Gardens and Homes Dictionary

a/c condenser: The outside fan of the air conditioner. It takes the heat from the freon gas, makes the gas into a liquid and then recirculates the liquid back through the furnance's coil.

 

a/c: Refers to air conditioning or an air conditioner unit.

 

acheve: A one-seeded fruit, such as a strawberry, that does not split open to release its seed.

 

acid rain: Rainwater that contains pollutants such as sulfur dioxide.

 

adventitious: Growth that has unusual points of origin, for example roots that grow out of a stem.

 

aeration: Working the soil to increase air and water penetration.

 

air space: Normally, a one-inch air gap between insulating facing and interior wall coverings.
This space prevents the transfer of moisture through the wall, allowing the exterior to appropriately dry out.

 

alpine: Plants located in high mountain regions or rocky crags.

 

amps: Short for amperes, amps refers to the rate at which electricity flows through a conductor.

 

anaerobic: Organisms that are able to live in the absence of oxygen.

 

appraisal: Professional property valuation in dollars.

 

arbor: A free-standing device used to support vines or climbing plants.

 

arboretum: A collection of trees and shrubs that are used for scientific/educational purposes.

 

architect: A tradesman who designs/draws building plans and normally coordinates the building process.

 

astragal: An attached closure on the fixed side of two swing, French or sliding doors which the other door hits. Footbolt mechanisms are generally on the astragal (immobile) side.

 

backfill: The slope of the ground next to the house. Also, excavated earth replaced into a trench around and against a basement foundation. In general, any kind of filler. In carpentry specifically, joining two boards together by gluing wood blocks in the interior angle.

 

bale: A large bundle gathered for storage or transport.

 

balusters: Normally, small vertical railing members positioned either between the top rail and stair treads or the bottom rail.

 

balustrade: A railing or banister consisting of balusters that prevents people from falling.

 

band joist: Also known as a rim joist, a band joist forms the perimeter of the floor system as a vertical member where the floor joists tie in.

 

barcelona chair: A chair with a very simplistic design in a modern classical style.

 

barge board: A highly stylized ceiling or roof rafter mainly used in Gothic construction. This decorative board that drapes the fly rafter of the gable end. For the cornice, this involves a facie board.

 

baseboard: Wood or vinyl covering that makes up the space where the floor and wall meet (room perimeter). A board positioned against a wall that properly finishes the areas between the floor and the plaster.

 

bauhaus: A school in Germany that combined crafts and fine arts, whose architecture focus was less aesthetics and more practicality. The motto was "form follows function."

 

batts: Fiber-glass or rock-wood insulation that ranges in sizes that are easy to handle. Batts can have paper or aluminum foil facing.

 

bay window: A window space, either square or polygonal, that comes out from the building walls.

 

berm: A mound of earth used to stop the spread of contaminants.

 

biennial: A plant that requires two growing seasons to complete its life cycle.

 

blanch: To keep a plant's leaves and stems out of the light, which keeps the plant's tissues soft.

 

blossom end rot: A nutritional deficiency that affects such plants as the tomato, pepper and eggplant. The condition starts as dry decaying areas at the blossom end of the fruit.

 

board foot: A lumber measurement that equals one inch thick by 12 inches wide by 12 inches long. A board foot is considered to be the basic unit of measurement for lumber.

 

bonsai: A potted plant that is dwarfed by pruning and root restriction.

 

bottom pate: A mold (that may have depressions, letters or symbols) used to shape the bottom of glass. Also, the lowest part of a wall in which studding is secured.

 

brown rot: A very common fungal disease that causes brown and decaying tissues.

 

bud: An immature flower, leaf or set of leaves.

 

building code: Community regulations on how a home can be built or modified.

 

bulb: A storage organ, normally developed below ground level, used for propagation.

 

bulbil: A small bulb that forms along the stems of certain plants and that can develop a new plant when planted.

 

bundle (of shingles): The package or unit in which shingles are sold. Generally, 27 shingles per bundle with 3 bundles in a square.

 

callus: Cork-like protective scar tissue that develops when a plant is damaged or cut.

