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Glossary of Housing & Inspection Industry Terms

These terms have specific meanings in the home building, maintenance and inspection industries; we have prepared this list from various industry sources.

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ABS: Black plastic piping used for the plumbing of drain, waste and vent piping for disposal of sanitary waste.

Ampere (amp): A unit measure of electricity.

Aperture: The opening in pipes.

Asbestos: A naturally occurring mineral fibre sometimes found in older homes. It is hazardous to health when a possibility exists of exposure to inhalable fibres. Homeowners should be alert for friable asbestos and always seek professional advice in dealing with it.

Awning window: A window with hinges at the top, that allows it to open outwards and upwards.

B

Baseboard: Usually wood or vinyl installed around the perimeter of a room to cover the space where the wall and floor meet.

Baseboard heat: A heating system with the heating unit located along the perimeter of the wall where the baseboard would be. It can be either an electric or hot water system.

Breaker box: A metal box that contains circuit breakers or fuses, which control the electrical current in the home.

Building Code: Minimum local or provincial regulations established to protect public health and safety. They apply to building design, construction, rehabilitation, repair, materials, occupancy and use.

Buckling: The bending of a building material, which most often occurs as a result of wear and tear or contact with a substance such as water.

C

Casement windows: A side-hinged window that opens on hinges secured to the side of the window frame.

Caulking: Flexible material used to fill joints between floors and fixtures, around windows and doors, shower stalls and bathtubs, or where dissimilar materials come together.

Circuit breaker: The "safety valve" used in electrical systems. It interrupts an electric circuit when the current demand exceeds the breaker rating, because of damage to wiring or a failed appliance. Unlike a fuse, it can be reset.

Class B door: A fire resistant rating applied by the Underwriters Laboratories Classification for a door having a 1 to 1 1/2 hour rating.

Copper Material used in plumbing in older homes for both potable water and waste disposal.

CPVC: Plastic water piping.

Crawl space: Shallow space between the underside of the first floor of a house and the ground.

Curb stop: The water service shut-off valve at the street line, usually operated only by the municipality.

Cutoff valves: Valves used to shut off the water supply to plumbing fixtures to allow repair. They are generally located under sinks or behind bathtub and shower access panels and cut-off the hot and/or cold water supply to the tap without cutting off all water throughout the house. (Also shut-off valves)

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D

Damper: An hinged plate that regulates the flow of air inside the flue of a furnace or fireplace.

Disposer: A device that grinds food sufficiently to enter drains for disposal without clogging. (Also Garburator or Garbage Disposal Unit)

Dormer: A converted attic with windows projecting through a sloping roof.

Double hung window: A window with sashes (glazing in frames) that slide vertically and allow opening from the top and bottom.

Drywall: A gypsum board material used for walls or ceilings.

Ductwork: A system of distribution channels used to transmit heated or cooled air from a central system (HVAC) throughout a home.

E

Eaves: The section of the roof that overhangs the walls of a house.

Electrical service The lines bringing power into the house, often strung above ground in older neighbourhoods. Unless updated, they may be of insufficient capacity for modern life-styles.

Exhaust fan: Extracts air, odours, or excess heat from the interior of a home.

F

Flashing: Sheet metal, asphalt fibre board, or other impermeable membrane used at wall and roof junctions and around chimneys to prevent water entry.

Flue: An enclosed duct in a fireplace that directs flames, smoke and other gases to the outside air.

Footings: Wide strips of concrete set in the soil (foundation bed) to support the foundation walls of the house.

Forced air furnace: A heating unit that generates heat from combustion of fuel, transfers it to the house air in a heat exchanger, and circulates heat throughout the ducts of a house.

Foundation: The part of the structure upon which all other construction is built, usually comprised of the footings and foundation (basement) walls, but may be a slab on grade.

Fuse box: A metal box that contains the fuses that regulate the maximum electric current (amperage) that can flow in any of the wiring circuits in a house.

G

Garburator OR Garbage disposal unit A device that grinds food sufficiently small to be disposed of in waste drains without clogging them.

Ground-Fault Interrupter (GFI): A safety device that interrupts surges of electricity in appliances and other electrical components found in a home.

Gutter/Downspout: Channels, made of various materials including plastic and copper, installed at the roof eaves to direct water away from the foundation of a home through downspouts.

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H

Hearth: The fireproof floor surface surrounding a fireplace, usually about 40 cm (16 inches) wide.

Heat exchanger: A device in a furnace used to transfer heat from combustion gases to house air.

Heat pump: A reverse cycle refrigeration unit that both heats and cools.

