A Glossary of Housing Terms
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r' U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE BUILDING MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES REPORTS On request, the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C, will place your name on a special mailing list to receive notices of new reports in this series as soon as they are issued. There will be no charge for receiving such notices. An alternative method is to deposit with the Superintendent of Documents the sum of $5, with the request that the reports be sent to you as soon as issued, and that the cost thereof be charged against your deposit. This will provide for the mailing of the publications without delay. You will be notified when the amount of your deposit has become exhausted. If 100 copies or more of any report are ordered at one time, a discount of 25 percent is allowed. Send all orders and remittances to the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. The following publications in this series are available by purchase from the Super- intendent of Documents at the prices indicated: BMSl Research on Building Materials and Structures for Use in Low-Cost Housing lOfi BMS2 Methods of Determining the Structural Properties of Low-Cost House Constructions 10^ BMS3 Suitability of Fiber Insulating Lath as a Plaster Base 10^ BMS4 Accelerated Aging of Fiber Building Boards 10^ BMS5 Structural Properties of Six Masonry Wall Constructions 15^ BMS6 Survey of Roofing Materials in the Southeastern States 15^ BMS7 Water Permeability of Masonry Walls 10^ BMS8 Methods of Investigation of Surface Treatment for Corrosion Protection of Steel 10^ BMS9 Structural Properties of the Insulated Steel Construction Co.'s "Frameless-Steel" Con- structions for Walls, Partitions, Floors, and Roofs 10^ BMSIO Structural Properties of One of the "Keystone Beam Steel Floor" Constructions Spon- sored by the H. H. Robertson Co 10(4 BMSll Structural Properties of the Curren Fabrihome Corporation's "Fabrihome" Construc- tions for Walls and Partitions 10(4 BMS12 Structural Properties of "Steelox" Constructions for Walls, Partitions, Floors, and Roofs Sponsored by Steel Buildings, Inc 15^ BMS13 Properties of Some Fiber Building Boards of Current Manufacture 10^ BMS14 Indentation and Recovery of Low-Cost Floor Coverings 10^ BMSl 5 Structural Properties of "Wheeling Long-Span Steel Floor" Construction Sponsored by the Wheeling Corrugating Co 10|4 BMS16 Structural Properties of a "Tilecrete" Floor Construction Sponsored by Tilecrete Floors, Inc lOfJ BMS17 Sound Insulation of Wall and Floor Constructions 10(4 Supplement to BMS 17, Sound Insulation of Wall and Floor Constructions 5^ BMS18 Structural Properties of "Pre-fab" Constructions for Walls, Partitions, and Floors Sponsored by the Harnischfeger Corporation 10(4 BMS19 Preparation and Revision of Building Codes 150 BMS20 Structural Properties of "Tw&chtman" Constructions for Walls and Floors Sponsored by Connecticut Pre-Cast Buildings Corporation 100 BMS21 Structural Properties of a Concrete-Block Cavity-Wall Construction Sponsored by the National Concrete Masonry Association 100 BMS22 Structural Properties of "Dun-Ti-Stone" Wall Construction Sponsored by the W. E. Dunn Manufacturing Co 100 BMS23 Structural Properties of a Brick Cavity-Wall Construction Sponsored by the Brick Manufacturers Association of New York, Inc 10(6 BMS24 Structural Properties of a Reinforced-Brick Wall Construction and a Brick-Tile Cavity- Wall Construction Sponsored by the Structural Clay Products Institute 100 BMS25 Structural Properties of Conventional Wood-Frame Constructions for Walls, Partitions, Floors, and Roofs 150 BMS26 Structural Properties of "Nelson Pre-Cast Concrete Foundation" WaU Construction Sponsored by the Nelson Cement Stone Co., Inc 100 BMS27 Structural Properties of "Bender Steel Home" Wall Construction Sponsored by the Bender Body Co 100 BMS28 Backflow Prevention in Over-Rim Water Supplies 100 BMS29 Survey of Roofing Materials in the Northeastern States 100 BMS30 Structural Properties of a Wood-Frame Wall Construction Sponsored by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association 100 BMS31 Structural Properties of "Insulite" Wall and "Insulite" Partition Constructions Spon- sored by The Insulite Co 150 [List continued on cover page iii] UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE • Jesse H. Jones, Secretary NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS • Lyman J. Briggs, Director BUILDING MATERIALS and STRUCTURES REPORT BMS91 A Glossary of Housing Terms compiled by Subcommittee on Definitions Central Housing Committee on Research, Design, and Construction ISSUED SEPTEMBER 3, 1942 The National Bureau of Standards is a fact-finding organization; it does not "approve" any particular material or method of con- struction. The technical