Powder rooms contain only a toilet and a sink and can also be referred to as a half-bath , while a bath can have a shower stall included, but usually lacks a tub. Shear Walls are structurally designed load-bearing walls. Without these the house would tweak and not be structurally sound. When scanning blueprints, take note of shear wall locations, since these are walls that can never be removed, and if altered for a remodel, must pass a structural inspection. A cooktop is a built-in burner unit set into a kitchen countertop.
Cabinets support it, and ovens are placed in a separate cabinet.
The current upscale trend, however, is for oversized restaurant-style ranges in stainless steel, now offered by most major brands. These are but a few of the terms used by builders and their sales and building personnel. Whenever you see a term that puzzles you, no matter how simple it sounds, don t hesitate to ask the sales consultant to explain just what that particular builder means when using it. Semantics in homebuilding can differ from builder to builder. For instance, energy efficient windows to one builder may merely refer to the fact that all their windows are dual-paned.