Glossary

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Walk-Through: An inspection to look for and document problems that need to be corrected.

Walkways: A passage or path for walking.

Wall Out: The spray painting of the interior of a home.

Wane: To decrease in strength, intensity, etc.:

Warping: To become bent or twisted out of shape.

Warrantee: One to whom a warranty is made or a warrant is given.

Waste and Overflow: A bathtub drain assembly that has an upper outlet to prevent overflow when filling the tub and a lower outlet to remove waste water when the tub is drained.

Waste Pipe and Vent: Pipes that drain waste water to a municipal sewage system.

Water Board: Water resistant drywall used in tub and shower locations.

Water Closet: An enclosed room or compartment containing a toilet bowl fitted with a mechanism for flushing.

Water Meter Pit (or Vault): The device that contains the water meter.

Water Repellant Coating: A sealer applied to the surface of concrete and masonry surfaces to repel water.

Water Repellent Preservative: A liquid designed to penetrate into wood and provide water repellency.

Water Table: The planar, underground surface beneath which earth materials, as soil or rock, are saturated with water.

Water Tap: A faucet for drawing water from a pipe or cask.

Water Vapor: Water in a gaseous state, especially when diffused as a vapor in the atmosphere and at a temperature below boiling point.

Water-Cement Ratio: The concentration of cement, water and sand present in a mixture of concrete.

Waterproofing: Made of or coated or treated with rubber, plastic, or a sealing agent to prevent penetration by water.

Wattage: The amount of power required to operate an electrical appliance or device.

Wax Ring Job: Replacing a wore wax ring on the toilet with a new one for a improved seal.

WC: The abbreviation for a water closet or toilet.

Weatherization: To make secure against cold or stormy weather, as by adding insulation, siding, and storm windows.

Weatherstrip: Material used to prevent infiltration of air and moisture around windows and doors.

Weep Hole: A hole in a sill, retaining wall, or the like for draining off accumulated moisture, as from condensation or seepage.

Weep Screed: A tool used in draining moisture from concrete.

Weld: To unite or fuse (as pieces of metal) by hammering, compressing, or the like, esp. after rendering soft or pasty by heat, and sometimes with the addition of fusible material like or unlike the pieces to be united.

Well Casing: A pipe used to line a well, preventing it from caving in and protecting ground water from contamination by surface water.

Well Casing Head: A fitting connected to the first string of casings.

Well House: The structure that encloses a well.

Wet or Dry Surface Plastic Roof Cement: A general-purpose exterior repair and maintenance material for damp or dry surfaces.

Wet Seal: A sealant between the glass and sash which forms a weather tight seal.

Whole House Fan: A fan designed to move air through and out of a home normally installed in the ceiling.

Widespread: Used to describe a faucet where the spout and handles are separate and flex hoses are used between the spout and handles to allow adjustable centers.

Wind Bracing: Supports installed inside of a wall from top to bottom, to prevent the wall from twisting, racking, or falling over in a "domino" fashion.

Wind Uplift: The upward force created by wind traveling across a roof.

Window Buck: A temporary box like space installed within a block wall in which a window will eventually be installed during the siding stage of construction.

Window Frame: The frame of a window which receives and holds the sashes or casement.

Window Sash: The sash, or light frame, in which panes of glass are set for windows.

Wire Nut: A plastic device used to connect bare electrical wires.

Wire Size: Method of measuring the conductivity of building wiring in units of AWG (American Wire Gauge). Wheras the larger the number size, the smaller the diameter. For example, 10 is smaller than 8. The larger the diameter of a wire, the lesser the resistance.

Wonderboard™: A panel made out of concrete and fiberglass used as a ceramic tile backing material. For example bathtub decks.

Wood Filler: A material used for leveling off the pores in open pored wood.

Wood Rays: Circular cell strips within a tree that vary in height from a few cells in some species to 4 inches or more in oak.

Wood-Fiber Plaster: A material formulated to produce high-strength coatings for use in highly fire resistant ceiling assemblies.

Work-Life: The optimal time of use for a curing sealant after being mixed with a catalyst.

Woven Valley: Method of construction in which shingles are woven together by overlapping alternate courses.

Wrapped Drywall: Any areas completely covered with drywall, as in the doorway openings of bi-folds and bi-pass closet doors.