NHIE Exam Prep complete updated
solution A+ GRADED
Abatement the wastage of wood when lumber is sawed or planed to size
ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) rigid black plastic pipe used only for drain lines.
Abutment a masonry mass (or the like) which receives the thrust of an arch, vault, or strut.
Addendum a supplement to bidding documents, issued prior to the submission of bids, for the
purpose of clarifying, correcting, or adding to the specifications previously issued.
Air dried lumber lumber that has been piled in yards or sheds for any length of time.
Air dryprocess of drying or seasoning lumber naturally by exposure to air.
Air Duct pipes that carry warm and cold air to rooms and back to the climate control
system
Airway a space between roof insulation and roof boards to allow movement of air.
Alcove a small recessed space opening directly into a larger room
Alligatoring coarse checking pattern characterized by a slipping of the new paint coating over
the old coating to the extent that the old coating can be seen through the fissures.
Alternating Current AC is the standard form of electrical current supplied by the utility grid
and by most fuel powered generators. The polarity (and therefore the direction of current)
alternates
Ambulatory a passageway around the apse of a church
Anchor bolts bolts to secure a wooden sill plate to concrete or masonry floor or wall.
,Anchor span located at the outermost end, it counterbalances the arm of span extending in the
opposite direction from a major point of support; often attached to an abutment
Approved Equal material, equipment, or method proposed by the contractor and approved
by the architect for incorporation in or use in the work as equivalent in essential attributes to the
material, equipment, or method specified in the contract document
Apse a semicircular or semi polygonal space usually in a church terminating an axis and
Arbor a light open structure of trees or shrubs closely planted either twined together or intended
to intended to house an altar
self supporting on a light lattice
Arcade a line of counter thrusting arches raised on columns or piers
Arch barrel the inner surface of an arch extending the full width of the structure
Arch ring an outer course of stone forming the arch; made of a series of voussoirs; an
archivolt is an arch ring with decorating moldings
Architrave a horizontal beam or lintel, that rests on columns or piers; or the lowest portion of
an entablature; or a decorative molding around a door, a window, or an arch
Archivolt one of several parallel curved, and often decorated, moldings on the inside of an
arched opening; a curved architrave
Ashlar stone that has been cut square and dressed
Areaway an open subsurface space adjacent to a building used to admit light or air or as a
means of access to a basement.
Asphalt most native asphalt is a residue from evaporated petroleum. It is insoluble in
water but soluble in gave. line when heated. Used widely in building for waterproofing roof
coverings of many types, exterior wall coverings, flooring tile, and the like.
Astragal a molding, attached to one of a pair of swinging doors, against which the other
door strikes.
Attic ventilators in houses, screened opening provided to ventilate an attic space. They are
located in the soffit area as inlet ventilators and in the gable end or along the ridge as outlet
ventilators. They can also consist of power driven fans used as an exhaust system.
Atrium in classical architecture, an interior courtyard that is open to the weather; in contemporary
architecture, a significant interior space, often sky lighted, used for circulation
,Backhand a simple molding sometimes used around the outer edge of plain rectangular
casing as a decorative feature.
Ball Valve the ball valve is similar in concept to the plug valve but uses a rotating ball with a
hole through it that allows straight through flow in the open position and shuts off flow when the
ball is rotated 90 degrees to block the flow passage. It is used for on-off and throttling services.
Baluster one of a number of short vertical members often circular in section used to
support a stair handrail or a coping
Balustrade an entire railing system including top rail, its balusters, and sometimes a
Barge board a decorative board covering the projecting rafter (fly rafter) of the gable end.
Base or baseboard a board placed against the wall around a room next to the floor to finish
properly between floor and plaster.
Base molding molding used to trim the upper edge of interior baseboard.
Base shoe molding used next to the floor on interior base board. Sometimes called a carpet
strip.
Basilica a Roman hall of justice, typically with a high central space lit by a clerestory and
lower aisles all around it
Batt insulation in the form of a blanket, rather than loose balusters. Usually small vertical
members in a railing used between a top rail and the stair treads or a bottom rail.
Batten narrow strips of wood used to cover joints or as decorative vertical members over
plywood or wide boards.
Batter board one of a pair of horizontal boards nailed to posts set at the corners of an
excavation, used to indicate the desired level, also as a fastening for stretched strings to indicate
outlines of foundation walls.
Beam a structural member transversely supporting a load.
