Shelf
A flat length of wood or other material that is fixed horizontally at a right angle to a wall and is used for holding things.

Shelf Angles
Metal anchors, for masonry veneer walls, which bolt into the structural wall, on each floor, behind the veneer to provide a ledge on which the next horizontal course of masonry can rest.

Shell
The skeletal frame of a house when only the framing, sheathing and decking have been constructed.

Shellac
Refined version of lac, a resin produced in thin flaky layers or shells, which is dissolved in alcohol and used to make shellac.

Shell and Tube Evaporator
System of cooling evaporation with refrigerant expanded into tubes that are surrounded by water that is held in an outer shell. When the refrigerant expands, it absorbs the heat and cools the surrounding water. The chilled water is used to cool air when it is pumped into heat exchangers.

Sheriff's Deed
Title to property given under a court order due to failure, by the original owner, to pay the mortgage and/or property taxes. This deed is associated with foreclosure.

Sheriff's Sale
Foreclosed property is sold via a sheriff's sale and the amount received is used to pay the balance of obligations against the real estate or owner.

Shield
Shoring to protect workers in an unstable excavation, consisting of two large sheets of metal that are stiffened by a frame work. The shield is lowered into the excavation.

Shim or Shimmy
Using a tapered wood strip, called a shim, to fill gaps so that structures are level and plumb by placing it between two members to fill in uneven areas.

Shiner
1. Brick laid so that both its width and length show.
2. Defect where a glossy spot appears on a dull painted surface.

Shingle
A thin, wedge shaped piece of material, such as fiberglass, slate, cedar, asphalt, etc., that is used as a weatherproofing cover for roofs or as siding.

Shingle Hatchet
Hatchet, with a cross-hatched face for driving nail on one end and a sharp-edged blade for cutting on the other, which is used to nail and trim wood shingles.

Shingle, Interlocking
Shingle with interlocking tabs and notches that fit together to make a uniform continuous covering to provide reinforcement for the shingles.

Shingle Nail
Nail with a large, ½ inch diameter head, that gives greater holding capacity and minimizes the possibility of the nail tearing through the shingles on which is used.

Shingles
Wedge shaped pieces of wood or other material used as siding or flat rectangular pieces of asphalt, fiberglass, slate, etc. installed on a roof to prevent water seepage.

Shoe
1. Type of base molding which is the finish piece between the finished wall and the floor.
2. The board that is used at the bottom of a concrete form to hold the studs from the form.

Shoe Molding
Finish trim which is installed between the floor and the baseboard to hide any irregularities in the seam between the floor and wall or baseboard.

Shopping Center
Collection of retail stores with a common parking area and, usually one or more large department, discount or food stores and possibly a movie theater. It may or may not be enclosed in a mall.

Shoring
System of temporary supports, either horizontal or vertical.

Shoring Jacks
Jacks, which put side pressure on the shoring along trench walls to hold them in place, which are installed to prevent cave-ins.

Short Circuit
Malfunction of the electrical wiring that results in a portion of the current being diverted to a conductor that is not the usual part of the point on the circuit, such as when a wire has a break and touches a piece of metal, which then becomes a conductor.

Short Form
A document, which is condensed into a page or two, that is used in lieu of the longer, more cumbersome document.

Short Paint
Paint that does not have sufficient ability and is inadequate for the purpose for which it is intended.

Short Term Capital Gain
Profit resulting from the sale of an investment that is held for one year or less. Short-term gains are ordinary income and do not qualify for any special tax treatment.

Short Term Capital Loss
Loss resulting from the sale of an investment that is held for one year or less. Short-term losses are deducted from current income and do not qualify for any special tax treatment.

Short Ton
A unit of weight equal to 2,000 pounds avoirdupois (907.20 kilograms) used in the U.S.

Shortened Valley Rafter
Rafter which reaches from the top plate of the inside corner to the supporting inside corner junction where two roof slopes meet.

Shotcrete
Mortar or concrete which is pumped or "shot" through a hose, onto a surface, at high velocity. Also referred to as Gunite, it enables concrete to be sprayed on walls and curves.

Shoulder
1. The strip of land along the edge of a paved road.
2. Thickness increase of the part used as a bearing surface.

Shutters
A moveable cover for a window, which is mounted on either side of the window and can be closed to protect the window from damage. There are shutters that are used solely for ornamental purposes.

Shoved Joints
Head or vertical joints which are created by pushing a brick, through the mortar in between, against another brick, which forces the mortar between both bricks.

Shovel
1. A tool with a broad, deep scoop and a long handle, which is used for lifting and moving loose material.
2. An attachment on a motorized piece of heavy equipment that is used to lift and move loose material.

Shower Enclosure
Shower enclosure consisting of the walls and bottom pan that confine the water within and may be made of a completely molded fiberglass unit or tiled or paneled with marble or other waterproof materials. A shower curtain or door may be used to cover the opening.

Shower Head
The water spraying overhead nozzle in a shower.

Shower Pan
The base, containing a water drain, of the shower enclosure.

Shrink
To become smaller. To lessen in amount. To contract.

Shrinkage
The process of becoming smaller or lessening in size as with the reduction of volume in a material.

Shutters
Panels, mounted on each side of a window, which can either be movable or fixed. Movable shutters can be swung open or closed and locked at the middle and are normally louvered for ventilation purposes. They provide protection for the window when closed. The fixed shutters are ornamental and do not open and close, but give the appearance of being able to do so.