Glossary, 124 terms
Home inspection terms: F
Each definition is the Key Term from the lesson named under it. Where two lessons define a term for different uses, both are here.
- Face frame
- The frame of stiles and rails around a cabinet front.
Lesson 18B, Cabinets, Countertops and Smart Home Scope - Faced batt
- A batt with a one-sided vapor retarder.
Lesson 14C, Insulation Materials - Factory assembled skylight
- A skylight assembled by its manufacturer, glazed with rigid plastic and usually supplied with flashing.
Lesson 10B, Skylights - Factory-built fireplace
- 1. A metal cabinet containing the hearth, connected to a metal chimney designed to work with it.
Lesson 39A, Fireplace Types and Terms, Firebox, Hearth and Clearances - 2. A wood-burning fireplace whose metal cabinet, metal chimney, and refractory panels are tested together as one system, also called a prefabricated or prefab fireplace.
Lesson 40A, Factory-Built Fireplaces and Chimneys - False (nuisance) alarm
- A smoke alarm activation caused by burning candles, cooking, or a similar activity rather than a fire.
Lesson 42, Life Safety Systems: Egress, Fire Separation, Alarms and Sprinklers - False alarm (nuisance alarm)
- An alarm set off by an activity other than fire, such as burning candles or cooking.
Lesson 27A, Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms, Load Controllers and Generators - Fanlight window
- The usual name for a semicircular window.
Lesson 5B, Windows, Window Flashing, Glazing, Window Wells, Escape Openings and Fall Protection - Farmhouse (apron)
- A sink style set in a countertop opening with the sink front left exposed.
Lesson 35C, Sinks - Fascia
- The vertical trim on the rafter ends of a boxed cornice.
Lesson 4C, Exterior Trim, Flashing and Sealants, Eaves and Cornice - Fascia (eaves)
- Trim running vertically at the eave ends.
Lesson 4A, Exterior Scope and Terms, Adhered Masonry Veneer, Metal and Asbestos Cement Siding and Brick Veneer - Faucet
- A valve from whose outlet water flows through the air.
Lesson 34A, Plumbing Scope and Plumbing Terms - Features
- The attributes of a product or a service.
Lesson 22, Ethics, Starting a Business and Marketing - Federal employer identification number (EIN)
- A number that identifies a business, issued by the IRS and required of every business with employees.
Lesson 22, Ethics, Starting a Business and Marketing - Feeder conductors
- 1. Conductors that supply another panelboard from the service equipment or a panelboard.
Lesson 23A, Electrical Terms and Basic Electricity - 2. The conductors from the service equipment to the main panelboard when the two are in separate cabinets.
Lesson 23B, Grounding, Bonding and the Electrical Service - Fenestration
- 1. Windows, doors, skylights, and other openings in the walls and roof.
Lesson 14A, Insulation Scope and Terms, R-Value and How Insulation Works - 2. The windows and doors of a house.
Lesson 15A, Insulation Defects, Water-Resistive Barriers, Radiant Barriers and Fenestration - Ferrule
- 1. The tube the spike passes through in the spike and ferrule method.
Lesson 9C, Roof Drainage: Gutters, Scuppers and Internal Drains - 2. The compression ring of a compression fitting.
Lesson 34A, Plumbing Scope and Plumbing Terms - Fiber cement roofing
- A roof covering sold as a lighter alternative to tile, slate, and wood shakes and shingles.
Lesson 8B, Steep Slope Roofing: Fiber Cement and Metal - Fiber cement siding
- Siding seen most often as horizontal laps, 5/16 to 1/2 inch thick.
Lesson 4B, Fiber Cement, Hardboard, Insulbrick, Stucco, EIFS, Vinyl, Wood and Wood Structural Panel Siding - Fiduciary relationship
- A relationship in which one person is duty bound to act for another's benefit on matters relevant to it.
Lesson 21A, Business Law, Claims and Liability - Field assembled skylight
- A skylight assembled on site, flashed on site, and usually glazed with glass.
