large group of organic chemicals that can be emitted as a gas or vapour from many construction products such as oil-based paints and varnishes, caulking, glues, synthetic carpeting and vinyl flooring.
vacuum breaker See Plumbing terms.
valance
A decorative box installed over a window to conceal the top of window curtains.
valley
valley flashing
The concave area formed by the junction of two sloping surfaces of a roof.
Sheet metal applied in a roof valley.
valley rafter See Rafter types.
valve
vanity
A device that regulates the flow of liquid or gas by means of a movable part that either closes, opens or constricts the passage.
A counter or cabinet for supporting a basin or sink in a bathroom or lavatory.
vapor retarder See vapour barrier.
vapour barrier
Material used in the house envelope to retard the passage of water vapour.
vapour diffusion
The movement of water vapour between two areas caused by a difference in vapour pressure, independent of air movement.
The rate of diffusion is determined by the difference in vapour pressure and the permeability of the material to water vapour .
varnish See Paint terms.
veneer
A thin, uniform strip or sheet of wood or other material applied to an underlay material to provide a pleasing finish appearance to furniture or countertops.
veneer See Masonry types.
vent
An opening for the passage, escape or pressure relief of fluid, gas, air or smoke.
vent See Heating and cooling terms.
vent damper device, automatic
See Heating and cooling terms.
vent stack See Plumbing terms.
vented appliance See Heating and cooling terms.
vented space heater See Heating and cooling terms.
Ventilation terms
air exchanger
A device that transfers air from indoors to outdoors and from outdoors to indoors simultaneously. May or may not involve recovery of heat. See heat recovery ventilator.
air-to-air heat exchanger
apparent sensible effectiveness
backdraft damper
baffle
balancing damper
butterfly damper
controlled ventilation
dehumidistat
diffuser
A device that transfers heat from outgoing exhaust air to incoming outdoor air in the winter and from the incoming outdoor air to the outgoing exhaust air in the summer. The heat exchanger may be made up of an assembly of fixed plates , a rotary wheel , heat pipes, run-around glycol loop, or a shell-and tube arrangement.
The effectiveness of an HRV with respect to its ability to warm incoming air. See also sensible recovery efficiency.
An automatic device , designed to prevent the reversal of airflow when the system is off.
An object placed in an appliance or duct to change the direction, or retard the flow, of air, gas-air mixtures or flue gases.
An axis-mounted plate or blade in a duct or series of louvres in a register to regulate airflow.
A centre-axis mounted plate installed within ducts or flues to control airflow. The damper consists of two simultaneously acting plates, edge mounted to the same axis, that open and close with a movement similar to the movement of a butterfly’s wings.
Ventilation brought about by mechanical means by the operation of a fan, or fans, to maintain acceptable indoor air quality and is automatically or manually controlled.
A control device that senses the level of water vapour or moisture content in a room and that can be set to maintain it within a predetermined maximum limit by controlling the operation of
a ventilation appliance, dehumidifier or space cooling system.
A forced air supply terminal device the function of which is to direct the flow of air leaving the terminal. Specific diffuser
types are designed for floor, ceiling or wall installation. Does not necessarily include an airflow regulating or shut-off damper.
See also register in Heating and cooling terms.
distribution
The transfer of ventilation air into and out of rooms or other confined spaces inside a building envelope.
ECM See Heating and cooling terms.
effective length
energy recovery ventilator , m.)
equivalent length
In duct design, the length of a duct system expressed as the sum of the actual length of the airflow path and the equivalent lengths of the fittings in that flow path.
Similar in function to HRV except that the recovery system recovers moisture as well as sensible heat from the out-going air stream. Used where control of humidity in winter is less important and performance under cooling conditions is more important. Also called enthalpy recovery ventilator.
