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PROMOTING EXCELLENCE IN NYC MULTI-FAMILY BUILDING OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

• More Glossaries

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Galvanic Corrosion -  Corrosion between dissimilar metals.

Galvanized-Steel Pipe - Purpose: Water supplies, used in some older drains and vents.
Comments: The workhorse material of plumbing systems before copper became standard. Zinc galvanizing helps prevent corrosion and gives this pipe its characteristic gray color.

Gap-filling - Capable of bridging gaps between materials. Gap-filling ability ranges from zero, with liquid cyanoacrylates, to as much as 1/4 inch, with construction adhesives.

Gate Hinge -  A hinge consisting of an L-shaped threaded lag screw that attaches to the post and lets the opposite part slip over its short leg. Best for setting into masonry walls.

GFCI -  Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. Fuses and circuit breakers protect wiring. A GFCI protects you. A GFCI constantly monitors the current passing through the receptacle. Usually the current is exactly the same in both hot and neutral wires. Any imbalance means current is leaking, possibly through you, on its way to ground. If the GFCI detects 4-6 milli-amps of leakage, it automatically turns off the power fast enough to prevent injury.

GFCI Receptacle - Purpose: Provides ground-fault circuit interrupter protection where receptacles are not protected by a GFCI circuit breaker.
Typical Applications: Workshops, bathrooms and kitchens in older homes without GFCI circuit breakers; wherever there is water near electricity.
Costs: One third the cost of adding a GFCI circuit breaker.
Comments: This product protects people, not devices. It does not protect against short circuits.

Glazing Compound -  Soft, putty-like material that seals glass to window sash and sometimes to doors.

Glazing Points -  Metal fasteners that are used to hold glass in wood sash. May be triangular, diamond or arrow shaped.

Goof Ring - Other Names: Box Extension
Purpose: Extending the face of a single metal or plastic box when it is recessed behind the finished wall surface.
Typical Applications: Use whenever you have increased the thickness of a wall with tile, paneling or new drywall. As the name implies, these adapters are used when you make a mistake and set a new box too deeply.

Grandfather -  Zoning and building codes frequently permit the existence of non-conforming construction in older buildings. This is termed grandfathering; keeping in mind, however, that if you make large-scale changes to your home, you may be required to bring mechanical systems up to present-day codes.

Gravity-Stack Concrete Modules -  Sold at home centers and landscaping-supply centers, these cast-concrete modules don't require special skills or a poured concrete footing. They have many shapes, textures, colors and locking mechanisms, but all stack with an offset so they lean into the soil they retain.
   You can build a wall up to 3 feet high without tying back into the hill. Taller walls use a "geo grid"--a metal or heavy polyethylene matting that pinches between courses and extends back into the hill--where soil is piled onto the grid.

Green Wire Connector - Other Names: Grounding Nut.  Purpose: Splicing ground wires inside a wiring box. The hole in the top allows you to route one of the ground wires to a device.

Groover - Special trowel for making control joints, also called a jointer.

Ground Faults -  Grounding and circuit breakers or fuses protect your home's wiring from conditions that could cause a fire. But they can't detect tiny current leakages, called "ground faults," that could kill a person under certain circumstances.
   Normally, a current leakage, in a faulty hedge trimmer, for example, would give you a mild shock. But if you were standing on a wet lawn, the current could zap through your heart on its way to the ground, and you would be dead before a circuit breaker or fuse could react to the situation.
   For this reason, the National Electrical Code requires that most receptacles located outdoors, in a garage, unfinished basement, bathroom, or within 6 feet of a sink, be protected by Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs). You can replace an ordinary receptacle with a GFCI, have one installed in the service panel or buy versions that plug into a receptacle or are part of an extension cord.

Grounded - Grounding protects against fire and, to a much lesser extent, shock. Usually current travels back to the service panel wire. All neutrals in your home are connected to a neutral bar in the service panel. The neutral bar is wired to a cold water pipe and/or a long copper rod buried in the earth.
   Your home's grounding system provides electricity with an alternate route to the neutral bar and earth, should an appliance or outlet malfunction.