Lesson 10B, Skylights - Field tile
- A tile not at the perimeter, which may not need a fastener when battens support it.
Lesson 8A, Steep Slope Roofing: Asphalt Shingles and Tile - Field-constructed pan
- A shower pan built on site from one of several materials.
Lesson 35B, Showers and Tub/Showers - Fill tube
- An optional tube from the fill valve to the overflow tube.
Lesson 35D, Toilets and Bidets - Fill valve (ball cock)
- The valve that lets a toilet tank refill after a flush.
Lesson 35D, Toilets and Bidets - Fill valve assembly
- The tank part made up of the fill valve, the ball or float, and the fill tube.
Lesson 35D, Toilets and Bidets - Fill-in components
- The parts of a guard that fill the space below the top rail, down to the bottom rail or floor.
Lesson 18A, Stairs, Ramps, Handrails and Guards - Filler block
- A wood block between the webs of a double I-joist where a joist hanger attaches another joist.
Lesson 12B, I-Joists, SCL, Glulam and Floor Trusses - Filler strip
- A strip at an interior corner that keeps the doors and drawers of one cabinet run from interfering with those of the other.
Lesson 18B, Cabinets, Countertops and Smart Home Scope - Filter (screen)
- A device at some septic tank outlets that helps keep solids and scum out of the drain field pipes.
Lesson 38D, Septic Systems - Filter membrane
- A sheet over the top of the gravel in a gravel foundation drain.
Lesson 11C, Basement Foundations, Materials, Waterproofing and Defects - Finger jointing
- Making trim from pieces of wood glued together.
Lesson 17A, Interior Walls, Ceilings, Drywall, Plaster and Trim - Finger joints
- Glued tongue-and-groove like cuts joining short lumber pieces into one stud.
Lesson 12D, Wood Wall Framing, Bracing and Wall Defects - Finish coat
- The third and last plaster coat.
Lesson 17A, Interior Walls, Ceilings, Drywall, Plaster and Trim - Fire eye
- Another name for the cadmium cell.
Lesson 32C, Oil Burners - Fire pot
- Another name for the refractory chamber.
Lesson 32C, Oil Burners - Fire safety check valve
- A valve that may go on the return pipe of a two-pipe oil system.
Lesson 32C, Oil Burners - Fire separation
- 1. Construction or distance that slows the spread of fire between a garage and the house, or between buildings.
Lesson 12C, Wall Systems, Fireblocking and Fire Separation - 2. Approved fire-resistant construction, or distance, that slows fire spreading from a garage into the house or between buildings.
Lesson 42, Life Safety Systems: Egress, Fire Separation, Alarms and Sprinklers - Fire sprinkler system
- A fire suppression system that the IRC requires in all new houses.
Lesson 35H, Cisterns, Water Quality and Fire Sprinklers - Fire suppression (fire sprinkler) system
- A plumbing related system that, with all its components, is outside the scope of a home inspection.
Lesson 42, Life Safety Systems: Egress, Fire Separation, Alarms and Sprinklers - Fireblocking
- 1. Material that slows fire in concealed vertical spaces and long concealed horizontal spaces by reducing air flow.
Lesson 12C, Wall Systems, Fireblocking and Fire Separation - 2. Material that isolates a framing cavity used for air from other concealed spaces.
Lesson 29, Air Distribution Systems, Ducts, Returns and Filters - 3. Material in concealed spaces that reduces air flow to slow fire and its hot gasses.
Lesson 42, Life Safety Systems: Egress, Fire Separation, Alarms and Sprinklers - Fireblocking (firestop)
- Material installed at every floor level and at the chimney's entry into the attic, usually square metal from the fireplace manufacturer.
Lesson 40A, Factory-Built Fireplaces and Chimneys - Firebox
- The hearth and the walls above it, up to the throat.
Lesson 39A, Fireplace Types and Terms, Firebox, Hearth and Clearances - Fireplace
- An opening at the bottom of a chimney where wood or another solid fuel may be burned.