Bearing partition a partition that supports any vertical load in addition to its own weight.
Bed molding a molding in an angle, as between the over hanging cornice, or eaves, of a
building and the side walls.
Beveled clapboards that are tapered rather than cut perfectly rectangular.
Bid an offer to perform the work described in a contract at a specified cost
, Blind nailing nailing in such a way that the nail heads are not visible on the face of the work
usually at the tongue of matched boards.
Blind stop a rectangular molding, usually 3/4 by 1-3/8 inches or more in width, used in the
assembly of a window frame. Serves as a stop for storm and screen or combination windows and
to resist air infiltration.
Blisters a defect in metal on or near the surface, resulting from the expansion of gas in the
subsurface zone. Very small blisters ma
Bitumen a category of organic liquids which are highly viscous, black, sticky and wholly
soluble in carbon disulfide. Asphalt and tar are the most common forms of bitumen.
Blue stain a bluish or grayish discoloration of the sapwood caused the growth of certain
mold like fungi on the surface and in the interior of a piece, made possible by the same
conditions that favor the growth of other fungi.
Board and Batten vertical siding where wood strips (battens) hide the seams where other
boards are joined
Board Feet a unit of measurement based on volume. 144 cubic inches of wood equals one
board foot
Boiled linseed oil linseed oil in which enough lead, manganese or cobalt salts have been
incorporated to make the oil harden more rapidly when spread in thin coatings.
Bolster a short horizontal timber or steel beam on top of a column to support and decrease the
span of beams or girders.
Boston ridge a method of applying asphalt or wood shingles at the ridge or at the hips of a roof
as a finish.
Bottom plate the 2-inch thick wooden members that lay on the subfloor upon which the
Brace an inclined piece of framing lumber applied to wall or floor to stifle the structure. Often
used on walls as temporary bracing until framing has been completed
Breezeway a covered passageway, open to the outdoors, connecting either two parts of a
building or two buildings
Brick veneer a facing of brick laid against and fastened to sheathing of a frame wall or tile wall
construction
Bridging small wood or metal members that are inserted in a diagonal position between the
floor joists at mid span to act both as tension and compression members for the purpose of
bracing the joists and spreading the action of loads.
solution A+ GRADED
Abatement the wastage of wood when lumber is sawed or planed to size
ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) rigid black plastic pipe used only for drain lines.
Abutment a masonry mass (or the like) which receives the thrust of an arch, vault, or strut.
Addendum a supplement to bidding documents, issued prior to the submission of bids, for the
purpose of clarifying, correcting, or adding to the specifications previously issued.
Air dried lumber lumber that has been piled in yards or sheds for any length of time.
Air dryprocess of drying or seasoning lumber naturally by exposure to air.
Air Duct pipes that carry warm and cold air to rooms and back to the climate control
system
Airway a space between roof insulation and roof boards to allow movement of air.
Alcove a small recessed space opening directly into a larger room
Alligatoring coarse checking pattern characterized by a slipping of the new paint coating over
the old coating to the extent that the old coating can be seen through the fissures.
Alternating Current AC is the standard form of electrical current supplied by the utility grid
and by most fuel powered generators. The polarity (and therefore the direction of current)
alternates
Ambulatory a passageway around the apse of a church
Anchor bolts bolts to secure a wooden sill plate to concrete or masonry floor or wall.
,Anchor span located at the outermost end, it counterbalances the arm of span extending in the
opposite direction from a major point of support; often attached to an abutment
Approved Equal material, equipment, or method proposed by the contractor and approved
by the architect for incorporation in or use in the work as equivalent in essential attributes to the
material, equipment, or method specified in the contract document
Apse a semicircular or semi polygonal space usually in a church terminating an axis and
Arbor a light open structure of trees or shrubs closely planted either twined together or intended
to intended to house an altar
self supporting on a light lattice
Arcade a line of counter thrusting arches raised on columns or piers
Arch barrel the inner surface of an arch extending the full width of the structure
Arch ring an outer course of stone forming the arch; made of a series of voussoirs; an
archivolt is an arch ring with decorating moldings
Architrave a horizontal beam or lintel, that rests on columns or piers; or the lowest portion of
an entablature; or a decorative molding around a door, a window, or an arch
Archivolt one of several parallel curved, and often decorated, moldings on the inside of an
arched opening; a curved architrave
Ashlar stone that has been cut square and dressed
Areaway an open subsurface space adjacent to a building used to admit light or air or as a
means of access to a basement.
