In construction there are so many terms that can be confusing so we decided to create a glossary to help our visitors understand what we mean by these terms. We hope you enjoy it. Please leave a comment below if this helped you! Thanks!
Table of Contents
Water-Repellent Preservative
- A liquid applied to wood to give the wood water repellent
properties
Water Table
- The location of the underground water, and the vertical distance from the surface of
the earth to this underground water.
Water Tap
- The connection point where the home water line connects to the main municipal water
system.
W C
- An abbreviation for water closet (toilet).
Weatherization
- Work on a building exterior in order to reduce energy consumption for heating or
cooling. Work involving adding insulation, installing storm windows and doors, caulking cracks
and putting on weather-stripping.
Weather-Strip
- Narrow sections of thin metal or other material installed to prevent the infiltration
of air and moisture around windows and doors.
Weep Holes
- Small holes in storm window frames that allow moisture to escape.
Whole House Fan
- A fan designed to move air through and out of a home and normally installed
in the ceiling.
Wind Bracing
- Metal straps or wood blocks installed diagonally on the inside of a wall from
bottom to top plate, to prevent the wall from twisting, racking, or falling over “domino” fashion.
Window Buck
- Square or rectangular box that is installed within a concrete foundation or block
wall. A window will eventually be installed in this “buck” during the siding stage of construction
Window Frame
- The stationary part of a window unit; window sash fits into the window frame.
Window Sash
- The operating or movable part of a window; the sash is made of window panes
and their border.
Wire Nut
- A plastic device used to connect bare wires together.
Wonderboard
- A panel made out of concrete and fiberglass usually used as a ceramic tile
backing material. Commonly used on bathtub decks.
Wrapped Drywall
- Areas that get complete drywall covering, as in the doorway openings of bifold
and bipass closet doors.
Y
- A “Y” shaped plumbing fitting.
Yard of concrete
- One cubic yard of concrete is 3′ X 3′ X 3′ in volume, or 27 cubic feet. One
cubic yard of concrete will pour 80 square feet of 3 ½” sidewalk or basement/garage floor.
Yoke
- The location where a home’s water meter is sometimes installed between two copper
pipes, and located in the water meter pit in the yard.
