Construction Terms R speaks to construction terminology R and construction phrases R.
It is quite simply a list of common home and commercial building construction terminology used by architects, consultants and contractors of all kinds enabling them to speak the same language.
Rate Lock In
A written agreement in which the lender guarantees the borrower a
specified interest rate, provided the loan closes within a set period of time.
Rabbet A rectangular longitudinal groove cut in the corner edge of a board or plank.
Radial Shrinkage In wood, shrinkage perpendicular to the growth rings.
Radiant Barrier A reflective foil or metal placed adjacent to an airspace in roof or wall assemblies as a deterrent to the passage of infrared energy.
Radiant Heating System A method of heating, usually consisting of a forced hot water system with pipes placed in the floor, wall, or ceiling. Also electrically heated panels.
Radiation Energy transmitted from a heat source to the air around it. Radiators actually depend more on convection than radiation.
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Radon A naturally-occurring, heavier than air, radioactive gas common in many parts of the country. Radon gas exposure is associated with lung cancer. Mitigation measures may involve crawl space and basement venting and various forms of vapor barriers.
Radon System A ventilation system beneath the floor of a basement and/or structural wood floor and designed to fan exhaust radon gas to the outside of the home
Raft A mat footing
Rafter Lumber used to support the roof sheeting and roof loads. Generally, 2 X 10's and 2 X 12's are used. The rafters of a flat roof are sometimes called roof joists.
Rafter Hip A rafter that forms the intersection of an external roof angle.
Rafter Valley A rafter that forms the intersection of an internal roof angle. The valley rafter is normally made of double 2-inch-thick members.
Rail Cross members of panel doors or of a sash. Also, a wall or open balustrade placed at the edge of a staircase, walkway bridge, or elevated surface to prevent people from falling off. Any relatively lightweight horizontal element, especially those found in fences (split rail).
Railroad Tie Black, tar and preservative impregnated, 6" X 8" and 6'-8' long wooden timber that was used to hold railroad track in place. Normally used as a member of a retaining wall.
Rake Slope or slanted edge of a steep roof.
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Raked Motor Joint A mortar joint in which mortar has been removed from the portion of the joint closest to the surface of the masonry.
Rake Fascia The vertical face of the sloping end of a roof eave.
Raker A sloping brace for supporting sheeting around an excavation.
Rake Siding The practice of installing lap siding diagonally
Ram A hydraulic piston device used for bending steel, tensioning steel strands in prestressed concrete or lifting heavy loads.
Ranch A single story, one level home.
Rainscreen Siding Siding systems that include a system of internal drainage but not necessarily meeting all the criteria of a pressure equalized wall design.
Ratchet A mechanical device with sloping teeth that allows one piece to be advanced against another in small increments but not to move in the reverse direction.
Ready Mixed Concrete Concrete mixed at a plant or in trucks en route to a job and delivered ready for placement.
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Rebar Reinforcing Bar Ribbed steel bars installed in foundation concrete walls, footers, and poured in place concrete structures designed to strengthen concrete. Comes in various thickness' and strength grade.
Receptacle An electrical outlet. A typical household will have many 120 volt receptacles for plugging in lams and appliances and 240 volt receptacles for the range, clothes dryer, air conditioners, etc.
Recording Fees
The fees paid to have an instrument recorded in the public record
Recording Fee A
charge for recording the transfer of a property, paid to a city, county, or
other appropriate branch of government.
Redline, Red Lined Prints Blueprints that reflect changes and that are marked with red pencil.
Reducer A fitting with different size openings at either end and used to go from a larger to a smaller pipe.
Reflective Coated Glass Glass onto which a thin layer of metal or metal oxide has been deposited to reflect light and/or heat.
Reflective Insulation Sheet material with one or both faces covered with aluminum foil.
Refrigerant A substance that remains a gas at low temperatures and pressure and can be used to transfer heat. Freon is an example and is used in air conditioning systems.
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Register A grill placed over a heating duct or cold air return.
Reglaze To replace a broken window.
Reglet A slot, usually horizontal and inclined in cross section into which a flashing or roof membrane may be inserted in a concrete or masonry surface.
