S
saltillo:
a clay tile which has not been fired to the
degree that ceramic tile has been.
salvage:
rescue of anything from destruction; or what
could be left of destruction or waste
satisfactory: basically okay, performing its expected
purpose whether flawed or not
scratch
coat: a term used in wet plastering, meaning the
first coat applied to the lath
seen:
to perceive with the eye during a visual
inspection
septic
system: a sewage system, whereby waste is drained
through pipes and/or a tile field into a septic tank--found
in areas where city or county sewers have not yet been installed (see leach
lines)
septic
tank: an underground tank into which a sanitary
sewer drains from a building--the sewage is held until
bacterial action changes the solids into liquids or gases, which are then partly
released into the ground
serviceable:
a condition that with proper maintenance will
remain satisfactory
settling:
settling is the compaction of the soil by the
weight of a structure. If severe, cracks in the structure may result. Land,
weather and water and soil types can have an effect and result in settlement.
Descend, localized; to sink or shrink as with wood products
settlement:
a settling or being settled
sheathing:
the covering over rafters that supports the
roofing material--may be plywood, OSB or cut lumber
sill:
the lowest member of a frame (usually wood or
metal), which supports the uprights of a frame--most
commonly used to describe the lowest horizontal member of an opening, such as a
door sill or window sill
site:
a general term signifying a plot of land
suitable or set aside for any specific use
slab:
a concrete floor
sole
plate: the plate on which the studs rest, usually a
two by four or two by six, laid horizontally at floor level
span:
the spread (distance) between load bearing
members spherical round body equal at any radial point
square:
a unit of measurement in roofing or siding,
10' X 10' (100 sq. ft.); an area having equal sides
storm sash
storm window: an extra window on the outside of an
existing window, as additional protection against cold
weather
structural:
the arrangements of all parts of a whole (the
components to make a whole); as used in this report, the
framing, supporting, and bracing members of a building
structurally:
used to describe the structural condition of
a structure
structure:
any man-made building or edifice
strut:
a construction member, usually wood, placed
between other members to support a load vertically, or pressure horizontally
stucco:
a wet cement plaster finish, specifically
designed for exterior use, very common as an outside wall surface in warm dry
areas
sub-area:
area under a structure, which has a raised
foundation, other than a basement or cellar
sub-floor:
under
flooring laid on joists, over which finish flooring is
laid upon
surround:
is the vertical sides, regardless of
material, of any tub, shower or tub-shower combination not including the enclosure or
doors
survey:
to visually observe
swale:
a small ditch with sloping, rounded sides
used to carry water away from or around a structure (a swale should be shaped
so that lawn mowing equipment will easily pass over it)
