This visual dictionary defines various construction terms through images and brief descriptions. It includes entries on materials like brick, concrete, framing elements, insulation, plumbing, roofing, siding, stone, vapor barriers, waterproofing, windows and other building components. Each entry displays an image alongside text identifying the item and its purpose in residential building construction.

1. Visual Dictionary Wythe

2. Air Barrier Paper A sheet material used as both a vapor retarder and an air barrier.

3. Attic Ventilation Insulated roof assemblies can have both a higher temperature differential and is subject to moisture.

4. Backhoe Piece of excavating equipment consisting of a digging bucket on the end of a two-part articulated arm.

5. Batter Boards A temporary frame built outside the corner of an excavation to carry edges of a foundation.

6. Brick Arches Both are roman arches, one is a Roman arch with three courses rowlock-soldier-rowlock (to the right). The other arch is a roman arch with two alternating courses, rowlock-solider (to the left).

7. Brick Bonds The photo to the left is an example of a running bond-courses of alternating stretchers.

8. Brick Bonds Rowlock

9. Brick Bonds Soldier

10. Brick Bonds Stretcher

11. Brick Bonds Header

12. Brick Bonds Sailor

13. Brick Sizes The brick on the right is a Standard brick with dimensions 3 ½ x 2 ¼ x 8. The brick on the left is a Modular brick with dimensions at 3 ½ x 2 ¼ x 7 ½.

14. Bulldozer A piece of excavation equipment used to push large amounts of dirt around a site.

15. Cladding Brick

16. Cladding EIFS

17. Cladding Stone-Coursed Asher

18. Cladding Wood Boards

19. Cladding Wood Shingles are a form of cladding where shingles, usually cedar or redwood, are overlapped to form a drip edge.

20. Code Requirement Bedroom Window Code for Double Hung Window Height: Min 24 in. Width: Min 34 ¼ in. Max height of sill AFF: 44 in. My Room Window Height: 25 in. Width: 34 ¼ in. Height of Sill AFF: 21 ½ in.

21. Code Requirements Wood Frame Interior Stairs Code Tread Min: 10 in. Riser Max: 7 ¾ in. My Stairs Tread: 10 ¾ in. Riser: 7 ½ in.

22. Concrete Joints A control joint is an intentional, linear discontinuity in a structure or component, designed to form a plane of weakness where a crack can occur.

23. Concrete Joints An isolated joint completely isolates the slab from a column, wall, or pipe.

24. Concrete Masonry Unit A CMU is a concrete block used in residential foundations and retaining walls. They are usually covered up by brick or other forms of exterior finish.

25. Decorative Concrete Masonry Unit Split Block

26. Decorative Concrete Block Ribbed Block

27. Doors Flush Door

28. Doors Six Panel Door Panel Stile Top Rail Lock Rail Bottom Rail

29. Doors The Transom is the glazing over the top of the door and the Sidelights are the fixed glazed panels on the outside. Sidelight Transom

30. Electrical Components The transformer box is what steps down the electricity from the power plant before it enters the building.

31. Electrical Components The service head is what transfers the electricity from the transformer to the house.

32. Electrical Components The meter keeps track of the amount of electricity entering the building.

33. Electrical Components The service panel is what distributes electricity over a series of circuits that power the duplex receptacles.

34. Framing Elements 1. Anchor Bolt 2. Sill Plate

35. Framing Elements 3. Floor Joist

36. Framing Elements 4. Subflooring

37. Framing Elements 5. Sole Plate 6. Stud 7. Top Plate

38. Framing Elements 8. Ceiling Joist 9. Rafter

39. Framing Elements 10. Roof Decking 11. Roof Sheathing

40. Framing Elements 12. Stringer

41. Front End Loader A piece a machinery that’s purpose is to load material (gravel, asphalt, dirt ,etc.) into another piece of machinery. It has a bucket specifically for scooping loose material.

42. Gypsum Board Panels made of the mineral gypsum used in construction of interior walls and ceilings.

43. Heat Pump This is a picture of the compressor which is used to evaporate and condense refrigerant to form heat and air conditioning.

44. Heat Pump This is a picture of the air handling unit used to force the cooled or heated air throughout the building.

45. Insulation A material added to a building to slow thermal heat transfer. Batt / Blanket Ridged Board Loose Fill

46. Insulation Foamed

47. Lintel A beam that carries the load of a wall across a window or door.

48. Mortar This is a 3/8” tooled, concave mortar joint used on a building. This is a 3/8” tooled, raked mortar joint used on a residential home.

49. Oriented Strand Board OSB A nonveneered panel composed of long shreds of wood fiber oriented in a specific direction and bonded together under pressure.

50. Plumbing Lavatory (1 ½ in Drain) Water Closet (3 in Drain)

51. Pluming Shower and Tub Insert

52. Plumbing Vent Through Roof

53. Plumbing Drop in Sink

54. Plywood A wood panel composed of an odd number of layers of wood veneer bonded together under pressure. Veneer is a thin layer, sheet or facing.

55. Radiant Barrier A reflective material that inhibits heat transfer by radiation.

56. Rebar This rebar is 1” in diameter. It would be referred to as #8 bar. The purpose of the deformations in on the surface of the rebar are to help it bond tightly to the concrete.

57. Steep Roof Drainage The Gutter collects all the rainwater from the roof and directs it to the downspout. The Downspout is the vertical pipe that carries rain water away from the gutter. The Splashblock is the component that directs water from the downspout away from the house.

58. Steep Roof Materials Clay Tile

59. Steep Roof Materials A shingle is a thin material, in this case wood, laid in overlapping rows to cover a roof of a building.

60. Steep Roof Materials Metal Panel roof is usually made out of tin or aluminum.

61. Steep Roof Shapes Gable Roof Hip Roof

62. Steep Roof Shapes Gambrel Roof Mansard Roof

63. Steep Roof Terms Ridge- The point of the roof. Rake- The inclined edge of a sloped roof. Eave- The horizontal edge of a sloped roof. Ridge Rake Eave

64. Steep Roof Terms Valley- The internal angle formed by the intersection of two sloping roof panels. Soffit- The finished underside of the eaves. (House without fascia) Valley Soffit

65. Steep Roof Terms Fascia- The vertical wood surface under the eaves. Fascia

66. Stone Random Rubble

67. Stone Coursed Rubble

68. Stone Random Ashlar

69. Stone Coursed Ashlar

70. Vapor Retarder A layer of material intended t obstruct the passage of water vapor into a building. Vapor retarder is located on the side of insulation facing the exterior walls.

71. Waterproofing

72. Weep Hole A small opening whose purpose is to permit drainage of accumulated water in a building.

73. Welded Wire Fabric

74. Windows This is a double hung window because it slides up and down on tracks.

75. Windows This is a casement window because it is hinged on the side and swings out.

76. Windows This is an awning window because it is hinged along the top of the window swings out.