Real Estate Glossary

Our glossary is the largest dictionary of real estate and construction terms on the Internet with almost 10,000 definitions.
 
Ba - Bal - Bas - Be - Ben - Bi - Bl - Bo - Bor - Br - Bu - Bun
Bordeaux Mixture
Fungicide made of a combination of copper sulfate, lime and water.
Border
An edge or dividing line.
Bore
To make a hole by drilling.
Bored Deadlock
Lock with a bolt, which slides into the receptacle in the door jamb when the key is turned.
Boring Bar
Holder for the boring bit used to bore holes in metal. The chuck of the lathe grabs on to the shaft, which holds the bar. The boring bar is placed at a right angle to the arbor and, when the arbor is rotated, the bit in the boring bar cuts the circle into the metal. The boring bar in the arbor is slid to change the space between the cutting tool and the arbor, which adjusts the size of the circle.
Boring Jig
A jig maintains the needed placement between a drill and the material so that the hole is properly aligned.
Boring Log
Record of the information gained about the soil, which was removed from an excavation site.
Boring Test
Soil analysis taken by boring holes into the ground to remove samples.
Borough
A section of a city having authority over local matters.
Borrow
Material used for grading, usually sand or gravel. Borrow Pit A hole at a site where soil has been excavated for use elsewhere. Also called a borrow site.
Borrow Site
A hole at a site where soil has been excavated for use elsewhere. Also called a borrow pit.
Borrower Risk
Liabilities assumed by a borrower; lose of financial ability to repay the loan, rising interest rates (adjustable rate loan) make the payments unaffordable, loan value may exceed the value of the security, etc.
Boss
  1. Stone which is put into place to be carved at a later date.
  2. Projecting formation of rock.
  3. Projecting pipe connector that is welded onto a large diameter length of pipe to be connected to a smaller pipe, etc.
Boston Hip
Type of roofing where shingles butt tightly against each other at the hip with alternating shingle courses lapping over the edges of the opposing shingles. Also called a Boston Ridge.
Boston Ridge
Type of roofing where shingles butt tightly against each other at the hip with alternating shingle courses lapping over the edges of the opposing shingles. Also called a Boston Hip.
Botel
Guest accommodations offered by some marinas to mariners, similar to motels to motorists.
Bottom Chord
Lowest structural part of a truss.
Bottom Plate
Also called a sole plate, this is the board on which the bottoms of the wall framing studs stand.
Bottomland
Land adjacent to a body of water that can also be part of a flood plain or land at the bottom of a valley or glen, which is usually fertile as top soil.
Boulder
Extremely large rock.
Boulevard
A tree lined street, sometimes constructed with a landscaped median.
Boundary
Dividing line between two adjacent properties.
Bow
Warping of a board or plywood panel so that it is bent and not flat.
Bow Compass
Device, which consists of two legs, joined together with a hinged joint that is used for drawing circles. The pointed leg is held in place and the leg, which holds a pencil, or pen is rotated around to draw a circle.
Bow Dividers
Similar to a compass, a bow divider is used for measuring dimensions. The distance between the pointed ends of both legs can be adjusted and set at the needed dimension for measuring. Once the bow compass is set at a certain measurement, it can transfer those dimensions to another surface.
Bow Window
Window, divided into three sections, that curves outward in an arc, extending the window area out from the wall, so that it gives a room a larger appearance. Since they are supported from the wall or floor and usually don't extend to the roof line, they need their own roof projection from the wall. Ready made bay windows come in pre-assembled components that are easily installed into a wall opening. Also called a bay window.
Bowstring Truss
Beam, girder, or truss with the top portion being in the shape of a bow and the bottom portion being straight across and connecting both ends of the top portion.
Bowtie Paint Pattern
Defect that has a poorly covered section joining two well painted sections.
Box
  1. Container.
  2. Wall opening that accepts an open shutter.
  3. Enclosure for electrical connections.
  4. To pour paint from container to container so that it mixes well.
Box Beam
Hollow structure constructed of separate structural members connection by their length with intermediate braces between the members.
Box Column
Supporting a downward load, this is a hollow column consisting of individual structure members in a vertical position.
Box Construction
Construction method where vertical siding is attached to a horizontal framing structure and is often found in agricultural buildings.
Box Corner Joint
Two pieces that have alternating straight finger cuts in their edges and glued into interlocking position to form a very strong joint.
Box Cornice
Roof cornice which is enclosed and on the edge.
Box Nail
Flat-headed, thick shanked nail, which is used on thin material in place of larger nails.
Box Sill
Type of sill plate. There are headers, which are nailed to, and encompass joist ends.
Box Wrench
Also called a box-end wrench and designed to fit one size nut. The end that fits over and grips the nut is an enclosed circle.

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Rakesh Kumar
REALTOR

14291 Park Meadow Dr. #500
Chantilly, VA  20151
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