Lesson 39A, Fireplace Types and Terms, Firebox, Hearth and Clearances - Fireplace cabinet
- The metal cabinet of a factory-built fireplace, listed for combustible floors.
Lesson 40A, Factory-Built Fireplaces and Chimneys - Fireplace insert
- 1. A wood-burning stove made to install in a masonry fireplace.
Lesson 33E, Steam Boiler Components, Solid Fuel and Related Components - 2. An appliance installed into a masonry or factory-built firebox that burns wood, wood pellets, or gas.
Lesson 40B, Draft Problems, Fireplace Inserts, Wood and Pellet Stoves - Fireplace surround (breast)
- The structure visible over and beside a firebox opening.
Lesson 39A, Fireplace Types and Terms, Firebox, Hearth and Clearances - Fitting
- A part that joins two or more pipes.
Lesson 34A, Plumbing Scope and Plumbing Terms - Fixed (stationary) window
- A window whose glazing does not move or open.
Lesson 5B, Windows, Window Flashing, Glazing, Window Wells, Escape Openings and Fall Protection - Fixed expenses
- Costs of keeping the business open that change little or not at all with the number of inspections.
Lesson 22, Ethics, Starting a Business and Marketing - Fixed load
- An electrical load that may impose no more than 50 percent of a general branch circuit.
Lesson 33A, Electric Heating Systems - Fixture arm
- The drain pipe from a sink to the rear wall of the sink base, which for a disposer should end below its drainage outlet.
Lesson 41B, Microwave Ovens, Exhaust Hoods, Disposers, Trash Compactors, Refrigerators and Freezers - Fixture drain
- 1. The drainage pipe that carries waste onward from a fixture's trap.
Lesson 35B, Showers and Tub/Showers - 2. The drain from a fixture, usually not more than 5 feet in length for a bathroom sink, or 6 feet for any other sink.
Lesson 35C, Sinks - 3. The pipe from the trap outlet to the vent connection.
Lesson 38A, Traps and Fixture Drains - Fixture drain (soil) pipe
- For a toilet, the pipe the closet flange connects to.
Lesson 35D, Toilets and Bidets - Fixture drain (trap arm)
- 1. The pipe from the trap of a fixture to the next drainage pipe.
Lesson 34A, Plumbing Scope and Plumbing Terms - 2. The pipe that carries material from a fixture trap to another drainage pipe.
Lesson 38C, Vent Systems, Vent Connections and Air Admittance Valves - Fixture outlet effective opening
- The opening at the tip of a supply fixture from which an air gap is measured.
Lesson 35E, Standpipes, Floor Drains and Backflow Prevention - Fixture shutoff valve
- An accessible valve on the hot and cold supply pipes of a fixture or appliance; bathtubs and showers are excepted.
Lesson 34C, PB, Brass and Lead Pipe, Water Connectors and Valves - Flame retention head
- The newer spinning disk configuration, adopted to increase burner efficiency.
Lesson 32C, Oil Burners - Flame roll-out sensor
- A sensor that some newer gas control valves may connect to.
Lesson 36B, Electric and Gas Storage Tank Water Heaters - Flame-rollout sensor
- A silver-colored button near the burners that shuts off the furnace on excess heat; also called a limit or spill switch.
Lesson 31A, Gas Appliance Categories and Gas Forced-Air Furnaces - Flammable vapor ignition resistant (FVIR)
- A construction that, after 1 July 2003, most 30 to 50 gallon gas water heaters should have, with the combustion chamber visible only through a small view port.
Lesson 36B, Electric and Gas Storage Tank Water Heaters - Flanges (I-joist)
- The wood strips along the top and bottom of an I-joist, grooved to hold the web.
Lesson 12B, I-Joists, SCL, Glulam and Floor Trusses - Flapper style valve
- The usual type of toilet flush valve.
Lesson 35D, Toilets and Bidets - Flared fitting
- 1. A joint made by widening a tube end and holding it on a flare fitting with a nut.
Lesson 34A, Plumbing Scope and Plumbing Terms - 2. A copper tubing fitting usually used at a valve or similar stationary component.