In duct design, the length assigned to a duct fitting expressed as the length of straight, smooth, round duct of the same diameter as the fitting, which would have the same resistance to airflow.
exhaust air
Air mechanically removed to the outdoors by appliances such as heat recovery ventilators, exhaust fans, clothes dryers and central vacuum cleaners.
exhaust duct
A duct used to convey air and contaminants from an appliance, room or other space to outdoors.
exhaust-only ventilation system
A ventilation system that is comprised of an exhaust fan, or fans, only and relies on the infiltration of outdoor air to balance the exhaust airflow. A forced air system may be needed to distribute and circulate air in rooms not directly connected to the exhaust- only system.
exhaust shaft
A ventilating passage used to convey air and contaminants away from an appliance, room or other space.
extended exhaust ventilation system
A ventilation system in which air is exhausted from bathrooms, kitchens and water closets by the HRV and outdoor air from the HRV is supplied to the return air trunk duct of a forced air system for distribution to the individual rooms of the house.
external static pressure
See Heating and cooling terms.
fan-cycler
A control that ensures the operation of the blower of a forced-air system for a minimum period of time over the course of each hour of the day to achieve a minimum rate of air circulation within a dwelling unit.
fully-ducted ventilation system
A ventilation system in which air is exhausted from bathrooms, kitchens and water closets rooms, and outdoor air is supplied directly to the bedrooms and living areas by a system of ducts. A forced-air system may or may not be present in the house, but is not required to form a complete ventilation system.
heat recovery ventilator
A packaged ventilation appliance consisting of supply and exhaust air fans and motors, a heat recovery core, filters and controls. HRVs provide supply and exhaust ventilation and transfer heat between the exhaust and supply airstreams to reduce ventilation-related space conditioning energy use.
hood
Protective cover for an exterior air inlet or outlet. Usually used in combination with the function of the terminal, i.e. “exhaust hood” or “intake hood.”
hybrid ventilation system
A ventilation system that combines two or more features of extended exhaust, exhaust-only, simplified or fully ducted ventilation systems. For example, a system might use an HRV to exhaust some bathrooms, but the kitchen and further bathrooms may be ventilated with local fans.
HRV See heat recovery ventilator.
litre per second
A metric unit of airflow. 1 L/s = 2.12 CFM. In common practice, 1 L/s is taken to be approximately equivalent to 2 CFM.
make-up air
Outdoor air supplied to a house to replace exhaust air, either by infiltration, by an intentionally provided make-up air duct or system. Make-up air is provided in order to prevent excessive depressurization. The level of acceptable depressurization in a home will be influenced by the presence or absence of spillage susceptible combustion appliances.
mechanical ventilation
Ventilation by means of a fan, or fan-assisted, device.
negative pressure
A pressure below atmospheric pressure. A negative pressure exists when the pressure inside the house envelope is less than the air pressure outside. Negative pressure will encourage infiltration and backdrafting.
neutral pressure plane
The theoretical cross-sectional area the perimeter of which is defined by those points on the building envelope whose indoor pressure equals the outdoor pressure.
outdoor air
Air from outside the building not previously circulated in the building.
positive pressure
A pressure above atmospheric pressure that exists when the pressure inside the house envelope is greater than the air pressure outside, or the pressure in one zone in the house is greater than the pressure in another zone. A positive pressure difference will encourage exfiltration.
pressure drop
The static pressure loss arising due to flow of air through
an element, fitting or section of an air-handling system such as a filter or heat exchanger.
principal fan switch
The switch or control, usually centrally located in the house, that controls the principal ventilation fan.
principal ventilation capacity
The minimum airflow capacity of the principal ventilation fan. This capacity may be based on the number of bedrooms in a house and/or some proportion of the total ventilation capacity.
principal ventilation fan
A ventilation device that may be a fan or HRV that provides the principal ventilation capacity for a home.
range hood
A canopy over a range that is usually equipped with a fan and light. The fan may or may not be vented to the outside. The fan may be located internal to the range hood assembly or it may be remotely located.
range top fan
Also referred to as a cook top fan. An exhaust device integrated into a kitchen cook top appliance that provides a powerful downdraft to capture and vent cooking odours and moisture.
sensible recovery efficiency
The efficiency of an HRV corrected for external energy consumption and parasitic losses. See also apparent sensible effectiveness.
simplified ventilation system
A ventilation system that exhausts air from the return of a forced-air system and provides outdoor air into the same return system, downstream of the point at which air
to be exhausted is obtained. Local exhaust fans in bathrooms, kitchen and water closet rooms are required to provide a complete and functional system.
static pressure
supplemental fan
The difference in pressure between the inside of a duct and the outside, expressed as negative or positive pressure.
