Padding |
A material installed under carpet
to add foot comfort, isolate sound, and to prolong carpet life. |
Pad out,
pack out |
To shim out or add strips of wood to a wall or
ceiling in order that the finished ceiling/wall will appear
correct. |
Paint |
A combination of pigments with suitable thinners
or oils to provide decorative and protective coatings. Can be
oil based or latex water based. |
Pallets |
Wooden platforms used for storing and shipping
material. Forklifts and hand trucks are used to move these wooden
platforms around. |
Panel |
A thin flat piece of wood, plywood, or similar
material, framed by stiles and rails as in a door (or cabinet
door), or fitted into grooves of thicker material with molded
edges for decorative wall treatment. |
Paper, building |
A general term for papers, felts, and similar
sheet materials used in buildings without reference to their
properties or uses. Generally comes in long rolls. |
Parapet |
A wall placed at the edge of a roof to prevent
people from falling off. |
Parting
stop or strip |
A small wood piece used in the side and head
jambs of double hung windows to separate the upper sash from
the lower sash. |
Particle
board |
Plywood substitute made of course sawdust that
is mixed with resin and pressed into sheets. Used for closet
shelving, floor underlayment, stair treads, etc. |
Partition |
A wall that subdivides spaces within any story
of a building or room. |
Paver, paving |
Materials—commonly masonry—laid
down to make a firm, even surface. |
Payment
schedule |
A pre-agreed upon schedule of payments to
a contractor usually based upon the amount of work completed.
Such a schedule may include a deposit prior to the start of
work. There may also be a temporary 'retainer' (5-10% of the
total cost of the job) at the end of the contract for correcting
any small items which have not been completed or repaired. |
Pedestal |
A metal box installed at various locations along
utility easements that contain electrical, telephone, or cable
television switches and connections. |
Penalty
clause |
A provision in a contract that provides for a
reduction in the amount otherwise payable under a contract to
a contractor as a penalty for failure to meet deadlines or for
failure of the project to meet contract specifications. |
Penny |
As applied to nails, it originally indicated
the price per hundred. The term now series as a measure of nail
length and is abbreviated by the letter "d". Normally,
16d (16 "penny") nails are used for framing |
Percolation
test or perc. test |
Tests that a soil engineer performs on earth
to determine the feasibility of installing a leech field type
sewer system on a lot. A test to determine if the soil on a
proposed building lot is capable of absorbing the liquid affluent
from a septic system. |
Performance
bond |
An amount of money (usually 10% of the total
price of a job) that a contractor must put on deposit with a
governmental agency as an insurance policy that guarantees the
contractors' proper and timely completion of a project or job. |
Perimeter
drain |
3" or 4" perforated plastic pipe that
goes around the perimeter (either inside or outside) of a foundation
wall (before backfill) and collects and diverts ground water
away from the foundation. Generally, it is "daylighted"
into a sump pit inside the home, and a sump pump is sometimes
inserted into the pit to discharge any accumulation of water. |
Permeability |
A measure of the ease with which water penetrates
a material. |
Permit |
A governmental municipal authorization to
perform a building process as in:
- Zoning\Use permit - Authorization to use a property for
a specific use e.g. a garage, a single family residence
etc.
- Demolition permit - Authorization to tear down and remove
an existing structure.
- Grading permit - Authorization to change the contour of
the land.
- Septic permit - A health department authorization to build
or modify a septic system.
- Building permit - Authorization to build or modify a structure.
- Electrical permit - A separate permit required for most
electrical work.
- Plumbing permit - A separate permit required for new plumbing
and larger modifications of existing plumbing systems.
|
Pigtails,
electrical |
The electric cord that the electrician provides
and installs on an appliance such as a garbage disposal, dishwasher,
or range hood. |
Pier |
A column of masonry, usually rectangular in horizontal
cross section, used to support other structural members. Also
see Caisson. |
Pigment |
A powdered solid used in paint or enamel to
give it a color. |
Pilot hole |
A small-diameter, pre-drilled hole that guides
a nail or screw. |
Pilot light |
A small, continuous flame (in a hot water heater,
boiler, or furnace) that ignites gas or oil burners when needed. |
Pitch |
The incline slope of a roof or the ratio of the
total rise to the total width of a house, i.e., a 6-foot rise
and 24-foot width is a one-fourth pitch roof. Roof slope is
expressed in the inches of rise, per foot of horizontal run. |
PITI |
Principal, interest, taxes and insurance (the
four major components of monthly housing payments). |
Plan view |
Drawing of a structure with the view from overhead,
looking down. |
Plate |
Normally a 2 X 4 or 2 X 6 that lays horizontally
within a framed structure, such as:
- Sill plate- A horizontal member anchored to a concrete
or masonry wall.
