FHA Strap - Metal straps that are used to repair a bearing wall "cut-out", and to "tie together" wall corners, splices, and bearing headers. Also, they are used to hang stairs and landings to bearing header.

Facade- Face or front elevation of a building.

Face Board - The board nailed to the exposed ends of roof rafters.

Face Nail - To install nails into the vertical face of a bearing header or beam.

Faced Concrete - To finish the front and all vertical sides of a concrete porch, step(s), or patio. Normally the "face" is broom finished.

Facing Brick - The brick used and exposed on the outside of a wall. Usually these have a finished texture.

False Ceiling - A drop or suspended ceiling, hung on metal or wood grids, to permit covering exposed ducts, pipes, or beams.

Fall/Flow- The proper slope or pitch of a pipe for adequate drainage.

Fanlight- A semi-circular or semi-elliptical window with a horizontal sill often above a door.

Fascia- Horizontal boards attached to rafter/truss ends at the eaves and along gables. Roof drain gutters are attached to the fascia.

Fault- A short circuit in an electrical system.

Felt - Tar paper. Installed under the roof shingles. Normally 15 lb. or 30 lb.

Fence Line - The actual position of the fence.

Ferrule- Metal tubes used to keep roof gutters "open". Long nails (ferrule spikes) are driven through these tubes and hold the gutters in place along the fascia of the home.

Ferrule- Used in compression fittings, the ferrule is a ring that slides over the top of a pipe. The ferrule is tapered on the top and is compressed between the fitting and a threaded nut.

Field Measure - To take measurements (cabinets, countertops, stairs, shower doors, etc.) in the home itself instead of using the blueprints.

Fieldstone- A stone used in its natural shape.

Filler (Wood) - A heavily pigmented preparation used for fining and leveling off the pores in open-pored woods.

Finger Joint - A manufacturing process of interlocking two shorter pieces of wood end to end to create a longer piece of dimensional lumber or moulding. Often used in jambs and casings and are normally painted (instead of stained).

Finish Floor - A finished walking surface.

Finish Grade - Final ground level around a building.

Fire Block - Short horizontal members sometimes nailed between studs, usually about halfway up a wall. See also 'Fire stop'.

Fire Brick - Brick made of refractory ceramic material which will resist high temperatures. Used in a fireplace and boiler.

Fire Door - A door constructed to provide a specific degree of fire protection.

Fireplace Chase Flashing Pan - A large sheet of metal that is installed around and perpendicular to the fireplace flue pipe. It's purpose is to confine and limit the spread of fire and smoke to a small area.

Fireplace Insert - A wood or gas burning heating appliance that fits into the opening or protrudes on to the hearth of a conventional fireplace.

Fire-Resistive or Fire Rated - Applies to materials that are not combustible in the temperatures of ordinary fires and will withstand such fires for at least 1 hour. Drywall used in the garage and party walls are to be fire rated, 5/8", Type X.

Fire Retardant Chemical - A chemical or preparation of chemicals used to reduce the flammability of a material or to retard the spread of flame.

Fire Separation - A construction assembly that acts as a barrier against the spread of fire.

Fire Stop - A solid, tight closure of a concealed space, placed to prevent the spread of fire and smoke through such a space. In a frame wall, this will usually consist of 2 by 4 cross blocking between studs. Work performed to slow the spread of fire and smoke in the walls and ceiling (behind the drywall). Includes stuffing wire holes in the top and bottom plates with insulation, and installing blocks of wood between the wall studs at the drop soffit line. This is integral to passing a Rough Frame inspection. See also 'Fire block'.

Firewall - A type of fire separation of noncombustible construction which subdivides a building or separates adjoining buildings to resist the spread of fire and which has a fire-resistance rating as prescribed in the Ontario Building Code and has structural stability to remain intact under fire conditions for the required fire-rated time.

First Storey - The storey with its floor closest to grade and having its ceiling more than 1.8 m above grade.