A ventilation device that may be a fan or an HRV that provides ventilation in excess of the principal ventilation capacity for a home, and may or may not provide part of the total ventilation capacity of a home.
supply air See Heating and cooling terms.
total ventilation capacity
ventilation
ventilation air
The minimum capacity of a home ventilation system considering all of the ventilation devices. This ventilation capacity is usually based on the number of all rooms and/or the volume of the house.
The overall process of the controlled exchange of indoor air with outdoor air, treatment of outdoor air, distribution of outdoor air to the habitable rooms of the house, the circulation of air within the rooms. It also includes the venting of exhaust air from bathrooms, kitchens and other spaces.
Outdoor air intentionally supplied to a room or space.
ventilation air See Ventilation terms.
venting system See Plumbing terms.
verge board
vermiculite
The board under the edge of gables. See barge board, facer board.
See Insulation terms.
vestibule See House rooms.
veranda See Outdoor structures.
vibrating alarm
visible alarm
A portable warning device that vibrates when a doorbell rings or some other household function is performed; useful for people with limitations to hearing or vision, people with mobility impairments and people who are bed-ridden.
A warning device equipped with a flashing light; useful to people who are hearing-impaired; also desirable where quiet is important.
visitable See Flexible housing terms.
voltage See Electrical terms.
waferboard See Engineered wood product.
walk-in bath
A bathtub with a built-in side opening door providing easier access for people who have movement difficulty.
wall, common See Wall terms.
wall furnace See Heating and cooling terms.
wall plate
See Wood framing terms.
wane See Lumber terms.
warp See Lumber terms.
warranty
A promise from a manufacturer, supplier or other party that a product, material or workmanship will meet a specified level of performance over a specified period. Most warranties are backed by a commitment to repair or replace the product, material or work, or to refund its cost.
waste audit
A comprehensive analysis of the waste produced by the construction or use of a building. An audit can be used to reveal areas where waste can be reduced or recycled.
waste management
The collection, transport, processing and disposal of waste from a process such as the construction of buildings. May also include managing and monitoring of waste materials for the purposes of identifying material use reduction, recycling and diversion from landfills opportunities.
wastewater See Water re-use and recycling terms.
water bar or weather bar
A bar set in the joint between the wood sill and masonry, or wood sill and sash of a window, to prevent penetration of water.
water closet See Plumbing terms.
water filter See Plumbing terms.
water hammer See Plumbing terms.
water meter See Plumbing terms.
water resistant drywall
Drywall designed and manufactured specifically for use around tubs, within shower stalls or behind counter backsplashes.
water retrofit
The replacement of existing water fixtures and appliances with water-conserving fixtures and appliances. Water retrofits can involve a wide range of approaches including six-litre and dual- flush toilets, low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators, and rain barrel collectors for gardens.
Water re-use and recycling terms
auxiliary water
Any water supply in or available to a home other than the water from the local public water supply. Examples include rainwater, greywater, blackwater and reclaimed wastewater.
blackwater
Wastewater from toilets, which contains concentrated human waste.
centralized wastewater system
A system for collecting wastewater from a large area, using an extensive network of pumps, pipes and a central treatment facility.
decentralized wastewater system
A system for collecting wastewater from an individual home, small cluster of homes, isolated communities, industries or institutions. Treatment of the collected water is generally done on-site or at the point where it is generated.
direct diversion system
A mechanism that allows a homeowner to direct greywater or rainwater for their immediate use.
dual piping / distribution system
Separate piping systems used to separate and deliver potable and non-potable water.
dual plumbing system
A plumbing system installed in a dwelling that utilizes one piping system for recycle, non-potable, water and another, completely separate, piping system, for potable water.
greywater
Wastewater from bathing or washing, which doesn’t contain concentrated human or food waste. Water collected from kitchen sinks and dishwashers may or may not be included with greywater.
greywater recovery system
A system for recovering greywater for re-use as water supply for toilets and urinals or for landscape watering.
greywater treatment system
An assembly of pipes, fittings, valves and appurtenances that collect, treat and distribute reclaimed greywater.
non-potable water
Water that does not meet Health Canada’s Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality or the equivalent provincial/ territorial requirements for safe drinking water.
on-demand hot water circulation system circulation de l’eau chaude sur demande, f.)
