Marty Zickgraf, Baltimore Inspection Guy

Home Inspection Glossary – Part Seven

As a home inspector and former builder, there are many technical terms that I may use that are unfamiliar to the average home owner. While I always try to break things down to layman’s terms while conducting the home inspection, I thought it might be useful to have a home inspection glossary to refer buyers to. This is the seventh installment of these posts to build the glossary. I’ve tried to keep it simple and these are not intended to be exhaustive definitions.

  1. insulation: A product used to slow the transfer of heat energy. Natural substances such as wood pulp (cellulose) or man made substance such as fiberglass or foam may be used.
  2. interior finish: The wall coverings in a home. Drywall or gypsum board is the most common choice in newer homes, while older homes may have plaster and lathe. Paneling is a common choice in finished basements due to its ease of installation.
  3. J-channel. Refers to a strip of trim used to cover a cut edge in vinyl siding, or a metal strip used to terminate a drywall edge where it transitions to another material.
  4. jack post: a metal structural component used to support an area where the home has settled or sagged. A properly installed jack post is secured to the framing with lag screws and set in a concrete footer.
  5. Jalousie window: An older style of window composed of overlapping strips of glass or plastic. A hand crank allows the strips to rotate open, allowing a greater effective opening than a standard single or double-hung window.
  6. Jamb: the side of a window or door frame.
  7. Joint compound: a gypsum based material used to finish gypsum wallboard. May be supplied as a paste or a powder to be mixed with water.
  8. Joist hanger: a U-shaped piece of metal designed to be nailed into a beam, band joist or other sturtural component in order to support a joist. Special nails are required and all supplied nail holes must be filled to fully support the joist.
  9. Jumpers: may refer to a short piece of pipe used to replace a water meter or short lengths of wire used to bypass or replace the electric meter. Both are illgal and jumping the electric meter is extremely dangerous.
  10. Simplest kind of light fixture, the proverbial bare bulb activated by a pull string. Commonly seen in attics and basements and crawlspaces.
  11. Kickout flashing: Meant to divert water away from a wall where it encounters a roof edge. The kickout flashing is a simple piece of bent metal flashing that helps prevent water infiltration behind the siding.