Residential New Home Construction Glossary

House Building Glossary - D

Dado - - A groove cut into a board or panel intended to receive the edge of a connecting board or panel.

Damper - A metal door placed within the fireplace chimney; normally closed when the fireplace is not in use.

Damp proofing - The black, tar like waterproofing material applied to the exterior of a foundation wall.

Daylight - The terminal end of a pipe that is not attached to anything.

Dead Bolt - An exterior security lock installed on exterior entry doors that can be activated only with a key or thumb-turn; unlike a latch, which has a beveled tongue, dead bolts have square ends.

Dead Light -  The fixed, non-operable window section of a window unit.

Deck, Decked - To install the plywood or wafer board sheeting on the floor joists, rafters, or trusses; also the surface, installed over the supporting framing members, to which the roofing is applied.

Deck Paint - An enamel with a high degree of resistance to mechanical wear, designed for use on such surfaces as porch floors.

Dedicated Circuit - An electrical circuit that serves only one appliance (i.e., a dishwasher) or a series of electric heaters or smoke detectors.

Default -  Breach of a mortgage contract. (not making the required payments)

De-Humidistat - A control mechanism used to operate a mechanical ventilation system based upon the relative humidity in the home.

Delaminating - Separation of the plies in a panel due to failure of the adhesive; usually caused by excessive moisture.

Density - The mass of substance in a unit volume; when expressed in the metric system, it is numerically equal to the specific gravity of the same substance.

Dew point - Temperature at which a vapor begins to deposit as a liquid; applies especially to water in the atmosphere.

Direct Nailing - To nail perpendicular to the initial surface or to the junction of the pieces joined; also known as face nailing.

Disconnect - A large (generally 20-Amp) electrical ON-OFF switch.

Discount Points -  An upfront fee that lenders charge in order to offer you a lower interest rate on your mortgage. A point equals 1 percent of the mortgage loan amount.

Discount Rate - A mortgage interest rate that is lower than the current rate for a certain period of time. (e.g., 2.00% below variable rate for two years)

Diverter Valve - A device that changes the direction of water flow from one faucet to another.

Doorjamb, Interior - The surrounding case into which and out of which a door closes and opens; consists of two upright pieces, called side jambs, and a horizontal head jamb; have the "door stop" installed on them.

Door operator - An automatic garage door opener.

Door Stop - The wooden style that the door slab will rest upon when in a closed position.

Dormer -An opening in a sloping roof, the framing of which projects out to form a vertical wall suitable for windows or other openings.

Double Coverage - - Application of asphalt roofing so that the lapped portion is at least 2 inches wider than the exposed portion, resulting in two layers of roofing material over the deck.

Double Glass -Window or door in which two panes of glass are used with a sealed air space between; a.k.a. insulating glass.

Double-Hung Window - A window with two vertically sliding sashes, both of which can move up and down.

Down Payment - The difference between the sales price and the mortgage amount; usually paid at closing.

Downspout -A pipe, usually of metal, for carrying rainwater down from the roof's horizontal gutters.

Drain Tile - - A perforated, corrugated plastic pipe laid at the bottom of the foundation wall and used to drain excess water away from the foundation; prevents ground water from seeping through the foundation wall; a.k.a. perimeter drain.

Draw -The amount of progress billings on a contract that is currently available to a contractor under a contract with a fixed payment schedule.

Dressed And Matched (tongued and grooved) -Boards or planks machined in such a matter that there is a groove on one edge and a corresponding tongue on the other.

Drip - (1) -A member of a cornice or other horizontal exterior finish course that has a projection beyond the other parts for throwing off water (2) a groove in the underside of a sill or drip cap to cause water to drop off on the outer edge instead of drawing back and running down the face of the building.

Drip Cap -A molding or metal flashing placed on the exterior topside of a door or window frame to cause water to drip beyond the outside of the frame.

Drip Edge -A non-corrosive, non-staining material used along the eaves and rakes to allow water runoff to drip clear of underlying construction.

Dry in -To install the black roofing felt (tar paper) on the roof.

Dry Rot -Fungal wood rot.

Drywall (or Gypsum Wallboard (GWB), Sheet rock or Plasterboard) -- A manufactured panel made out of gypsum plaster and encased in a thin cardboard. Usually 1/2" thick and 4'x 8'or 4'x 12'in size; nailed or screwed onto the framing and the joints are taped and covered with a joint compound. Green board type drywall has a greater resistance to moisture than regular (white) plasterboard and is used in bathrooms and other "wet areas."

Ducts -The heating system. Usually round or rectangular metal pipes installed for distributing warm (or cold) air from the furnace to rooms in the home; also a tunnel made of galvanized metal or rigid fiberglass, which carries air from the heater or ventilation opening to the rooms in a building.

Due-On-Sale -A clause in a mortgage contract requiring the borrower o pay the entire outstanding balance upon sale or transfer of the property.

Dura Board, Dura Rock -A panel made out of concrete and fiberglass usually used as a ceramic tile backing material; commonly used on bathtub decks; a.k.a. wonder board. DWV (drain-waste-vent) The section of a plumbing system that carries water and sewer gases out of a home.