Term
Definition
- Fiber 0 likes
- Long, thin, tapering wood cell, closed at both ends, in wood; also called a Tracheid
- Additive such as cellulosic or glass fiber improving core flexibility and gypsum board integrity
- Animal hair, manila, or glass fibers of suitable length included in plaster mortar to improve cohesiveness
- Fiber Saturation Point 0 likes
- Condition when the cell walls are saturated and cell cavities have no water during drying or wetting of wood; usually 23-30 percent moisture content, based on oven dry weight
- Fiberboard1 like
- A prefabricated sheet of compressed plant or wood fibers; bonding agents and other materials are sometimes added to enhance strength, moisture resistance, fire, decay, or another characteristic; also called Insulation Board
- Fiberboard Insulation 0 likes
- Insulation sheets made of cane or wood fibers
- Fiberboard Panel 0 likes
- Flat sheet wood material reduced to fibers and bonded to yield a specific density
- Fiberboard Sheathing 0 likes
- Outdoor sheathing produced from cane or wood fibers
- Fiberboard Wall Sheathing 0 likes
- Flat sheet of fiberboard fastened to the external side of exterior wall studs, employed for enhancing rigidity in the building structure and as a base for veneer or siding construction
- Fiberglass1 like
- Glass in fibrous form employed in manufacturing textiles, thermal and acoustical insulation, and reinforcing plastics
- Products containing glass fibers ranging from 5 – 600 hundred-thousandths of an inch in diameter
- Fiberglass Insulation1 like
- Insulation produced from glass fibers with the consistency of wool
- Fiberglass Reinforced Pipe1 like
- A pipe for gas or liquid, manufactured from glass fibers and resins to reinforce durability and add strength
- Fiberglass Tank1 like
- Sizeable fiberglass-reinforced plastic container employed for storing liquids
- Fibrous Concrete 0 likes
- Light concrete made from a fibrous aggregate for enhanced tensile strength and ease of nailing.
- Fiddleback-Grained Woods 0 likes
- Wood grain figure produced by a fine wavy grain commonly found in species of maple; traditionally employed in the back of violins
- Fiduciary Relationship 0 likes
- A relationship where trust and confidence exist between the principal and agent
- Field 0 likes
- Construction site; not including offices, factories, or work shops
- Expanse or area of wall between corners and openings, composed mainly of stretcher units in brick masonry
- Surface area of a piece of gypsum board
- Field Engineer 0 likes
- An engineer working mainly at the jobsite; usually representing the owner and often making minor engineering decisions at the site to expedite construction
- Field House 0 likes
- Building where athletic activities take place
- Field Measure 0 likes
- To take measurements or articles in the home instead of using the blueprints
- Field Order 0 likes
- A written order that entails a minor change in the work to be performed; not involving any alteration in the contract sum or lengthening of the contract period
- Field Painting 0 likes
- Painting at the job site
- Field Primed 0 likes
- The first coat of paint utilized on a construction site
- Field Report 0 likes
- See Daily Construction Report
- Field Welded Truss 0 likes
- A truss welded and manufactured at a job site
- Field Work Order 0 likes
- A written request to a subcontractor or vendor requesting services or materials, generally from the general contractor
- Fiery Finish 0 likes
- Wood finish such that the hard grain stands out; created with a blowtorch and a bristled brush
- Fifty-Fifty 0 likes
- Dry or damp equal parts portland cement and extra-fine sand mixture employed to fill the joints of mounted ceramic mosaic tiles to ensure they are evenly spaced during installation
- Figure 0 likes
- Pattern created in a wood surface by annual growth rings, rays, knots, uneven coloration, or divergences from the standard grain
- Filament1 like
- Conducting wire with a high melting point in an electric bulb that becomes luminous with the passage of an electric current
- File 0 likes
- A scraping device that removes burrs and rough edges, and shapes wood and metal objects
- Filigree1 like
- Decorative, delicate openwork made from thin twisted wire in silver, gold, or another metal
- Fill 0 likes
- An earth or broken rock structure or embankment
- Soil without value except as bulk
- Sand, gravel or other loose earth employed to raise the ground level around an existing structure
- Fill, Gypsum 0 likes
- Troweled on plaster material to level depressions
- Filler Block 0 likes
- Concrete masonry unit employed with concrete joists for concrete floor or roof production
- Filler Metal 0 likes
- The metal included in producing a welded, brazed, or soldered joint
-
Filler, Joint1 like
- See Joint Filler
- Fillet Weld 0 likes
- A weld at the inner intersection of two metal surfaces meeting at right angles in a lap joint, tee joint, or corner joint
- Filling 0 likes
- Cotton, jute, kraftcord or other yarns running across the fabric and employed with chain yarns to bind pile tufts to backing yarns in carpet making; see Weft
- Filling In 0 likes
- Laying brick or other masonry units between the face and the back of a wall, in the center
