- Anchor
- A fastener that secures something into drywall, plaster, masonry, or other substrate where a screw alone wouldn't hold. Different types for different walls — toggle anchors for drywall, plastic anchors for light loads, masonry anchors for brick and concrete.
- Angle stop
- The small shutoff valve under sinks and toilets that lets you shut off water to one fixture without shutting off the whole house. Modern angle stops are quarter-turn; older ones are multi-turn and often fail to fully close.
- Baseboard
- Trim along the bottom of a wall where it meets the floor. Hides the gap and protects the wall from foot scuffs and vacuums.
- Bevel
- An edge cut at an angle other than 90°. Common for trim pieces meeting at non-square joints like a bay window or staircase rail.
- Butt joint
- A joint where two pieces of trim or framing meet at 90° with no overlap or angled cut. Strong but visible — pros prefer miter joints for finish trim.
- Casing
- The trim around a door or window. Hides the gap between the jamb and the wall.
- Caulk
- A flexible sealant used to fill gaps that would otherwise leak air or water. Silicone caulk for bathrooms (waterproof, not paintable), acrylic latex for trim (paintable, less flexible).
- Change order
- A document modifying the original scope of a job mid-project. Used to capture additional work and price changes so there's no end-of-job surprise.
- COI
- Certificate of Insurance. The document proving a contractor carries general liability and workers' comp coverage. Property managers and commercial accounts typically require a COI naming them as additional insured before the first visit.
- Crown molding
- Decorative trim installed where the wall meets the ceiling. More expensive to install than baseboard because of the compound miter cuts needed at the corners.
- Deadbolt
- A locking mechanism with no spring — manually thrown by a key or thumbturn. More secure than a spring-latch lockset because it can't be forced open with a credit card.
- Drywall
- Sheets of compressed gypsum between layers of paper. Standard interior wall material since the 1950s. Sometimes called "sheetrock" (USG's brand name).
- Drywall screw
- The thin black coarse-thread screw used to attach drywall to studs.
- Flange
- A circular fitting that connects a toilet (or other fixture) to the drainpipe in the floor. The "closet flange" is the toilet's flange. A cracked or low closet flange is the most common cause of a rocking toilet.
- GFCI
- Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. The outlet with TEST/RESET buttons. Required by code in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, and outdoors. Trips when it detects current leaking to ground (like through a person).
- Grout
- Cement-based filler between tiles. Re-grouting freshens older tile work without a full remodel.
- Gypsum
- The mineral that's compressed into drywall sheets. Used as a fire-retardant, easy-to-finish wall material.
- Hinge
- The hardware that allows a door to swing. Standard residential hinges are 3.5" or 4" tall.
- Jamb
- The vertical sides of a door or window frame. The strike plate mounts in the side of the door jamb.
- Joist
- A horizontal framing member supporting a floor or ceiling. Joists run perpendicular to walls and beams.
- Joint compound
- The white paste used to cover drywall seams and screw holes. Also called "mud." Comes premixed in buckets or as dry powder you mix on-site.
- Knockdown texture
- A drywall texture made by spraying texture compound and then "knocking down" the high points with a wide knife. Common in homes built 1980–2010.
- Lag bolt
- A large-diameter wood screw with a hex head. Used for heavy structural attachments — most commonly to attach a deck ledger board to the house framing.
- Ledger board
- The framing piece that attaches a deck or porch to the house. Critical safety connection — needs proper flashing to prevent water damage and lag bolts driven into framing (not just the siding).
- Like-for-like
- Handyman shorthand for "swap a new fixture in place of the old one, using existing wiring or plumbing." Differentiates from "new install" (running new lines or circuits), which is licensed electrician or plumber work.
- Miter joint
- A joint where two pieces meet at angled cuts that together total 90° (each cut 45° for a square corner). Stronger and cleaner than butt joints for finish trim.
- Mortise
- A rectangular cavity cut into a door edge for a lock or hinge. Mortise lock sets are stronger than the more common tubular sets.
- Mud
- Slang for joint compound. "Tape and mud" = the drywall finishing process.
- NJ HIC
- New Jersey Home Improvement Contractor license. The registration required for anyone doing home-improvement work in New Jersey. Verifiable on the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs website.
- Orange peel texture
- A drywall texture resembling the surface of an orange. Common in homes built from the 1990s on.
- Plaster
- The pre-drywall wall material — layers of lime and gypsum over wood lath. Common in homes built before 1960 (most of Bergen and Essex County's older neighborhoods). Patches require different techniques than drywall.
- Popcorn ceiling
- A bumpy ceiling texture popular from the 1970s through 1980s. Can contain asbestos in pre-1978 homes — test before scraping.
- Punch list
- A list of small remaining tasks at the end of a construction project or before a home goes on market. Handyman territory.
- Rough opening
- The framed opening in a wall where a door or window will be installed. Slightly larger than the unit itself to allow for shimming and squaring.
- Skim coat
- A thin layer of joint compound applied over an entire wall surface to smooth texture or hide damage. More work than spot-patching but invisible after.
- Spackle
- A premixed lightweight wall filler for small nail holes and dings. Easier than joint compound for tiny patches but weaker for larger repairs.
- Strike plate
- The metal plate on a door jamb that the latch and deadbolt strike into. Replacing or filing the strike plate often fixes a door that won't latch properly.
- Stud
- A vertical framing member inside a wall, typically a 2x4 spaced 16" or 24" apart. Drywall, trim, and heavier fixtures are attached to studs because they hold weight that drywall alone can't.
- Tape (drywall)
- Paper or fiberglass mesh tape applied over drywall seams before mud. Holds the seam together so it doesn't crack.
- Threshold
- The piece of a door frame where the door swings over — the entryway floor strip.
- Toggle
- A spring-loaded anchor that opens behind drywall to grab the back of the sheet. Used when there's no stud to screw into. The right toggle holds far more weight than a plastic drywall anchor.
- Tongue and groove
- A board edge cut so one side has a "tongue" that fits into a "groove" in the next board. Used for hardwood flooring, paneled walls, and accent ceilings.
- Wainscoting
- Decorative wood paneling on the lower portion of an interior wall. Common in dining rooms and entries.
- Wax ring
- The sealing ring between a toilet base and the closet flange. Must be replaced every time a toilet is removed and reset.
