Tail Beam to Turpentine
Tail beam. A relatively short beam or joist supported in a wall on one end and by a header at the other.
Termites. Insects that superficially resemble ants in size, general appearance, and habit of living in colonies; hence, they are frequently called "white ants." Subterranean termites establish themselves in buildings not by being carried in with lumber, but by entering from ground nests after the building has been constructed. If unmolested, they eat out the woodwork, leaving a shell of sound wood to conceal their activities, and damage may proceed so far as to cause collapse of parts of a structure before discovery. There are about 56 species of termites known in the United States; but the two major ones, classified by the manner in which they attack wood, are ground-inhabiting or subterranean termites (the most common) and dry-wood termites, which are found almost exclusively along the extreme southern border and the Gulf of Mexico in the United States.
Termite shield. A shield, usually of noncorrodible metal, placed in or on a foundation wall or other mass of masonry or around pipes to prevent passage of termites.
Terneplate. Sheet iron or steel coated with an alloy of lead and tin.
Threshold. A strip of wood or metal with beveled edges used over the finish floor and the sill of exterior doors.
Toenailing. To drive a nail at a slant with the initial surface in order to permit it to penetrate into a second member.
Tongued and grooved. See Dressed and matched.
Tread. The horizontal board in a stairway on which the foot is placed.
Trim. The finish materials in a building, such as moldings, applied around openings (window trim, door trim) or at the floor and ceiling of rooms (baseboard, cornice, and other moldings).
Trimmer. A beam or joist to which a header is nailed in framing for a chimney, stairway, or other opening.
Truss. A frame or jointed structure designed to act as a beam of long span, while each member is usually subjected to longitudinal stress only, either tension or compression.
Turpentine. A volatile oil used as a thinner in paints and as a solvent in varnishes. Chemically, it is a mixture of terpenes.
