Word | Definition |
Gable | A triangular wall enclosed by the sloping ends of a ridged roof or a triangular decorative feature.
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Gable | The end, upper, triangular area of a home, beneath the roof. |
Gable roof | A ridged roof that forms a triangle at each end.
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Gag rules | A provision in contracts signed by new buyers that prohibits the owners from publicizing complaints about the builder.
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Gag rules | A provision in contracts signed by new buyers that prohibits the owners from publicizing complaints about the builder.
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Galvanize | To coat a metal with zinc by dipping it in molten zinc after cleaning |
Gambrel roof | A roof with two slopes, often seen on barns.
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Gambrel Roof | A type of roof which has its slope broken by an obtuse angle, so that the lower slope is steeper than the upper slope. A double sloped roof having two pitches. |
Gang nail plate | A steel plate attached to both sides at each joint of a truss. Sometimes called a fishplate or gussett. |
Gas lateral | The trench or area in the yard where the gas line service is located, or the work of installing the gas service to a home. |
Gaskets | Pre-formed shapes, such as strips, grommets, etc., of rubber or rubber-like composition, used to fill and seal a joint or opening either alone or in conjunction with a supplemental application of a sealant |
Gate valve | A valve that lets you completely stop—but not modulate—the flow within a pipe. |
Gauge | The thickness of sheet metal and wire, etc. |
Gauge Board (Spot Board) | Board used to carry grout needed to patch small jobs. |
General contractor | The person who hires all of the subcontractors and suppliers for a project.
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General contractor | The person who hires all of the subcontractors and suppliers for a project.
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General Contractor | A contractor who enters into a contract with the owner of a project for the construction of the project and who takes full responsibility for its completion, although the contractor may enter into subcontracts with others for the performance of specific parts or phases of the project. |
General plan | A government's long-range land-use plan.
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General plan | A government's long-range land-use plan.
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Geodesic dome | A structure constructed of lightweight bars forming a grid of polygons.
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Georgian style | Popular throughout the 18th century, this type of architecture is distinguished by a symmetrical facade, prominent front entrance and quoins-decorative blocks of masonry or wood set in the corners of the house.
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GFI or GFCI | Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters - Special devices capable of opening a circuit when even a small amount of current is flowing through the grounding system. |
GFRC | Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete; Material used in wall systems that resembles but generally does not perform as well as concrete. Usually a thin cementitious material laminated to plywood or other lightweight backing. |
Gift | A cash gift a buyer receives from a relative or other source. Lenders usually require a "gift letter" stating that the money will not have to be repaid.
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Gift | A cash gift a buyer receives from a relative or other source. Lenders usually require a "gift letter" stating that the money will not have to be repaid.
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Gingerbread decoration | An intricate, almost lacy, wood trim.
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Girder | A large or principal beam of wood or steel used to support concentrated loads at isolated points along its length. |
Girder | A large or principal beam of wood or steel used to support concentrated loads at isolated points along its length. |
Girders | Crossbeams that support floor joists.
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Girders | Crossbeams that support floor joists.
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Glazing | The process of installing glass, which commonly is secured with glazier's points and glazing compound. |
Globe valve | A valve that lets you adjust the flow of water to any rate between fully on and fully off. Also see gate valve. |
Gloss enamel | A finishing paint material. Forms a hard coating with maximum smoothness of surface and dries to a sheen or luster (gloss) |
Glued Laminated Beam (Glulam) | A structural beam composed of wood laminations or lams. The lams are pressure bonded with adhesives to attain a typical thickness of 1 ˝" . (It looks like 5 or more 2 X 4's are glued together). |
Good-faith estimate | An estimate from an institutional lender that shows the costs a borrower will incur, including loan-processing charges and inspection fees.
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Good-faith estimate | An estimate from an institutional lender that shows the costs a borrower will incur, including loan-processing charges and inspection fees.
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Government National Mortgage Association | Commonly known as Ginnie Mae, this agency buys home loans from lenders, pools them with other loans and sells shares to investors. Ginnie Mae differs from its cousins, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, in that it only purchases loans backed by the federal government.
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Government National Mortgage Association | Commonly known as Ginnie Mae, this agency buys home loans from lenders, pools them with other loans and sells shares to investors. Ginnie Mae differs from its cousins, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, in that it only purchases loans backed by the federal government.
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Grace period | A specified amount of time to make a loan payment after its due date without penalty.
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Grace period | A specified amount of time to make a loan payment after its due date without penalty.
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Grade | The elevation of land above level ground.
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Grade | Ground level, or the elevation at any given point. Also the work of leveling dirt. Also the designated quality of a manufactured piece of wood. |
Grade beam | A foundation wall that is poured @ level with or just below the grade of the earth. An example is the area where the 8' or 16' overhead garage door "block out" is located, or a lower (walk out basement) foundation wall is poured |
Grade level | The flat or sloping surface upon which a house is built.
