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Facing The material applied directly to studs and joists to form walls and ceilings.

Fan control A temperature-sensitive switch that turns the furnace fan off and on at preset
  high temperatures.

Fan safety switch A switch on a furnace that prevents the fan from operating when the 
  access panel is removed.

Fan/limit switch A furnace control combining both a fan control and a limit control.

Fascia A flat trim board fastened to the outer edge of the roof rafters..

Faucet A device to turn water on and off at a delivery point, which operates with a washer,
  cartridge, ball, valve, or an O-ring mechanism.

Felt paper An underlayment laid on roof sheathing under the roof covering.

Fiberglass insulation An insulating material made of threads of glass covered with a
  coating that binds the fibers in place, used as batts, blankets, loose fill, and rigid board.

Fiberglass shingles Mats of glass fibers covered with a granular material, used in shingle
  form as a roof covering.

Finish flooring The flooring applied over the subfloor that provides the finish floor for the
  home.

Finish flooring The flooring applied over the subfloor that provides the finish floor for the
  home.

Fink truss A triangular roof truss with w-shaped interior webbing.

Firebox In a fireplace, the open chamber in which the fire burns.

Firebox See Combustion chamber.

Firebrick A special brick designed to withstand high temperatures.

Fireplace insert A metal stove with a door that is totally or partially inserted into a fireplace.

Firewall A fire resistant wall used where garage walls abut the house, preventing the
  spread of fire.

Fishmouth A condition with asphalt shingles where the center portion of the tabs curl
  upwards due to overheating.

Fixed-pane window A window that does not open or close.

Fixture Any sink, tub, shower, and toilet to which water is delivered in the home.

Flame retention burner An oil burner with a flame retention ring that provides for more
  efficient combustion.

Flame retention ring On an oil burner, a cone- shaped, slotted head on the blast tube that
  provides pressure, velocity, and rotation to the air stream.

Flame rollout A condition in a gas burner where the flames burn outside the combustion
  chamber.

Flame rollout A condition in a gas water heater where the flames burn outside the heating
  chamber.

Flashing For a foundation, a sheet metal placed over the foundation to prevent waterleaking
  into the foundation.

Flashing Sheet metal used at interfaces between building components to prevent water
  penetration.

Flashings Sheet metal used at joints between building components to prevent water
  penetration.

Flat roof A variation of a shed roof with a very small slope, less than 2/12.

Floating slab Where an independent slab does not rest on the foundation wall.

Floor truss An engineered, prefabricated rectangular floor framing component.

Flue liner A material that lines the chimney, usually terra cotta tiles.

Flue pipe The exhaust pipe running from a gas water heater to the chimney.

Flue See Chimney flue.

Flue The channel that carries smoke and gasses from a fireplace out of the home.

Flush door A door made of veneer glued to a solid or hollow core.

Flux A material, which eliminates chemical contamination, used in the soldering process.

Footing drain A drainage system laid around the perimeter of a foundation below the level
  of the slab which drains water from the soil to another location.

Footings The bases on which the foundation rests which support and distribute the weight
  of the structure to the soil.

Forced hot water heating system A system in which water heated in a boiler is
  circulated by means of a circulating pump through pipes to radiators or convectors
  throughout the house. Also called a hydronic system.

Forced warm air heating system A system in which air heated in a furnace is circulated
  by means of a blower unit through ductwork to registers in the house.

Foundation The part of the structure that supports it, transmits its weight from above
  -grade walls to the footings, and protects it from effects of soil pressure.

Frost line The depth of penetration of frost into the ground, normally about 4' below grade
  in cold climates.

Functional drainage A determination of whether water drains fast enough and completely.

Functional flow A determination of whether water flows with enough pressure and volume.

Furnace A heating unit that heats the home with warm air distributed through ductwork.

Fuse An overload protection device that melts and opens a circuit when the circuit
  overloads. May be cartridge or screw-in types. Type D fuses are time delay, type P is
  sensitive to heat buildup between the fuse and fuse holder, types S and C prevent the wrong
  size fuse fitting into the fuse holder.

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