Lesson 34B, Pipe Supports, Copper, CPVC, Galvanized Steel and PEX - Flashing
- A barrier against water infiltration that is long term and maintenance-free and, properly installed, should last a long time without replacement.
Lesson 4C, Exterior Trim, Flashing and Sealants, Eaves and Cornice - Flashing cement
- The roofing cement that is usually thicker, meant for vertical surfaces.
Lesson 8A, Steep Slope Roofing: Asphalt Shingles and Tile - Flat plate collector
- An insulated box holding pipes with black metal fins, which heat the water moving through them.
Lesson 27B, Alternative Energy Systems: Solar PV, Wind and Solar Water Heating - Flat roof covering
- An inaccurate name for a low slope roof covering.
Lesson 9A, Low Slope Roofing: Built-Up Membranes and Roll Roofing - Flat tile
- A tile, also called shingle tile, whose sides are flat or grooved to lock together.
Lesson 8A, Steep Slope Roofing: Asphalt Shingles and Tile - Flexible appliance connector (FAC)
- 1. A connector between the gas supply and one appliance, with factory installed fittings on both ends and visible corrugation.
Lesson 38F, Gas Pipe Materials: Black Steel, Copper and CSST - 2. A connector intended to join a gas appliance to the gas distribution piping, installed as its manufacturer's instructions direct.
Lesson 38G, Other Gas Pipes, Connectors, Valves and Gas Pipe Installation - Flexible coiled (annealed) tube
- The flexible form of copper tubing, the same material as rigid drawn tube.
Lesson 34B, Pipe Supports, Copper, CPVC, Galvanized Steel and PEX - Flexible cord
- A cable, extension cords included, that usually has stranded conductors and an attachment plug and joins an appliance to an outlet.
Lesson 25A, Wiring Methods, Cables and Raceways - Flexible duct (flex)
- Round duct made of a wire-reinforced plastic tube, fiberglass insulation, and an outer vapor retarder.
Lesson 29, Air Distribution Systems, Ducts, Returns and Filters - Flexible metal conduit (FMC)
- A flexible tube of helically wound interlocking steel or aluminum.
Lesson 25A, Wiring Methods, Cables and Raceways - Flexible Type B vent connector
- A Type B vent connector that can be bent; installed per the manufacturer's instructions.
Lesson 32B, Vent Connectors, Category III and IV Vents and Direct Vent Terminations - Flexible water connector
- The connector that usually follows the stop valve in a toilet water supply.
Lesson 35D, Toilets and Bidets - Flight of stairs
- The risers and treads from one landing to the next.
Lesson 18A, Stairs, Ramps, Handrails and Guards - Float and thermostatic trap
- A trap on the dry return pipe of a two pipe system that passes air and water and holds back steam; abbreviated F&T trap.
Lesson 33D, Steam Distribution Components, Vents and Traps - Float switch
- 1. The evaporative cooler control for the water supply.
Lesson 28B, Cooling Systems: Inspecting Equipment and Typical Defects - 2. A switch that starts a condensate pump as the water inside the pump rises.
Lesson 33D, Steam Distribution Components, Vents and Traps - 3. The control that activates a sewage ejector pump.
Lesson 38E, Sewage Ejectors, Backwater Valves and Sump Pumps - Floating floor
- A floor covering held in place by no adhesive or fastener.
Lesson 17B, Interior Doors and Floor Coverings - Floating slab
- A slab that rests on the soil, either a mat slab or a stem wall slab not bearing on the stem wall.
Lesson 11D, Foundation Repairs, Crawl Spaces and Slabs - Flood rim
- 1. The sink rim, which the overflow is meant to stop water from running over.
Lesson 35C, Sinks - 2. The highest level water can stand in a fixture before it spills out.
Lesson 38C, Vent Systems, Vent Connections and Air Admittance Valves - Flood rim level
- 1. The top of what a drainage fixture can hold before water spills out.
Lesson 34A, Plumbing Scope and Plumbing Terms - 2. The rim of a drainage fixture, such as a bathtub, to which an air gap is measured.