- Sole plate- Bottom horizontal member of a frame wall.
- Top plate- Top horizontal member of a frame wall supporting
ceiling joists, rafters, or other members.
|
Plan view |
Drawing of a structure with the view from overhead,
looking down. |
Plenum |
The main hot-air supply duct leading from a furnace. |
Plot plan |
An overhead view plan that shows the location
of the home on the lot. Includes all easements, property lines,
set backs, and legal descriptions of the home. Provided by the
surveyor. |
Plough,
plow |
To cut a lengthwise groove in a board or plank.
An exterior handrail normally has a ploughed groove for hand
gripping purposes |
Plumb |
Exactly vertical and perpendicular. |
Plumb bob |
A lead weight attached to a string. It is
the tool used in determining plumb. |
Plumbing
boots |
Metal saddles used to strengthen a bearing wall/vertical
stud(s) where a plumbing drain line has been cut through and
installed. |
Plumbing
ground |
The plumbing drain and waste lines that are installed
beneath a basement floor. |
Plumbing
jacks |
Sleeves that fit around drain and waste vent
pipes at, and are nailed to, the roof sheeting. |
Plumbing
rough |
Work performed by the plumbing contractor after
the Rough Heat is installed. This work includes installing all
plastic ABS drain and waste lines, copper water lines, bath
tubs, shower pans, and gas piping to furnaces and fireplaces.
Lead solder should not be used on copper piping. |
Plumbing
stack |
A plumbing vent pipe that penetrates the roof. |
Plumbing
trim |
Work performed by the plumbing contractor to
get the home ready for a final plumbing inspection. Includes
installing all toilets (water closets), hot water heaters, sinks,
connecting all gas pipe to appliances, disposal, dishwasher,
and all plumbing items. |
Plumbing
waste line |
Plastic pipe used to collect and drain sewage
waste. |
Ply |
A term to denote the number of layers of roofing
felt, veneer in plywood, or layers in built-up materials, in
any finished piece of such material. |
Plywood |
A panel (normally 4' X 8') of wood made of three
or more layers of veneer, compressed and joined with glue, and
usually laid with the grain of adjoining plies at right angles
to give the sheet strength. |
Point load |
A point where a bearing/structural weight is
concentrated and transferred to the foundation. |
Portland
cement |
Cement made by heating clay and crushed limestone
into a brick and then grinding to a pulverized powder state. |
Post |
A vertical framing member usually designed to
carry a beam. Often a 4" x 4", a 6" x 6",
or a metal pipe with a flat plate on top and bottom. |
Post-and-beam |
A basic building method that uses just a few
hefty posts and beams to support an entire structure. Contrasts
with stud framing. |
Power vent |
A vent that includes a fan to speed up air flow.
Often installed on roofs. |
Premium |
Amount payable on a loan. |
Preservative |
Any pesticide substance that, for a reasonable
length of time, will prevent the action of wood-destroying
fungi, insect borers, and similar destructive agents when
the wood has been properly coated or impregnated with it.
Normally an arsenic derivative. Chromated Copper Arsenate
(CCA) is an example. |
Pressure
Relief Valve (PRV) |
A device mounted on a hot water heater or boiler
which is designed to release any high steam pressure in the
tank to prevent tank explosions. |
Pressure |
treated wood- Lumber that has been saturated
with a preservative. |
Primer |
The first, base coat of paint when a paint job
consists of two or more coats. A first coating formulated to
seal raw surfaces and holding succeeding finish coats. |
Principal |
The original amount of the loan, the capital. |
Property
survey |
A survey to determine the boundaries of your
property. The cost depends on the complexity of the survey. |
P trap |
Curved, "U" section of drain pipe that
holds a water seal to prevent sewer gasses from entering the
home through a fixtures water drain. |
Pump mix |
Special concrete that will be used in a concrete
pump. Generally, the mix has smaller rock aggregate than regular
mix. |
Punch list |
A list of discrepancies that need to be corrected
by the contractor. |
Punch out |
To inspect and make a discrepancy list. |
Putty |
A type of dough used in sealing glass in the
sash, filling small holes and crevices in wood, and for similar
purposes. |
PVC or CPVC |
Poly Vinyl Chloride-A type of white or light
gray plastic pipe sometimes used for water supply lines and
waste pipe. |
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