Small metal clips formed like an "H" that fits at the joints of two plywood (or wafer board) sheets to stiffen the joint. Normally used on the roof sheeting.

A handyman is a term referring to a person competent in a variety of trade skills, inventive/ingenious repair, and maintenance work.

Hardwood flooring is made from a solid piece of wood material. These woods could be oak, pine, spruce or bamboo. Hardwood flooring usually is 3/4\" thick and comes unfinished and finished (polyurethane).

Protection against damage caused by fire, windstorms, or other common hazards. Many lenders require borrowers to carry it in an amount at least equal to the mortgage.

The fireproof area directly in front of a fireplace. The inner or outer floor of a fireplace, usually made of brick, tile, or stone.

A mechanical device which uses compression and decompression of gas to heat and/or cool a house.

Work done by the Heating Contractor to get the home ready for the municipal Final Heat Inspection. This includes venting the hot water heater, installing all vent grills, registers, air conditioning services, turning on the furnace, installing thermostats, venting ranges and hoods, and all other heat related work.

A notch cut in the end of a rafter to permit it to fit flat on a wall and on the top, doubled, exterior wall plate.

A roof with four sloping sides. The external angle formed by the meeting of two sloping sides of a roof.

The electrical cable that carries power from the main circuit breaker panel to the first electrical box, plug, or switch in the circuit.

An exterior water faucet (sill cock).

An appliance normally attached to the furnace, or portable unit device designed to increase the humidity within a room or a house by means of the discharge of water vapor.

A steel beam with a cross section resembling the letter 'I'. It is used for long spans as basement beams or over wide wall openings, such as a double garage door, when wall and roof loads bear down on the opening.

A lamp employing an electrically charged metal filament that glows at white heat. A typical light bulb.

The passage of air from indoors to outdoors and vice versa. Term is usually associated with drafts from cracks, seams or holes in buildings.

Window or door in which two panes of glass are used with a sealed air space between. Also known as Double glass.

A structural building board made of coarse wood or cane fiber. It can be obtained in various size sheets and densities.

Material used to cover the interior framed areas of walls and ceilings.

Metal edging used on drywall to give the edge a better finished appearance when a wall is not "wrapped" Generally, basement stairway walls have drywall only on the stair side. J Channel is used on the vertical edge of the last drywall sheet.

A rafter that spans the distance from the wall plate to a hip, or from a valley to a ridge.

The location between the touching surfaces of two members or components joined and held together by nails, glue, cement, mortar, or other means.

A form of ownership in which the tenants own a property equally. If one dies, the other automatically inherits the entire property.

Wooden 2 X 8's, 10's, or 12's that run parallel to one another and support a floor or ceiling, and supported in turn by larger beams, girders, or bearing walls.

Water pipe installed in a water meter pit (before the water meter is installed), or electric wire that is installed in the electric house panel meter socket before the meter is installed. This is sometimes illegal.

A plastic or porcelain light fixture that operates by a pull string. Generally found in the basement, crawl space , and attic areas.