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Fibreboard

Cheap, lightweight board material of little strength, used in ceilings or as insulation to attics.

Flashing

Building technique used to prevent leakage at a roof joint. Normally metal (lead, zinc, copper) but can be cement, felt or proprietary material.

Flaunching

Contoured cement around the base of chimney pots, to secure the pot and to throw off rain.

Flue

A smoke duct in a chimney, or a proprietary pipe serving a heat-producing appliance such as a central heating boiler.

Flue lining

Metal (usually stainless steel) tube within a flue — essential for high output gas appliances such as boilers. May also be manufactured from clay and built into the flue.

Foundations

Normally concrete, laid underground as a structural base to a wall: in older buildings may be brick or stone.

Frog

A depression imprinted in the upper surface of a brick, to save clay, reduce weight and increase the strength of the wall. Bricks should always be laid frog uppermost.

Gable

Upper section of a wall, usually triangular in shape, at either end of a ridged roof.

Ground heave

Swelling of clay sub-soil due to absorption of moisture: can cause an upward movement in foundations.

Gully

An opening into a drain, normally at ground level, placed to receive water etc. from downpipes and wastepipes.

Haunching

See Benching. Also term used to describe the support to a drain underground.

Hip

The external junction between two intersecting roof slopes.

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