Fiberboard 
Wood scraps and plant fibers compressed together with a binding material, such as glue and pressed out to form a sheet material which is used in construction as wall sheathing, floor underlayment or in any area that is to be covered with a veneer or finish surface. 

Fiber Conduit 
Tube that is made of wood pulp fiber, saturated with a bituminous (natural asphalt) sealant and preservative which was used as a nonmetallic electrical conduit, but has been replaced by PVC piping. 

Fiberglass 
Trademark name for fine-spun filaments of glass that are made into yarn that is woven into textiles and which are used in woolly masses as insulation. Hardened with resins, it can also be pressed and molded into lightweight plastic-like material. 

Fictile 
That which can be molded. Property that allows shaping such as in wet plaster, pottery, ceramics or clay, etc. 

Fidelity 
1. Accuracy of a description, translation, reproduction, etc. 
2. Faithful devotion to duty or obligation. 

Fidelity Bond 
Insurance coverage purchased by an employer to cover employees who are entrusted with valuable property or funds, to protect against specified losses arising from any dishonest act by these employees. 

Fiduciary 
Person or institution acting in a legal capacity, in the best interests of someone including to hold or administer property owned by another. 

Fiduciary Duty 
The holding in trust of something by one person for another. Also applies to legal, real estate and business relationships. 

Field 
1. A jobsite. 
2. A wide stretch of open land. 
3. A space in which magnetic or electrical lines of force are active. 
4. Surface area of a panel. 

Field Changes 
Modifications to blueprints, that are made on the construction site. 

Field House 
1. Large building for athletic events. 
2. Building near an athletic field with showers, etc. for the use of the athletes. 

Field Tile 
Tile that is set in the middle of a wall rather than the edges. 

Fieldstone 
Natural stone, which is used as it is found, for decorative walls or walkways. 

Fieldstone, Blue Frost Rubble 
Light blue-gray fieldstone that has tan and black streaks. 

Fieldstone, California Driftstone
Fieldstone with a driftwood-like texture, which runs in color from black to medium brown. 

Fieldstone, California Travertine 
Fieldstone chunks with brown, tan and off-white marbling. 

Fieldstone, Drift 
Pink-gray lava rock that has rust-orange highlights. 

Fieldstone, Ebony 
Black fieldstone that has white streaks with green and gold tones. 

Fieldstone, Glacier Quarry Fossil 
Fieldstone that has been made smooth by glaciers it is blue-gray with rust to gold fossils. 

Fieldstone, Indian Creek 
Sandstone that has layers of earth tones. 

Fieldstone, Mountain Orchid 
Orchid colored fieldstone that has overtones of green, yellow, red and white. 

Fieldstone, River Rounds 
Granite, which is water smoothed and found in riverbeds. 

Fieldstone, Santa Fe Lava 
Lava in a rusty black color. 

Fieldstone, Silver Green 
Green colored fieldstone with flint and light orchid tones. 

Fieldstone, Snow Mountain Crystal 
Pale quartz chunky stone with streaks of silver and green mica. 

Fieldstone, Victor Log 
Hard quartzite, which can be honey-cream, pink, light gray, rust, etc. 

Fieldstone, Victor Red Rock 
Fossilized rock that has a white interior with a brownish red or orange exterior. 

Fieldstone, Victor Silver Gray 
Shaded silver hard quartzite with sparkles. 

Field Weld 
A fusion of materials that is performed at jobsite. 

Field Winding 
Electrically conductive current path that produces a motor or generator magnetic field when laid in a symmetrical pattern. 

Fifteen-Year Mortgage 
A fixed rate, level-payment mortgage loan where for a slight increase in monthly payments, the loan can be paid off in only 15 years. The overall savings in interest paid to the lender, between the 15-year and 30 year mortgage, can be quite substantial without making the monthly payment significantly higher. 

Figure 
Look of wood grain, which may be wavy, streaked or mottled. 

Filament 
1. A very slender thread or fiber. 
2. The fine metal wire in a light bulb, which becomes incandescent when heated by electric current.

