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Browse Glossary :
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Frequently Searched Terms
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Definition of Linoleum
LinoleumPoor Linoleum. This flooring material hung out with some questionable characters back in the 1970s-like burnt orange and psychedelic tile patterns-and got a bad rep that it can't quite shake. It's also been a tragic victim of mistaken identity, confused with vinyl flooring-a synthetic, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) based product. The truth is, Linoleum is not tacky, it's not plastic, and there are good reasons this smooth, durable product has been used as a floor covering for over 100 years. Linoleum's primary ingredients-including linseed oil, pine rosin, sawdust, natural pigments, and jute-are natural and renewable. It is also practical and easy to clean, and it can be quite attractive. On the negative side, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in linseed oil offgas and can degrade indoor air quality, although are less than hazardous petroleum-derived VOCs. Overall, this is one dated style worth reviving. Doesn't everyone deserve a second chance?
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Q-Z
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| R-value |
| When it comes to keeping out the heat, one window-or one type of insulation or building material-is... more |
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| Radiant barrier |
| This is a reflective material that is used to block heat from entering a building. A layer of... more |
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| Radiant heat |
| If you're the type who gets cold feet, your toes will love this. It's a network of pipes beneath... more |
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| Radiation |
| This is the transfer of energy via waves or particles. An example is when heat moves from a warmer... more |
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| Radon |
| An invisible threat in many homes, this colorless, odorless, radioactive gas, radon is produced... more |
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| Rainwater harvesting |
| Here's a good rainy-day project: Collecting water-from a roof, driveway, or other hard surface... more |
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| Reclaimed material |
| Have you ever seen a beautiful old door in an all but forgotten building and wanted to rescue it?... more |
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| Recycled plastic lumber |
| A house made out of soda bottles and milk jugs may sound like a third-grade art project, but those... more |
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| Recycling |
| This is the process of taking materials that would be tossed away, most likely ending up in... more |
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| Renewable energy |
| A supply of energy that won't run out, at least not as long as humans are on Earth to put it to... more |
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| Renewable resource |
| This is the holy grail of conservationists: Any material that can be quickly regrown or replenished... more |
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| Renewables |
| This is the holy grail of conservationists: Any material that can be quickly regrown or replenished... more |
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| Retrofit |
| This is not about snug bell-bottoms. Retrofit is a term that refers to taking an existing... more |
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| Runoff |
| This is one source of pollutants in the water supply. The term refers to rainwater or irrigation... more |
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| Seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) |
| Here's a cool number to know. This is the rating, given by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), to... more |
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| Sick building syndrome (SBS) |
| Is it your imagination? Maybe you really just don't like that job? It's something of a mysterious... more |
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| Smart growth |
| For decades, the car has been the quintessential symbol of individual freedom. Proponents of smart... more |
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| Smog |
| It's that dirty brown haze that hangs over a city on a hot summer day, reminding us that we... more |
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| Soffit |
| This is the underside of a roof overhang. It can be fitted with vents to increase airflow under the... more |
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| Softwood |
| Pine, spruce, cedar, and other conifer trees fall into this category of wood. Softwood trees are... more |
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| Solar collector |
| Ever wish you could bottle the sun's warmth on a summer day? This device effectively does that: It... more |
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| Solar electricity |
| A clean, powerful energy source, right above our heads. It's power that is harnessed from sunlight... more |
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| Solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) |
| The number to know when selecting windows, doors, and skylights. It's a measure of how much of the... more |
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| Solar water heater |
| Sun-warmed water is something you might seek on a tropical vacation. But you don't have to go that... more |
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| Solid bleached sulfite |
| The little box that housed your last tube of toothpaste, the cereal cartons in your kitchen... more |
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| Sprawl |
| Ever notice how farmland is disappearing right before your eyes, only to be replaced by strip... more |
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| Storage water heater |
| This is the conventional water heater most of us know well. A ready supply of heated water is kept... more |
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| Structural insulated panel (SIP) |
| It's not all about posts and beams. For builders, this is an energy-efficient alternative to... more |
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| Styrene-butadiene (SB) latex |
| This is one of many products that can affect the indoor air quality in homes and businesses. A... more |
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| Sustainability |
| A word that pops up quite a bit in green-speak, it's really all about thinking ahead.... more |
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| Sustainable development |
| The concept of combining economic growth and improvement of the human condition with respect for... more |
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| Tankless water heater |
| Also called instantaneous water heater or demand water heater. Hot water when you need it, without... more |
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| Thermal mass |
| A rock warmed in the sun all day still radiates heat long after nightfall. That's the principle of... more |
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| Thermal resistance |
| When it comes to keeping out the heat, one window-or one type of insulation or building material-is... more |
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| Toxin |
| This is a poison. Within the scientific community, it is the term used specifically to refer to... more |
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| Triple bottom line |
| How does a business measure success? The conventional way is simple: profit. The bottom line has... more |
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| Tropical hardwood |
| Many beautiful, highly sought-after woods-including teak, mahogany, and Brazilian cherry-fall into... more |
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| Truss |
| Cooks think of this as a way to tie up a turkey. In construction, it plays a different kind of... more |
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| U-factor |
| The measure of how well a material (a window, door, or other construction element) conducts heat;... more |
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| Ultraviolet (UV) radiation |
| Gone are the days of roasting on the beach in nothing but tanning oil. We're wearing more sunscreen... more |
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| Universal design |
| It's not easy being all things to all people. Those who take this approach to design, however, give... more |
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| Urea formaldehyde (UF) |
| This glue can be found in most homes, and it's sticky stuff. It's one of two common, synthetic,... more |
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| Utility grid |
| This is the energy highway. The grid is the system of distribution lines that delivers energy from... more |
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| Varnish |
| Products involved in refinishing are often powerful enough to knock your socks off, which is why... more |
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| Vegetable dye |
| This is any natural dye that is derived from plant sources, such as roots or... more |
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| Veneer |
| This is a very thin sheet of wood. It is used to make plywood (many sheets laminated together) or... more |
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| Vinyl |
| This durable plastic can be found just about anywhere: in your shower curtain, raincoat, or baby's... more |
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| Volatile organic compound (VOC) |
| A paint job that leaves you lightheaded, or new upholstery that has a funny scent-these are VOCs at... more |
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| Water purification |
| This is the process by which water from the ground, or some other source, is treated to make it... more |
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| Water-based paint |
| For most home projects, this is your go-to paint. Also called latex paint, it has a binder that is... more |
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| Weatherstripping |
| It may sound like an urge to peel off all your clothes during a summer heat wave, but... more |
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| Wildlife corridor |
| Nature has its own complex map. This term refers to a stretch of land (and/or water) across which... more |
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| Wind energy |
| Humans have known wind as a reliable source of power since long before the days of Don Quixote, and... more |
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| Wind farm |
| This is a sort of natural power plant. It's a group of many wind turbines located together in an... more |
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| Wood pulp |
| This is the raw material that is used to make paper, paperboard, and cellulose products such as... more |
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| Xeriscape |
| Ever see a lush, green lawn and garden in a desert region and feel as if it didn't happen... more |
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