S

Sash: The frame that holds the glass in a window, often the movable part of the window. see.. double hung windows, and casement windows.

Saturant: Asphalt used to impregnate a felt-base material.

Saturated Felt: An underlayment, or water-resistant layer, put down beneath shingles and made of felt impregnated with asphalt.

SBS-modified: Asphalt that has been combined with SBS (styrene-butadiene-styrene) polymers to increase its elasticity.

Scupper: An opening for drainage in a wall, curb or parapet. The drain in a downspout or flat roof, usually connected to the downspout.

Self-sealing shingles: Shingles containing factory-applied strips or spots of self-sealing adhesive.

Setback Thermostat: A thermostat with a clock which can be programmed to various temperatures at different times of the day/week. Usually used as the heating or cooling system thermostat.

Shading: Slight differences in shingle color that may occur as a result of normal manufacturing operations.

Shake: A wood, usually cedar, roofing product which is produced by splitting a block of the wood along the grain line. Modern shakes are sometimes machine sawn on one side. See shingle.

Sheathing: Exterior-grade boards used as roof deck material.

Shed roof: A roof containing only one sloping plane. Has no hips, ridges, valleys or gables.

Shingle: A machine sawn wood, usually cedar, roofing and siding product. see shake.

Single ply Roof: See Torch Down Roof

Siphoning: The suction or pulling effect that takes place in the trap-way of a toilet as it is filled with outgoing water and waste. An effective siphon is critical to an effective flush for any toilet. 

Siphon break: The point in a toilet flush when air is re-introduced into the trap way, "breaking" the siphoning action. The siphon break is usually heard as a deep gurgling at the conclusion of a flush.

Skip Sheathing: The normal base for shake, shingle and some tile roofs. 1" x 4" or similar sized boards are nailed at 90š to the rafters leaving a space of about 4" between each row and allowing for better ventilation.

Single coverage: Asphalt roofing that provides one layer of roofing material over the deck.

Slab on Grade: A type of foundation with a concrete floor which is placed directly on the soil. The edge of the slab is usually thicker and acts as the footing for the walls. Common in California and 1940s and 50s concrete block home (see diagram).

Slope: The incline angle of a roof surface, given as a ratio of the rise (in inches) to the run (in feet). See also pitch.

Smooth-surfaced roofing: Roll roofing that is covered with ground talc or mica instead of granules.

Soffit: The finished underside of the eaves. A small ceiling like space, often out of doors, such as the underside of a roof overhang.

Specifications or Specs: A narrative list of materials, methods, model numbers, colors, allowances, and other details which supplement the information contained in the blue prints.

Splash Block: A pad which is placed under the lower end of a downspout and diverts the water from the downspout away from the house. Usually made out of concrete or fiberglass.

Standard Practices of the Trades: One of the more common basic and minimum construction standards. This is another way of saying that the work should be done in the way it is normally done by the average professional in the field.

Soil stack: - A vent pipe that penetrates the roof.

Span: The horizontal distance from eaves to eaves.

Specialty eaves flashing membrane: A self-adhering waterproofing shingle underlayment designed to protect against water infiltration due to ice damage or wind-driven rain.

Square: A unit of roof measure covering 100 square feet.

Square-tab shingles: Shingles on which tabs are all the same size and exposure.

Standby-generator: Electric power generator specifically designed and engineered for home use, capable of providing all or partial power needs of the home in case of emergency. Installed outside home and generally powered by natural gas or propane they are permanently wired into the home such that they automatically start-up when needed. Home standby generators are sometimes called home-backup generators, whereas home-emergency generator usually denotes a home portable generator which are not permanently installed outside the home.

Starter strip: Asphalt roofing applied at the eaves that provides protection by filling in the spaces under the cutouts and joints of the first course of shingles.

Steep-slope application: Method of installing asphalt shingles on roof slopes greater than 21 inches per foot.

Step flashing: Flashing application method used where a vertical surface meets a sloping roof plane.

Strip shingles: Asphalt shingles that are approximately three times as long as they are wide.

Supply stop: The valve providing on/off toilet water supply control.

T

Tab: The exposed portion of strip shingles defined by cutouts.

Tank: The fixture reservoir for flush water. On a conventional toilet, the ballcock, flush valve and trip lever are installed in the tank. A tank lid closes the top tank opening.

Three-way switch: One of a pair of specialized electrical switches that allows an electrical fixture to be turned on and off from two locations. As opposed to the usual single pole electrical switches that are normally used that only allow a single switch in the circuit.

Tread: The horizontal step surface of a staircase.

Threshold: A strip of wood or other material with a beveled edge applied to the transition area between a floor and the sill plate of a door. Also called a transition.

Time and Materials Contract: A construction contract which specifies a price for different elements of the work such as: cost per hour of labor, overhead, profit etc. Such a contract may not have a maximum price or may state a 'price not to exceed a dollar amount.

Toe nailing: The nailing of boards by driving the nail in at an angle or slant to the finished surface in order to attach it to the adjacent board at right angles.

Torch Down Roof or Single Ply or Modified Bitumen: A newer roofing material mostly used on flat roofs. This material usually comes in rolls and is applied to the roof with an open flame or 'torch'. Truss - A manufactured wood member often in the form of a large triangle which is used to form the ceiling joists and rafters on the top floor of a home.

Tongue and groove:  Boards or planks that have been finished so that there is a groove on one side of the board and a corresponding tongue on the other edge. When two pieces are placed together the tongue of one fits into the groove of the other forming a natural joint between the two boards. Often used in hardwood flooring and siding.

Total rise: The total vertical distance covered by a staircase, measured from the starting floor finish to the destination floor finish.

Total run: The total horizontal distance covered by a staircase, measured from the edge of the first step to back edge of the last step.

Trap Seal: The height of water in a toilet bowl "at rest, it provides a water seal which prevents sewer gases from entering the home. Trap seal is measured from the top of the dam, down to the inlet of the trap-way. Also referred to as deep seal.

Treated Lumber: A wood product which has been impregnated with chemicals to reduce damage from wood rot or insects. Often used for the portions of a structure which is likely to be in ongoing contact with soil and water. Wood may also be treated with a fire retardant.

Trip lever: Handle which is rotated to initiate the toilet flush cycle. Kohler factory-installed trip levers have a polished chrome finish; optional trim kits offer trip levers in other finishes. Toilets equipped with Peacekeeper seat-actuated flush do not have a trip lever.

Trim: Finishing materials applied over a surface, such as widows, doors, or baseboard trim.

Tube and Knob Wiring: A common form of electrical wiring used before W.W.II. When in good condition it may still be functional for low amperage use such as smaller light fixture.

Two piece toilet: A toilet with a separate tank and bowl. Also referred to as close-coupled.

U

U.L. : Underwriters Laboratories, a private research firm located in the United States that attempts to classify and determine the safety of various materials and products.

Ultraviolet degradation: A reduction in certain performance limits caused by exposure to ultraviolet light.

Undercoat: Any coating that has been applied prior to the finishing coat of a paint job. Often referred to as the primer coat.

Underlayment: Any material placed under flooring, carpets or shingles to provide a smooth even surface for the finish materials.  A secondary roofing layer that is waterproof or water-resistant , installed on the roof deck and beneath shingles or other roof-finishing layer.

UV Rays: Ultraviolet rays from the sun.

Compiled from multiple sources by: DLM Builders

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