Load Block 
Crane hook assembly that with its frame, swivel, sheaves, pins and bearings suspended from its hoist ropes. 

Load Distribution Center 
Also called a service panel or panel box, this electrical panel houses circuit protection devices, which route circuits through the building.

Load Factor 
1. Comparison expressed as a percentage, of a system's average load to the capacity of the system.
2. Calculation taken into consideration when moving dirt to compensate for the possible swelling of the soil. Load factor equals the bank volume divided by the bank volume plus the soil swell percentage.

Load Float 
Control system of a crane, which allows a load to be held in place, without movement in either direction. 

Load-bearing Partition 
Interior wall that supports some of the weight of other parts of a home, in addition to its own. 

Load-bearing Wall 
Wall that supports the weight of other parts of a home, in addition to its own weight and is also called a bearing wall. 

Loader 
Piece of heavy equipment used to lift and dump dirt, by use of a bucket attached to the end of an arm, which is attached to the machine. 

Loading Pump 
Hand pump to fill application tools for drywall joint compound. 

Loan 
A sum of money lent for a specified period of time and repayable with interest.

Loan Application 
An itemization of basic financial information, which is presented to a lender by a potential borrower.

Loan Application Fee
Fee charged by lenders to borrowers making a loan application. 

Loan Commitment
Written promise to make a loan, outlining amount and terms, by lending institution to borrower. 

Loan Officer 
Official representative of a lending institution who is empowered to loan money within certain guidelines. 

Loan Origination Fee 
Commonly referred to as "points" this fee is required by most lenders and is represented as being used to cover the cost of arranging the loan. 

Loan Rates 
The interest rate charged for a loan. 

Loan Shark 
Lender who charges an exorbitant interest rate which is usually illegal because it exceeds the interest rate allowed in the state.

Loan Term 
The amount of time that is set for the repayment of the mortgage or loan. Conforming loans are usually 15 or 30 years. 

Loan-to-Value Ratio (LTV) 
The ratio of the loan amount to the value of the property. The value is equal to the purchase price or appraised value, whichever is lower. 

Lobby 
Entrance area to a larger room or rooms within a building to be used as a waiting room. 

Location 
The geographical location of a piece of property. 

Location, Location, Location 
A popular expression is that the three most important things about real estate are location, location, location meaning that the geographical location of a parcel of land greatly affects its value. 

Lock 
Any mechanism that fastens something and prevents it from opening, turning, etc. 

Lock Seam 
Folder over seam, between metal sheets, locking them together in a flat joint. 

Lock Washer 
Washer, which has teeth or is made of spring steel, which helps to keep a nut tightened against it from coming loose. 

Lock Wire 
Stainless steel wire used to keep a nut or bolt from loosening, it is threaded through a hole and twisted a calculated number of turns per inch and then attached to an anchor point. 

Locked Rotor Torque 
Minimum rotating motion force developed by the simplest type of electric induction motor, when voltage is applied with the motor shaft not turning. 

Lock-in 
A guarantee, by a lender to a borrower, to guarantee a specific interest rate for a specified period of time. 

Lock-in Clause 
Clause inserted in a loan agreement guaranteeing a quoted interest rate for a specific period of time.

Lock-in Period
Period of time during which a lender guarantees to the buyer, a specified interest rate, regardless of a rise in market rates. The longer the time period of the guarantee, the more points charged. 

Locking Pliers 
Pliers that can be opened and locked into the proper position by use of an adjustable over-center locking lever. 

Locknut 
A nut that is tightened against the primary nut, to keep it from loosening, when the primary nut is tightened to the needed torque. A locknut, also called a jam nut, may be the same as the primary nut or may be made of stamped sheet metal. 

Loft 
Unpartitioned living space (one large room) or a space built just below the roof, above a larger room. Upper floor of a factory or warehouse. 

Loft Building
Building with large unpartitioned floor areas often used for storage. 

Log
1. Any record of progress or occurrences.
2. A section of the trunk or a large branch of a felled tree, which can be used in building or for firewood.

Log Cabin 
An Early American frontier style of housing, constructed of logs, originally used during the settlement of the U.S. when lumber was not readily available. 

Loggia 
An arcade or roofed gallery built into or projecting from the side of a building, particularly one overlooking an open court. It differs from a veranda or lanai because it is more a part of the main structure. 

Logistics 
The art of calculating material amounts and arranging their delivery to the proper place at the proper time. 

Long L 
Stairway that has two sets of steps, the first ending in a platform and the second set of stairs, often shorter, being accessed after a 90 degree turn on the platform. 

Long Lead 
Long delay needed between an order being placed and the receipt of an item. 

Long Nose Pliers 
Pliers, which are normally used in tight places, due to their long narrow jaws that taper to a point.

Long Oil 
Protective wood coating consisting of a larger amount of oil mixed with a lesser amount of resin. 

Long Oil Varnish 
Flexible, slow drying varnish, which does not crack when a surface expands, or contracts due to temperature change.

Long Term Assets 
Also called fixed assets, they are assets such as office equipment that can be depreciated. 

Long-Term Capital Gain
Income tax term, which applies to the gain on a capital asset, held long enough to qualify for special tax consideration. 

Long-Term Financing 
Normally a permanent mortgage, which lasts at least ten years.

Long-Term Lease 
Lease contract which last for at least 5+ years.

Long Term Liabilities 
Debts which are payable beyond a one year period.

Longitudinal 
Running or placed lengthwise. 

Lookout or Lookout Block 
Extension on a structure which spans the distance from the building's edge to the fly rafter, at the end of the gable extension and supports it and the roof overhang. 

Loop
1. Large piece of heated metal, which makes it bendable for shaping.
2. Top Garden Fencing Fence where the tops are rounded looped wire. 

Loosely Laid Membranes 
Roofing pieces that are only attached around their edges or at penetration points of the chimney or vents coming through the roof. 

Loose Pin Hinge 
Hinge with a removable pin.