Definition of Portico

Portico

A portico (Latin) is a roofed area, open to the air on one or more sides, typically supported on one side by the facade of a building and on the remaining sides by columns or arches. porticos are common on Federal, Early Classical Revival, Greek Revival, and other houses of the 18th and 19th centuries. The English word porch is derived from portico, and is approximately synonymous.

Fiat Money

Fiat Money is paper currency made legal tender by law or fiat. It is not backed by gold or silver and is not necessarily redeemable in coin. This practice has had widespread use for about the last 70 years. If governments produce too much of it, there is a loss of confidence. Even so, governments print it routinely when they need it. The value of fiat money is dependent upon the performance of the economy of the country which issued it. Canada's currency falls into this category.

Money Laundering

This is the process by which "dirty money" generated by criminal activities is converted through legitimate businesses into assets that cannot be easily traced back to their illegal origins.

Yearly Renewable Term Insurance

Sometimes, simply called YRT, this is a form of term life insurance that may be renewed annually without evidence of insurability to a stated age.

Open Mortgage

A mortgage which can be prepaid at any time, without penalty.

Earnest money

A deposit made by potential home buyers during negotiations with the seller. The sum shows a seller that a buyer is serious about purchasing the property. The money usually is counted toward the down payment.

Air Space

The area between insulation facing and interior of exterior wall coverings. Normally a 1" air gap.

Area Walls

Corrugated metal or concrete barrier walls installed around a basement window to hold back the earth.

Building Code

A comprehensive set of laws that controls the construction or remodeling of a home or other structure.

Central Air Conditioning

A system which uses ducts to distribute cooling and/or dehumidified air to more than one room or uses pipes to distribute chilled water to heat exchangers in more than one room, and which is not plugged into an electrical convenience outlet.

Forced Air Heating

A common form of heating with natural gas, propane, oil or electricity as a fuel. air is heated in the furnace and distributed through a set of metal ducts to various areas of the house.

aterial used to cover the interior framed areas of walls and ceilings

Sidelight

A vertical window beside a door or another window.

Zone

The section of a building that is served by one heating or cooling loop because it has noticeably distinct heating or cooling needs. Also, the section of property that will be watered from a lawn sprinkler system.

Zone Valve

A device, usually placed near the heater or cooler, which controls the flow of water or steam to parts of the building; it is controlled by a zone thermostat.

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