| Scupper (1 An opening for drainage in a wall, curb or parapet. (2
The drain in a downspout or flat roof, usually connected to the downspout. | |
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| Self-sealing shingles Shingles containing factory-applied strips or spots of
self-sealing adhesive. | |
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| Selvage (selvedge) The portion of roll roofing overlapped by the succeeding
course to obtain double coverage. | |
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| Septic permit A health department authorization to build or modify a septic system. | |
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| Setback Thermostat A thermostat with a clock that can be programmed to various
temperatures at different times of the day/week. Usually used as the heating or
cooling system thermostat. |  |
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| Shading Slight differences in shingle color that may occur as a
result of normal manufacturing operations. | |
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| Shake A wood, usually cedar, roofing product that is produced
by splitting a block of the wood along the grain line. Modern shakes are
sometimes machine sawn on one side. See shingle. | |
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| Shear wall Stress
that is diagonal may be exerted on a building due to events such as earthquakes,
wind or explosions. In order to resist shear stress walls along the plane of
the anticipated stress are stiffened.
In wood frame construction stiffening is often done by sheathing the
studs with plywood. A wall might also
be stiffened with other material such as plaster.Structural value is determined by calculating the shear
resistance values along each plane for the entire structural system. |  |
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| Sheathing - The
structural covering, usually wood boards or plywood, used over studs or rafters
of a structure. | |
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| Shed roof A roof containing only one sloping plane. Has no hips,
ridges, valleys or gables. | |
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| Shingles 1) Roof
covering of asphalt, asbestos, wood, tile, slate or other material cut to stock
lengths, widths and thicknesses. 2) Small pieces of wood split or sawn, nailed
over one another as a rainproof finish | |
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| Siding - The finish
covering the outside wall of a frame building, whether made of horizontal
weatherboards, vertical boards with battens, shingles or other materials. | |
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| Sill : The lowest
member of the frame of a structure, resting on the foundation and supporting
the floor joists or the uprights of the wall. The member forming the lower side
of an opening, as a door sill, windowsill, etc. |  |
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| Single coverage Asphalt roofing that provides one layer of roofing material
over the deck. | |
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| Single ply roof see Torch Down
Roof | |
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| 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. | |
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| Slab Foundation 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). |  |
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| 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. | |
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| Smooth-surfaced roofing Roll roofing that is covered with ground talc or mica
instead of granules. | |
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| Soffit 1. The finished underside of the eaves. 2. A small ceiling
like space, often out of doors, such as the underside of a roof overhang. | |
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| Soil stack A vent pipe that penetrates the roof. | 
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| Span The horizontal distance between two support points. | |
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| Specialty contractor -
licensed to perform a specialty task e.g. electrical, side sewer, asbestos
abatement. | |
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| Specialty eaves flashing
membrane A self-adhering waterproofing shingle
underlayment designed to protect against water infiltration due to ice damage
or wind-driven rain. | |
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| Specifications A narrative list of materials, methods, product
descriptions, and other details that supplement thegraphically oriented information contained in the plans.The plans and specification are normally
incorporated into the construction contract | |
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| Splash block A usually concrete or fiberglass pad under the lower end of
a downspout to divert the water from the downspout away from the house. | |
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| Square A unit of roof measure covering 100 square feet. | |
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| Square-tab shingles Shingles on which tabs are all the same size and exposure. | |
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| Standard Practices of the
Trade This phrase refers to the common and basic workmanship
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. | |
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| 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. | |
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| Steep-slope application Method of installing asphalt shingles on roof slopes greater than 21
inches per foot. | |
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| Stem wall The
small (usually 6 to 12 inch high), vertical, concrete extension of the slab
foundation usually surrounding the perimeter and intended to keep exterior
water/moisture from finding its way to the interior. Stem walls are often used in garages, where the slab floor is
below exterior finished grade. | |
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| Step flashing Flashing application method used where a vertical surface meets a
sloping roof plane. | |
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| Stringer A support for cross members in floors or ceilings. In stairs, the support on
which the stair treads rest; also string board. | |
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| Strip shingles Asphalt shingles that are approximately three times as long as they are
wide. | |
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| Stud One of a number
of wood or metal vertical structural members that serve as supporting elements
in walls and partitions, usually 2” x 4”. |  |
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| Subcontractor - a
general or specialty contractor who works for another general contractor. | |
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| swale, Drainage – A
device, usually concrete, used to channel water across property in a certain
direction. |  |
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