Building Technology: Thermal, Moisture, Doors, Windows, Finishes, and Hardware

Vocabulary flashcards covering construction materials, waterproofing, glazing, hardware, and architectural finishes.

Impermeability (Concrete)

The property of concrete or mortar that prevents the passage or flow of water through its pores or voids.

Absorption (Concrete)

The property of drawing in or engrossing water into the pores or voids of mortar or concrete by capillary action or other means.

Sylvester Process

A waterproofing method applying alternate washes of soap and alum solutions to concrete, forming insoluble compounds that seal the pores.

Asphalt Base Clay Emulsions

Waterproofing coatings consisting of minute asphalt particles dispersed in water and suspended by a mineral colloid, drying into a resilient, breathing weatherproof film.

Cutback Asphalts

Waterproofing compounds made of asphalts dissolved in solvents and filled with minerals and fibers to resist water vapor passage.

Bituminous Cement

A black substance composed of mixed indeterminate hydrocarbons soluble in carbon disulfide, used to seal built-up roofing and pavement joints.

Sheet Glass

Flat glass fabricated by drawing molten glass from a furnace or flattening a drawn cylinder, resulting in fire-polished surfaces that are not perfectly parallel.

Plate Glass

Flat glass formed by rolling molten glass into a plate, which is ground and polished after cooling to provide clear, undistorted vision.

Float Glass

Flat glass manufactured by pouring molten glass onto molten tin and cooling slowly, producing parallel surfaces that minimize distortion without grinding.

Tempered Glass

Annealed glass reheated to near softening and rapidly cooled to induce surface compression; it offers 3 to 5 times the strength of annealed glass and breaks into harmless pebble-sized particles.

Laminated Glass

Safety glass consisting of two or more plies of flat glass bonded under heat and pressure to interlayers of polyvinyl butyral resin, which retains fragments if broken.

Spandrel Glass

Opaque glass used to conceal structural elements in curtain wall construction, produced by fusing a ceramic frit to the interior surface of tempered or heat-strengthened glass.

Low-Emissivity Glass

Glass that transmits visible light while selectively reflecting longer wavelengths of radiant heat, produced via a low-e coating.

Common Nail

A cut or wire low-carbon steel nail with a slender plain shank and medium diamond point, used in general construction where finish appearance is unimportant.

Finishing Nail

A slender nail with a brad-type head designed to be set below the surface of wood and filled with putty.

Face-Nailing

A method of fastening in which nails are driven perpendicular to the face of the material being secured.

Blind-Nailing

Nailing in such a manner that the nail heads are concealed and not visible on the finished face of the work.

Toe-Nailing

Nailing obliquely to the surfaces of the materials being joined.

Expansion Bolt

An anchor bolt having an expandable socket or split casing that expands mechanically against the sides of a drilled hole in masonry or concrete.

Toggle Bolt

A fastener equipped with hinged spring-wings that close to pass through a predrilled hole and open on the interior side of a hollow wall.

Butt Hinge

A door hinge consisting of two leaves with alternating knuckles attached by a pin, mounted to the butt edge of a door.

Full Mortise Hinge

A hinge having both leaves fully recessed and mortised into the door edge and door frame.

Mortise Lock

A lockset installed inside a rectangular cavity cut into the edge of a door.

Bored Lock

A lockset (also called a cylindrical lock) installed by boring circular holes through the face and edge of a door.

Door Closer

A device that automatically returns a door to its closed position after opening and controls swinging speed to prevent damage.

Panic Hardware

A door latching mechanism operated by a wide push bar extending across the width of a door to allow rapid emergency egress.

Astragal

A vertical member installed between double doors to seal the joint, serve as a doorstop, or enhance security.

Automatic Door Bottom

A spring-loaded mechanism attached to a door bottom that drops a seal down against the threshold when the door closes.

Chain Door Fastener

A security device attached to a door and jamb that restricts the initial door opening to the length of the attached chain.

Foot Bolt

A locking bolt fixed to the bottom of a door that is engaged or released using foot pressure.

Flush Ring

A door pull mortised flush into a door, featuring a hinged ring that folds flat into the pull cup when released.

Stucco

A mortar consisting of Portland cement, sand, water, and hydrated lime applied to walls in scratch, brown, and finish coats.

Rubbed Finish

A concrete surface finish created by grinding green concrete with a carborundum stone while rubbing in a cement-sand grout.

Terrazzo

A surfacing finish composed of marble chip aggregates embedded in a cement matrix, ground and polished smooth.

Quarry Tile

Unglazed floor tile made from natural clays or shales using the plastic extrusion process, offering high resistance to wear and moisture.

Linoleum

A resilient flooring material consisting of a backing coated with oxidized linseed oil, wood/cork flour, resins, and fillers.

Strip Flooring

Wood flooring consisting of tongue-and-groove boards measuring 6 inches or less in width.

Plank Flooring

Wood flooring consisting of square-edged boards measuring 8 inches or more in width, typically face-nailed.

Parquet Tile Flooring

Block flooring composed of square pieces built up in layers or constructed from assembled wood strips set in mastic or nailed.

Beaded Ceiling Board

Shiplapped wooden ceiling boards made with a decorative bead along the center and joint.

Acoustic Tile

Ceiling or wall tiles made of cellulose fibers, mineral wool, or glass fiber used to control sound by absorption.

Varnish

A transparent coating formed by dissolving resin in drying oil or volatile solvent, drying into a hard, glossy film.

Paint Pigment

The finely ground solid portion of paint that provides color, opacity, and hiding power.

Paint Vehicle

The fluid portion of paint containing binders, driers, and thinners that holds pigment in suspension and forms the film.

Alligatoring

An advanced state of paint checking marked by coarse, broken texturing resembling reptile skin, caused by applying hard finish coats over soft undercoats.

ALPOLIC

A composite panel material featuring aluminum skins bonded to a polyethylene or mineral-filled resin core.