J

Jet: An orifice or other feature of a toilet that is designed to direct water into the trap way quickly, to start the siphon action. 

Joists: A framing member, often a 2" x 10" piece of lumber, which is usually spaced every 16" to 24" and supports the sub-floor and flooring. The joist is usually 'sits' on a load barring wall or a Beam.

Joist hangers: A metal brackets used to connect joists to the adjoining headers or support beams.  Used when joist have to be butted up to support beams or headers rather than resting on top.

K

Kiln dried lumber: Any wood that has been dried in a heated kiln to lower the materials moisture content to between the 6 and 12% range. Preferred over air-dried lumber which has a higher moisture content and is thus subject to more warping as it dries out after installation.

Knot: A part of a branch or limb that appears on the surface of a board. Usually brown in color and oval in size.

L

Low consumption toilet: A classification of toilet designed to flush using 1.6 or less gallons of water, as opposed to 3.5 gallon "Water-Saving" toilets, and other higher-consumption toilets. 

Laminated header:  Stacked and glued pieces of lumber for stress loads for use as a load bearing beam over large spans.

Laminated shingles: Shingles that have added dimensionality because of extra layers or tabs, giving a shake like appearance. May also be called "architectural shingles" or "three-dimensional shingles."

Landing: A flat platform found between flights of stairs or at the end of a flight of stairs.

Lap: To cover the surface of one shingle or roll with another.

Lap joint: Two boards that overlap one another but are nailed together where they overlap

Lap cement: An asphalt-based cement used to adhere overlapping plies of roll roofing.

Lath and Plaster: The most common wall finish prior to the introduction of drywall. Thin wood strips (lath) were nailed onto the framing as a base for the sand/lime plaster.

Lintel: The horizontal structural member over an opening such as a door or window that supports any load from above.

Louver: An opening with a series of fixed or movable horizontal slats that permit ventilation but stop rain, sunlight or vision.

Low-slope application: Method of installing asphalt shingles on roof slopes between 2 and 4 inches per foot.

Load Bearing Wall: A wall which is supporting its own weight and some other structural elements of the house such as the joists.

Compiled from multiple sources by: DLM Builders

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