Home Building Glossary

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Solid Surface
A type of cabinet countertop, engineered from heat-formed plastics.

 

Spec House
A house built on ”speculation” of sale on the open market, without features customized for specific individuals.

Spray Foam
A type of wall, floor, or attic insulation, sprayed into place, which expands and solidifies to fill space.

Square Corners / Walls
Corners that form a true right angle (90 degree) and walls that form a true parallel line with other walls running the same direction.

 

Stamped Concrete
A type of decorative concrete, in which wet concrete is pressed with forms to create patterns, or simulate stone or brick work.

Stem Wall
A raised section of floor on a concrete slab, typically used to elevate garage walls.

Stick-Built
House framing technique, usually denoting roof framing, in which framing is done on site, assembled piece by piece, as opposed to use of prefabricated wall sections and trusses.

Stucco
A cement-based plaster mix used as a house veneer, either sprayed on or hand-applied.

Stud
A 2x4 piece of lumber, mill cut to specific lengths to use as vertical members of walls.

Structured Wiring
A system of phone, cable, video, audio, data, satellite, and internet, integrated into a single home communication network.

Subcontractor (sub)
A contractor licensed to perform only a specialty building trade, such as plumbing, electric, HVAC.

Subfloor
The base plywood floor, supported by floor joists, to which finished flooring is affixed.

 

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z