Lesson 35E, Standpipes, Floor Drains and Backflow Prevention - 3. The level at which water in a plumbing fixture spills over its rim.
Lesson 38E, Sewage Ejectors, Backwater Valves and Sump Pumps - Floor drain
- 1. A fixture set into a floor, in houses usually in the basement.
Lesson 34A, Plumbing Scope and Plumbing Terms - 2. A drain in a floor, usually in a basement in a house.
Lesson 35E, Standpipes, Floor Drains and Backflow Prevention - Floor furnace
- A furnace installed under a floor, usually hanging into a crawl space, that heats through a grille over the floor opening.
Lesson 31B, Floor and Wall Furnaces, Room Heaters and Unvented Appliances - Floor truss
- A floor framing member built as a truss.
Lesson 6B, Deck Materials, Flashing, Ledger Attachment and Deck Stairs - Floor truss (wood)
- An engineered component, usually of 2x4 lumber, made of chords and webs that distribute the load along its length.
Lesson 12B, I-Joists, SCL, Glulam and Floor Trusses - Flow restrictor
- A device, often a small-holed plastic disc, installed to hold down the flow rate of a fixture.
Lesson 34D, Faucets, Shower Valves, Hose Bibbs and Aerators - Flue
- 1. A generally vertical passageway within a chimney.
Lesson 30, Heating Fundamentals, Combustion and Capacity - 2. The round passage up the center of a gas water heater tank that carries combustion gasses to the draft hood.
Lesson 36B, Electric and Gas Storage Tank Water Heaters - 3. A generally vertical passage inside a chimney.
Lesson 39A, Fireplace Types and Terms, Firebox, Hearth and Clearances - Flue liner
- The lining of a chimney flue, usually clay in a masonry chimney.
Lesson 39B, Combustion Air, Masonry Chimney Construction, Liners, Flue Area and Defects - Fluffed insulation
- Insulation, most commonly blown-in, installed with more air than the manufacturer recommends, which lowers its R-value.
Lesson 14A, Insulation Scope and Terms, R-Value and How Insulation Works - Flush valve
- The valve in a toilet tank that the chain of the flush valve assembly lifts.
Lesson 35D, Toilets and Bidets - Flush valve assembly
- The tank part made up of the trip lever, the chain, and the flush valve.
Lesson 35D, Toilets and Bidets - Fly ash
- A byproduct of burning coal, used with other combustion waste to make cinder blocks.
Lesson 12E, CMU, Brick, ICF, SIPs and Uncommon Wall Materials - Foam plastic materials
- Plastics used in houses most often as insulation and also as decorative trim.
Lesson 12C, Wall Systems, Fireblocking and Fire Separation - Fold and form
- One of the sliplining methods.
Lesson 37A, DWV Rules and Pipe Materials - Food-waste disposer
- An appliance that grinds soft food waste and sends it into the plumbing system.
Lesson 34A, Plumbing Scope and Plumbing Terms - Food-waste disposer (disposal)
- An appliance on the plumbing system that grinds soft food waste and sends it to the drain.
Lesson 41A, Appliance Scope and Terms, Cooktops, Ranges, Ovens and Dishwashers - Footing
- A foundation component that carries the load of a house to the soil or bedrock.
Lesson 11B, Forces and Soils, Footings, Piers and Columns - Forced-air distribution system
- A heat distribution method in which a fan moves heated air through ducts.
Lesson 31A, Gas Appliance Categories and Gas Forced-Air Furnaces - Foundation drain
- A drain at the footing that carries water away from a basement.
Lesson 11C, Basement Foundations, Materials, Waterproofing and Defects - Foundation floor
- A floor, found mostly in basements and garages, that provides a level, stable surface.
Lesson 11B, Forces and Soils, Footings, Piers and Columns - Foundation wall
- A wall that bears on the footings and lifts the house above the surrounding grade.
Lesson 11B, Forces and Soils, Footings, Piers and Columns - Four corners
- The bounds of the final written document, inside which every contract term belongs.
