Alphabet Soup – A Girlfriend’s Guide

Throughout the building process, I have learned a lot about things I never knew existed.  My profession as a physical therapist involves tons of abbreviations…so much so that I am plagued with the nagging habit of blurting out the meaning of three-letter abbreviations I see on license plates.  For example, I’ll randomly say “Straight Leg Raise” if I see the letters SLR in sequence on a license plate.  Same thing for SBA, VMO, SAQ, and LMP.  My husband thinks I’m nuts…especially when all I say is, “Hmmm, I’d hate to have that one on my car.”

But as I’ve started to hear terms like R-value, U-factor, SEER, LVL, and OSB…I’ve felt a little outside of my comfort zone.  So what I’ve decided is that I’m going to create a “Girlfriend’s Guide to Construction Abbreviations.”  I’ve learned that if you use these abbreviations in conversation, you actually sound like you know something.  The key is using them in the right context;-)  Below you will find the start to my list…

R-value:  Simply stated, the R-value is the measure of a material’s ability to resist heat flow.  The R-value comes up when talking about windows, insulation, garage doors, roofs, etc.  The higher the R-value, the more the material insulates.  You want this number to be high.

U-factor:  Rating given to a window based on how much heat loss it allows.  U-factors generally range from 0.2 (little heat loss) to 1.2 (high heat loss).  You want this number to be low.

SEER:  SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio.  It is a number that describes how well air-conditioning equipment works.  A higher SEER means better efficiency and ultimately lower energy bills.  You want this number to be high.

LVL:  Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) is specialized wood that offers options where construction designs call for long unsupported spans.  It is perfect for floor beams; headers over garage doors, windows and doors; and ridge beams.  You want this number to be low (these things are pricey).

OSB:  Oriented Strand Board (OSB) is a structural engineered wood panel manufactured from waterproof heat-cured adhesives and rectangularly shaped wood strands.  These large, continuous mats are used as floor boards, walls, and roof decking.  These boards share many of the strength and performance characteristics of plywood with no laps, gaps or voids.

O.C.:  Forget Orange County, O.C. stands for “on center” or “on centers” and refers to stud and joist placement.  For example, one might say “2×10 floor joists placed 16″ o.c.”  This is code for, “the 2″ thick by 10″ wide supporting boards under the floor are spaced 16″ apart measured from the center of one board to the center of another.”  Whew.

ABS and PVC:  Both of these are types of plastic-based pipes and fittings used in low-pressure applications such as DWV (drain, waste and vent) and sewer lines.  ABS pipes are made out of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene while PVC (or CPVC) pipes are made from chlorinated poly-vinyl chloride.  The main structural difference between the two types is that ABS is more flexible than PVC, and can deform under sun exposure.  I remember colors better…ABS = black and PVC = white.

CMU:  Concrete Masonry Units…fancy speak for concrete blocks.

P.T.:  Not physical therapy or part-time.  In this situation, it stands for pressure treated.

PSF:  Pounds per square foot…you might also hear PSI (pounds per square inch).  These terms are used in reference to the foundation, concrete slab, and/or a combination of things that need to bear weight (a lot of weight).

To be continued…

HINDSIGHT IS 20/20:  I really wish I would have paid attention during my two semesters of Spanish in college…we have the best framing crew but I have been reduced to a lot head bobbing and thumbs up signs to show these hard-working guys my approval;-)

Culvert Schmulvert

Okay, as I’ve said before – I know very little about construction.  This has made for some comical conversations and interesting moments.  But I’m learning…and that’s fun.  I’ve been the main bid getter on this project so I’ve had to learn quickly.  When a technical question arises, I simply say, “You’ll have the talk to Rusty – I’m just the courier.”

Always wear gloves when spray painting

During early planning conversations, I knew I was in over my head.  One particularly savvy owner-builder we talked to told us we needed to start the process by getting our culvert bond (see my last post).  I acted like I knew exactly what she was talking about and simply asked, “Where do I go get that?”  I was too embarrassed to ask, “What the heck is a culvert?”  Ask me where the extensor carpi radialis brevis tendon is and I’ve got you covered but a culvert – not happening.

According to the EPA, a culvert is “a closed conduit used to convey water from one area to another, usually from one side of a road to the other side.”  In other words, a culvert is that big corrugated metal pipe that runs under roads, driveways, etc.  It’s important because it allows for water runoff to flow readily while preserving the road bed, ditch, and/or river bank.

Asset Protection - Driver Beware

Standard culvert width (i.e. width of your driveway) is 20 feet.  We opted for a 30-foot culvert on the recommendation of our excavator.  Since yours truly is a horrible backer-upper, this makes a lot of sense;-)

HINDSIGHT IS 20/20:  This is a recommendation from our excavator which we thought was worth trying.  Even though we will most likely be putting in two culverts, he suggested we only put in one until we are closer to finishing construction.  He said that culverts just scream, “Run me over!!!”  He suggested getting a board and putting 20-penny nails in it and putting it over the end of the culverts.  We decided 60-penny nails would be more appropriate (and visible).  This may not be the “nicest” way to protect your culvert BUT he said it works.  We’re calling it asset protection.  You may want to wear gloves when spray painting;-)