Fishplate (Gusset) - A wood or plywood piece used to fasten the ends of two members together at a butt joint with nails or bolts. Sometimes used at the junction of opposite rafters near the ridge line. Sometimes called a gang nail plate.

Fish Scale Shingles - A shingle having straight sides and rounded bottoms.

Fish Tape - A long strip of spring steel used for fishing cables and for pulling wires through conduit.

Fixed Price Contract - A contract with a set price for the work. See Time and Materials Contract.

Fixed Rate - A loan where the initial payments are based on a certain interest rate for a stated period . The rate payable will not change during this period regardless of changes in the lender's standard variable rate.

Fixed Rate Mortgage - A mortgage with an interest rate that remains the same over the years.

Fixture (Electrical) - Any permanently connected light or other electrical device that consumes power.

Fixture (Plumbing) - A receptacle that receives and discharges water, liquid, or waterborne wastes into a drainage system with which it is connected.

Flagstone - Flat stones (1 to 4 inches thick) used for walks, steps, floors, and vertical veneer (in lieu of brick).

Flakeboard - A manufactured wood panel made out of 1"- 2" wood chips and glue. Often used as a substitute for plywood in the exterior wall and roof sheathing. Also called OSB or wafer board.

Flame Retention Head Burner - A higher-efficiency burner in an oil furnace. It produces a hotter flame and operates with a lower airflow, thus reducing heat loss up the chimney.

Flapper Valve - The part on the bottom of the toilet tank that opens to allow water to flow from the tank into the bowl.

Flashing- Sheet metal or other material used in roof and wall construction to protect a building from water seepage.

Flat Mould - Thin wood strips installed over the butt seam of cabinet skins.

Flat Paint - An interior paint that contains a high proportion of pigment and dries to a flat or lusterless finish.

Flatwork- Common word for concrete floors, driveways, basements, and sidewalks.

Float - To level concrete before it begins to cure- floating is done with a tool called a float.

Float- A tool to apply tile grout.

Float Ball - The floating ball connected to the ballcock inside the tank that rises or falls with changing water levels in the tank, and actuates or shuts off the ballcock as needed.

Floating- The next-to-last stage in concrete work, when you smooth off the job and bring water to the surface by using a hand float or bull float.

Floating Floor - A floor that does not need to be nailed or glued to the subfloor. The term floating floor refers to the installation method, but is often used synonymously with laminate flooring in a domestic context.

Floating Wall - A non-bearing wall built on a concrete floor. It is constructed so that the bottom two horizontal plates can compress or pull apart if the concrete floor moves up or down. Normally built on basements and garage slabs.

Flood Test - The procedure where a controlled amount of water is temporarily retained over a horizontal surface to determine the effectiveness of the waterproofing.

Floor Flange - A fitting that connects a toilet to a floor drain.

Floor Plan - An orthographic section of an intended floor layout with the cutting plane passing through windows and doors.

Fluorescent Lighting - A fluorescent lamp is a gas-filled glass tube with a phosphor coating on the inside. Gas inside the tube is ionized by electricity which causes the phosphor coating to glow. Normally with two pins that extend from each end.

Flue- Large pipe through which fumes escape from a gas water heater, furnace, or fireplace. Normally these flue pipes are double walled, galvanized sheet metal pipe and sometimes referred to as a "B Vent". Fireplace flue pipes are normally triple walled. In addition, nothing combustible shall be within one inch from the flue pipe.

Flue Collar - Round metal ring which fits around the heat flue pipe after the pipe passes out of the roof.

Flue Damper - An automatic door located in the flue that closes it off when the burner turns off; purpose is to reduce heat loss up the flue from the still-warm furnace or boiler.

Flue Lining - 2-foot lengths, fire clay or terra-cotta pipe (round or square) and usually made in all ordinary flue sizes. Used for the inner lining of chimneys with the brick or masonry work done around the outside. Flue linings in chimneys runs from one foot below the flue connection to the top of the chimney.

Flux - Paste applied to copper pipes and fittings before soldering to help the fusion process and prevent oxidation.

