Term
Definition
- Bead 1 like
- Narrow line of weld metal or sealant
- Metal or wood strip that secures a sheet of glass
- Metal edge or corner accessory for plaster or gypsum board
- Narrow, convex molding profile
- Bead Weld 1 like
- Weld type with one or more string or weave beads on an unbroken surface; the metal added in welding
- Bead, Molding 1 like
- Half-round narrow molding attached on a larger piece
- Square or rectangular trim less than 1 inch in width
- Bead, Parting 1 like
- Narrow strip between the upper and lower sashes in a double-hung window frame
- Bead, Plaster 0 likes
- Built-in edging usually metal to reinforce a plaster angle
- Bead, Sash 0 likes
- Strip with an edge molded against where a sash slides
- Beam 0 likes
- Straight structural part that mainly resists transverse loads; a term for joists, girders, rafters, and purlins
- Beam Bolster 0 likes
- A fabricated wire device used to temporarily buoy reinforcing steel in structural formwork like beams and slabs
- Beam Chair 0 likes
- A wire seat or support for reinforcing bars that secures them while concrete for a beam is poured around them
- Beam Clamp 1 like
- A device which holds a horizontal structural part to a vertical part
- Beam Compass1 like
- Drafting tool made of wood or a metal bar fitted with a point and a movable pen or pencil holder to use in drawing large radius arcs and circles; a Trammel
- Beam Hanger1 like
- A strap wire or other device to hang beam forms from another structural part
- A steel strap used for supporting the end of a beam
- Beam, Bond 0 likes
- Reinforced horizontal concrete masonry or concrete beam mounted in place to strengthen a masonry wall and keep a masonry wall together
- Beam, Concrete 0 likes
- Horizontal structural part which transversely supports a load and transfers the load to vertical parts made of a composite material of sand, coarse aggregate, cement and water
- Beam, Grade 0 likes
- End-supported horizontal load-bearing foundation part that supports an exterior wall or other building load
- Beam, Precast 0 likes
- Concrete horizontal structural part that is cast and cured somewhere other than its final place, on- or off-site
- Beam, Reinforcing 0 likes
- Horizontal part installed to reinforce and support the load of a structure
- Beam, Sheetrock 0 likes
- Horizontal part made of plasterboard
- Bearding 0 likes
- In carpeting, long fiber fuzz on some loop pile fabrics, caused by fibers snagging and loosening due to a lack of anchorage
- Bearing Capacity 0 likes
- Maximum allowable load on a structural element
- Bearing Header 0 likes
- A beam at right angle to joists and to which joists are nailed in framing for a chimney, stairway, or other opening
- A wooden lintel
- Horizontal structural part over an opening
- Beating Block 0 likes
- Wooden block to embed tiles in a flat plane; the method is called beating in
- Bed 0 likes
- The horizontal surface on which the bricks of a wall rest, and the mortar on which the brick rests
- See Bed Mold
- Bed Joint 0 likes
- Horizontal layer of mortar in which a masonry unit is set
- Bedding 0 likes
- A filling of mortar, putty, or other substance in order to secure a firm bearing
- Ground or supports in which pipe is laid
- Bedding Coat 0 likes
- In gypsum board, the first coat of joint compound over tape, bead, and fastener heads; also called Bed Coat
- Coat of plaster to receive aggregate or other decorative material, impinged or embedded into its surface before it sets
- Bedding Plane 0 likes
- Separation or weakness between two layers of rock created by changes during the building up of the rock–forming material
- Bell 0 likes
- Portion of a pipe which, for a short distance, is large enough to receive the end of another pipe of the same diameter to make a joint; also called Bell End or Hub
- Bellows1 like
- An instrument or machine that draws in air through a valve or orifice by expansion and contraction and expels it through a tube
- Bellows Copper 0 likes
- Flexible joint in copper piping that can expand or contract to allow for thermal fluctuations
- Bellows Seal 0 likes
- Way of sealing the valve stem
- Belt Course 0 likes
- Course of bricks or other material projecting slightly from the face of the wall
- Horizontal board across or around a building, usually made of a flat part and a molding
- Horizontal course on the face of a building
- Belt Marks 0 likes
- Surface defect in gypsum board made by the machines forming belt during manufacture
- Belt Sander1 like
- Electric sanding tool where the sand paper abrasive is a continuous belt
- Bench1 like
- Long seat for several people.
- Working table or counter for a carpenter, artisan, or scientist
- Bench Grinder1 like
- A type of benchtop grinding machine that drives abrasive wheels.