A system that can circulate cold water sitting in a hot water pipe back to a home’s water heating system.
rainwater
Naturally occurring precipitation that is collected from the roof or other surfaces of a home, or from other hard surfaces on the property.
rainwater harvesting system
An assembly of pipes, fittings, valves and appurtenances that collect, treat, store and distribute rainwater.
reclaimed wastewater
Wastewater that has been collected and treated to the level of quality required for its intended use.
wastewater
Water that is discharged from residential, commercial or industrial sources, including stormwater in combined sewers.
water service pipe See Plumbing terms.
water table
The subgrade plane below which the soil and rock is saturated with water.
water vapour
Water present in the air in a gaseous state.
water vapour permeance
The rate at which water vapour diffuses through a sheet of
any thickness of material . It is the ratio of water vapour flow to the differences of the vapour pressures on the opposite surfaces. Permeance is measured in perms.
water vapour pressure
The pressure exerted by water vapour in the air in proportion to the absolute amount of water in the air. Water vapour moves from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure.
waterproof membrane
A sheet material applied to a roof, wall surface or foundation to prevent the penetration of water.
watt See Electrical terms.
weather bar See water bar.
weather check See drip notch.
weatherization See Energy efficiency terms.
weatherstripping
Strips of felt, rubber, metal or other material, fixed along the edges of doors or windows to keep out drafts and reduce heat loss.
web connection
The attachment of a steel stud to the top track of a steel stud wall with a flexible clip that allows the wall to transfer horizontal loads but not vertical loads.
web member See Truss terms.
weephole
A small hole at the bottom of a retaining wall or masonry veneer wall to drain water out beyond the face of the wall.
weeping tile See Plumbing terms, foundation drain.
weir See Plumbing terms.
wet bulb temperature See dry bulb temperature.
wet vent See Plumbing terms.
wind barrier
A textile or fabric wrap located on the outside of a building envelope to protect insulation from the circulation of outside air. See spunbonded polyolefin.
wind effect
A condition that exists when wind blows against a house, creating a high-pressure area on the windward side and tending to force air into the house. Simultaneously, a low-pressure area is present on the leeward side of the house.
winder
A trapezoidal-shaped step used at a change in direction of a stair.
Window terms
awning window
A frame containing one or more sashes, each of which is installed in a vertical plane and is hinged to permit the bottom of the sash to open outward.
bay window
A window that projects outside the main line of a building and the compartment in which it is located.
balance
A device used to counteract the weight of the sash to ease of operation.
bow window
A type of bay window that is curved rather than segmented.
buck
(1) A box-out installed inside a rough opening, to which a window or door frame is attached.
(2) A box-out installed in the formwork for a concrete foundation prior to concrete placement to provide
an opening for window installation after the formwork is removed.
casement window
A frame that contains a sash hinged at the side to open in or out.
check rail window
A frame containing at least a pair of sashes that are engaged when closed. The sashes are installed in a vertical plane and are designed to be moved either vertically or horizontally.
checker window
An old style window consisting of small muntins and mullions holding small panes of glass; several of these panes are present in one window.
clerestory window
A window that occurs in the wall of a clerestory. See clerestory.
dormer window
A vertical window in a dormer for lighting a room adjoining a sloping roof.
double-glazed
A window made of two layers of glass separated by an air space to increase its thermal resistance .
double glazing
Two panes of glass in a door or window, with an air space between the panes. They may be sealed hermetically as a single unit or each pane may be installed separately in the door or window sash.
double-hung window
A window with an upper and lower sash, each balanced by springs or weights to be capable of vertical movement with relatively little effort.
energy rating
An energy-rating system developed for windows and sliding doors that compares the amount of energy lost through air leakage and through the glass, spacers and frames with the amount of heat gained through solar gain. It is expressed in watts per square metre and can be a negative or positive number.
