The Building Material Universal Terms List serves as a centralized reference for commonly used terms in construction and deconstruction. Designed for accessibility and consistency, this resource supports contractors, local governments, and community partners by standardizing industry language. The list promotes clearer communication to promote efficient material reuse and recycling efforts.
Building Material Universal Terms
| Term | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Asphalt | Material made from a mixture of aggregates like sand, gravel, crushed stone with a bituminous binder often made from crude oil. | Driveways, roadways |
| Asphalt Shingle | A type of wall or roofing made up of fiberglass, asphalt, grit or granules, and sealant. | Roofing shingles |
| Bricks, Blocks, & Cinder Blocks | Bricks are made up of clay, concrete or other compressed materials and are joined by mortar, adhesives or interlocking. | Bricks from facade or paving |
| Cabinets | Cupboards and cabinets are typically made of wood or composite materials and include shelves, drawers and hardware. | Kitchen cabinets |
| Cardboard | Cardboard is frequently used to package materials that are used during the construction and fabrication process. | Cardboard boxes |
| Carpet | Floor covering made out of natural (wool) or synthetic materials (plastic fibers). | Carpet, carpet tiles |
| Carpet Tiles | Carpet tiles are modular or square cuts that can be slotted together and are typically made up of fiber with a vinyl, foam, or rubber backing. | Commercial carpet tiles |
| Ceiling Tiles | Ceiling tiles are modular panels, typically installed in a suspended grid system or adhered directly to the ceiling. They are made from various materials including mineral fiber, fiberglass, metal, or plastic. | Commercial ceiling tiles |
| Concrete / Aggregates | A composite material created by mixing a binding material (cement or lime) with an aggregate like sand, gravel, stone, and water. May include steel rebar for reinforcement. Concrete can be found throughout buildings as foundations, sidewalks, driveways, walls, and other structures. Aggregates are inert granular material such as sand, gravel, and crushed stone that can act as filler in cement. | Building foundations, sidewalks, sand, gravel, crushed rock |
| Countertops | Countertops are horizontal work surfaces, often in kitchen and bathrooms. They can be made out of natural stone like granite and marble, engineered stone like quartz, synthetic materials, wood laminate, concrete or stainless steel. | Kitchen countertops |
| Deconstruction | The process of dismantling a structure to maximize the recovery of reusable material. | - |
| Demolition | The partial or complete destruction, tearing down, or wrecking of any building or structure. | - |
| Dimensional Lumber | Softwood cut to common sizes (2x4, 2x8) used for building framing. Clean dimensional lumber does not contain an adhesive, paint, stain, fire retardant, pesticide or preservative | - |
| Dirt - Clean Fill | Clean fill is natural or inert materials like soil, rock or concrete that is free from contaminants and can be used to fill holes, level land or create stable foundation for construction. It is unlike topsoil, which has a mixture of organic materials to support vegetation. | 2” by 4” lumber |
| Doors | Hinged, sliding or revolving fixtures at the entrances of rooms or buildings. Doors can be made of wood, fiberglass, glass, metal, or composite materials. | - |
| Drywall | Gypsum drywall (also called wallboard or sheet rock) is made up of about 90% gypsum (calcium sulfate & water) and 10% paper and backing. Drywall is used for walls, ceilings and partitions in residential, commercial and institutional buildings. | - |
| Fixtures and Hardware | A fixture is something attached to property to make it part of the structure like built-in shelving, plumbing or sinks. Hardware includes small, often mechanical components that can be easily detached, replaced, or swapped without causing damage to the property. | Fixtures: Sink, built-in shelving Hardware: locks, decorative handles |
| Electronics – Large | Any plug-in item that contains a circuit board including, televisions, radio, stereo, computer, and CRT | Televisions, radios, stereo |
| Electronics – Small | Small consumer electronics are rechargeable or contain a replaceable battery. | Cell phones, iPods |
| Freon Appliances | Freon is the brand name for a set of chemical compounds that help cooling systems blow cold air. Appliances containing Freon must be disposed of properly at a facility that can handle Freon safely. | Refrigerators, freezers, AC units, dehumidifiers |
