Hook 
Roughly resembling the letter U, with one longer leg and with a way to attach it to a lifting cable, this curved end member of a crane or hoist connects to the load with rigging. 

Hook and Eye Hinge 
Often used for gates, this hinge consists of a strap-like fastener around the gatepost and a strap-like fastener attached to the gate, and fastened together with a pin. 

Hook and Eye T-strap Hinge 
Exposed surface mounted pinned-type door hinge. 

Hook Latch 
Closing for the open part of a hook to prevent a load from becoming unhooked. 

Hook Rule 
Ruler made with a small overhanging piece on one end so that it can be hooked onto the item to be measured, making more accurate measurement possible because the ruler does not move as easily. 

Hook Stick 
Pole that has a hook on the end to turn on or off an overhead switch that is not easily reached. 

Hook Travel 
Also called a lift, it refers to the maximum vertical travel distance of a crane hook. 

Hoop 
A circular band or ring for holding together or strengthening the staves of a barrel, cask, etc. 

Hopper Window 
Window containing a single sash, which is hinged on the bottom and that tilts inward at the top. 

Horizontal 
Parallel to the plane of the horizon of the earth. Not vertical. 

Horizontal Application 
Wallboard installation done placing the long side parallel to the floor and perpendicular to the framing piece. 

Horizontal Branch 
Lateral drain pipes which run from the plumbing fixtures to the waste stack in a building or into the soil. 

Horizontal Position 
Position when welding, where the welding is being done on the top surface of the work, which is held horizontally. 

Horizontal Property Laws 
Body of law relating directly to condominiums and cooperative developments. Most property law provides vertical ownership of property in the sense that property owners own mineral rights as well as air rights to property. Horizontal property laws state that property owners own only the confines of the apartment unit within a condominium or cooperative building complex. Thus, horizontal property laws do not allow property owners to own the land on which their apartment unit is located. 

Horizontal Roof Area 
The flat plane of area covered by a roof when the slopes are not added. 

Horizontal Slat Fence 
Fence of horizontally installed slats between posts. 

Horizontal Sliding Window 
Window that has sashes which slide horizontally in its tracks. 

Horizontal Supply Tapping 
Horizontally connected water supply line to a boiler. 

Horizontal Turret Lathe 
One of the types of metal shaping turret lathes, the horizontal turret lathe holds several different tools to make changing the cutting tool easy but the horizontal lathe holds smaller pieces of work than the vertical turret lathe. A large camping device on the end (chuck) holds and turns the work while a mechanism feeds the tool into the turret along with the work to shape it or to bore holes in it. 

Horn 
Toilet opening where waste is discharged. 

Horsefeathers 
Pieces that are made from the existing roof tabs that are clipped off and nailed in places to fill-in wherever needed to make the surface flat for a new roof. Horsepower-rated Switch Electric switch for small motor loads.

Hose Bibb
Threaded faucet connection for connecting a hose or for devices such as a washing machine. 

Hoskold Factor 
Used when determining the worth of an annuity that reinvests the amount of recaptured investment (capital) at a risk-free interest rate. 

Hospital Latch 
Latch that uses push-pull levers to retract the bolt. 

Hot-dip Galvanizing 
The material being galvanized is dipped in molten zinc. 

Hot-melt Glue 
Glue sticks which are fed through an electrically heated nozzle to melt and direct it to the needed place, where it cools rapidly. 

Hot Pressure Welding (HPW) 
Welding with heat and pressure, either with a shielding of inert gas or in a vacuum. 

Hot Spray 
Painting by spraying heated paint for a smoother application or for better adherence to the surface. 

Hot Stuff 
Hot Bitumen. 

Hot Wall 
Plastered wall, which has a large amount of free lime. Oil based paint does not work well with this. 

Hot Wire 
High voltage electrical conductor that is in an electrical circuit. The wire that carries the current into the piece of equipment. 

Hot Wire Anemometer 
Measuring of the resistance change of a heated wire. Resistance changes with temperature and the temperature changes with air flow velocity by use of this device. 

Hot Wire Welding 
Electric arc welding, using resistance heated filler metal, which happens when electric current is passed through a conductor having a high resistance to the flow of current, which converts the electrical energy to heat. 

House Paint 
Paint that is used on exterior surfaces. 

House Poor 
Purchasing a more expensive house than a buyer can afford based on his/her income. 

House Rack 
Anchor for the drop where the electrical wires of the utility are run to the building, it is also called a service insulator. 

House Rules 
Rules regarding day-to-day use of the premises. 

House Wrap 
Polyethylene barrier wrapped around a house to save energy. 

Housed 
Sheltered or stored. 

Housed String
Grooves cut on the inside of stair stringers so that tread and risers can be fastened into them, with wedges and glue holding them in place. 

Household 
Group of people residing in one home, usually a family. 

Housing 
Shelter or lodging. A shelter. 

Housing Code 
Federal, state or local government ordinance that sets minimum standards of safety and sanitation for existing residential buildings, as opposed to building codes, which govern new construction. 

Housing Discrimination 
Illegal practice of denying the right to buy or rent a home to an individual based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability or family status. 

Housing Starts 
Estimate of the number of dwelling units on which construction has begun during a stated period. 

Housing Expense Ratio 
Percentage of gross monthly income devoted to housing costs.