- Film Build 0 likes
- Dry thickness properties of a coat of paint
- Film Former 0 likes
- Substance forming skin or membrane when dried
- Film Integrity 0 likes
- The degree of continuity of film in paint
- Film Thickness Gauge 0 likes
- Device that measures film thickness above substrates in painting; available as dry or wet film thickness gauges
- Filter1 like
- Strainer; purifier; sieve
- Air cleaning device accessory to remove visible particles, microscopic particles, bacteria, or odors
- Apparatus for removing suspended particles from pool water
- Filter Aid 0 likes
- A powdery substance employed in coating a septum-type filter; also alum to support sand filtration
- Filter Block 0 likes
- Hollow, vitrified clay masonry item, occasionally salt-glazed for trickling filter floors in sewage disposal plants
- Filter Glass1 like
- Glass, often colored, employed in goggles, helmets, and hand shields to prevent detrimental light rays
- Filter Media 0 likes
- Fine grained material that traps suspended materials as they pass through it
- Filter Rate 0 likes
- Rate of water flow through a filter during filtering in gallons per minute per square foot of effective filter area
- Filter Rock 0 likes
- Graded, round rock, or gravel that doesn’t deteriorate when exposed to pool chemicals to enhance filter media
- Filter Run 0 likes
- See Filter Cycle
- Filter Sand1 like
- Pool filter media consisting of hard sharp silica, quartz, or similar particles with suitable size and uniformity grading
- Filter Septum 0 likes
- Filter component where diatomaceous earth or similar filter media is left
- Filter Waste Discharge Piping 0 likes
- Piping conducting waste water from a filter to a drainage system; drainage system is connected via an air gap and various approved methods
- Filtration 0 likes
- Separating solid particles from a liquid; after passing through a filter, the filtrate is separate from the residue
- Final Acceptance 0 likes
- Owner accepts the contractor’s work as complete in accordance with the contract requirements; final acceptance is confirmed by the owner with the final payment to the contractor
- Final Inspection 0 likes
- Final site review by the contractor, owner or an authorized representative before issuing the final request for payment
- Final Payment 0 likes
- Last payment of the unpaid balance of the contract amount by the owner to the contractor, may be adjusted by approved change orders; See Final Acceptance
- Financial Analysis 0 likes
- Analysis includes comparison of current financial data with prior years, comparison of current financial data to the data of other businesses in the same industry, and ratio analysis
- Financial Leverage 0 likes
- Employing borrowed money to enhance the return on the owner’s investment
- Financial Statement 0 likes
- A balance sheet, income and expense statement, or other presentation of financial data
- Fine Mineral Surfacing 0 likes
- A water insoluble material, where more than 50 percent passes through a No. 35 sieve; may be employed on the surface of roofing material
- Fine Textured Wood 0 likes
- Wood with small, tightly packed pores
- Fine-Graded Aggregate 0 likes
- Aggregate with continuous grading in particle size from rough to fine particles, mostly fine
- Fineness Modulus 0 likes
- An abstract number employed to compare particles or gradations of aggregate; determined by adding the cumulative percentages on six standard screens and dividing the sum by 100
- Fineness of Grind 0 likes
- Particle size or coarseness of liquid paint measure; amount of pigment dispersal in the binder
- Finger joint 0 likes
- Interlocking two short wood pieces to manufacture a longer piece of dimensional lumber or molding; commonly employed in jambs and casings and usually painted (not stained)
- Finish 0 likes
- Wood products employed in joinery and other fine work to complete a structure, particularly the interior
- Adding stains, filler, or other materials to protect, preserve and beautify a wood surface.
- Finish Carpentry 0 likes
- Installing wood finish and materials such as moldings, doors, and window trim to a structure
- Finish Coat 0 likes
- Final layer of any finishing material
- Finish Coat Floating 0 likes
- Bringing the aggregate to the surface to yield a uniform texture in plastering
- Finish Date 0 likes
- The date that an activity or project is finally complete
- Finish Grade 0 likes
- The final earth grade needed to meet the specifications
- Finish Paving 0 likes
- Finish coats of asphalt, concrete, or coated macadam on sidewalks, streets, and parking lots
- Finish Plaster 0 likes
- Final layer of plaster coating
- Finish Shotcrete 0 likes
- Final coat of air-blown mortar
- Finishing Brushes 0 likes
- Brushes that apply water to a smooth lime finish coat during final troweling in plastering
- Finishing Tools1 like
- Knives, trowels and other special equipment needed to finish gypsum board joints
- Fink Truss 0 likes
- A three-triangle symmetrical truss, usually employed to support large sloping roofs
- Fir Decking 0 likes
- 2 inch or thicker softwood sheathing material for floors and decks
- Fir Siding 0 likes
- External wall covering boards made from softwood.
