House Inspection Blog of Total House Inspection - Rochester Hills Michigan

Measure of firmness of a compound by means of a Durometer Hardness Gauge. A hardness range of 20-25 is about the firmness of an art gum eraser. A hardness of about 90 is about the firmness of a rubber heel.

Lumber that is edge-dressed to make a close rabbeted or lapped joint.

Roof covering of asphalt, wood, tile, slate, or other material cut to stock lengths, widths, and thicknesses, which are laid in a series of overlapping rows as a roof covering on pitched roofs.

A transparent coating made by dissolving lac, a resinous secretion of the lac bug (a scale insect that thrives in tropical countries, especially India), in alcohol.

Used in the glazing and sealant business to refer to the length of time a product may be stored before beginning to lose its effectiveness. Manufacturers usually state the shelf life and the necessary storage conditions on the package.

Panels made primarily from gypsum installed over the framing to form the interior walls and ceilings. Sheetrock is often called gypsum board.

All components of a house employing sheet metal, such as flashing, gutters, and downspouts.

The heating system. Usually round or rectangular metal pipes and sheet metal (for return Aar) and installed for distributing warm (or cold) air from the furnace to rooms in the home.

A roof having only one slope or pitch, with only one set of rafters which fall from a higher to a lower wall.

A building material, generally paper or felt, used in wall and roof construction as a protection against the passage of air and sometimes moisture.