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In every person’s life, he or she will eventually have to meet a certified building inspector. Either as a buyer or a seller of one’s house, a building inspector is almost always needed. I say “almost” since there are some hard headed individuals out there who insist on inspecting by themselves. And we all know what that will lead to.
Anyway, to prepare you for your eventual meeting with the good inspector, here are a few terms you might hear from him which you might not have an idea what it means, but thanks to this post, you will. Makes sense? Yes? Good.
APERTURE – This is the opening of pipes
AWNING WINDOWS – A kind of window with the hinges located on the top that makes it open out and up
BREAKER BOX – A metal box that houses the circuit breakers or fuses that control the electrical current in a house
BUCKLING – When building materials start to bend due to natural wear and tear
CAULKING – The material that is used to fill out the joints between floors, fixtures, windows, doors, shower stalls, etc.
CIRCUIT BREAKER (see also BREAKER BOX) – Acting similarly like a fuse, it acts as a safety valve for surges in electricity like lightning strikes or sudden blackouts. Unlike a fuse, these can be reset
DRYWALL – Gypsum board material used for ceilings and walls
EAVES – The part of the roof that overhangs the walls of a home
FLUE – A chamber in a fireplace that directs fire and smoke and other gases to the outside
GROUNDFAULT INTERRUPTER (GFI) – A safety device that interrupts surges of electricity in appliances and other electrical components found in a home
HVAC – Short for heating, ventilating and air condition system
INSULATION – Materials resistant to heat energy loss. These can be fiber glass, mineral wool, foam or cellulose, placed in walls and ceilings, crawl spaces and basements
JOISTS – The horizontal bars of timber that support a floor
LATHING – Strips of wood or other materials to use as a base for plaster
MOULDING – The material used to cover the joints in floors and walls
POINTING UP – The replacement of deteriorated mortar between bricks for new mortar
REGISTERS – Help regulate air flow
SOFFIT – The underside part of the roof that extends outside the walls of a structure
THRESHOLD – The strip of metal, wood, marble or other material that is placed at the base of doors
WEATHER -STRIPPING – Composed of various materials, this is used to reduce the escape of heat or air conditioning from a home. It is often installed around windows and doors.
ZONE – A system that makes having different temperatures in different parts of a structure possible
There you have it. An A – Z of terms you might hear from your local certified building inspector. So the next time your inspector tells you that your home’s “Zone’s HVAC’s registers aren’t working well due to the deterioration of the moulding,” you would know exactly what he is saying.
