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Glossary of DIY Home Improvement Terms - F

This page of our online a to z glossary of DIY home improvement terms is for do-it-yourself terms beginning with the letter 'F'.

• Fabric grain - The lengthwise direction of the fibres of a piece of fabric, parallel with the selvedges.
• Face - The front surface of a wall; to cover with a new surface.
• Fair faced - Surface prepared for its finished or decorative qualities.
• Fascia board - The vertical board fixed to the rafter ends. It carries the gutters around the eaves.
• Faux bols - Decorative paint technique which simulates the effect of wooden surfaces.
• Feather edges - Using abrasives to sand back the rough, chipped edges of a previous finish, to provide a smooth starting surface.
• Fender - A low screen that stops burning coals and logs rolling out of an open fire.
• Ferrous metal - A metal which contains iron.
• Ferrule - For paint-brushes-the metal part between bristles and handle; for screwdrivers - the metal part between handle and blade.
• Fibreboard - A lightweight, low-density board, usually with a high heat insulation value.
• File - Rough-bladed tool for smoothing metal and wood, removing burrs and irregularities.
• File card - A file cleaning brush with short fine wires.
• Finials - Ornamental ends for curtain poles.
• Fireclay - A heat resistant cement used to bond firebrick.
• Flashing - A strip of zinc, lead or plastic used on the roof around chimneys and vents or between two roofs to prevent water from entering.
• Flat paint - Oil-based paint which is matt.
• Flaunching - A curved mortar fillet around a chimney pot and on the top of the stack to throw water off.
• Flex - Short for flexible cord; insulated wire used to connect plugs to appliances and pendent light fittings to ceiling roses.
• Float - A wood plastering or rendering tool.
• Floating floor - A thin layer of flooring laid on top of the existing surface, designed to 'float' by the use of a cushioning sub-floor between the two.
• Flogger - Specialist long-haired, wide, flat brush, used dry to drag through a finish.
• Floor sander - One of two types of machine used together for sanding floors: the large drum sander sands the main area and the smaller disc sander cleans the edges.
• Flue - Chimney passageway which allows smoke, gas or fumes to rise.
• Flush - Condition describing adjacent surfaces which are level and fit evenly.
• Flute - A rounded concave groove.
• Flux - A paste which removes oxides from metals and inhibits oxidation while soldering. Flux Paste makes solder flow easily when it is heated for joining pipework.
• Foam plastic - A plastic material containing many air bubbles, like a sponge.
• Footing - The conctrete foundation or support at the base or bottom of a wall or column.
• Frass - Powdered wood produced by the activity of woodworm.
• French windows - A casement window which extends to the floor and can be used as a door.
• Frenchman - A tool for neatly trimming the mortar when using the weathered type of pointing.
• Frieze - A band of plaster, paper or other material usually placed horizontally all around the four walls of a room, often at or above cornice (crown moulding) height.
• Frog - The indentation in one side of a house brick.
• Fungicide - Mould or fungus destroying agent.
• Furring - Narrow wood strips fastened to studs or masonry walls to provide a nailing base for wall materials.
• Fuse - Rewirable or cartridge devices designed to interrupt a circuit if a fault, overload or leakage of electricity occurs.
• Fuse board - Where the main electrical service cable is connected to the house circuitry. or The accumulation of consumer unit, meter etc.