Grounded Duplex Receptacle - Typical Applications: This is the standard 15 amp receptacle for most house wiring. Use these for lamps and light-duty appliances.
Comments: The pairs of terminals on each side are bonded by a small metal tab. This allows you to splice two wires on each side to wire a downstream cable into the circuit without a wire connector. You can also break this tab off, by twisting it with pliers, to form a split receptacle.

Grounding Adapter - Also called a 3-to-2 adapter plug. It has two prongs on one end, three openings on the other, and a U-shaped piece of metal or short green wire that attaches to the screw in the middle of a receptacle. Use adapters only when the box is grounded.

Grounding Clamp - Other Names: Weaver or Acorn Clamp.
Purpose: Connecting the main grounding wire to the grounding rod or a water pipe.
Typical Applications: Use this weaver clamp to attach 12-gauge ground wires to water pipes. Use an acorn clamp when connecting service wires to a copper grounding rod.

Grounding Clip - Purpose: Connecting a ground wire to the edge of steel box.
Comments: Push the tip of a stripped ground wire into the clip's wire slot, then use electrician's pliers to push the clip onto the edge of your box. Grounding screws serve the same purpose as grounding clips.

Grounding Crimp Connector - Other Names: Barrel Crimp, Buchanon.
Purpose: Splicing up to five ground wires inside a box.
Comments: Barrel crimps, at about 3 cents each, are much cheaper than green wire connectors, about 20 cents each. Crimp connectors also take up less room in a box. Crimps, however, require a special crimping tool, not just any pair of pliers. As with wire connectors, each crimp is rated for a specific number of wires.

Grounding Hardware -  You'll need a variety of hardware to connect the grounding system throughout your house. Never use any of these parts as hot or neutral components.

Grounding Pigtails - Purpose: Attaching ground wires to metal boxes.
Typical Applications: These ready-made ground wires are sold with one end stripped for a wire connector and a ground screw looped in the other end. Use them whenever you need to connect two, three or four ground wires to a metal box. Splice one end of the pigtail to the ground wires and the other to the box with the grounding screw.

Grounding Screw - Other Names: Green Screw.
Purpose: Connecting a ground wire to the back of a steel box.
Comments: Loop a stripped ground wire around the grounding screw. Thread the screw into the threaded hole in the back of your metal box.

Grounding Wire -  This wire backs up your home's electrical system by providing current with an alternate path back to the service panel and earth. Grounding wires are always either bare copper or covered with green insulation.

Grout  -  A cement-based material that fills the joints between ceramic tiles. Usually sold as a powder and mixed with water and/or specialized latex-based additives that increase bonding strength and flexibility.

Grout Saw -   An abrasive-tipped hand tool available from tile suppliers.

Guide Arm -  In some toilets, a support connected to a toilet tank's overflow tube and through which runs a slender rod holding the stopper ball. The arm guides the rod so that the ball descends squarely onto the flush valve opening.

Gypsum -  Powdered or pelleted calcium sulfate used to mark boundaries. Also used to neutralize salt in high- sodium soil or to loosen heavy clay soil.

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Hacksaw - Purpose: Cutting metal and plastic.
When to Use: Cutting metal and plastic pipe to length.
What to Look For: Hacksaws vary in price from a few dollars up to $25. Better ones have sturdy frames and use levers rather than wing nuts to tighten the blade. Some can hold a blade at 45 degrees to facilitate flush cutting.
Comments: Choosing the right blade makes your work far easier and safer. Look for bi-metal blades.

Halogen Bulbs -  Halogens are popular with lighting designers because the bulbs can put out lots of clean, white light from a small bulb. Halogen bulbs use about a third less electricity to produce a given number of lumens than do incandescents.
   Until recently, all halogen bulbs were low-voltage, bi-pin lamps, center and right. Now you can buy 120-volt halogen bulbs with standard screw-in bases, left. Since halogens get far hotter than similar-size incandescents, check whether your fixture can handle them.
   Try halogens in recessed cans or as floodlights outdoors. Standard-base, screw-in models are usually rated for outdoor use.

