Wood Butt Piling 
Wood piling, with a steel band around the top so that it doesn't split, which is driven into the ground for foundations. 

Wood Chisel 
Tool used to cut or shape wood, with its cutting blade, when it is held by hand and the handle end is hammered, to apply force. 

Wood-destroying Insect 
An insect, such as a termite, which eats into the wood and destroys it, causing significant damage to the home. Many states require a certification of inspection upon passing of title. 

Wood Filler 
Putty type substance, available in a number of tints, used for patching wood. Though it is like putty prior to use, it hardens and can be sanded and stained. Also referred to as wood putty.

Wood-frame Construction 
Construction framing where all of the load-bearing parts of the structure, such as studs, joist, rafter, etc. are made of wood. 

Wood Green 
Chemical preservative, which is used to prevent insect damage or fungus growth, and which contains copper napthenate and arsenic. 

Wood Joinery 
Joints created by cutting and fitting woodwork with interlocking pieces or by nailing or screwing them together. 

Wood Lathe
Power machine used to hold and turn the wood that is being shaped or cut. 

Wood Mallet 
Hammer, made of wood so that, when it is used directly on wood to force a joint together, it will not damage the surface. Often, the mallet is used to stick the handle of a chisel to add force to the cutting process.

Wood Preservatives 
Chemicals, which are used on wood, for the purpose of retarding rot and protecting from damage by insects.

Wood Putty 
Putty type substance, available in a number of tints, used for patching wood. Though it is like putty prior to use, it hardens and can be sanded and stained. Also referred to as wood filler.

Wood Sash Putty 
Material, consisting of white lead in linseed oil, used to fasten a pane of glass into the sash of a window. 

Wood Screw 
Common fastener with a flared, slotted head and a raised spiral ridge running down the shank. A screwdriver fits into the screw head to insert or remove the screw. A Phillips head screws have a crisscross slot in the head rather than a straight one.

Wood Sheet Piling 
Supports for foundations, which are made from boards, attached to each other with cleats. 

Wood Shingle
Roofing material, usually made from cedar, which is tapered to fit one piece over the other. 

Wood Vise 
Vice, whose large flat jaws are sometimes lined with wood, so that the wood it is meant to hold is not damaged. 

Woodland
Land with trees.

Woodwork 
Term generally used to describe the trim work done on the interior or exterior of a building. 

Woodworking Bench 
Work surface that is fitted with vises and other necessary equipment to hold and work on wood objects. 

Workable 
Something that is able to be done or able to be used.

Workers' Compensation Insurance 
Insurance, which covers job related injuries to employees, which is paid by employers as required by the government. 

Work Triangle 
Kitchen layout triangle consisting of the points defined by the refrigerator, the stove and the sink. To more easily facilitate use, the total distance around this area should be 14 to 22 feet. 

Working Drawing 
A drawing made to scale with details and markings to facilitate use by builders and engineers during construction.

Workmanship 
Quality. 

Workout 
Effort to resolve, through compromise, a problem between two sides. Alternately, when a creditor allows a debtor to rectify his default by lengthening the time period of repayment or reducing the interest rate. 

Workshop 
Area used for working with materials or machinery.

Woven Hip 
Roofing material, which has the shingles overlapping at the edge of the hip portion of the roof. 

Woven Valley 
Overlapping of roof shingle courses which are then interwoven at the roof valley when alternating courses are overlapped in opposite directions. 

Wraparound Mortgage
Loan which provides a buyer with the amount of the remaining balance on a seller's mortgage plus an additional amount which is requested by seller as part of the contract of sale. Payments are made to the lender who holds the wraparound loan. 

Wreath 
The curved section of the staircase that is used to join the newel post to the rising run or handrail. 

Wrecking Ball 
Heavy, large ball attached to a cable on the end of a crane boom and swung into the walls of the structure that is being demolished. 

Wrecking Bar
Pry bar made of heavy metal, used for prying nails, with one end made into a wedge and the other bent into a hook with a claw foot, also called a crowbar. 

Wrench 
Hand tool used for turning threaded fasteners by use of gripping jaws. There are a number of different types of wrenches. 

Wrinkle Finish Paint
Painting system that causes wrinkling, which dries to a textured surface due to the inter-coat reaction of a combination of materials. 

Wrinkling 
Paint defect that causes paint to become wrinkles when it is not desired. The application of paint over an incompatible primer, in direct sunlight, when temperature is not optimum, over a glossy surface, etc. can cause this problem. 

Writ
Court order requiring a person or business to react in a specific manner.

Writ of Ejectment 
Court order allowing a landlord to evict a tenant because of non-payment of rent or damaging property. The Writ contains needed instructions and directs an Officer of the Court to execute it. 

Writ of Execution 
Court order allowing the seizure and sale of property due to non-payment of taxes or foreclosure of property. 

Writ of Mandamus 
Court order that stops or directs a judicial directive. 

WR Panels (water resistant)
Gypsum wallboard, which has a water resistant paper covering a core that has had asphalt compounds added to it. Fiberglass mesh tape is used to tape the joints with water-resistant joint compound sealing them. Also called WR panels, moisture resistant panels, or greenboard, they are used where moisture is present, such as in a bathroom. 

W-type Roof Truss
W-shaped roof truss used in residential construction. 

Wrought Iron 
Type of material that is used typically for railings or patio chairs and tables. It is painted with special paint to prevent rust and preserve the finish. Mostly commonly it is black or white. 

Wye 
1. Y-shaped plumbing fixture that connects a branch line to the main line at a 45-degree angle. 
2. Electrical schematic showing the load connections to a three-phase system. 

Wythe 
Vertical masonry section, which is one unit thick in walls or as the dividing partition between two flues in a single chimney.