- Fire Alarm1 like
- A warning device activated to warn of fire threat
- Fire Alarm Cable 0 likes
- Specific electrical system cable carrying electric current to a warning bell, horn or light
- Fire Block 0 likes
- Short horizontal parts nailed between studs, commonly around halfway up a wall; see Fire Stop
- Fire Blocking 0 likes
- Intermittent solid cross-framing inhibiting the spread of flame within the framing cavity
- Fire Brick 0 likes
- Refractory ceramic brick that resists high temperatures, employed in a fireplace and boiler
- Fire Clay 0 likes
- Stony or earthy mineral aggregate in commercial refractory products that can withstand immense heat employed for fire brick; also employed as mortar for laying fire brick
- Fire Damper 0 likes
- Damper that automatically shuts an opening or duct when fire is detected
- Fire Detection Annunciator 0 likes
- Mechanical device announcing a warning audibly to alert a fire
- Fire Division Wall 0 likes
- Any wall subdividing a building to resist the spread of fire
- Fire Endurance 0 likes
- Assembly’s ability to meet certain fire test criteria
- Fire Escape 0 likes
- Continuous and unobstructed escape route from a structure in case of fire, usually exterior with stairs, ladders, and landings
- Fire Extinguisher1 like
- A small, portable device that ejects chemicals to extinguish fires
- Fire Hydrant 0 likes
- A discharge device with a valve and spout which can draw water from the mains of waterworks; employed mostly in fighting fires, also employed to service water mains and systems; also known as a Fire Plug
- Fire Lines 0 likes
- Complete wet standpipe system of buildings that includes the water service, roof manifold, standpipe, Siamese connections, and pumps
- Fire Rated Brick 0 likes
- Brick tested for fire resistance and graded for specific construction operations
- Fire Rated Door 0 likes
- A door rated by how long it can withstand fire before failing
- Fire Rated Frame 0 likes
- A door frame rated by how long it can withstand fire before failing
- Fire Rated Panel 0 likes
- A panel rated by how long it can withstand fire before failing
- Fire Resistance 0 likes
- Ability of an assembly to maintain structural stability and prevent the transmission of heat for a specific time period
- Fire Resistance Rating 0 likes
- The time, in hours or increments of an hour that an assembly can resist exposure to fire
- Fire Resistant 0 likes
- Incombustible or slow to experience fire damage; creating a barrier to fire transmission
- Fire Resistant Sheetrock 0 likes
- Sheetrock produced with fire-resistant chemicals
- Fire Retardant1 like
- A chemical treatment reducing the flammability of the treated material and inhibits the spread of fire
- Fire Retardant Chemical 0 likes
- A chemical preparation that diminishes combustion or inhibits the spread of flames
- Fire Retardant Paint 0 likes
- Paint containing material that inhibits combustion of flammable material, or prevents material from supporting flame
- Fire Retardant Roof 0 likes
- Roofing material with fire retardant chemicals
- Fire Retardant Treated Lumber 0 likes
- Lumber treated to inhibit combustion
- Fire Retardant Treated Plywood 0 likes
- Plywood treated to slow combustion
- Fire Separation Wall 0 likes
- Specified wall under the building code that divides two sections of a building to deter the spread of fire; a fire wall
- Fire Sprinkler Detector 0 likes
- A water pressure actuated switch signaling when a sprinkler head has been triggered
- Fire Sprinkler Head 0 likes
- The water spray part of a fire sprinkling system
- Fire Sprinkler System 0 likes
- Arrangement of water pipes that sprays water through spaced heads triggered by heightened temperature
- Fire Standpipe 0 likes
- Lines and connections in buildings providing water sources for fire fighting
- Fire Station 0 likes
- A building that accommodates fire-fighting vehicles as well as fire fighters
- Fire Stop 0 likes
- Material or member sealing open construction to prevent the spread of fire
- Projection of brickwork from walls between joists to stop fire from moving between the plaster and the brick wall
- A solid, tight closure of a hidden space to stop the spread of fire and smoke through the space; retarding the spread of fire and smoke in the walls and ceiling behind the drywall; packing wire holes in the top and bottom plates with insulation, and mounting wooden blocks between the wall studs at the drop soffit line; necessary to pass a Rough Frame inspection; see Fire Block
- Fire Stopping 0 likes
- Sealing of adjacent framing cavities or areas to inhibit rapid spread of fire and smoke; see Fire Blocking
- Fire Tapping 0 likes
- Taping of gypsumboard joints without additional finishing coats, employed in attic, plenum or mechanical areas where beautification is un necessary
- Fire-Resistive or Fire Rated 0 likes
- Incombustible materials in ordinary fires and will withstand these fires for at least one hour; Drywall employed in garage and party walls are fire rated, 5/8 inch, Type X
- Fire-Retardant Chemical 0 likes
- Chemicals employed to lower the flammability of a material or inhibit the spread of flame
- Firebrick 0 likes
- Brick resistant to high temperatures and chemical disintegration, employed as lining for furnaces, fireboxes, and chimneys
- Firecut 0 likes
- A sloping end cut on a wood beam or joist where it enters a masonry wall, enabling the wood part to rotate out of the wall without pulling it apart if the floor or roof burns during a fire
- Fireplace1 like
- A masonry chamber in a building structure that enables an open fire; a flue to allow smoke and fumes to escape
- Fireplace Chase Flashing Pan 0 likes
- A large sheet of metal mounted around and at right angles to the fireplace flue pipe confining the spread of fire and smoke to a small area
- Fireproof Vault 0 likes
- An enclosure or room intended for the storing of valuables, and has been constructed to withstand fire and heat.