Hammer Drill - Other Names: Rotary Hammer.
Purpose: Drilling in concrete, brick and stone.
When to Use: Mounting boxes, conduit and metal-sheathed cable to masonry walls.
What to Look For: Be sure to get a masonry bit with the right diameter for the fasteners you intend to drive.
Comments: Before you rent a hammer drill, try using an inexpensive carbide-tipped masonry bit in a 3/8-inch VSR drill. If your masonry is soft enough, it may do the trick for a few holes at a time. If you don't seem to be getting anywhere, rent the hammer drill-the difference will amaze you.

Hand Sledge -  A small version of a sledgehammer. Headweights vary between 2 to 4 pounds. Used to cut brick, drive concrete-form stakes, and demolish masonry.

Hanger Bar -  Adjustable light-mounting bar that you slide to fit between joists. A lighting box mounts to the bar anywhere between the joists so you can fine tune your fixture layout.

Hard-Wired Detectors -  Hard-wired smoke and fire detectors run on house current. That means you don't have to bother replacing batteries, but you have no protection if the power fails or the fire is in the electrical system. Many codes require that you also install a battery-operated smoke detector as a back-up.

Hardboard -  Thin fiberboard, such as Masonite.

Hardpan -  A layer of hard soil, usually 1-3 feet below the surface, that blocks the downward movement of water.

Header -  The end of a brick.

Heat Detectors -  Heat detectors measure the heat at the sensor and signal an alarm when the temperature reaches a certain level, usually 135 degrees F. These units work well in kitchens, garages and furnace rooms-areas where ionization and photoelectric detectors are prone to false alarms. Most heat detectors are not stand-alone units. Wire them in as part of an overall home security system.
   Heat detectors are not as prone to false alarms as the other types, but they also take considerably longer to signal a fire.

Hedge Shears -  Large, scissorlike garden clippers.

Hinge Leaves -  Standard hinges have a removable pin and two plates, called leaves.

Holesaw -  An inexpensive cylindrical drill bit for larger (1-3-inch diameter) holes.

Hose Bibb - Other Names: Sill Cock
Purpose: Provides water for hoses outside the house.
Comments: The one shown is made of cast brass with a globe valve inside for efficient flow regulation.
What to Look For: You'll find hose bibbs with male and female threads and different angles of presentation. Special antifreeze models keep the valve mechanism inside the house with the handle outside to keep water from freezing in the pipe. Models with removable keys, instead of handles, prevent unauthorized use.

Hot -  Electrically charged. A hot wire brings current to each outlet. Hot wires are wrapped in black or red insulation. You may encounter other colors, but never white or green. They are reserved for neutral and grounding wires.
   A circuit is said to be hot unless its circuit breaker has been turned off or its fuse removed.

Hydraulic Cement -  A type of cement that hardens under water.

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Incandescent Bulbs -  All the bulbs you see here make light the way Thomas Edison did: using resistance. The only differences between them are their shapes, watt ratings, and the frosting inside the glass.
   Household incandescents come in three common base sizes:
    Candelabra is the smallest base. It's used for chandeliers and other decorative fixtures with small bulbs.
    Standard (also called medium) bases are found on most light bulbs. Dozens of different bulbs fit them, from 15-300 watts. Check the rating of your fixtures any time you install more than a 75-watt bulb. Many fixtures aren't designed to handle the heat given off by brighter bulbs.
    Mogul bases are much less common. These large bases are used on some floor lamps and work lights. You can buy a screw-in adapter to go from mogul down to standard bulbs.

Interference -  Also known as noise, interference causes static in radios and telephones and produces snow or black scrolling bars on TV screens. Interference can travel through air-radio frequency interference RFI)-and through household wiring-line interference.