findings in this series ot reports are to be construed accordingly. • UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE • WASHINGTON 1942 FOR SALE BY • THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS, WASHINGTON, D. C. PRICE I 5 CENTS Foreword A common terminolog}^ is always helpful in discussing any svibject. In the case of housing, Avhere there are many different opinions on what should be done and a large and growing vocabulaiy, it is especially important that some means should be provided for ascer- taining what is meant when a particular term is employed. This Glossary has been prepared by a representative committee, which has sought to record usage rather than to fix meanings arbitrarily. It is believed that the existence of such a document will assist in a better understanding of the many problems in the housing field. Lyman J. Briggs, Director. Glossary of Housing Terms Compiled by Subcommittee on Definitions of the Central Housing Committee on Research, Design, and Construction Robert Dter and Robert Turner, Brown Rolston, Federal Home Loan Bank Board. Federal Housing Administration. Carl R. Mahder and Roy S. Braden, George N. Thompson, Farm Secm-ity Administration. National Bui-eau of Standards. Wm. V. Reed and Samuel Ratensky, Henry H. Waples, United States Housing Authority. Public Buildings Administration. J. Stanley Young, Secretary and Acting Chairman. Federal Housing Administration INTRODUCTION architecture, appraisal, assessment, construc- tion, economics, engineering, finance, law, real The purpose of this Glossary is to bring to- estate, sociology, town planning, and zoning. gether for the convenient use of all persons Nine lists of related terms were prepared and concerned with housing the generally accepted circidated among advisers who were requested definitions of a limited number of terms cur- to suggest changes, eliminations, and additions. rently used in housing literature with defini- The extensive and studied suggestions received tions of closely related terms which are not from all sources were reviewed at length by fully defined in their special application to the Subcommittee. Definitions acceptable to present-day housing in most dictionaries or the membership were then formulated. Re- glossaries. The compilers of this edition of the visions and additions have been made in all Glossary have found, as did the committee m categories; but additions are most extensive in charge of the first edition of the Glossary, that the fields of landscape and construction work, even in a 5-year period meanings have under- where it was felt considerable confusion exists gone transitions, and some terms have appar- regarding many definitions. It was deemed ently lost their usefulness, and that many new advisable, where Govermnent agencies have words have appeared. adopted special definitions for use in then- The first edition of "A Glossary of Housmg work, to include many of those definitions in Terms," issued in 1937, was compiled by a com- the Glossary, noting their source and variation, mittee from the five Federal agencies principally if any, with the generally accepted definitions. concerned with housing at that time and in- The Glossary is subject to further expansion cluded definitions of approximately four hun- and revision. dred and seventy terms. This edition, the The cooperation of the Subcommittees on second, is a revision and expansion of the first Accounting, Landscape, and Fire Resistance edition and includes definitions of approximate- has been most helpful in this compilation. The ly eight hundred terms. contributions of advisers in specialized fields The work of revision was begun in January are gratefully acknowledged, particularly those 1940, and included a review of definitions of of Ayers J. duBois, Harold B. Biu-sley, Adelaide housing terms included in dictionaries and R. Hasse, Henry V. Hubbard, Isadoro Qumtana, glossaries, in codes and statutes, particularly Kenneth H. N. Newton, Horace W. Peaslee, those revised or issued since 1937, and in all and William A. Strong. Valuable assistance literattire issued by Government agencies con- has been i:endered by Elinor Dodds' of the cerned with housing. Public Relations Committee and Rosa L. In selecting the terms for inclusion in the Hanna, compiler, both from the Office of 1942 edition of the Glossary, the Subcommittee Government Reports, and by George E. Umhau, on Definitions has been guided largely by of the National Bureau of Standards, who advisers in specialized fields of accountmg. supervised the final revision. ' LISTING OF TERMS The majority of terms in this Glossary are trical terms; elevator types; estate; fee types; Hsted alphabetically. However, for convenience framing systems; gi-ade; grading; halls; house in comparing the definitions of related terms, types; housing; land; lot types; lumber; mea-