CONSTRUCTION DICTIONARY

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MANUFACTURED HOUSING:
Known as "pre-fab" housing, any dwelling that is assembled out of components (i.e. walls, floors, roof) that are constructed off-site and then brought to the building lot. Also known as modular housing.

MARINA:
A facility located on a body of water which provides docking, storage, maintenance and other facilities for boats.

MASONRY:
Any form of stone, brick, concrete block, concrete, or other similar building materials that have been bonded together with mortar to form a structure.

MASTIC:
An adhesive putty material used as a sealant for plumbing or as a seal when waterproofing a foundation wall.

MATCHED LUMBER:
Lumber that has been dressed and cut on one edge with a grove running along its length and a tongue running along the opposite edge.

MILLWORK:
All building materials made of finished wood that has been manufactured in millwork and planing plants. As opposed to unfinished lumber. See "LUMBER".

MINIMUM FOOTING FORMULA:
The minimum foundation footing allowed by law. The depth of the footing must be at least the same as the width of the wall it supports; the width of the footing must be at least twice the wall's thickness; The footing overhang must be at least half of the width of the wall.

MITER JOINT:
A miter joint of two pieces of wood consists of each piece being cut at exactly half the angle of the corner formed by the joint.

MOBILE HOME:
A factory built single family dwelling that is transported to your chosen location and placed on a foundation.

MODEL HOME:
A dwelling built first by a developer to allow potential purchasers to see what the finished product will look like once the other homes in the development are completed.

MODULAR DESIGN:
The use of standard sized building materials that allow fast assembly without custom fitting or excessive waste material.

MODULAR HOUSING:
Known as "pre-fab" housing, any dwelling that is assembled out of components (i.e. walls, floors, roof) that are constructed off-site and then brought to the building lot. Also known as manufactured housing.

MODULAR TUB OR SHOWER:
Any synthetic one-piece shower or tub or shower-and-tub combination. Usually constructed of either fiberglass or acrylic.

MOISTURE CONTENT OF WOOD:
A measurement of the weight of water contained in a piece of wood expressed as a percentage of what the wood would weigh if all moisture had been completely removed.

MOULDING:
Any thin wood strip used for decorative purposes. Usually has a curved or decoratively machined surface.

MULTI-DWELLING UNITS:
A property which may have one owner but offers a number of homes for separate people or families.

MORTICE:
A rectangular slot that has been cut into a piece of wood that another piece of wood is to be inserted into to form a locking joint.

MULLIAN AND MUNTIN:
Mullians are the vertical dividers and muntins are the horizontal dividers found in the frames of windows, doors or other openings.

MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING:
Similar to multi-dwelling units, a building which features two or more family dwellings within the same structure. May require special zoning.

MULTIPLE DWELLING:
Also known as multi-dwelling unit.