Interior Conduit Systems -  Use one of these systems when you can't fish interior wiring through walls or attics. Conduit lets you run many conductors inside a single raceway. Commonly available cables only permit up to three conductors. All conduit systems are rated by internal diameter. Check with your local building department to get the right size conduit for the number and gauge of wires you intend to run. Each system requires its own type of fitting. The manufacturer's box indicates the appropriate system.

Interior Cover Plates -  All wiring boxes must be closed. Most covers are sold in the basic white, ivory and brown colors. From there, the choices widen. You can find covers made of ceramic, brass, copper, wood-and plastic made to look like wood. There are novelty covers, joke covers and designer covers. As you read this, there's probably someone designing a collector's edition.
   If the box is so recessed that the plate screws don't reach it, install a goof ring. Oversize plate covers can cover minor imperfections in the wall around boxes. Codes require that boxes fit snugly against the plaster or drywall, however, so don't use these plates to hide big gaps around boxes.

Internal Pipe Wrench - Other Names: Nipple Extractor
Purpose: Removing-and tightening -- close nipples and other iron-pipe fittings where a conventional pipe wrench would damage the threads.
Comments: Insert the wrench into a nipple and turn the wrench with an adjustable wrench. The sharp spurs on the cams of the internal pipe wrench dig into the inner walls of the fitting, forcing it to turn.

Ionization Detectors -  These smoke detectors emit tiny amounts of radiation that break up the air inside the detector and give it a small electrical charge-a process called ionization. Smoke particles cut down the current flow, sounding the warning. Ionization detectors respond to quick-burning fires such as paper, wood and oil. Ionization units run on house current, batteries or both.
   Ionization units react to anything that ionizes the air. This includes detergents in steam from a dishwasher, washing machine or shower; heavy gases such as car exhaust; and many cooking fumes. To avoid false alarms, don't install ionization alarms near a kitchen, laundry, bathroom or garage.

Isosceles Triangle -    A triangle with two equal sides.

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Jamb -  The frame from which the door is hinged. The door fits between the side jambs and under the head jamb.

Jigsaw - Other Names: Scroll saw, bayonet saw.
Purpose: Making precise cutouts in a variety of material.
When to Use: Cutting out openings for old work boxes in existing walls and ceilings.
What to Look For: With variable speed control you can pick the right cutting speed for each material and blade type. Orbital action provides faster cutting in wood.
Comments: Choose bi-metal blades for maximum wear. Be sure you can buy replacement blades locally for the saw you select. At least three different blade-mounting systems exist today.

Joint Compound -  Adhesive paste used to finish drywall seams.

Jointer -  Term used for two kinds of masonry finishing tools. The one shown at right, also called a groover, cuts control joints in wet concrete slabs. Another, a slender metal tool with rounded sides, is used to smooth mortared joints between brick and block

Joints -  Places where bricks are joined with mortar.

Joist -  A horizontal board, set on edge, that supports the flooring in a house. Joists are usually placed 16 inches apart.

Joist Hangers -  Galvanized metal stirrups used to connect joists to other structural members.

Joist-Mounted Fan Box -  This funny looking 4-inch diameter fan-support box slips over the bottom of a joist and is nailed to both sides. The face of the box protrudes 1/2 inch below the joist, to allow for drywall. Use it only with non-metallic cable.

Junction Box -  Any wiring box that doesn't contain a switch, receptacle or light is termed a junction box. All junction boxes must have covers.

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Kerf -  The width of the wood removed by the blade of a saw as it cuts. Depending on its construction and tooth type, a saw blade's kerf varies from about 1/16 to 3/16 inch.

Keyhole Saw - Purpose: Making small holes in the middle of wood trim.
When to Use: Cutting openings for old work boxes in existing baseboard, paneling and wood lath.
Comments: This is the poor man's jigsaw.
Also Available: Traditional Japanese counterparts of this saw cut on the pull stroke. Many have finer teeth than standard keyhole saws and are thus less prone to grabbing and vibrating the lath in plaster walls.

Kilowatt Hour -  The number of watts, in thousands, consumed each hour.