- Fireproofing 0 likes
- Application of material to a building element insulating it against excessive temperatures in the event of fire
- Firing 0 likes
- Controlled heat treatment of ceramics in a kiln or furnace to develop specific properties
- Firing Range 0 likes
- The range of firing temperature where a ceramic develops commercially useful properties
- A practicing environment for shooting weapons
- First Aid Kit1 like
- Container of non-prescription medical supplies for emergency use
- Fiscal Year 0 likes
- Financial year; a 12-month accounting period
- Fish Eyes 0 likes
- A term for small flaws sometimes found in lime finish coats; approximately ¼ inch in diameter, due to lumpy lime
- Fish Oil 0 likes
- The only animal oil employed in paint; obtained from fish such as sardine, menhaden, and pilchard
- Fish Tape1 like
- A long steel tape employed by electricians to push through an electrical conduit and retrieve conductors
- Fished 0 likes
- Installation of electrical wiring in inaccessible hollow spaces in buildings with minimum damage to the building’s finish
- Fished Joint 0 likes
- An end butt splice reinforced by pieces nailed on the sides
- Fishplate or Gusset 0 likes
- A wood or plywood piece employed to fasten the ends of two parts at a butt joint with nails or bolts; also called a Gang Nail Plate
- Fitting 0 likes
- A device that connects pipes
- An accessory that performs a mechanical rather than an electrical function
- Fitting Gain 0 likes
- The space a pipe requires inside a fitting
- Fixative 0 likes
- A protective coating applied to drawings in media such as crayons, pastel, charcoal, and pencil, usually by spraying, to stop the designs from being erased
- Fixed 0 likes
- Fastened or made immovable by nails, screws, bolts, conduit, piping systems, or other means
- Fixed Assets 0 likes
- Assets of some permanent nature and useful for more than a year, such as fixtures, equipment, real estate, and vehicles
- Fixed Displacement Pump 0 likes
- A pump of which the displacement per cycle remains constant
- Fixed Door 0 likes
- The door of a pair that is kept closed
- Fixed End Beam 0 likes
- A beam fixed on a support that stops its rotating
- Fixed Fee 0 likes
- Set contract sum for labor, materials, equipment and services; includes contractors’ overhead and profit for the accomplishment of a specific scope of work
- Fixed Liabilities 0 likes
- Liabilities for more than a one year period, such as mortgage, vehicle, and equipment payments
- Fixed Limit of Construction Costs 0 likes
- Construction cost ceiling set between the owner and architect or engineer for the design of a specific project; See Budget
- Fixed Price Contract 0 likes
- A contract with a specific set price for the work involved; See Time and Materials Contract
- Fixed Rate 0 likes
- A loan where initial payments are based on a set interest rate for a stated period; the rate does not change during this period even if there are changes in the lender’s standard variable rate
- Fixed Rate Mortgage 0 likes
- A mortgage with an interest rate that does not change over time
- Fixed Window 0 likes
- Sash or glass that is mounted in a wall and cannot be moved
- Fixture Branch 0 likes
- A pipe connecting a water supply with some fixtures
- Fixture Carrier 0 likes
- A mounting frame installed in a wall for the purpose of supporting a plumbing fixture
- Fixture Drain 0 likes
- The drain pipe from a fixture’s trap to where it joins with another drain pipe
- Fixture Unit 0 likes
- Design factor that ascertains the load-producing value from a given fixture to ensure the drainage piping is big enough to convey the liquids and wastes; the unit flow rate from fixtures is assumed to be one cubic foot or 7.5 gallons of liquid per minute; fixtures are graded as multiples of this unit of flow
- Fixture, Lighting 0 likes
- See Lighting Fixture

Plastic Skylight
A plastic molded window, either translucent or transparent, secured in a frame and installed in the ceiling of a room
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