Glossary – T
Tab: The exposed portion of strip shingles defined by cutouts.
Technically Exhaustive: A home inspection is technically exhaustive when it involves the extensive use of measurements, instruments, testing, calculations and other means to develop scientific or engineering findings. conclusions and recommendations.
Termite Shield: A metal sheet that is placed in the exterior walls of a house near ground level, usually under the sill, to prevent terminates from entering the house.
Terrace: A finished, but unroofed, outdoor area adjacent to, and accessible from a house or other structure; usually at grade or slightly elevate.
Terrazzo: A floor material made of small fragments of colored stone or marble that are embedded in cement and polished to a high glaze.
Texture: To form a patterned, raised surface on stucco, plaster, gypsum board or paint.
Thermal: Of or pertaining to heat or temperature.
Thermal Insulation: Material that has a high resistance to the passage of heat; used to block the passage of heat from a warm building to the exterior when outdoor temperatures are low and the entrance of heat into a cooled interior when outside temperatures are high.
Thermocouple: A device consisting of two junctions of dissimilar metals. When the two junctions are at different temperatures, a voltage is generated. Used in controlling gas valves.
Thermostat: A device that is electrically operated and actuated by thermal conduction or convection and automatically acts to establish and maintain a desired temperature.
Thermostatically Controlled Ventilator: A ventilator normally found in the attic that goes on and off automatically depending upon the temperature.
Three-Dimensional Shingles: See Laminated Shingles
Threshold: A strip of wood, stone or metal that is placed beneath a door.
Thumbscrew: Screw with a special head that can be turned with thumb and forefinger.
Tie: A device that joins two or more structural members; e.g., timber, rod, chain, clip, wire.
Tie Beam: A structural member used to hold two separated members together.
Tile: Originally, a molded and burned clay or cement used for flooring, facing walls, roofing and trim; commonly, includes tile made of many different materials, e.g., asphalt, plastic, vinyl, fiberglass and used for a number of purposes, e.g., filed tile sewer tile, ceiling tile, acoustical tile, roofing tile.
Toenail: Driving a nail at an angle into the corner of one wood-frame member in order for the nail to penetrate into a second member.
Tool: To finish a mortared joint in masonry, leaving an impression of the finished tool.
Top Lap: That portion of the roofing covered by the succeeding course after installation.
TPRV: Temperature, pressure, relief valve. A safety valve found on modern hot water heaters that will relieve hot water pressure when the temperature or pressure reaches 210 deg Fahrenheit or 150 PSI, respectively.
Trailer: A mobile home, a house trailer.
Transformer: Electrical device that raises or lowers voltage in a circuit.
Traverse Window: A type of window containing two movable sashes set in separate grooves, permitting the windows to slide past each other horizontally.
Tread: The horizontal board in a stairway on which the foot is placed.
Trim: The visible finishing work on the interior of a building; includes all wood, metal or plastic ornamental parts used to cover joints between jambs and plaster around windows and doors may also include hardware.
Truss: A structural member utilizing triangular shapes to gain strength with a minimum amount of material.
Tuck Pointing: Inserting mortar between courses of masonry.