Fly Rafters - End rafters of the gable overhang supported by roof sheathing and lookouts.

FOB- Free On Board; without charge for delivery to and placing on board a carrier at a specified point; FOB Jobsite means material cost includes cost of delivery to jobsite.

Footing- The continuous concrete slab that supports all foundation walls

Footprint- The outline of a home's foundation; this means the home's outermost points and is used for site planning.

Forced Air Heating - A common form of heating with natural gas, propane, oil or electricity as a fuel. Air is heated in the furnace and distributed through a set of metal ducts to various areas of the house.

Form- Temporary structure erected to contain concrete during placing and initial hardening.

Form Tie - A steel rod with fasteners on each end, used to hold together the formwork for a concrete wall.

Forstner Bit - A circular wood bit having outer cutters with a very short center point, for drilling shallow holes.

Foundation - The supporting portion of a structure below the first floor construction, or below grade, including the footings.

Foundation Ties - Metal wires that hold the foundation wall panels and rebar in place during the concrete pour.

Foundation Waterproofing - High-quality below-grade moisture protection. Used for below-grade exterior concrete and masonry wall damp-proofing to seal out moisture and prevent corrosion. Normally looks like black tar.

Four-Way Switch - Electrical switches connected between three-way switches in order to control a light from three or more stations.

Foyer- An area just inside the main exterior door for the removal of wraps, overshoes, etc.

Frame Inspection - The act of inspecting the home's structural integrity and it's compliance to local municipal codes.

Framing, Balloon - A system of framing a building in which all vertical structural elements of the bearing walls and partitions consist of single pieces extending from the top of the foundation sill plate to the roof-plate and to which all floor joists are fastened.

Framing Plan - A top view plan of the roof of floor level showing the layout of rafters, ridge, joist headers, trimmers, etc.

Framing, Platform - A system of framing a building in which floor joists of each storey rest on the top plates of the storey below or on the foundation sill for the first storey, and the bearing walls and partitions rest on the sub-floor of each storey.

Framer-The carpenter contractor that installs the lumber and erects the frame, flooring system, interior walls, backing, trusses, rafters, decking, installs all beams, stairs, soffits and all work related to the wood structure of the home. The framer builds the home according to the blueprints and must comply with local building codes and regulations.

Framing- Lumber used for the structural members of a building, such as studs, joists, and rafters.

Freezeless Hose Bib - A faucet designed to supply water to the outside of the structure without danger of freezing in cold temperatures. The faucet is located on the outside of the structure but the valve portion is located inside the heated structure.

French Doors - A set of double doors composed of many small glass panes and narrow stiles.

French Windows - A pair of casement windows that reaches to the floor.

Freon- A registered trademark for a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gas that is highly stable and that has been historically used as a refrigerant.

Frieze- In house construction a horizontal member connecting the top of the siding with the soffit of the cornice.

Frost Lid - Round metal lid that is installed on a water meter pit.

Frost Line - The depth of frost penetration in soil and/or the depth at which the earth will freeze and swell. This depth varies in different parts of the country.

Frost (Concrete) Wall Foundation - This is the most common type of foundation for a custom garage. Prior to pouring the foundation, the site needs to be cleared and footing trenches are dug below grade in according to code (4’ below grade for Ontario) This type of foundation is built using a continuous footing that is set below frost level. A continuous concrete wall or concrete block wall is then built on top of the footing that will typically be exposed above finished ground level about (6” minimum) for water protection. A finished concrete slab is then poured on compacted gravel for a smooth finish inside the garage. Ontario Building Code dictates the thickness of the slab, thickness of the footing, width of the footing, sizing of the wire mesh, thickness of the layer of gravel or sand.

Furring Strips - Strips of wood, often 1 X 2 and used to shim out and provide a level fastening surface for a wall or ceiling.

Fuse- A device often found in older homes designed to prevent overloads in electrical lines. This protects against fire. See also 'circuit breakers'.