Façade     The front face or principal elevation of a building.
Faceted dormer window     Dormer window with more than one face, as in a bay window
Fanlight     Window over a door or another window which is semi-circular or fan-shaped.
Fascia     a vertical wood member, such as a cedar 1" x 6", which is nailed to the ends of the rafters, and is often the backing of the rain gutter.
Feathering strips      Tapered wood filler strips placed along the butt edges of old wood shingles to create a level surface when reroofing over existing wood shingle roofs. Also called "horse feathers."
Felt     Fibrous material saturated with asphalt and used as an underlayment or sheathing paper.
Fibered aluminum roof Coating     High-performance metallic reflective barrier for prepared roofing, metal surfaces and exterior masonry. Reflects sun's harmful rays, reduces energy costs in summer and winter while prolonging surface life.
Fibered foundation coating     Combined application for this special medium-viscosity-grade fibered material. Use as a foundation coating.
Fibered roof coating      Optimal protection for low-sloped roofs. This thick, high-quality coating seals fine cracks and openings. Renews and rejuvenates old composition roofing and prolongs roof life. Also performs well on metal or concrete surfaces.
Fiberglass mat     An asphalt roofing base material manufactured from glass fibers.
Fire stop mat     Blocking with incombustible material of any air passages within the framing.
Fixed price contract     A contract with a set price for the work. See also time and materials Contract.
Flashing      Sheet metal or other material used in roof and wall construction to protect a building from water seepage.
Flashing cement     See asphalt plastic cement.
Flat roof      A type of roof which lies very nearly horizontally, and provides just enough pitch to allow for the drainage of water.
Flue      The space or passage in a chimney through which smoke, gas or fumes ascend.
Footing      A masonry section, usually concrete, in a rectangular form wider than the bottom of the foundation wall or pier it supports.
Forced air heating    A common form of heating with natural gas, propane, oil or electricity as a fuel. Air is heated in the furnace and distributed through a set of metal plastic ducts to various areas of the house.
Foundation      The supporting portion of a structure below the first-floor construction, or below grade, including the footings.
Foundation coating     High-quality below-grade moisture protection. Used for below-grade exterior concrete and masonry wall damp-proofing to seal out moisture and prevent corrosion.
Framing    The structural wood and/or metal elements of most homes. The floor and ceiling framing is called the joist work. Wall framing is usually made out of 2" x 4" or 2" x 6" studs. See - rafters, posts, and beams.
Free-tab shingles    Shingles that do not contain factory-applied strips or spots of self-sealing adhesive. See also self-sealing shingles.
Fretwork      Ornamental shapes cut by the thin-bladed fret saw
Fungal wood rot    A common wood destroying organism which develops when wood containing material is exposed to moisture and poor air circulation for a long (6 month +) period of time. Often and incorrectly referred to as dry rot.
Furring      Strips of wood or metal applied to a wall or other surface to even it and normally to serve as a fastening base for finish material.
Fuse    A device often found in older homes designed to prevent overloads in electrical lines - see 'circuit breakers'.