Knob-and-Tube Wiring -  Most older homes originally had this system, where individual wires run through porcelain insulators. When wires are fastened to the surface of framing, or change direction, they are wound around knobs that are nailed to the wood. When wires pass through wood framing, they run through tubes.

Knockout - A disk that you remove from a wiring box to make holes where you want to insert cables. With a metal box, punch a knockout with a hammer and screwdriver, then twist it free with pliers. To remove a knockout from a plastic box, press down hard with a screwdriver.

Knockout Seals - Other Names: Goof plugs, KO seals.
Purpose: Sealing knockout holes in metal boxes that will not have wires running through them.
What to Look For: There are two types: snap-in and plate. The plate type, center and right, has an inner bar and an outer plug, held together by a small bolt. The snap-in type, left, is easier to work with.

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Lag Screw -  Often called a lag bolt. A large screw with a hexagonal bolt head that is driven with a wrench.

Lally Column -  A trade name for a cylindrical metal post that supports a beam, especially in basements. Lally columns are often filled with concrete for added strength. You can rent the adjustable type by the day, week or month.

Land Surveyors -  Licensed land surveyors are qualified to survey property lines.

Landscape Architects -  Licensed in most states, landscape architects can design entire landscapes, consult on design, or render your drawings. Many belong to the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).

Landscape Contractors -  Landscape contractors are licensed (in most states) to install landscapes. Many work with landscape architects, although some will design landscapes that they install. Most belong to state contractors' associations.

Landscape Designers -  Qualifications vary greatly among landscape designers. Some have been trained as landscape architects but haven't taken or passed the licensing tests. Others are mainly horticulturists.

Landscape Fabric -  A blanket of coarsely woven jute or more permanent synthetic fabric that helps hold soil on hillsides. Buy the fabric in rolls at landscape supply stores. Pin it in place with the metal pins that come with the fabric. If you like, cut slits in the fabric and plant through them.

Landscape Paint -  A nonpermanent spray paint in brilliant colors, sold at hardware and building supply stores.

Landscape Spotlights -  Use them to highlight trees, flower beds or features of your home. This one mounts on a spike in the ground. Others mount in trees or on posts you install. Unless you want to light large areas, use a low-voltage set for easy installation.

Landscape Timber -  Pressure-treated lumber used as a substitute for railroad ties. It's available in several dimensions, typically 6 by 6 and 6 by 8 inches.

Lath -  Thin wood strips nailed to the studs as a base to hold plaster. Modern systems use wire mesh as a base for plaster.

Latticework -  Panels made of crisscrossed strips of wood. Sold at home improvement stores.

Lavatory -  A basin designed for washing hands and face. Plumbers distinguish between a lavatory, which is generally found in a bathroom and takes a 11/4-inch drain line, and a sink, which is usually found in the kitchen and laundry and takes a 11/2-inch line.

Laying Out a Stair Stringer -  Use a framing square to mark out stair notches on the stringer board. Be sure to take the thickness of the tread board into account. You can make the stringer cutouts with a circular saw, but to finish the inside corner you'll need a hand saw or jigsaw.
If you're using wide boards for treads, angle the treads about 1/8 inch from back to front to make sure they drain easily.

Laying Out the Perfect Right Angle -  To check that a corner is square, use the "3-4-5" technique. For example, measure down one leg 6 feet (that is, 3 times 2), then measure down the other leg 8 feet (4 times 2). The distance across the triangle should be exactly 10 feet (5 times 2). Repeat for all corners.
To double-check squareness, measure the distance between opposite corners of the rectangle. Both diagonals should be identical.

Leach Field -  A system of buried pipes that allows wastewater from the septic tank to trickle (leach) into the ground, where soil organisms purify it.

Leach Line -  A gravel-filled trench that acts as a filter for a septic system.

Lead -  A short wire permanently attached to a receptacle or switch. You attach these to the house wiring, white to white and black to black, with wire nuts.

Leaf Mold -  Shredded and decomposed leaves that lighten soil texture and add plant nutrients. Hard to find commercially, but you can make your own by mowing over fallen leaves and composting them.