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Graduated Payment Mortgage (GPM) | - A fixed-rate, fixed-schedule loan. It starts with lower payments than a level payment loan; payments rise annually, with the entire increase being used to reduce the outstanding balance. The increase in payments may enable the borrower to pay off a 30-year loan in 15 to 20 years, or less. |
Graduated-payment mortgage (GPM) | A mortgage that requires a borrower to make larger monthly payments over the term of the loan. The payment is unusually low for the first few years but gradually rises until year three or five, then remains fixed.
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Graduated-payment mortgage (GPM) | A mortgage that requires a borrower to make larger monthly payments over the term of the loan. The payment is unusually low for the first few years but gradually rises until year three or five, then remains fixed.
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Grain | The direction, size, arrangement, appearance, or quality of the fibers in wood. |
Granny flat | Slang term for a separate unit in a house or above the garage, which in the past may have been occupied by an elderly
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Grantee | The person(s) or entity acquiring title to real property by a deed. (Buyer)
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Grantee | The person(s) or entity acquiring title to real property by a deed. (Buyer)
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Grantor | The person(s) or entity transferring title to real property by a deed. (Seller)
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Grantor | The person(s) or entity transferring title to real property by a deed. (Seller)
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Greek Revival style | A style introduced in the U.S. at the end of the 18th century. Its most prominent feature is a pillar-anchored pediment forming a portico in the front of the house.
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Greenbelt | Any stretch of park, open space or other natural setting in a community.
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Grid | The completed assembly of main and cross tees in a suspended ceiling system before the ceiling panels are installed. Also the decorative slats (munton) installed between glass panels. |
Gross income | The total income of a household before taxes or expenses are subtracted.
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Gross income | The total income of a household before taxes or expenses are subtracted.
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Ground | Refers to electricity's habit of seeking the shortest route to earth. Neutral wires carry it there in all circuits. An additional grounding wire or the sheathing of the metal-clad cable or conduit—protects against shock if the neutral leg is interrupted. |
Ground fault | Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI, GFI)- an ultra sensitive plug designed to shut off all electric current. Used in bathrooms, kitchens, exterior waterproof outlets, garage outlets, and "wet areas". Has a small reset button on the plug. |
Ground fault circuit interrupter | Devices that detect leakage of electrical current to the ground and prevent accidental shock.
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Ground iron | The plumbing drain and waste lines that are installed beneath the basement floor. Cast iron was once used, but black plastic pipe (ABS) is now widely used. |
Ground rent | The amount of money paid for the use of a piece of property when it is a leasehold estate.
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Ground rent | The amount of money paid for the use of a piece of property when it is a leasehold estate.
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Ground System | The connection of current-carrying neutral wire to the grounding terminal in the main switch which in turn is connected to a water pipe. The neutral wire is called the ground wire. |
Grounding Rod | Rod used to ground an electrical panel. |
Groundwater | Water from an aquifer or subsurface water source. |
Group home | A single-family residence used as a living space for unrelated, developmentally disabled or mentally disabled people.
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Group home | A single-family residence used as a living space for unrelated, developmentally disabled or mentally disabled people.
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Grout | A wet mixture of cement, sand and water that flows into masonry or ceramic crevices to seal the cracks between the different pieces. Mortar made of such consistency (by adding water) that it will flow into the joints and cavities of the masonry work and fill them solid. |
Growing-equity mortgage | A fixed rate mortgage that increases payments over a specific period of time. The extra funds are applied to the principal.
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Growing-equity mortgage | A fixed rate mortgage that increases payments over a specific period of time. The extra funds are applied to the principal.
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Guarantee mortgage | A loan guaranteed by a third party, such as a government institution.
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Guarantee mortgage | A loan guaranteed by a third party, such as a government institution.
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Gun Consistency | Sealant formulated in a degree of viscosity suitable for application through the nozzle of a caulking gun. |
Gunite | A construction material composed of cement, sand or crushed slag and water mixed together and forced through a cement gun by pneumatic pressure, used in the construction of swimming pools. |
Gusset | A flat wood, plywood, or similar type member used to provide a connection at the intersection of wood members. Most commonly used at joints of wood trusses. They are fastened by nails, screws, bolts, or adhesives. |
Gutter | A shallow channel or conduit of metal or wood set below and along the (fascia) eaves of a house to catch and carry off rainwater from the roof. |
Gutter Strap | Metal bands used to support the gutter. |
Gutters | Horizontal channels installed at the edge of a roof to carry rainwater or melted snow away from the house.
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Guy Wire | A strong steel wire or cable strung from an anchor on the roof to any tall slender projection for the purpose of support. |
Gyp board | Drywall. Wall board or gypsum- A panel (normally 4' X 8', 10', 12', or 16')made with a core of Gypsum (chalk-like) rock, which covers interior walls and ceilings. |
Gypsum | See Drywall |
Gypsum Keene Cement | Material used to obtain a smooth finish coat of plaster, for use over gypsum plastic base coats only and in areas not subject to moisture. It is the hardest plaster. |
Gypsum plaster | Gypsum formulated to be used with the addition of sand and water for base-coat plaster. |
