What's the Difference Between:
Cement And Concrete?
Mortar And Concrete?
Masonry And Concrete?
Cinder Blocks and Concrete Blocks?
A Pier and a Post and a Column?
An Adjustable Metal Column and a Lally Column?
A Check and a Crack in a Wood Framing Member?
Yankee Gutters and Built In Gutters?
A Ridge Beam and a Ridge Board?
A Joist and an I-joist?
Stucco and EIFS and Fiber Cement Siding?

Bibliography

What's the Difference Between Cement And Concrete?

Cement is one of the ingredients in concrete. It is an adhesive that, when mixed with water, hardens through a chemical reaction (called hydration). Concrete is what is created with cement, water and aggregates (sand, stone or similar). So we always see a concrete side walk or poured concrete walls or slabs. We never see a cement walk, wall or slab.

What you need to know: Unless you're sure of your audience or are making a joke, don't use the terms interchangeably. It aggravates masons and allows smart aleck colleagues to smirk at you and say, "You mean concrete, don't you?"

What's the Difference Between Mortar And Concrete?

Mortar is a cement/sand/water (and usually lime) mixture designed for laying up masonry units like cement block, stone or brick. Mortar is "sticky" so it adheres to the block, stone or brick. Concrete is designed to stand alone.

What you need to know: You tell your client, "This foundation needs pointing." Your client asks, "You mean I should put cement in between the stones?" You say, "No. Not cement, not concrete. Mortar. And make sure it's a proper mix. Do your research. Refer to a professional mason if necessary. An improper mix can damage a foundation." And then, if you're talking about an older home refer your clients to The National Park's Service Preservation Briefs Number 2, Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Masonry Buildings at http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/tps/briefs/brief02.htm

What's the Difference Between Masonry And Concrete?

Masonry, also known as stonework or brickwork, is made up of relatively large units (stone, bricks, blocks, etc) which are bound together by mortar into a monolithic structure. Concrete is made of cement, aggregates and water and is set into place either to create a structure without units or to be the mortar used in masonry (masonry cement).

What's the Difference Between Cinder Blocks and Concrete Blocks?

Cinder blocks haven't been mass produced in about 50 years. These blocks are made, of course, from cement, water and aggregates. When coal was commonly used for fuel there were a lot of cinders available and cinders were used as one of the aggregates in making the blocks. So, strictly speaking, a cinder block is a building block made of cement, water and aggregates that include cinders. A concrete block, what we have seen since the 50's, does not contain cinders. Other widely used terms for these blocks are concrete masonry units, CMUs, grey blocks, building blocks and architectural units.

What you need to know: It's not necessary to correct your clients. If the house is younger than 50 years old you know they're probably not cinder blocks but it doesn't matter unless you sense that your client likes that kind of word information. It is a commonly used term and you're not going to explain things any better to them by correcting their terminology.

What's the Difference Between a Pier and a Post and a Column?

One of the construction/architectural dictionaries I consulted says that a pier is one of the pillars supporting an arch. Two dictionaries say that a pier is the support for one of the arches on a bridge. Another reasonably says that a pier is a wood post driven into the ground, below water, to support a structure. The way I've always used the term is described by another dictionary that says that it's the thickened section of a supporting wall which provides lateral support to concentrated vertical loads or, as another dictionary put it, the load bearing brickwork in a wall between openings. Several dictionaries allow that the term is widely used interchangeably with the word column. Or, to describe a large column, or a squat column or a short column.

Similarly the words post and column are used interchangeably. Or, a post is a slender column. Or a post is thicker than a stud. Or a post is a member used as a brace, shore, prop or jack. Or a 4x4 is commonly called a post. Or a post is the load bearing vertical member in post and beam framing ^{click here for note} which divides the structure of a building into bays. One author (and I am grateful to him for his candor) admits that a post is an upright framing member and that the word has many uses.

A column is, of course, a relatively long, slender structural compression member which is used vertically. Of course? Well, no. Of course a column can also be a pier, a post, a pillar, a strut or a stanchion.

What you need to know: You're not wrong. The person you're speaking to is not wrong. There are no nationally agreed upon terms. Actually, I find that rather relaxing.

What's the Difference Between an Adjustable Metal Column and a Lally Column?

They're both made of metal. An adjustable metal column is hollow and has a large adjusting screw positioned either at the top or the bottom. Often you won't see that screw because it's positioned downward and encased in the poured concrete.

The term lally column, strictly speaking, was a proprietary name for the concrete filled steel column invented by John Lally. A lally column has no adjusting screw.

However, lally columns or lolly columns are terms that are widely used in my area (Hudson Valley, NY) and in various construction dictionaries for any steel column.