- Bench Mark 0 likes
- An elevation point used as a reference in determining and recording other elevations
- Bench Saw1 like
- Power saw held securely on a stationary bench
- Bend, Soil 0 likes
- Piece of short curved pipe like an elbow connecting two straight links of pipe in a sewage system
- Bending Moment 0 likes
- The moment when a beam or other structural part bends
- Bending Spring 0 likes
- Coil spring on inside or outside of tubing to stop it collapsing while bending it
- Bending Stress 0 likes
- Compressive or tensile stress caused by the applying non-axial force to a structural part
- Beneficiary 0 likes
- The person designated to receive the proceeds of an insurance policy
- Lender for a trust deed
- Bent Bar1 like
- Steel reinforcing bar bent to a specific shape such as a truss bar, straight bar with hook, stirrup, or column tie
- Bentonite 0 likes
- Clay composed mainly of minerals, characterized by high absorption and very large volume change with wetting or drying, swelling to several times its volume when saturated with liquid
- Bentonite Membrane 0 likes
- A thin, pliable sheet or layer made from bentonite; used for waterproofing retaining walls
- Benzene1 like
- Highly flammable petroleum product used by painters as thinning solvent and diluent; also used in dyeing and as a cleansing agent
- Berm 0 likes
- Small artificial ridge of soil at the top of an earth bank to stop water drainage onto the bank
- Beryllium Oxide 0 likes
- Material of extremely high thermal conductivity which is toxic in the powder form
- Bevel 0 likes
- A slanted surface; an end or edge cut at an angle other than a right angle
- A type of edge preparation on metal for welding
- Bevel Board 0 likes
- Board used in framing roof or stairway to lay out bevels; also called Pitch Board
- Bevel Gears0 likes
- Meshing gears on intersecting axes
- Beveled Concrete 0 likes
- Angle in concrete or inclination of any line in concrete or concrete surface that joins another
- Bezel 0 likes
- Sloping surface on a cutting tool, as on a chisel
- Frame around a glazed opening or a built-in appliance
- BHMA Hinge 0 likes
- Hinge that has the seal of approval of the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association
- Bi-Fold Door1 like
- A door with two leaves, hinged together to close on itself
- Bid 0 likes
- A formal offer by a contractor based on the specifications for a project to do all or part of the work at a certain price in accordance with the terms and conditions stated in the offer; an offer or proposal of a price or the amount offered or proposed
- Bid Bond 0 likes
- Issued by a surety on behalf of a contractor, a bid bond provides assurance to the recipient of the contractor‘s bid that if the bid is accepted, the contractor will execute a contract and provide a performance bond; the surety must pay the recipient of the bid the difference between the contractor‘s bid and the bid of the next lowest responsible bidder if the bid is accepted and the contractor doesn’t execute a contract or provide a performance bond
- Bid Date/Time 0 likes
- The final date and time set by the owner, architect, etc. or for receiving bids
- Bid Form 0 likes
- Standard written form provided to bidders in order to obtain the requested information and signatures from the bidding parties
- Bid Opening 0 likes
- Process of opening and tabulating bids received within the designated bid date and time and conforming with the bid procedures
- Bid Package 0 likes
- Documents provided to general contractors who are bidding for a construction project consisting of the bidding requirements and the contract documents; also called the Bidding Documents
- Bid Rigging 0 likes
- Collusion in a fraudulent practice with secret agreements among competing contractors, owners or agents to control the outcome of a bid
- Bid Security 0 likes
- Funds or a bid bond received with a bid as a guarantee to the recipient that the contractor, if awarded the contract, will execute the contract based on the bidding requirements of the contract documents
- Bid Shopper 0 likes
- Buyer who attempts to play a potential supplier or subcontractor against another in order to obtain a lower purchase price; a method by which contractors try to secure lower prices from potential subcontractors and material suppliers than the contractors’ original estimates or after a contract is awarded, attempt to induce subcontractors to lower the subcontract price in the bid
- Bid Shopping 0 likes
- Unethical procedure where a general contractor contacts subcontractors in order to receive lower subcontractor prices after having been awarded the contract for the project
- Bid Tabulation 0 likes
- Summary sheet listing all bid prices in order to analyze the bid results. Bid tabulations include the specified items of the request to bid, bid amount, completion date and time, addenda, contract exclusions, bonding rate, and other criteria
- Bid Time 0 likes
- Date and time defined by the architect and owner to receive bid proposals; also called Bid Date
- Bidding Documents 0 likes
- Published advertisement or written request to bid, bidders instructions, bid form and the proposed contract documents with addenda provided before submission of bids
- Bidding Period 0 likes