Ledger -  A piece of wood or metal attached to a beam, a wall, or studding to support joist or rafter ends, wall cabinets, or other structures. In decks, a ledger transfers part of the weight of a deck to the house frame, usually of the same size stock as the joists. Also called a ledger board.

Lever Latch -   A C-shaped bar that runs through a slot in a gate. Rotating one end of the C lifts the other end out of its catch.

Licensed Surveyor -  A contractor who maps property lines and features with instruments to produce a legally binding survey .

Lien Waivers -  Documents that release you from contractors' claims against your property if you don't pay them. Also get waivers from subcontractors you don't hire directly, since they can hold you responsible if your landscape contractor fails to pay them.

Lift Wire -  The rod that connects the flush arm to the flush ball in a toilet tank.

Lighting Adapters - Purpose: Mounting brackets for light fixtures.
Typical Applications: Most light fixtures require one of these adapters to line up the mounting bolts. Disk adapters let you rotate the mounting bolts for neater lighting installations.
Comments: Most new lights are sold with a basic strap. Check that you can use the one included before you take it home.
   Rarely can you screw a fixture directly to a ceiling box. Besides straps, lighting adapters include U-shaped connectors that screw onto a piece of threaded tubing called a fixture stud. Yet another type of adapter consists of a metal disk with concentric slots that allow almost unlimited adjustment.

Limestone -  A sedimentary rock containing mainly calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Powder, pellets, or granules are added to raise the pH of acid soil.

Line -  Current flowing into an electrical device.

Line Level -  A bubble level that hooks over mason's line.

Line Posts -  Thinner posts in the middle of a chain-link fence.

Liquid-Tight Conduit - Purpose: Outdoor wiring.
Typical Applications: Hooking up air conditioning units, swimming pool and spa motors. Usually used for short runs.
Comments: Requires compression connectors and couplings. Its 90-degree-angle connectors help eliminate cumbersome bends. Kits include 6 feet of liquid-tight conduit and the necessary connectors. Requires a ground wire in the conduit, unless you get the metal-lined variety.

Load -  Current flowing out of an electrical device to another located farther along the circuit. Also, the amount of electrical current flowing in a circuit.

Loam -  Soil of medium texture; easiest to work.

Locking Pliers - Other Names: Vise-Grips
Purpose: Clamping small parts and gripping fittings.
Comments: Mechanics and plumbers reach for locking pliers after a nut or bolt head strips. Their vicelike grip allows you to turn parts that no other tool can. Use them with caution. If you tighten them enough, you can easily deform soft metal parts.

Locknut -  A locknut screws onto the threaded ends of external cable clamps and conduit connectors. Push the threaded part of the fitting through a hole in the box and screw on a locknut. To clamp the nut tightly, strike one of its lugs with a hammer and screwdriver.

Loop Cap -  This slips on top of each line post to let the horizontal top rail pass through.

Low-Voltage -  A transformer reduces 120-volt alternating current (AC) to 6- to 30-volt AC or direct current (DC). Low-voltage current can power lights and carry signals to a doorbell, audio speaker or burglar alarm.

Low-Voltage Lighting -  Low-voltage lighting systems include a transformer that reduces 120-volt house current to 12 volts or less. Because they pose no risk of fire or serious shock, you can string lightweight low-voltage wires almost anywhere and even lay them along the ground outdoors. Compact low-voltage bulbs give off intense, tightly focused, white light.

Low-Voltage Mounting Bracket - Purpose: Mounting coaxial or telephone jack plates in drywall or plaster without installing a box.
Comments: Make a cutout just as you would for any box. Hold the plate with pliers and bend the mounting tabs back 90 degrees. Insert the bracket into the cutout, then bend the tabs behind the drywall to pull the bracket tight.
Also Available: Brackets are sold for both single and two-gang installations.

Lumens -  A measurement of the amount of light a lamp puts out. Not to be confused with watts, which measure the amount of electricity the lamp uses. Comparing lumens and watts tells you how efficient a bulb or tube is. The more lumens per watt the better.