Reimbursable
Expenses (or Costs)
Amounts expended for or on account of the project which, in accordance with the
terms of the appropriate agreement, are to be reimbursed by the owner.
Reinforced Brick Masonry (RBM) Brickwork into which steel bars have been embedded to impart tensile strength to the construction.
Reinforced Concrete Concrete work into which steels bars have been embedded to impart tensile strength to the construction.
Relative Humidity A percentage representing the ratio of the amount of water vapor contained in a mass of air to the maximum amount of water it could contain under the existing conditions of temperature and pressure.
Release
of Lien
A written action properly executed by and individual or firm supplying labor,
materials or professional services on a project which releases his mechanic's
lien against the project property. (see Mechanic's Lien)
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Relief Valve A device designed to open if it detects excess temperature or pressure.
Relieved Back A longitudinal groove or series of grooves cut from the back of a flat wood molding or flooring strip to minimize cupping forces and make the piece easier to fit to a flat surface.
Remote Remote electrical, gas, or water meter digital readouts that are installed near the front of the home in order for utility companies to easily read the home owners usage of the service.
Removable Glazing Panel A framed sheet of glass that can be attached to a window sash to increase its thermal insulating properties.
Replacement Cost Estimate
A cost of constructing a building or structure that would have similar utility,
but constructed with modern materials, current building standards, design and
layout less depreciation. A land value and cost of on-site improvements can be
added if desired.
Replacement Window A window unit that is designed to be installed easily in an opening left in a wall by a deteriorated window unit that has been removed.
Repointing The process of removing deteriorated mortar from the zone near the surface of a brick wall and inserting fresh mortar.
Reshoring Inserting temporary supports under concrete beams and slabs after the formwork has been removed to prevent overloading prior to full curing of the concrete.
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Resident
Architect
An architect permanently assigned at a job site who supervises the construction
work for the purpose of protecting the owner's interests during construction.
Resident
Engineer (inspector)
An individual permanently assigned at a job site for the purpose of
representing the owner's interests during the construction phase. (see Owner's
Inspector)
Resilient Clip A springy mounting device for plaster or gypsum board that helps reduce the transmission of sound vibrations through a wall or ceiling.
Resilient Flooring A manufactured sheet or tile flooring made of asphalt, polyvinyl chloride, linoleum, rubber or other elastic material.
Resin A natural or synthetic, solid or semisolid organic material of high molecular weight used in the manufacture of paints, varnishes and plastics.
Restraightening A step in the finishing of concrete slabs for the purpose of removing minor undulations produced during floating and troweling.
Retainage
Amounts withheld from progress billings until final and
satisfactory project completion
Retaining Wall A structure that holds back a slope and prevents erosion.
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Retarding Admixture An admixture used to slow the curing of concrete, mortar or plaster.
Retentions Amounts withheld from progress billings until final and satisfactory project completion.
R Factor or Value A measure of a materials resistance to the passage of heat. New homewalls are usually insulated with 4" of batt insulation with an R value of R-13, and a ceiling insulation of R-30.
Ribbon (girt) Normally a 1 X 4 board let into the studs horizontally to support the ceiling or second-floor joists.
Ridge The horizontal line at the junction of the top edges of two sloping roof surfaces.
Ridge Beam A structural beam supporting the upper ends of rafters in a sloped roof, required where the rafters are not tied at their lower ends.
Ridge Board The board placed on the ridge of the roof onto which the upper ends of other rafters are fastened.
Ridge Shingles Shingles used to cover the ridge board.
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Ridge Vent A screened water shielded ventilation opening that runs continuously along the ridge of a gable roof.
Rigid Connection A fully restrained moment connection.
Rigid Frame Two columns and a beam or beams attached to one another with moment connections, a moment resisting frame.
Rim Joist A joist that runs around the perimeter of the floor joists and home.
Rise The vertical distance from the eaves line to the ridge. Also the vertical distance from stair tread to stair tread (and not to exceed 7 ½").
Riser Each of the vertical boards closing the spaces between the treads of stairways.
Riser and Panel The exterior vertical pipe (riser) and metal electric box (panel) the electrician provides and installs at the "Rough Electric" stage.
