Remodeling your home is stressful, especially if your contractor is using industry jargon you don't understand. Don't worry, Erdmann is here to give you some insight on what your contractor is talking about. These are some of the most asked about terms.
Allowance(s) - A sum of money set aside in the construction contract for items which have not been selected and specified in the construction contract. Best kept to a minimum number and used for items whose choice will not impact earlier stages of the construction. For example, selection of tile because flooring may require an alternative framing or underlayment material. (Also, money that your parents give you as a child.)
Apron flashing - a term used for a flashing located at the juncture of the top of a sloped roof and a vertical wall, chimney or steeper-sloped roof.
Apron Flashing
Asphalt shingle - a shingle manufactured by coating a reinforcing material (felt or fibrous glass mat) with asphalt and having mineral granules on the side exposed to the weather.
Base flashing (membrane base flashing) - plies or strips of roof membrane material used to close-off and/or seal a roof at the horizontal-to-vertical intersections, such as at a roof-to-wall juncture. Membrane base flashing covers the edge of the field membrane.
Caulk - a composition of vehicle and pigment used at ambient temperatures for filling/sealing joints or junctures, that remains elastic for an extended period of time after application.
Caulking - (1) the physical process of sealing a joint or juncture; (2) sealing and making weather-tight the joints, seams or voids between adjacent surfaces by filling with a sealant.
Concealed Nail Method - Application of roll roofing in which all nails are driven into the underlying course of roofing and covered by a cemented, overlapping course. Nails are not exposed to the weather.
Construction Contract - A legal document which specifies the details of a construction project. A good construction contract will include: 1.The contractors registration number. 2. A statement of work quality such as 'Standard Practices of the Trades' or 'according to Manufacturers Specifications.' 3. A set of blue prints or plans. 4. A set of specifications. 5. Any allowances. 6. A construction timetable including starting and completion dates. 7. A fixed price for the work, or a time and materials formula. 8. A payment schedule. 9. A written warrantee. 10. A clause which outlines how any disputes will be resolved.
Cure - a process whereby a material is caused to form permanent molecular linkages by exposure to chemicals, heat, pressure and/or weathering.
Cure time - the time required for a material to reach its desirable long-term physical characteristics.
Downspout
Downspout - a vertical pipe or conduit used to carry runoff water from a scupper, conductor head or gutter of a building to a lower roof level or to the ground or storm water runoff system.
Edge venting - the practice of providing regularly spaced or continuously protected (e.g., louvered) openings along a roof edge or perimeter, used as part of a ventilation system to dissipate heat and moisture vapor.
Exposure - (1) the traverse dimension of a roofing element or component not overlapped by an adjacent element or component in a roof covering. For example, the exposure of any ply in a built-up roof membrane may be computed by dividing the felt width, minus 2 inches (51 mm), by the number of shingled plies; thus, the exposure of 36 inch (914 mm) wide felt in a shingled, four-ply membrane should be approximately 81/2 inches (216 mm) (See Figure 8); (2) the dimension of sidewall or roofing covering that is not covered or overlapped by the up slope course of component. The typical exposure for a standard-sized, three-tab shingle is 5 inches (127 mm), depending on manufacturer specifications.
Eaves Flashing - Additional layer of roofing material applied at the eaves to help prevent damage from water backup.
Fascia - A flat, horizontal board enclosing the overhang under the eave.
Flashing - components used to weatherproof or seal roof system edges at perimeters, penetrations, walls, expansion joints, valley, drains and other places where the roof covering is interrupted or terminated. For example, membrane base flashing covers the edge of the field membrane, and cap flashings or counterflashings shield the upper edges of the base flashing.
Fully Tempered Glass - Flat or bent glass that has been heat-treated to a high surface and/or edge compression to meet the requirements of ASTM C 1048 kind FT. Fully tempered glass, if broken, will fracture into many small pieces (dice) which are more or less cubical. Fully tempered glass is approximately four times stronger than annealed glass of the same thickness when exposed to uniform static pressure loads.
Traditional Gable
Gable - the vertical triangular portion of the end of a building having a double-sloping roof, from the level of the eaves to the ridge of the roof.
Low-slope roofs - a category of roofs that generally include weatherproof membrane types of roof systems installed on slopes at or less than 3:12 (14 degrees).
Shingle - (1) a small unit of prepared roofing designed for installation with similar units in overlapping rows or courses on inclines normally exceeding 3:12 slope (14°); (2) to cover with shingles; (3) to apply any sheet material in succeeding overlapping rows like shingles. The NRCA Roofing and Waterproofing Manual—Fifth Edition 1000 Glossary
Shingling - (1) the application of shingles; (2) the procedure laying parallel felts so that one longitudinal edge of each felt overlaps and the other longitudinal edge underlaps an adjacent felt. Normally felts are shingled on a slope so that water flows over rather than against each lap.
Soffit - The underside of an overhanging cornice of a building extending out from the plane of the building walls.
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