Small Business Administration (SBA)
Federal government agency in Washington, D.C. that makes low interest loans to qualified small businesses. Address: 409 3rd Street SW Washington, DC 20416.

Small Claims Court
Special court for the purpose of providing fast, inexpensive and informal settlement of small financial claims between a plaintiff and a defendant with the parties representing themselves.

Smelt
To melt or fuse to separate impurities from metal. To refine or extract.

Smoke Alarm or Detector
Device which detects the presence of smoke in a specified density and gives a warning by setting off an audible alarm.

Smoke Chamber
The open, enlarged area in a fireplace between the bottom of the flue and the top of the throat, which traps smoke and by use of a smoke shelf and damper, prevents downdrafts. The smoke chamber supports the chimney.

Smoke Pipe
Pipe that connects from an oven to the flue of a chimney.

Smoke Shelf
Horizontal shelf that is the bottom of the smoke chamber and prevents downdrafts.

Smoke Test
Gravity rated plumbing test for leakage, in which smoke is forced through the interior of the pipe and the joints are checked to see if any smoke is leaking out.

Smooth Coat
The finish coat of plaster.

Smoothing Brush
Wide, stiff bristled wallpaper brush used for smoothing.

Smoothing Plane
Hand plane that has a long base and is used to smooth or finish wood surfaces.

Smooth Machine Finish Limestone
Smooth surface finish made by use of a planing machine on limestone.

Snake
A plumbers' tool consisting of a long flexible rod of spiraled wire used for removing obstacles from pipes.

Snake Fence
Rail fence that zigzags back and forth, intersecting and resting on each other at angles less than 180 degrees. Requiring no fence posts they are best suited for rock soil.

Snap Switch
Electrical switch, which can open or close contracts quickly with its spring mechanism, so that arcing can be avoided between contacts and is implemented in household switches and circuit breakers.

Snap Tie
Concrete form tie, which is factory made and holds the concrete forms in place at a certain distance. The tie can be broken off after the concrete is poured and set and the forms are stripped, so that only a small area must be patched.

Snecked Masonry
Rubble wall that use irregular sized square stones, set in no particular course.

Snips
Sheet metal cutting shears.

Snub Gable
Roof with a short hip extending down from the ridge part to the gable end.

Soap
Masonry unit that has a nominal thickness of 2 inches.

Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR)
Organization, affiliated with the National Association of Realtors, whose members are mainly concerned with the sale of warehouses, factories, and other industrial property. Confers SIOR designation. Address: 700 11th Street NW, Suite 510 Washington, DC 20001.

Society of Real Estate Appraisers (SREA)
Organization of professionals who value real estate.

Socket or Socket Wrench
Wrench, which has a rounded outside edge but a hexagonal (or similar) shaped inside that is used to grip a nut or fastener head. The other side of the head is formed of a driver, which has a square shank, and may be a torque wrench, ratchet or breaker bar.

Socket Adapter
Adapter that is used to make a socket of one size fit with a drive of another size.

Sod
Grass which grows in a thin soil layer and is then cut into strips and laid on prepared soil to allow the roots to gain hold. It creates an instant lawn.

Soffit
1. External area under the roof overhang.
2. Horizontal portion of an eave.
3. Covering over the space under the eaves of a structure.
4. Piece reaching the cabinet tops to the ceiling.

Soffit Vent
Vent opening in the soffit of a building used for ventilation and to allow heat from an attic to escape.

Soft Burned
Units of clay masonry, fired low temperatures, which keeps them soft and makes them unusable for anything except ornaments.

Soft Face Mallet
Plastic faced mallet used to strike surfaces without making marks on surfaces.

Soft Market
Market in which demand has shrunken or supply has grown too quickly, making sales at profitable amounts for seller more difficult. It is better for purchasers.

Soft Money
In a development or investment, it is money that is tax deductible. Alternately, it is used to describe costs that do not physically go into construction, such as interest, architectural fees, legal fees, etc.

Soft Mud Brick
Brick formed of clay with a 20 to 30 percent moisture content.

Soft Water
Water that has very few minerals, which makes it more suitable for washing because there are not calcium deposits or soap scum left on the surfaces.

Softwood
Conifer wood, such as pine and redwood, which can be used for framing, sheathing, trim, flooring and also for cabinets and furniture.

Soil
Upper layer of ground.

Soil Bank
Government compensation to farmers not to grow products to preserve the land and maintain stable agricultural products.

Soil Capability
Appropriateness of the soil for the designated purpose.

Soil Density
Compaction of soil as measured by a soils engineer by means of a Proctor test, determining the best amount of moisture for compaction.

Soil Map
Map showing the kinds of soil in a designated locality.

Soil Pipe
Pipes from a structure to a sewer for the purpose of sewage disposal.

Soil Porosity
Extent to which soil has cavities or pores that allow water to pass through.

Soil Productivity
Ability of the soil to accomplish the desired objective such as its capacity for harvesting crops.

Soil Stack
Vertical vent which is connected to a building drain to drain the discharge from the water closets.

Soil Structure
Mixture of the types of soil in a section of land - for example, sand, clay, loam or mineral particles.

Soil Survey
Surveying the land to determine its suitability for a specific purpose, such as building a high-rise apartment.

Soils Test
Test done on the subsoil to determine whether it will safely support a foundation.