CONSTRUCTION DICTIONARY

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FACADE:
An exterior wall of a building or house.

FACE LIFT:
Slang term for cosmetic changes to the appearance of a property which may improve the selling price.

FACIA OR FASCIA:
Usually a flat board or face used in combination with other moldings on the face of an overhang between any horizontal and vertical surface. Often refers to the finished face of a roof eave.

FALL:
The amount of slope or slant per horizontal foot of a drain pipe or surface.

FIRE STOP:
Any object or surface placed in an enclosed space to prevent the spread of fire and smoke through the space itself. Often placed inside frame walls or floor joists.

FLAT:
British term for apartment. A portion of a building designed to serve as a home for a single family group.

FLASHING:
Sheet metal or other material used in roof and wall construction to protect a building from water infiltration.

FLOOR AREA:
The total space covered by all floors in a building.

FLOOR AREA RATIO (FAR):
A comparison of the total area of the floor of a building with the total area of the land upon which it stands. Maximum or minimum FARs may be established by local zoning rules.

FLOOR PLAN:
A sketch of an existing or proposed building showing the design and layout of the building and the specifications of each room. May also show doors, windows, stairways and other features.

FLUE:
One or more flues are found inside a chimney. They are the spaces through which smoke, gas or fumes rise.

FLUE LINER:
The material used to line a chimney with brick or masonry work around the outside. Usually made of fireclay or terra-cotta pipe, and may be round or square.

FOOTING:
The rectangular concrete forms found under foundation walls or piers. Footings support the weight of the object above them. They are usually wider than the structure they support in order to spread the load out over a larger surface area.

FORM:
A temporary box or structure to hold concrete until it hardens.

FOUNDATION:
The supporting portion of a structure that includes everything below the first floor or below grade.

FRAME CONSTRUCTION:
A style of construction where the load bearing structural supports of the building are make of wood framing.

FRAME WALL:
Any structural wall made of studs with a bottom and top plate and some wall covering such as drywall, paneling or plaster.

FROST LINE:
The typical depth of frost penetration below the surface of the ground in any particular geographical location.

FURRING:
Small strips of wood or metal that are applied to a wall or other surface to act as a fastening piece for the finishing material.