Terms of the Trade

These interlocking boards are cheap and popular.

Chest freezers are a hot item these days.

Our living list of skills, tools, and materials.

This wall siding looks like rows of skinny, vertical boards.

The perfect nap location!

It's the hole for a classic woodworking joint.

These fasteners have had the shapes on their head damaged.

It helps protect devices and users from electrical shock.

An abutment is a joint between two surfaces, and is usually used in roofing terminology to describe a joint between a roof and a wall.

Prefabricated buildings are increasingly common.

Structural loads are measured in several different ways.

OC spacing refers to the centers of construction elements.

This versatile substance comes from tiny algae fossils.

It's a rule governing the use of a property by a non-owner.

This little phrase comes up surprisingly often.

They transfer heat from air to water vapor.

In a nutshell, it's how fast an object or space will cool.

It's among the cheapest and most common types of insulation.

A bull float is a device used to smooth the surface of newly poured concrete.

PVC pipe is low-cost & easy to joint.

A dormer window is a window that sticks out of a sloped roof.

This saw likes to do things at an angle.

ABS is often used over PVC.

Keep the cold air out and the warm air in (or vice versa).

Use this handheld device to troubleshoot electrical problems.

Halogen bulbs last 4 times as long as a standard bulb.

Incandescent light bulbs are cheap to manufacture and purchase. However, 95 percent of their energy is converted to heat as opposed to visible light, and they give off less lumens per watt than their halogen counterparts.

The term "plumb" refers to when an edge or surface is vertically oriented.

Green board is used in the place of regular drywall to control moisture absorption in bathrooms.

Semi-gloss paint washes easily, making it great for kitchens and bathrooms.

Here's a little history lesson for you.

Thread seal tape, or plumber's tape, is used to ease the tightening and sealing of joints in plumbing applications.

Keep that dirt in its place.

Don't think winter will have an affect on your construction project? Think again and know your area's frost line.

Egress windows offer a means of escape in the event of a fire or other disaster.

Most circuits in a home have a 110 volt amperage.

A trowel is a tool used to spread and smooth plaster.

This pipe joint gets its name from its name from its shape.

Counterintuitively, this cooling method uses heat.

It's a conical hole, often drilled to sink a fastener.

These strong, light structures are based on honeybee wax.

They control the current running through a bulb.

This classic material has been in use for millennia.

This specialized tool creates precision cuts in metal.

Roughening an area can prepare it for an adhesive layer.

This flexible substance is used in both houses and boats.

You can make sodium carbonate by heating up baking soda.

Use this varnish to preserve the surface of your wood.