Asphalt most native asphalt is a residue from evaporated petroleum. It is insoluble in
water but soluble in gave. line when heated. Used widely in building for waterproofing roof
coverings of many types, exterior wall coverings, flooring tile, and the like.
Astragal a molding, attached to one of a pair of swinging doors, against which the other
door strikes.
Attic ventilators in houses, screened opening provided to ventilate an attic space. They are
located in the soffit area as inlet ventilators and in the gable end or along the ridge as outlet
ventilators. They can also consist of power driven fans used as an exhaust system.
Atrium in classical architecture, an interior courtyard that is open to the weather; in contemporary
architecture, a significant interior space, often sky lighted, used for circulation
,Backhand a simple molding sometimes used around the outer edge of plain rectangular
casing as a decorative feature.
Ball Valve the ball valve is similar in concept to the plug valve but uses a rotating ball with a
hole through it that allows straight through flow in the open position and shuts off flow when the
ball is rotated 90 degrees to block the flow passage. It is used for on-off and throttling services.
Baluster one of a number of short vertical members often circular in section used to
support a stair handrail or a coping
Balustrade an entire railing system including top rail, its balusters, and sometimes a
Barge board a decorative board covering the projecting rafter (fly rafter) of the gable end.
Base or baseboard a board placed against the wall around a room next to the floor to finish
properly between floor and plaster.
Base molding molding used to trim the upper edge of interior baseboard.
Base shoe molding used next to the floor on interior base board. Sometimes called a carpet
strip.
Basilica a Roman hall of justice, typically with a high central space lit by a clerestory and
lower aisles all around it
Batt insulation in the form of a blanket, rather than loose balusters. Usually small vertical
members in a railing used between a top rail and the stair treads or a bottom rail.
Batten narrow strips of wood used to cover joints or as decorative vertical members over
plywood or wide boards.
Batter board one of a pair of horizontal boards nailed to posts set at the corners of an
excavation, used to indicate the desired level, also as a fastening for stretched strings to indicate
outlines of foundation walls.
Beam a structural member transversely supporting a load.
Bearing partition a partition that supports any vertical load in addition to its own weight.
Bed molding a molding in an angle, as between the over hanging cornice, or eaves, of a
building and the side walls.
Beveled clapboards that are tapered rather than cut perfectly rectangular.
Bid an offer to perform the work described in a contract at a specified cost
, Blind nailing nailing in such a way that the nail heads are not visible on the face of the work
usually at the tongue of matched boards.
Blind stop a rectangular molding, usually 3/4 by 1-3/8 inches or more in width, used in the
assembly of a window frame. Serves as a stop for storm and screen or combination windows and
to resist air infiltration.
Blisters a defect in metal on or near the surface, resulting from the expansion of gas in the
subsurface zone. Very small blisters ma
Bitumen a category of organic liquids which are highly viscous, black, sticky and wholly
soluble in carbon disulfide. Asphalt and tar are the most common forms of bitumen.
Blue stain a bluish or grayish discoloration of the sapwood caused the growth of certain
mold like fungi on the surface and in the interior of a piece, made possible by the same
conditions that favor the growth of other fungi.
Board and Batten vertical siding where wood strips (battens) hide the seams where other
boards are joined
Board Feet a unit of measurement based on volume. 144 cubic inches of wood equals one
board foot
Boiled linseed oil linseed oil in which enough lead, manganese or cobalt salts have been
incorporated to make the oil harden more rapidly when spread in thin coatings.
Bolster a short horizontal timber or steel beam on top of a column to support and decrease the
span of beams or girders.
Boston ridge a method of applying asphalt or wood shingles at the ridge or at the hips of a roof
as a finish.
Bottom plate the 2-inch thick wooden members that lay on the subfloor upon which the
Brace an inclined piece of framing lumber applied to wall or floor to stifle the structure. Often
used on walls as temporary bracing until framing has been completed
Breezeway a covered passageway, open to the outdoors, connecting either two parts of a
building or two buildings
Brick veneer a facing of brick laid against and fastened to sheathing of a frame wall or tile wall
construction
Bridging small wood or metal members that are inserted in a diagonal position between the
floor joists at mid span to act both as tension and compression members for the purpose of
bracing the joists and spreading the action of loads.