Lesson 21B, Contracts and Insurance - Framed chase
- A framed enclosure around a factory-built chimney where it terminates, finished with any wall covering material.
Lesson 40A, Factory-Built Fireplaces and Chimneys - Free-standing deck
- A deck not attached to the house.
Lesson 6C, Deck Guards, Framing, Flooring, Bracing, Beams, Footings and Defects - Free-standing deck (self-supported deck)
- A deck supported by posts on all sides.
Lesson 6B, Deck Materials, Flashing, Ledger Attachment and Deck Stairs - French door (casement door)
- 1. A hinged door that is mostly fixed glazing in small pieces.
Lesson 5A, Exterior Doors and Safety Glazing at Doors - 2. A hinged door made mostly of fixed glazing.
Lesson 17B, Interior Doors and Floor Coverings - French drain
- A name sometimes used for an underground drain.
Lesson 2B, Grade, Drainage and Vegetation - Friction tape
- The tape wrapped over a soldered tap between two knob and tube wires.
Lesson 25B, Older Wiring: Knob and Tube, Cloth NM and Aluminum - Frieze
- 1. Vertical trim joining the highest course of wall covering to the underside of the cornice.
Lesson 4A, Exterior Scope and Terms, Adhered Masonry Veneer, Metal and Asbestos Cement Siding and Brick Veneer - 2. A vertical trim piece between the fascia and the building wall that conceals the end of the wall covering.
Lesson 4C, Exterior Trim, Flashing and Sealants, Eaves and Cornice - Frost heave
- 1. A problem that can result when water near a foundation freezes and expands.
Lesson 2B, Grade, Drainage and Vegetation - 2. The upward force of frozen water on footings and horizontal foundation components.
Lesson 11B, Forces and Soils, Footings, Piers and Columns - Frost proof hose connection faucet
- A hose faucet whose valve stem is a long pipe reaching into a warm area, which helps keep its water from freezing.
Lesson 34D, Faucets, Shower Valves, Hose Bibbs and Aerators - Fuel distribution system
- The pipes or tubes that carry fuel from its source to a heating appliance.
Lesson 33E, Steam Boiler Components, Solid Fuel and Related Components - Full attic inspection
- An attic inspection made by going as far through the attic as the home inspector believes is safe.
Lesson 19D, System Descriptions and Inspection Methods - Full open (full flow) valve
- A valve with minimal resistance to flow when open, such as a ball or gate valve.
Lesson 34A, Plumbing Scope and Plumbing Terms - Full open valve
- A valve with minimal resistance to flow when open; in an ejector discharge pipe it sits above the check valve.
Lesson 38E, Sewage Ejectors, Backwater Valves and Sump Pumps - Fully adhered
- Describes a membrane bonded to the roof with adhesives.
Lesson 9B, Low Slope Roofing: Modified Bitumen, Foam and EPDM - Fully ducted
- The HRV or ERV duct configuration with its own exhaust and supply ducts, independent of the HVAC system.
Lesson 16A, Mechanical Ventilation, HRV and ERV, Whole-House Fans - Functional drainage
- Drainage at about the maximum rate water can flow into the fixture.
Lesson 34A, Plumbing Scope and Plumbing Terms - Functional flow
- The lesser of the minimum supply pipe flow rate and the maximum fixture flow rate, in gpm.
Lesson 34A, Plumbing Scope and Plumbing Terms - Functional trim
- Trim that gives a wall covering a stable, consistent surface to end against.
Lesson 4C, Exterior Trim, Flashing and Sealants, Eaves and Cornice - Further evaluation
- The action recommendation that a qualified specialist evaluate a system or component.
Lesson 19B, Deficiency Statements and Recommendations - FVIR
- A water heater listing under which elevation in a garage is not required.
Lesson 36D, Water Heater Installation, Seismic Bracing, Thermal Expansion and Defects
Try the question style
Answer 20 practice questions from 17 of the 19 tasks on the outline. No email needed.
Not ready for that yet? Get the free NHIE study guide, a printable checklist of all 19 outline tasks, by email.