Rivet A structural fastener on which a second head is formed after the fastener is in place.
Road Base A aggregate mixture of sand and stone.
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Rock Anchor A rod or cable inserted into a rock formation for the purpose of tying it together.
Rock 1, 2, 3 When referring to drywall, this means to install drywall to the walls and ceilings (with nails and screws), and before taping is performed.
Rock Wool An insulating material manufactured by forming fibers from molten rock.
Roll, Rolling To install the floor joists or trusses in their correct place. (To "roll the floor" means to install the floor joists).
Roll Roofing Asphalt roofing products manufactured in roll form. 36-inch wide rolls with and 108 square feet of material. Weights are generally 45 to 90 pounds per roll.
Romex A name brand of nonmetallic sheathed electrical cable that is used for indoor wiring.
Roofer One who installs roof coverings.
Roofing The material used to make roof watertight, such as shingles, slate, tiles, sheet metal or a roof membrane. The act of applying roofing.
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Roof Jack Sleeves that fit around the black plumbing waste vent pipes at, and are nailed to, the roof sheeting.
Roof Joist The rafters of a flat roof. Lumber used to support the roof sheeting and roof loads. Generally, 2 X 10's and 2 X 12's are used.
Roof Membrane A waterproof sheet or multiply assembly that protects a low slope roof from water penetration.
Roof Sheathing or Sheeting The wood panels or sheet material fastened to the roof rafters or trusses on which the shingle or other roof covering is laid.
Roof Valley The "V" created where two sloping roofs meet.
Roof Window Either an openable glazed unit installed in the sloping surface or a roof or more specifically a glazed roof unit with the inward sash operation to allow easy cleaning.
Roll Out
A loose term used to describe the rapid succession (completion) of similar
projects over a given time period.
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Rotary Sliced Veneer A thin sheet of wood produced by rotating a log against a long sharp knife blade in a lathe.
Rough Arch An arch made from masonry units that are rectangular rather than wedge shaped.
Rough Carpentry Framing carpentry as distinguished from finished carpentry.
Roughing In The installation of mechanical, electrical and plumbing components that will not be exposed to view in the finished building.
Rough Opening The horizontal and vertical measurement of a window or door opening before drywall or siding is installed.
Rough Sill The framing member at the bottom of a rough opening for a window. It is attached to the cripple studs below the rough opening.
Roughing In The initial stage of a plumbing, electrical, heating, carpentry, and/or other project, when all components that won't be seen after the second finishing phase are assembled. See also Heat Rough, Plumbing Rough, and Electrical Rough.
Rowlock A brick laid on its long edge, with its end exposed in the face of the wall.
RSI Value The metric equivalent of R value.
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Rubberized Underlayment An adhered bituminous sheet material that self heals around nails, applied to roof sheathing to prevent the entry of water, also called ice and water shield.
Rubble Unsquared stone.
Run, Roof The horizontal distance from the eaves to a point directly under the ridge. One half the span.
Run, Stair The horizontal distance of a stair tread from the nose to the riser.
Runner Channel A steel member from which furring channels and lath are supported in a suspended plaster ceiling.
Running Bond Brickwork consisting entirely of stretchers.
Runoff Bar One of a pair of small rectangular steel bars attached temporarily at the end of a prepared groove for the purpose of permitting the groove to be filled to its very end with weld metal.
Run Plaster Ornament A linear molding produced by passing a profiled sheet metal or plastic template back and forth across a mass of wet plaster.
R Value A measure of insulation. A measure of a materials resistance to the passage of heat. The higher the R value, the more insulating "power" it has. For example, typical new home's walls are usually insulated with 4" of batt insulation with an R value of R-13, and a ceiling insulation of R-30.
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R.R.
1. An abbreviation for Request for Information.
2. A written request from a contractor to the owner or architect for
clarification or information about the contract documents following contract
award.
RFP
1. An abbreviation for Request for Proposal.
2.
A written request from the requestor (usually the owner or a contractor) to a
contractor, design professional or subcontractor for an estimate or cost
proposal. The RFP usually contains a specific scope of work.
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