For further information about this topic see my article Inspecting Adjustable Steel Columns.

What's the Difference Between a Check and a Crack in a Wood Framing Member?

A check is a split in wood that runs parallel to the grain, across annual ring growth. It is also described as the separation of wood tissues along the grain of sawn lumber. So, if you're looking at a rafter, a check would run along its length. A crack runs across not parallel to the grain. So, if you're looking at that same rafter, the crack is vertical or at an angle.

   

What you need to know: A check is naturally occurring and is caused by shrinking during drying or seasoning. Naturally occurring meaning that the structural member's place in the structure did not cause the check. In an older house, the check has been there a long time. You can tell because the inside of the split is as aged as the rest of the wood. If the check is in a framing member that isn't otherwise defective or deformed you should carefully examine the evidence before you recommend that it be repaired. On the other hand, a crack is a defect caused by something that went wrong. A crack and its cause needs to be corrected.

What's the Difference Between Yankee Gutters and Built In Gutters?

Similar or same gutters are also known as box gutters, concealed gutters, integral gutters and wooden gutters. Have I got them all? Probably not. Several sources use these terms interchangeably, several sources define each as a separate type. Yankee gutters and built in gutters (and all the rest) are gutters that are a part of the of the building instead of being added on. They are not visible from the ground. You seem to be looking at a sofit.

   

What you need to know: Alas, although wood Yankee gutters and built-in gutters are charming they're probably rotted through from the lack of the exacting yearly maintenance that they require. A many-layer coating of roofing cement and/or a covering of roofing material or vinyl siding may very well be covering rotted pieces of lumber.

Their deterioration has also probably allowed rot of siding fascia and sofits. There's something else: These gutters, in their almost surely rotted state, are a hazard to those of us who walk on roofs. Covered with a layer of asphalt shingles, you may forget that they're under you. Be careful.

What's the Difference Between a Ridge Beam and a Ridge Board?

Authoritative references ^{click here for note} are about evenly divided on this one. Some say that the words mean the same thing along with the words ridgepole, ridge piece, ridgeplate and ridgetree. Others, and I'm partial to this distinction, define a ridge beam as a structural member which is designed to support the roof load and a ridge board as a non-structural board used to connect the upper ends of rafters.

What you need to know: How to identify a structural ridge beam so that you know to carefully inspect for defects and inappropriate alterations to its supports. Rafters are placed on top of the ridge beam, or are hung by metal ridge hangers designed especially for that purpose, or are nailed to blocking which, in turn, is nailed to the ridge beam between rafters. The point is that the rafters are being held up by the ridge beam. You'll often see a ridge beam in post and beam ^{click here for note} construction.

What's the Difference Between a Joist and an I-joist?

When an elephant walks on a floor that is supported by joists the load caused by the weight of the elephant causes the top side fibers in the joists (the end closest to the floor) to compress — that is, to come closer together. The fibers on the other end of the joist stretch — pull apart. The fibers in the middle of the joist don't do much at all. I-joists are factory produced framing members which supply strength where it's needed, at the top and bottom ends — at the flanges

What you need to know: The flanges of an I-joist should never be field altered without the written and sighed instructions from a design professional (architech or PE). Never ever. They're doing most of the work.

What's the Difference between Stucco and EIFS and Fiber Cement Siding?

Stucco is a mixture of cement, sand, water and lime which is applied in at least three layers to a surface with a trowel. It can be applied to almost any rigid surface, for example, poured in place concrete, masonry and plywood.

EIFS is an acronym for Exterior Insulation and Finish System. It is also known as synthetic stucco. It is a layered application. Mesh, troweled on base coats and an acrylic top coat over insulating foam board.

Fiber Cement Siding is a siding product made of Portland cement, ground sand, fibers and other additives. It is an installed siding, as opposed to an applied siding like Stucco and EIFS. Imagine installing wallboard or plywood sheathing. It is available in planks with the look of wood siding, in pieces, with the look of wood shingles and in panels made to look like stucco. The knuckle rap test will give you a feel and sound like thin concrete.

What you need to know: EIFS failures are high profiled and easily researched. You need to learn how to distinguish EIFS from stucco or the other (non-EIFS) materials that look like stucco because you may, in the temporary absence of additional training, wish to refer an EIFS siding inspection to an inspector who specializes in EIFS siding inspections. Give the stucco-looking siding a rap with your knuckles. The foam underneath the coatings give EIFS a hollow sound. The knuckle rap test will give fiber cement siding a feel and sound like thin concrete. Go to buildings with known siding. Get use to identifying these products in the field.

Bibliography

© 2006 by Arlene Puentes, October Home Inspections

I encourage comments and corrections.
Email: ap@octoberhome.com