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Mason's Line -  Braided or twisted nylon string used to maintain straight courses of masonry. Because the cord is slightly elastic, you can stretch it tight without sagging. Also used for marking off boundaries.

Mason's Trowel - Purpose: You'll need an assortment of these tools to create a clean, finished look in your concrete work.
When to Use: While the concrete is freshly poured, use the wood float to smooth high spots and fill in little craters. Use a steel trowel after the sheen has disappeared from the surface to make a smooth, slick surface. The jointer is used to create crack control joints in the surface of the concrete. The inside and outside corner tools help you finish corners after the concrete is well set.

Masonry Waterproofer -  A liquid or fabric sealant that prevents water behind a masonry wall from leaching lime out of the mortar and staining the wall white. Buy it at a masonry yard.

Mastic -  A thick, waterproof adhesive that holds tiles to a surface.

Mattock -  A wide-bladed pick used for digging. Available as a combination pick-mattock for digging or an axe-mattock for digging and cutting roots.

Metal Boxes -  Use with either non-metallic cable, armored cable or conduit systems. Punch out a round metal knockout to insert the cable connector. If you make a mistake and punch out a hole you don't need, install a metal knockout seal.

Metallic Cable - Other Names: MC
Purpose: Interior residential and commercial wiring.
Typical Applications: MC is often required by local jurisdictions for the same applications as armored cable (AC).
Comments: MC cable has a green insulated ground wire inside. Be sure to get couplings approved for use with MC. Some fittings for AC are not approved for use with MC. At every coupling, use a plastic anti-short bushing.

Meter Wrench - Other Names: Meter Key
Purpose: Shutting off water at the meter.
Comments: This wrench is often the only practical way to turn the rectangular tab on the valve at an in-ground water meter. Many older homes don't have any other way to shut off the water supply.

Modular Controls -  Modular devices known as power line carriers (PLCs) automate a home by sending coded signals over household wiring. PLCs-X10 is a popular brand name-replace receptacles and wall switches, providing remote control for lights and appliances throughout the house.
   You can also add a PLC timer that will turn selected lights on and off when you're not home and a phone controller you can operate from afar. Another device connects to your PC so you can program lighting for vacations or manage heating and air conditioning schedules on a day-to-day basis.
   A drawback to PLC systems is that they are one-way-they send a command to a device, but you get no feedback about whether the device actually turned the lights on or off.
   Because PLCs require no special wiring, you can install them easily. Start out with just a few modules-they cost about $15 each-and add more later.

Moisture Sensor -  A device that senses when soil moisture is low and turns on your watering system.

Mortar -  A masonry adhesive made of lime cement mixed with sand and water.

Mortar Bed -  Layer of mortar on which masonry sits.

Mortise -  In a door, it is a recess cut for a hinge, strike plate or latch plate.

Motion Detector - Purpose: Turns on light when people or cars pass by.
Typical Applications: Outdoor lights on porches, driveways, sideyards and alleys. Comments: You can wire a motion detector to turn on indoor lights as well. Wireless versions are powered by a 9-volt battery and send a signal via radio frequency to a switch on your house wiring.
What to Look For: Models that include sensitivity adjustment (technically termed gain control) to screen out pets and wild animals. Many models allow you to set the amount of time the light stays on after it's activated. Also, try to get one with light sensitivity adjustment so it won't operate before it's really dark.

Motion Sensor -  Most so-called motion sensors actually respond to changes in infrared heat. Other types use photoelectric eyes or sound waves to monitor for movement.

Mud -  In the building trades, joint compound, and many other paste-like compounds, are called "mud."

Mudsill -  The bottom-most horizontal piece of wood in the house frame. Usually a 2-by-4 or 2-by-6, it sits on top of the concrete foundation.

Mulch -  A soil covering, such as gravel or shredded bark, that slows evaporation and erosion. It insulates soil against rapid temperature changes. It also keeps down weeds.

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