A typical ER number of a single glazed window is -50, for double glazed -30, and for low-e argon-filled between -12 and +4.
fire window
A window with its frame, sash and glazing that, under standard test conditions, meets the fire protection requirements for the location in which it is to be used.
fixed sash
A single sash fastened permanently in a frame so that it cannot be raised, lowered or swung open.
gas-filled window
A sealed window unit in which a heavier-than-air and inert gas, usually argon, but can be krypton, is used to replace the air between the glazings. This results in an improved thermal performance of the window.
hopper window
A frame containing one or more sashes, each of which is installed in a vertical plane and is hinged to permit the top of the sash to open inwards.
jalousie window
A frame containing a number of movable, shutter-like, overlapping glass panels.
light
An individual pane of glass.
lintel
The horizontal top piece of the window framework.
low-emissivity
A window with a thin metal coating applied to the glazing to reduce the amount of heat radiated. Low-e windows are
designed to help keep the inside cool in summer and warm in winter. See pyrolytic and sputtered.
meeting rail
The rails of a pair of window sashes that meet when the sashes are closed.
meeting stile
The part of a sliding glass door, a sliding window, or a hung window where two panels meet and create a weather barrier.
mullion
A vertical member between adjacent window or door units. Mullions may be structural when used to support a lintel above a window or door opening. Also refers to the vertical member between two adjacent doors against which the doors close, latch and sometimes lock.
muntin
A thin member that frames and holds individual panes of glass, or individual glazing units, within a window. In newer windows, muntins are often decorative grid-like assemblies applies over a larger glazed units, or in between the individual panes, to visually subdivide it into smaller, more architecturally attractive, areas.
oriel window
A window or group of windows that projects beyond the wall of a building and is usually carried on brackets or corbels.
palladian window
A window featuring a semi-circular pane over a rectangular pane.
pane
A glass surface in a window. A window may consist of a single pane or may include a number of panes .
pivoted sash
A sash that swings open or shut by revolving on pivots at either side of the sash or at top and bottom.
pyrolytic coating
A chemically-bonded hard low-e coating applied to window glass to improve the energy performance of the glass.
rough frame
The framing of the enclosure in which the finished window frame is placed.
sash
A light frame of wood, metal, or plastic either fixed or movable that holds the glass.
sash balance
In a double-hung window, a device, usually operated with a spring, designed to counterbalance the window sash without the use of weights, pulleys, and cord.
sash frame
The outer frame with sill in which the sliding sashes or casements are suspended.
sashless window
A window with a wood frame containing at least two lights of glass with polished or ground edges. At least one light of glass slides horizontally or vertically.
sill
The base of the window frame sloped on the outside to shed rain.
single-hung sash
A sash in a window frame containing a pair of vertical sliding sashes in which only one sash is movable, usually the lower, in contrast to a double-hung sash.
single-pane window
A window containing a single pane of glass.
sliding sash
A sash that moves horizontally on a tongue or track.
solar heat gain coefficient
A term used in the heating and cooling field to describe the amount of heat transmitted through windows. A value of
1.0 corresponds to 100 per cent transmission, 0.5 corresponds to 50 per cent transmission.
sputtered window film
Soft low-e coatings on window glass produced by coating a glazing surface with silver or zinc atoms in a vacuum.
storm window
A full-length window with either fixed or movable sashes, fitted to the outside of a window frame to afford protection during cold or stormy weather.
transom window
A horizontal rectangular window set above a door or another window.
wind bracing
Metal or wood strapping installed diagonally in an exterior wall to provide additional resistance to high-wind loads.
window well
Corrugated metal, concrete or timber barrier wall installed around a basement window to hold back backfill.
wire nail See Nail types.
wire connector See Electrical terms.
wired glass
Glass reinforced by a layer of wire mesh.
wood-frame construction
See Construction types.
bottom plate
The lower horizontal member of a wood-frame wall nailed to the bottom of the wall studs and to the floor framing members. Also called sole plate.
braced framing
Supported framework of a house, especially at corners.
bridging
A method used to resist twisting of joists and for stiffening floor construction by fitting either crossed pieces or solid blocks between the joists.
cap
The upper half of the top plate in wood-frame walls
ceiling joist
One of a series of horizontal structural members typically used in conjunction with rafters or roof joists in the roof structure. They form the horizontal separation between the occupied space and the attic or roof space above, and support the ceiling. Ceiling joists may secure the lower portion of opposing rafters to prevent them from spreading and may support knee walls within the roof space.
cripple
Short vertical framing installed to transfer load from a top plate to a window or door lintel and partitions.
cross-bridging
Diagonal wood braces placed between floor joists to increase stiffness and reduce deflection.
diaphragm
A structural system used to resist lateral wind and earthquake loads to shear walls or frames. The diaphragm may be part of a floor, wall or roof system and is usually constructed of plywood or oriented strand board which is fastened to the framing system.
double header
A structural member made by nailing or bolting two joists together for use where extra strength is required in the header, as at stair openings.
framing system
The integration of floor, wall and roof assemblies to make a structural unit.
full framing See timber framing.
half frame See braced framing.
header
(1) A wood member at right angles to a series of joists or rafters and attached to the joists or rafters.