File 
1. An abrasive steel tool with a rough, ridged surface used to smooth or grind down wood, metal, etc. Files can be obtained in varying degrees of fine or coarse surfaces. 2. A container or folder for keeping papers in order. 

File Card 
1. Marker card in an information file. 
2. Stiff bristled brush for cleaning the grooves in a file. 

Filigree 
1. Delicate, lacelike ornamental work of intertwined gold, silver, etc. 
2. Any delicate work or design with a lacelike appearance. 

Fill 
Term used in surveying to indicate a grading level with relation to a reference point, to where dirt must be added to reach the reference point. 

Fill Dirt 
Soil brought into a site to solidify a foundation or to fill an excavation to grade. 

Fill Stake 
Surveyors stake which shows where the dirt fills are needed. 

Filled Land 
Ground that has had dirt, gravel or other materials added to raise its level. 

Filled-cell Masonry 
Vertical wall constructed of one unit thick hollow masonry units whose openings are all filled with grout. 

Filler 
1. Matter added to something to increase bulk or improve consistency, such as fiberglass might be added to wallboard for fire resistance. 2. A small joist resting on a girder. 3. A preparation used to fill in the cracks or grains before painting or varnishing or as the joint compound used with sheetrock. 

Filler Block 
2 x 4 piece installed between a three-stud corner post to add stability to the post and to provide more nailing surface. 

Filler Metal 
Metal, which is added to be used to bond materials being welded, brazed or soldered and which fills in the gaps in the joints of the metal. 

Filler Wall 
Used basically as a partition, this nonbearing wall between columns is supported at each level. 

Fillet 
1. A flat, square molding which separates other moldings. 
2. A narrow band between two flutings in a column. 3. Rounded surface that forms an inside angle at the joint between two planes. 

Fillet Gauge 
Also called a radius gauge, it is a tool that is made up of a series of blades with different radii and is used to check the regular radii of both concave and convex surfaces. The appropriate blade is compared to the surface and by reading the radius from that glade, the unknown radius is able to be identified. 

Fillet Weld 
Triangular shaped weld, which is made at the meeting place of two metal pieces, which are joined to each other at angles. 

Fillister 
A groove, cut into material, such as a groove that holds a windowpane. 

Fillister-head Screw 
Fastener with a round, domed head, slightly larger than its threaded base. 

Fillister Plane 
A plane used for cutting grooves. 

Film 
1. A thin, fine skin, surface, layer or coating. 
2. Sheet or roll of a flexible cellulose material covered with a substance sensitive to light and used in taking photographs or making motion pictures. 
3. A thin sheet, veil, haze or blur. 

Film Build 
Applying successive layers to increase overall coating thickness. 

Film Integrity 
A surface that has a continuous, unbroken coating such as paint or varnish or a film of thin plastic. 

Film Thickness 
Coating thickness. 

Filter 
1. A devise used for separating solid particles, impurities, etc. from a liquid or gas by passing it through a porous substance. 
2. A device or substance that passes electric currents of certain frequencies or frequency range while preventing the passage of others. 
3. A device or substance that partially or completely absorbs certain light rays. 

Filter Bed 
1. A tank, covered trench. Etc. with a sand or gravel bottom which is used to filter water, sewage, etc. 
2. Filter material layer through which fluid is passed. Water is purified of certain chemicals when it is passed through a layer of activated charcoal. 

Filter Block 
Flooring, of hollow vitrified clay masonry units, which is used in a sewage treatment plant. 

Filter Fabric 
1. Finely woven, mesh, synthetic fabric used to stabilize the soil during excavation. This fabric is fastened down against the soil to prevent erosion. 
2. Synthetic fabric, which sieves out the fine materials from ones that are coarser and also filters particles from fluids. 

Filter Paper 
Porous paper, which is used for filtering. 

Filtering Down 
Process whereby a neighborhood is gradually occupied by progressively lower income people. 

Filtrate
Fluid that has been run through a filter; filtered.