Glossary

Sash: The frame that holds the glass in a window, often the movable part of the window. see.. double hung windows, and casement windows.

Saturant: Asphalt used to impregnate a felt-base material.

Saturated Felt: An underlayment, or water-resistant layer, put down beneath shingles and made of felt impregnated with asphalt.

SBS-modified: Asphalt that has been combined with SBS (styrene-butadiene-styrene) polymers to increase its elasticity.

Scupper: An opening for drainage in a wall, curb or parapet. The drain in a downspout or flat roof, usually connected to the downspout.

Self-sealing shingles: Shingles containing factory-applied strips or spots of self-sealing adhesive.

Setback Thermostat: A thermostat with a clock which can be programmed to various temperatures at different times of the day/week. Usually used as the heating or cooling system thermostat.

Shading: Slight differences in shingle color that may occur as a result of normal manufacturing operations.

Shake: A wood, usually cedar, roofing product which is produced by splitting a block of the wood along the grain line. Modern shakes are sometimes machine sawn on one side. See shingle.

Sheathing: Exterior-grade boards used as roof deck material.

Shed roof: A roof containing only one sloping plane. Has no hips, ridges, valleys or gables.

Shingle: A machine sawn wood, usually cedar, roofing and siding product. see shake.

Single ply Roof: See Torch Down Roof

Siphoning: The suction or pulling effect that takes place in the trap-way of a toilet as it is filled with outgoing water and waste. An effective siphon is critical to an effective flush for any toilet. 

Siphon break: The point in a toilet flush when air is re-introduced into the trap way, "breaking" the siphoning action. The siphon break is usually heard as a deep gurgling at the conclusion of a flush.

Skip Sheathing: The normal base for shake, shingle and some tile roofs. 1" x 4" or similar sized boards are nailed at 90š to the rafters leaving a space of about 4" between each row and allowing for better ventilation.

Single coverage: Asphalt roofing that provides one layer of roofing material over the deck.

Slab on Grade: A type of foundation with a concrete floor which is placed directly on the soil. The edge of the slab is usually thicker and acts as the footing for the walls. Common in California and 1940s and 50s concrete block home (see diagram).

Slope: The incline angle of a roof surface, given as a ratio of the rise (in inches) to the run (in feet). See also pitch.

Smooth-surfaced roofing: Roll roofing that is covered with ground talc or mica instead of granules.

Soffit: The finished underside of the eaves. A small ceiling like space, often out of doors, such as the underside of a roof overhang.

Specifications or Specs: A narrative list of materials, methods, model numbers, colors, allowances, and other details which supplement the information contained in the blue prints.

Splash Block: A pad which is placed under the lower end of a downspout and diverts the water from the downspout away from the house. Usually made out of concrete or fiberglass.

Standard Practices of the Trades: One of the more common basic and minimum construction standards. This is another way of saying that the work should be done in the way it is normally done by the average professional in the field.

Soil stack: - A vent pipe that penetrates the roof.

Span: The horizontal distance from eaves to eaves.

Specialty eaves flashing membrane: A self-adhering waterproofing shingle underlayment designed to protect against water infiltration due to ice damage or wind-driven rain.

Square: A unit of roof measure covering 100 square feet.

Square-tab shingles: Shingles on which tabs are all the same size and exposure.

Starter strip: Asphalt roofing applied at the eaves that provides protection by filling in the spaces under the cutouts and joints of the first course of shingles.

Steep-slope application: Method of installing asphalt shingles on roof slopes greater than 21 inches per foot.

Step flashing: Flashing application method used where a vertical surface meets a sloping roof plane.

Strip shingles: Asphalt shingles that are approximately three times as long as they are wide.

Supply stop: The valve providing on/off toilet water supply control.