Federal government agency in Washington, D.C. that makes low interest loans to qualified small businesses. Address: 409 3rd Street SW Washington, DC 20416.

Special court for the purpose of providing fast, inexpensive and informal settlement of small financial claims between a plaintiff and a defendant with the parties representing themselves.

To melt or fuse to separate impurities from metal. To refine or extract.

Device which detects the presence of smoke in a specified density and gives a warning by setting off an audible alarm.

The open, enlarged area in a fireplace between the bottom of the flue and the top of the throat, which traps smoke and by use of a smoke shelf and damper, prevents downdrafts. The smoke chamber supports the chimney.

Pipe that connects from an oven to the flue of a chimney.

Horizontal shelf that is the bottom of the smoke chamber and prevents downdrafts.

Gravity rated plumbing test for leakage, in which smoke is forced through the interior of the pipe and the joints are checked to see if any smoke is leaking out.

The finish coat of plaster.

Wide, stiff bristled wallpaper brush used for smoothing.

Hand plane that has a long base and is used to smooth or finish wood surfaces.

Smooth surface finish made by use of a planing machine on limestone.

A plumbers' tool consisting of a long flexible rod of spiraled wire used for removing obstacles from pipes.

Rail fence that zigzags back and forth, intersecting and resting on each other at angles less than 180 degrees. Requiring no fence posts they are best suited for rock soil.

Electrical switch, which can open or close contracts quickly with its spring mechanism, so that arcing can be avoided between contacts and is implemented in household switches and circuit breakers.

Concrete form tie, which is factory made and holds the concrete forms in place at a certain distance. The tie can be broken off after the concrete is poured and set and the forms are stripped, so that only a small area must be patched.

Rubble wall that use irregular sized square stones, set in no particular course.

Sheet metal cutting shears.

Roof with a short hip extending down from the ridge part to the gable end.

Masonry unit that has a nominal thickness of 2 inches.

Organization, affiliated with the National Association of Realtors, whose members are mainly concerned with the sale of warehouses, factories, and other industrial property. Confers SIOR designation. Address: 700 11th Street NW, Suite 510 Washington, DC 20001.

Organization of professionals who value real estate.

Wrench, which has a rounded outside edge but a hexagonal (or similar) shaped inside that is used to grip a nut or fastener head. The other side of the head is formed of a driver, which has a square shank, and may be a torque wrench, ratchet or breaker bar.

Adapter that is used to make a socket of one size fit with a drive of another size.

Grass which grows in a thin soil layer and is then cut into strips and laid on prepared soil to allow the roots to gain hold. It creates an instant lawn.

1. External area under the roof overhang.
2. Horizontal portion of an eave.
3. Covering over the space under the eaves of a structure.
4. Piece reaching the cabinet tops to the ceiling.

Vent opening in the soffit of a building used for ventilation and to allow heat from an attic to escape.

Units of clay masonry, fired low temperatures, which keeps them soft and makes them unusable for anything except ornaments.

Plastic faced mallet used to strike surfaces without making marks on surfaces.

Market in which demand has shrunken or supply has grown too quickly, making sales at profitable amounts for seller more difficult. It is better for purchasers.

In a development or investment, it is money that is tax deductible. Alternately, it is used to describe costs that do not physically go into construction, such as interest, architectural fees, legal fees, etc.

Brick formed of clay with a 20 to 30 percent moisture content.

Water that has very few minerals, which makes it more suitable for washing because there are not calcium deposits or soap scum left on the surfaces.

Conifer wood, such as pine and redwood, which can be used for framing, sheathing, trim, flooring and also for cabinets and furniture.

Upper layer of ground.

Government compensation to farmers not to grow products to preserve the land and maintain stable agricultural products.

Appropriateness of the soil for the designated purpose.

Compaction of soil as measured by a soils engineer by means of a Proctor test, determining the best amount of moisture for compaction.

Map showing the kinds of soil in a designated locality.

Pipes from a structure to a sewer for the purpose of sewage disposal.

Extent to which soil has cavities or pores that allow water to pass through.

Ability of the soil to accomplish the desired objective such as its capacity for harvesting crops.

Vertical vent which is connected to a building drain to drain the discharge from the water closets.

Mixture of the types of soil in a section of land - for example, sand, clay, loam or mineral particles.

Surveying the land to determine its suitability for a specific purpose, such as building a high-rise apartment.

Test done on the subsoil to determine whether it will safely support a foundation.