Board
Wood sawn or milled to its final shape, normally less than 2 inches in thickness and between 2" to 12" in width.

Board and Batten Siding
Siding composed of wooden boards applied vertically, creating a barn-like exterior. Batten slats cover the wall joints in the siding. Boards are usually 8 to 12 inches wide.

Board Foot
Cubic measurement of lumber equaling 144 cubic inches: a board one-foot long, one-foot wide and one inch thick. To calculate board feet, the thickness in inches is multiplied by the width in inches, dividing the total by 12 inches and then multiplying that by the length in feet.

Board Insulation
Insulation in various rigid forms, such as: polystyrene, rigid fiberglass, polyurethane, or isocyanurate.

Board Measure (B.M.)
Method of measuring lumber using the board foot cubic measure and is used to estimate quantities and prices of lumber material.

Board of Appeals
Governmental body that reviews property tax assessments procedures.

Board of Directors
Group of individuals, elected by stockholders, to run a company in accord with the corporate charter.

Board of Equalization
State board that ensures that local property taxes are assessed uniformly.

Board of Realtors
Local group of real estate brokers who are members of the State and National Board of Realtors. They meet regularly to help determine licensing requirements as well as managing the multiple listing service of their area.

Board of Trustees
An appointed or elected body overseeing the management of an organization and rendering advice on issues and are legally responsible for their decisions.

Board on Board Siding
Exterior siding method, which leaves gaps a bit narrower than the boards between the applied boards. Boards the same size as the first boards are nailed on to cover the gaps.

Boardwalk
Normally located along a beach or elevated on a pier, this side walkway is made of boards.

Boasted Work
Stone that has lines chiseled into it.

Boaster
Stone that has lines chiseled into it.

Bodied Linseed Oil
Linseed oil, which has been thickened and is used for treatment of wooden furniture or in the making of paint.

Body
Substance, density or consistency of any matter. Viscosity of liquid. Alternately, longest blade on a framing square.

Bogie
Two-axle truck, which is used to bear the weight of the ends of the girders on a bridge crane.

Boiled Linseed Oil
Linseed oil that hardens faster due to additives.

Boiler
Sealed tank in which water is turned to steam for heating or power.

Boilerplate
Form language used in legal papers, such as deeds and mortgages, before they are individualized with personal details.

Bolection
Heavy raised molding which appears to be carved when installed to a door surface.

Bolster
Short horizontal wood or steel beam used on the top of a column to support and decrease the span of beams or girders. Alternately, brick or stone cutting chisel, which is also called a boaster.

Bolt
Metal rod or pin, normally threaded and having a head or socket, easily gripped by a wrench, which is used with a nut to fasten things together. Alternately, a sliding lock.

Bolt Cutter
Metal cutting device that has cutting jaws and long handles to provide leverage.

Bolt Extractor
Used to remove bolts that have broken off inside of something, this thin, tapered bolt-like rod also has a steep left-hand thread. A hole is drilled into the broken-off bolt and the bolt extractor is inserted and turned counter-clockwise, removing the bolt.

Bona Fide
Latin term referring to persons or actions that are in good faith and honest.

Bona Fide Purchaser
Buyer who is acting in good faith.

Bond
Agreement insuring one party against loss by actions or defaults of another. Alternately:
1. Arrangement of masonry brick so that vertical joints are not in line, preventing a weakening of the wall.
2. Matter that holds objects together.
3. Metallic conductors joined to provide a trail for electric current.

Bond Beam
Continuous beam on top of supporting walls, usually constructed of concrete and often being reinforced with steel rods. This supplies lateral support as well as distributing concentrated vertical loads along the wall.

Bond Breaker
Substance used between items to prevent them from sticking together or bonding.

Bond Coat
Primer coat that improves material being coated and the final coat.

Bond Course
One row of brick or stone in a masonry structure.

Bond for Title (Deed)
Property sales contract which is mutually binding on both parties, where the title remains with the seller until the purchase price is paid by the buyer. Contract to convey title once certain contract terms are satisfied.

Bond Line
Surface upon which materials are bonded together.

Bond Net Lease
Lease where the lessee pays the taxes, insurance and maintenance, in addition to rent. The lessee post's a bond as a guarantee for the lessor, equivalent to one year's expenses.

Bond Stone
Stone which ties a wall together by extending through the entire thickness.

Bonding Jumper
The electrical conductor that connects two metal parts together, completing an electrical circuit between the parts, to the same electrical ground.

Bonding Wire
Wire which grounds electrical boxes back to the service entrance.

Bones
Term for rocks that have risen to the top surface of an aggregate base.

Bonnet
Cover used to enclose the tail end of a valve spindle. Alternately, a cap over the end of a pipe.

Bonus Room
A room that can be used in many different ways, with no designated function, i.e. kitchen or bedroom.

Book
Journal or ledger or, as a verb, to record an entry.

Book Cost
Initial purchase plus costs necessary to put the property into existing use and location, which is then depreciated (except for land costs) over the life of the asset.

Book Value
Cost, plus additions and minus depreciation, is the book valuation of a property.

Boom
Dramatic increase in activity or prices. Rapid economic prosperity. Alternately:
1. Lifting mechanism of a backhoe.
2. A jutting bar used for lifting.

Boot
1. A piece of sheet metal connecting a heating or cooling duct and a vent.
2. Lath or marker used to site grades when obstruction blocks a view.
3. Flange used around the base of a roof pipe.

Boot Truck
Truck that sprays the tack coat of asphalt on old asphalt before the new asphalt is installed. Tack coat is an emulsified asphalt and using it helps bond the old and new asphalt surfaces.