S - Sash to Sump Pump - Buyer's Inspection Service

Sash: Frame that holds the glass in a window
Sash Balance: The mechanism usually a spring designed to hold the window sash any desired level.
Self-sealing Strip: Factory applied adhesive that bonds shingle courses together when exposed to the heat of the sun after application.
Service Drop: The overhead service connection from the utility pole to the house.
Service Panel: The fuse board or breaker panel that distributes the incoming electrical power to the various circuits in the home.
Settling: Movement as a building settles after construction. Problematic when settling is uneven and cracks occur in the foundation walls.
Shading: Slight differences in shingle color that may occur as a result of normal manufacturing operations.
Shake: Usually refers to Cedar, a shingles that is split from a block of wood, used for roofing or siding.
Sheathing: The exterior finish between the framing and the exterior siding, or the trusses and the roofing.
Shingles: Any asphalt, asbestos, wood or slate roof covering bed is made to standard lengths and widths.
Short Circuit: Result of the hot and neutral wires being crossed, improper wiring, a wet appliance etc. Not good!
Side Light: A narrow fixed glass window to the right or left of the door.
Siding: The exterior covering on the outside of the frame building, vinyl, wood, shingles, plywood sheets.
Sill Plate: The first component of the framing, bolted to the foundation walls, supports the building while anchoring it to the foundation.
Slab-on-Grade: Concrete slab foundation, built on ground level, no crawl space or basement.
Smoke Chamber: Large area in the chimney above the fireplace. Funnels smoke into the chimney liners / flue.
Soffit: Area under the roofs overhang, situated between the wall and the gutter.
Soil Stack: A pipe that vents the sewer or waste water plumbing, usually vents through the roof.
Span: The horizontal distance from eaves to eaves.
Splash Block: Concrete or plastic form, placed on the ground under a downspout to disburse water away from the house.
Square: Unit of roof measurement covering 100 square feet. 10′ x 10′.
Square Tab Shingles: Shingles on which tabs are all the same size and exposure.
Stair Tread: The “flat step” on a stairs.
Stair Riser: Back of the step, between two steps.
Starter Strip: Asphalt roofing applied at the eaves that provides protection by filling in the spaces under the cutout’s and joints of the first course of shingles.
Step Flashing: Flashing most commonly seen at the joint between the roof and a brick chimney. As the roof goes up the flashing is cut into the next highest brick, giving it a stair step appearance.
Stile: Vertical edge member of the window sash.
Studs: Vertical framing members usually 2″ x 4″.
Stucco: Exterior plaster tight finish made with Portland cement.
Structural Integrity: The ability of the structure to function as required.
Stud: Typically the vertical structural components of a wall. Usually 2″ x 4″ wooden members.
Sub-contractor: Contractors or trades people working for a general contractor.
Sub Floor: Concrete floor, or the flooring installed over joists to provide a solid surface for carpet, tiles, etc. Can be OSB, plywood or T&G.
Sump Pump: Pump in the basement or crawl space connected to a drainage system under the house. Works automatically, keeping area from flooding.

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