 

cambium: A living cell layer in a plant that produces new cells.

 

canker: A bacterial or fungal disease that causes sunken bark lesions in woody plants.

 

carnivorous plant: Plants adapted to attract and ingest insects and small animals for nutrients.

 

cathedral ceiling: A high, open and normally slanted or pointed ceiling.

 

caulking: A watertight sealing material for exterior cracks and openings in areas such as windows, bathtubs, sinks and foundations.

 

chief architect: The lead builder on a given housing project.

 

chlorophyll: The green pigmentation in leaves that facilitates photosynthesis.

 

circuit breaker: A protective device that opens an overloaded or shorted electric circuit.

 

clapboard: Also referred to as weatherboard, a clapboard is an overlapping, horizontal board that covers the exterior frame of a structure to make it waterproof. Clapboards are generally long, narrow and tapered.

 

clerestory: An upper window near the top of an exterior wall. In churches, clerestories are the uppermost, light-bearing windows.

 

cloche: A small plastic or glass container that helps protect delicate plants from unfavorable weather conditions.

 

collar beam: For carpentry, a tie that generally runs down the middle of a roof to join together like rafters on opposite sides.

 

compost: A mixture of decaying organic matter that is high in nutrients.

 

conduit: A hollow pipe or tube that contains and protects electric lines.

 

conifer: A cone-bearing plant, such as an evergreen or bald cypress.

 

contemporary décor: A style and layout of interior furnishings that is of the latest style.

 

corm: The enlarged, fleshy base of a stem in which food accumulates.

 

cornice: A decorative piece of framework or molding that runs along the top of a wall near the ceiling. A cornice may be used to conceal fixtures and/or wiring or can be merely decorative.

 

cripple stud: Short stud used as wall opening support rather than a normal 93 or 96-inch stud. Cripple studs fill in he gaps between the top plate, sill plate, bottom plate and the header.

 

cross pollination: Moving pollen from one flower to another for fertilization purposes, frequently performed by insects.

 

crown molding: The highest molding on a door, cabinet or window where the wall meets the ceiling. While crown moldings may be used to cover a cornice, they are generally used along cabinets or furniture.

 

crown: The upper part of a plant, such as the branches and leaves of a tree.

 

culun: Stems that are hollow, such as bamboo shoots.

 

cycad: A group of tropical trees and shrubs that have thick stems, fern-like leaves and fleshy seeds.

 

deadheading: Removing spent flowers from plants.

 

deciduous: Perennial plants that lose their leaves at the end of the growing season.

 

dentil: A decorative part of a cornice that looks like a group of small, rectangular, teeth-like blocks. Dentils are generally on the underside or bottoms of moldings.

 

dieback: The progressive death of a plant's roots, leaves and shoots.

 

dormancy: A time in which a plant's growth slows or stops. A plant's dormant period is typically during winter.

 

dormer window: Windows that stick out of a roof, but also have their own roofs.

 

double glazing: Refers to windows with two layers of glass separated by a space of air. As an excellent insulator, double glazing keeps heat in a home during the winter while keeping the home cool in the summer.

 

double-hung window: A window featuring two vertical sashes, or panels, in which one slides up and down past the other (the upper sash is usually immobile) to open the window.

 

drip edge: A metal or vinyl panel along a roof's eave that aid helps keep water from running back or below an overhang.

 

drupe: A fleshy fruit with a single seed, such as plums and cherries.

 

drywall: A gypsum board material used to construct walls or ceilings.

 

dwarf: A plant that is abnormally short.

 

eave vent: A vent found in the underside of the roof that allows air to pass through and out of the attic.

 

eco friendly home: A home that is built to help the environment. It usually uses sustainable energy sources and reduces waste as much as possible.

 

efflorescence: Deposits of soluble salts that can appear on the walls of planters.

 

epiphyte: A plant that affixes itself to trees, rocks or other plants for support.

 

espalier: Training a tree or shrub to grow in a flat pattern.

 

evergreens: Plants that keep their foliage all year.