Learning the Language – A Guide to Understanding Common Renovation and Remodeling Terms

 While you can get your home renovated or remodeled without knowing the technical details, having the basic knowledge and knowing the meanings of commonly used terms make it a lot easier to work with professional remodeling contractors.
Here’s a list of some renovation and remodeling terms commonly used by the contractors:

· Blueprints
Blueprints of a remodeling project are the technical drawings made by an architect. They are the layouts of the design along with all the essential details, like the dimensions and materials that are going to be used.

· Footings
Footings are structures created in the foundation to transfer the load from the building to the foundation. They provide support to the foundation and prevent settling. There are different types of footings and identifying the right kind for a project depends on a number of factors, such as the type and size of building, and soil conditions.  

· Gut a Room
When contractors direct their workers to gut a room, it means they are telling them remove everything from there, even the wall coverings.
The only things that are left after this process are the floors, subfloors, framing and walls.

· Mechanicals
The word refers to different systems of the house, like HVAC, plumbing, and electrical.

· Footprint
Footprint of a house means its overall dimensions, including the porch and garage. When a contractor talks about changing the footprint, they mean changing the dimension s for building home additions.

· Building Inspector
The government official who is responsible to issue permits for construction and remodeling projects and to make sure that the project is not violating any rules or building codes of the town, city, or state.

· R&R
This means remove and replace (and not relaxation and recreation, as you thought). It is commonly used by contractors for renovation projects that do not require mechanical or structural changes. R&R projects involve simple things like replacing fixtures, appliances, and/or cabinets.

· Rebar
Rebar is short for reinforcing bar. The word refers to the ribbed rods of steel that are added to the concrete foundations to give extra support to a structure.
Here you go – these are some of the most commonly used terms by remodeling and renovation contractors. Looking for a professional remodeling contractor in Gilbert, AZ to discuss your house remodeling project?
Get in touch with Best Remodeling AZ!

Summary
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While you can get your home renovated or remodeled without knowing the technical details, having the basic knowledge and knowing the meanings of commonly used terms make it a lot easier to work with professional remodeling contractors.  In this article, we define some of the  terms that are commonly used by contractors.