The ability of a material to resist burning.

Paths by which sound travels around an element intended to impede it, usually some structural component that is continuous between rooms and rigid enough to transmit the sound. For example, a partition separating two rooms can be "flanked" by the floor, ceiling or walls surrounding the partition if they run uninterrupted from one room to the other. Ducts, conduits, openings, structural elements, rigid ties, etc., can be sound flanking paths. The acoustic effect of sound flanking paths is dependent on many factors.

An oil burner, designed to hold the flame near the nozzle surface. Generally the most efficient type for residential use.

Capability of a combustible material to ignite easily, burn intensely or have rapid rate of flame spread.

The rate at which flames will spread across the surface of a material.

A manufactured wood panel made out of 1"- 2" wood chips and glue. Often used as a substitute for plywood in the exterior wall and roof sheathing. Also called OSB or wafer board.

Flat stones (1 to 4 inches thick) used for walks, steps, floors, and vertical veneer (in lieu of brick).

A numerical designation given to a material to indicate its comparative ability to restrict flaming combustion over its surface.

The temperature at which a flammable material will suddenly break into a flame.

Index of the capacity of a material to spread fire under test conditions, as defined by ASTM Standard E84. Materials are rated by comparison with the flame-spread index of red oak flooring assigned a value of 100 and inorganic reinforced cement board assigned a value of 0.

An interior paint that contains a high proportion of pigment and dries to a flat or lusterless finish.

Common word for concrete floors, driveways, basements, and sidewalks.

Thin wood strips installed over the butt seam of cabinet skins.

Sheet metal or other material used in roof and wall construction to protect a building from water seepage. Strips of metal or waterproof material used to make joints waterproof, as in the joining of curtain wall panels.

Very rapid setting of the cement in concrete.

Carpet formed by electrostatically spraying short strands onto an adhesive-coated backing material.

A non-bearing wall built on a concrete floor. It is constructed so that the bottom two horizontal plates can compress or pull apart if the concrete floor moves up or down. Normally built on basements and garage slabs.

The next-to-last stage in concrete work, when you smooth off the job and bring water to the surface by using a hand float or bull float.

A glass manufacturing process in which the molten glass ribbon flows through a furnace supported on a bed of molten metal.

A flat hand tool used to smooth the surface of freshly placed concrete after it has been leveled with a darby.