Heat recovery ventilator (HRV)(or ventilation system) A system that provides for recovery of heat from ventilation air as it is exchanged with outside air.

Hose bib: The tap to which a hose may be connected, usually outside the house.

Hot water heating system: This system heats water to very high temperature in a water heater, and a circulator pumps it through a system of pipes.

HVAC: Heating, ventilating and air conditioning system.

I

Insulation: Material used to resist the loss of heat energy. Materials such as fibre glass, mineral wool, cellulose and foam are placed in the walls, ceilings, basements and crawl spaces. Insulation may be blown, foamed in place, or installed in batt or sheet sections.

J

Joists: Horizontal timbers, beams or bars supporting a floor.

L

Lathing: Strips of wood or other material used as a base for the installation of plaster.

Lead: A material used in pipes and paint of many older homes. We now know that lead is hazardous to health.

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M

Masonry: Construction using materials such as tile, brick, cement, stone or similar materials.

Member: Wood (such as 2 X 4 strips of lumber cut to various lengths) or steel elements that make up the framing and foundation of a structure .

Mortar: A bonding material used in the construction of brick or stone structures.

Moulding: Strips of wood or the material used to cover joints between floors and walls, and walls and ceilings.

P

Parapet wall: A low wall or railing along the edge of a roof, balcony, or terrace constructed for protection and safety at the edge, or to control water resulting from rain or artificial flooding.

Parquet floors: A floor that is laid in rectangular or square patterns often made of pre-finished wood or wood veneer squares.

Pointing: The removal of deteriorated mortar between bricks and replacement with new mortar.

Polybutylene: Material used for interior water piping and for the main waterline to the street. Problems with this pipe have curtailed its use.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC): Water piping used for interior piping and the main waterline to the street.

Professional inspection: An inspection performed by a specially trained inspector to provide a comprehensive report on the condition of a house. This report is usually written and may be used in home sale negotiations.

R

R-Value: A measurement of the ability of insulation to slow the transfer of heat or cold. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulation power.

Radiant heating system: An electrical heating system that distributes heat through cables installed usually in baseboard panels.

Radon: A colourless, odourless gas that is emitted from soils, rocks and water in certain areas of the country as a result of radioactive decay . Radon is known to cause cancer. Homes in these areas should be tested for radon.

Rafter: The structural member or beam that supports the roof. It spans from the exterior wall to the ridge board of the peak of the roof.

Registers: Openings in the floor through which heated or cooled air is circulated, having an operable flap to control the air flow.

Retaining wall: A vertical structure used to restrict the movement of soil or water.

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S

Sash: Framework that holds the glass in a window or a door, may be made of wood, vinyl or metal.

Settling: The lowering of elevation of a house or pavement due to compaction of the supporting soil caused by weight or shrinkage.

Shingles: Sheets of waterproof material used to cover the roofs of homes and other surfaces most often of asphalt impregnated fibres.

Shut-off valves: Valves used to shut off the water supply to plumbing fixtures to allow repair. They are generally located under sinks or behind bathtub and shower access panels and cut-off the hot and/or cold water supply to the tap without cutting off all water throughout the house. (Also cut-off valves)

siding: Finish material such as wood, vinyl and aluminium used on outside walls.

Sill: The lowest piece, upon which a window or exterior door rests, usually slanted slightly downwards and outwards to provide for rain water runoff.

Slab: A concrete foundation or floor of a home. Houses built on a slab on grade usually do not have basements.

Soffit: The underside part of a roof that extends beyond the outside walls of a structure.

Solar heat: Heat created from the gathering of solar energy from the sun. It can be passive or active. A passive system takes advantage of winter sunlight through windows on the south side of a home. An active system heats through the collection of solar energy through solar collectors.

Sump pump: An electric pump, usually installed in a sump in the basement, to prevent water from entering the basement area. It empties water from the sump where it is collected and pumps it to the outside of a home.

T

Thermostat: A device used to control temperatures within the home. Thermostats automatically turn heating or air conditioning on or off as necessary to maintain a desired temperature.

Threshold: A strip of metal, wood, marble or other material placed at the base of a door.

U

Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation (UFFI): A type of foamed-in-place insulation that released formaldehyde gas. It was used extensively to retro-insulate many homes under the CHIP program.

W

Weather-stripping: A sealing strip made of various materials used to reduce the escape of heat or air conditioning from a home. It is usually installed around windows and doors.

Window well: The open space extending below grade that provides light through a basement window.

Z

Zone: A system that allows different temperatures in various parts of a structure.

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