(2) When used at openings in the floor or roof system, the header supports the joist or rafters and acts
as a beam.
heel cut
A notch cut in the end of a rafter to permit it to have a flat bearing area on a wall top plate.
jack rafter
A short rafter that spans from the wall plate to a hip rafter or from a valley rafter to the roof ridge.
jack stud
A block or short stud nailed to a rough door or window studding to add strength and provide a solid bearing for the lintel and nailing support for the finished door jamb or window frame.
joist
One of a series of horizontal or inclined wood members, usually 50 mm nominal thickness, used for support in floors, ceilings or roofs.
let-in brace
A brace that is inset into grooves in the wall studs it is bracing, leaving a flat surface on the braced side.
lookout rafter
A short wood member cantilevered over, or projecting from, a wall to support an overhanging portion of a roof.
outrigger
An extension of a rafter beyond the wall line.
plank framing
A type of construction that employs flat vertical structural members with horizontal beams let into them and that has an infilling of planks on edge.
platform framing
A system of framing a building in which floor joists of each storey rest on the top plates of the storey below or on the foundation sill for the first storey, and the bearing walls and partitions rest on the subfloor of each storey.
post-and-beam framing
A system of construction in which posts and beams support the loads and the infilling walls are non-load-bearing.
rafter
An inclined structural roof member, usually of 38 mm thickness, designed to support roof loads, but not ceiling finish.
ribband
A piece of lumber notched into or nailed onto the back of studs to support floor joists or ceiling joists in balloon frame construction. Also known as a ribbon or a ledger.
ridge beam
A horizontal structural member usually 50 mm thick or greater, supporting the upper ends of rafters.
ridge board
A horizontal member, usually 18 mm thick, at the upper end of the rafters, to which abutting rafters are nailed.
rim board
rim joist or header joist
shearwall
sill plate
In engineered-wood floor construction, the vertical framing around the edge of a floor for the purpose of transferring vertical loads from one floor to another, and to secure the floor joists.
For floors framed with dimension lumber, a joist that runs around the perimeter of the floor joists, and to which the floor joists are attached.
A stud wall system designed to resist lateral force applied to
the plane of the wall. The shear wall may consist of one or more sheer wall segments in the plane of the wall.
A structural member anchored to the top of a foundation wall, upon which the floor joists rest.
sole plate See bottom plate, wall plate.
stud
tail piece
timber framing
top plate
trimmer
wall plate
One of a series of regularly spaced wood structural members nominal thickness) used for walls and partitions.
A relatively short beam, joist, or rafter, supported on one end by a header.
A framework of squared timbers connected with mortise and tenon joints.
The horizontal member nailed to the top of the partition or wall studs and usually doubled to transfer loads from above into the wall studs. See wall plate.
A beam or joist alongside an opening and into which a header is framed.
A horizontal member attached to the tops and bottoms of wood stud walls.
western framing See platform framing.
wood lath
wood preservative
wood sleeper
wythe
A thin narrow piece of wood used as a base for plaster or stucco.
A chemical applied by pressure treatment, soaking or brushing used to improve the resistance of wood to decay and insect damage.
A pressure-treated wood block used as a bearing support.
A unit used to express the thickness of masonry construction that is typically based on one masonry unit. For example,
a masonry wall may be described as being single, double or triple wythes thick.
X-10
A home automation protocol that uses existing AC wiring for communication between control devices and receiver modules. X-10 is one of the oldest and most common home automation protocols; it allows only one-way communication and has limited processing power.
xeriscape, , Xeriscape™
To landscape in such a way as to minimize its need for irrigation, especially by using indigenous plants and features suited to a dry climate.
yard
The land around a house. A house can have a backyard, a front yard or a side yard—or all three, or two of the three. Often, a yard has a lawn and a flower garden or vegetable garden, or both. Many municipalities have zoning bylaws that set minimum sizes for yards.
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