- Time period allowed from issuing of bidding requirements and contract documents to the defined bid date/time
- Bidding Requirements 0 likes
- Procedures and conditions to submit a bid; the written minimum acceptable requirements are provided in documents by the owner during bidding process; the owner generally reserves the right to reject a bid if the requirements are not met; See Bidding Documents
- Bidet1 like
- A plumbing fixture, the size and shape of a toilet, with cold and hot running water, installed in the bath room
- Bifold Door 1 like
- Door hinged in the middle that opens in a smaller area than standard swing doors, most often used for closet doors
- Bifunctional 0 likes
- Having two functions
- Bimetallic Strip 0 likes
- A strip consisting of two metals that bends as the temperature changes; a bimetallic strip of iron and brass, when heated will bend and straightened on cooling; often used to open or close a switch
- Bin Method 0 likes
- Way to compute cooling energy use requirements for commercial and industrial buildings and for homes using passive heating and cooling design with high mass thermal storage
- Bin, Ice Storage1 like
- Container for storing ice and keeping it in a solid state
- Binder 0 likes
- Substance that performs cohesively
- Fines that hold dry gravel together
- Chemical additive to gypsum board core formulation, often starch, to improve the bond
- Nonvolatile part of a paint that binds or cements the pigment particles together; eg. oils, varnishes and proteins
- Receipt of deposit to secure the right to purchase a home at agreed upon terms by a buyer and seller
- Biodegradability 0 likes
- Ability of a material to rot after use as a result of microorganisms
- Biological Contaminants 0 likes
- Agents from living organisms such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and antigens that can be inhaled and cause health issues including allergies, respiratory disorders, and infections; also known as microbiologicals or microbials
- Bipass Doors 0 likes
- Doors that slide by each other and often used as closet doors
- BIPV 0 likes
- Building Integrated Photovoltaic Cell
- Birch Door1 like
- Door made or faced with a strong fine-grained birch hardwood
- Birch Paneling 0 likes
- Rectangular sheets of paneling made with a strong fine-grained birch hardwood
- Birch Veneer 0 likes
- Thin sheets of strong fine-grained hardwood used in furniture, flooring, and paneling
- Bird Peck 0 likes
- Small hole or patch of distorted grain in wood caused by birds pecking through the growing cells in the tree
- Birdbath 0 likes
- Hollow round depression in asphaltic concrete paving or in portland cement concrete flatwork s
- Birdcage 0 likes
- End of a stair rail where the banisters are curved in a spiral to create a newel post
- Birds-Eye 0 likes
- Small area in wood where the fibers are indented and contorted to form small circular or elliptical figures that look like birds eyes; often seen in sugar maple and used for decorative purposes
- Birdscreen1 like
- Wire screening connected to louvers, ventilators and openings to stop entry by birds and small animals
- Biscuit Chips 0 likes
- Glazed-over chips on the edge or corner of the tile body
- Bit 0 likes
- Projecting blade of a key cut to actuate the lock tumblers
- Removable cutting edge of a drill, known as a drill bit
- Replaceable tip or portion that sits in the slotted screw head of a screw gun
- Bitumen 0 likes
- Type of black or dark-colored solid, semisolid, or viscous cementitious substances; bitumens are heated to a liquid state, dissolved with a solvent, or emulsified before use
- Bituminous 0 likes
- Looking like, composed of, or impregnated with hydrocarbon mixtures like tar or asphalt, along with their nonmetallic derivatives
- Bituminous Dampproofing 0 likes
- Impregnated mixture used on a surface to stop moisture from getting through; dampproofing does not generally resist water under hydrostatic pressure; see Dampproofing
- Bituminous Emulsion 0 likes
- Suspension of tiny globules of bituminous material in water or in a water solution; suspension of tiny globules of water or an aqueous solution in a liquid bituminous material
- Bituminous Grout 0 likes
- Bituminous material and fine sand mix that flows into position naturally when heated
- Bituminous Membrane 0 likes
- Thin layer or sheet of an impregnated mixture used as damp proofing

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
Our newsletter is packed with huge discounts and construction tips from experts. Be one of the first to have them delivered to your inbox.
Dig Deep Into Construction Resources
AB - AF,
AG - AT,
B - BA,
BE - BI,
BL - BM,
BO,
BR,
BS - BY,
C - CA,
CB - CH,
CI - CO,
CP - CT,
CU - CY,
D - DE,
DF - DM,
DO,
DR - DY,
E - EL,
EM - EQ,
ER - EY,
FA - FH,
FI,
FL,
FM - FU,
GA - GL,
GM - GR,
GS - GY,
HA - HI,
HO - HY,
I - IM,
IN - IR,
J - JU,
K - KY,
LA - LAL,
LAM - LAN,
LAP - LU,
MA,
MB - ME,
MF - MI,
ML - MO,
MP - MY,
NA,
NB - NH,
NI - NY,
OA - OL,
ON - OR,
OS - OZ,
P - PA,
PC - PE,
PH - PIN,
PIP - PLI,
PL,
PM - PO,
PP - PR,
PS - PZ,
Q,
RA,
RB - RE,
RF - RI,
RM - RO,
RP,
S - SC,
SD - SE,
SG - SI,
SK - SO,
SP - SS,
ST - STO,
STR - SY,
T - TC,
TE - TH,
TI - TM,
TO,
TP - TY,
U,
V - VG,
VI - VU,
W - WA,
WC - WY,
X,
Y,
Z