| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Façade | Façade – The front portion of a building. |
| Fan light | Fan light – A semicircular window with ribbed bars, normally found over a door or another window. |
| Fault | Fault – A fracture within a rock mass where the rocks on one side have moved in relation to those on the other side. |
| Feasibility Studies | Feasibility Studies – In-depth estimates of the cost of planning and specification of a project undertaken prior to any actual planning. |
| Fenestration | Fenestration – Refers to the use of windows on a wall. |
| Feng Shui | Feng Shui – Literally, “wind/water,” the Chinese system of balancing the energy patterns of the physical environment. |
| FF & E (Furniture, Furnishings, and Equipment) | FF & E (Furniture, Furnishings, and Equipment) – Nickname for projects that have minimal or no construction work involved. |
| Fiddleback | Fiddleback – A unique figure on the face of a wood, giving it a washboard effect. |
| Figure | Figure – The pattern produced in wood by annual growth rings, rays, knots, color variation, and the manner in which the log was cut. |
| Firebox | Firebox – The box or chamber containing the fire of a furnace or fireplace. |
| Firesurround | Firesurround – Shelf and side elements framing a fireplace. Also called chimneypiece or mantelpiece. |
| Firing | Firing – Heating clay, glaze, enamel, or other material to the temperature needed to achieve a desired structural change. Most ceramics are fired in a kiln to temperatures ranging from 1600F to 2300F. |
| Fluorescent | Fluorescent – Contains a mixture of an inert gas and low-pressure mercury vapor. |
| Fluted | Fluted – Marked by a series of vertical grooves, as on the shaft of a column, a pilaster, or a decorative molding. |
| FOB (Free on Board) | FOB (Free on Board) – The shipper must assume that expense of loading the goods onto the truck as well the expenses and risk for shipping the goods to the FOB destination. |
| FOB, Destination | FOB, Destination – The manufacturer retains ownership of the goods, pays all shipping expense, and assumes all risks until the goods reach the delivery destination. |
| FOB, Factory | FOB, Factory – The buyer assumes ownership or title of the goods when they are loaded on the truck at the factory. The buyer assumes the transportation expenses and all risks. |
| FOB, Factory | FOB, Factory – The buyer assumes ownership or title of the goods when they are loaded on the truck at the factory. The buyer assumes the transportation expenses and all risks. |
| Forged | Forged – A blacksmithing technique, in which metal is shaped by hammering, usually while at red or white heat. |
| Form | Form – Is the basic shape and configuration of an object or space. |
| Fossiloferous | Fossiloferous – A rock containing fossils. |
| Frequency | Frequency – The number of cycles completed per second and is measured in Hertz. |
| Frieze | Frieze – The central horizontal band of an entablature, found below the cornice and above the architrave. |
| Fuming | Fuming – A vapor deposition process in which a thin film of metal (usually silver, platinum, or gold) condenses on the surface of a hot piece of glass or clay, resulting in an iridescent surface. |
| Fused Glass | Fused Glass – Glass that has been heated in a kiln to the point where two separate pieces are permanently joined as one without losing their individual color. |
| Futon | Futon – Padded mattress and quilt, which are pliable enough to be folded and stored out of sight during the day. |