| Furniture | Chairs, couches, desks, dressers and other oversized items made of multiple materials. | - |
| Glass | Glass is used in buildings for windows and partitions and is typically safety glass which is reinforced, toughened and laminated. | - |
| Hardwood Flooring | Any flooring that features real wood, with solid hardwood (a single piece of wood) and engineered wood (multiple layers with real wood on top. May be nailed down, glued down, or floating, depending on the type of flooring and sub-flooring. | - |
| Household Hazardous Materials | A hazardous material or substance that presents a significant risk to health, safety, or the environment. Hazardous substances can be embedded in materials like asbestos used in roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, and lead has been used in paint. Other hazardous materials may be contained in a removable product like mercury-containing thermostats or batteries. | Mercury containing thermostats, fluorescent light tubes, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), ballasts, fuels, batteries, pool chemicals, cleaners, pesticides, automative fluids, paints |
| Landscape Materials | Materials used for hardscape areas around a residential or commercial property, such as a driveway, walkway, patio, or lawn. | Stones; gravel; pavers; mulch |
| Large Appliances | Non-portable or semi-portable machines used in the home. | Washer, dryer, water heater; dishwasher, trash compactor, oven |
| Mattresses / Box Springs | A mattress is a layered sleeping surface and can be made with steel coils, foam, latex, and natural materials. Box springs are the supportive base, traditionally a wooden frame filled with metal springs covered in fabric, used to elevate the mattress and absorb shock. | - |
| Organic Materials | Organics materials are those that are primarily composed of carbon and include yard trimmings and left-over food. These can be composted into a beneficial soil amendment. | Yard trimmings, food scraps |
| Plastics | Plastics are a diverse category of materials but types in construction include stretch plastic films, foams, and PVC pipes. | - |
| Recycling (verb) | Collection, sorting, and processing of recyclable materials, so these materials can be turned into new products. | - |
| Reuse | The utilization of a product or material that was previously installed for the same or similar function to extend its life cycle. | - |
| Rock, Sand, Gravel and Inerts | See concrete / aggregates | - |
| Roofing Tile | Overlapping tiles designed to cover roofs and protect from weather elements. Can be made from a variety of materials including clay, slate, concrete, steel, and plastic. | - |
| Salvage (verb) | The controlled removal of items and material from a building, construction, or demolition site for on- or off-site reuse, or storage for later reuse. | - |
| Salvageable Building Components | Salvage building components are materials that can be reused from deconstructed buildings. | Examples include appliances and ornamental items like: lighting fixtures, toilets, doors, windows, sinks, kitchen appliances, countertops, fireplaces, flooring, siding, pipes and insulation. |
| Scrap Metals | Items that are at least 50 percent metal by weight and contain no refrigerants. Metals most commonly used in buildings are steel, aluminum, iron and copper. | Steel beams, pipes, faucets, hardware, roof sheeting, door frames, external wall cladding, heating systems, gutters |
| Single-stream Recyclables | A recycling system in which all paper fibers, some plastics, aluminum, steel cans, and glass are collected in one collection truck rather than being sorted into separate commodities before transportation to the recycling center. | Plastic bottles, tubs, jugs, jars, paper, glass, aluminum cans |
| Sink, Toilets and Tubs | Sinks can be made of stainless steel, ceramic, cast iron, stone solid surface (like acrylic and resin), copper and glass. Toilets are typically made from porcelain and can have stainless steel and plastic elements. Bathtubs and other tubs are typically made of acrylic, fiberglass, porcelain enameled steel or less commonly cast iron. | - |
| Small Appliances | Primarily a plastic machine with a cord. | Coffee maker, blender |
| Source-separated Single Recyclable Materials | Recyclable materials that are separated from other recyclable materials or solid waste and placed in separate containers according to type or category of materials and directly marketed as a single commodity. | Cardboard, large #2 or #5 plastic items |
| Steel Beams and Framing | A structural system that uses beams, columns, and other pieces to form a building's skeletal framework to support loads and provide stability. | - |
| Styrofoam (EPS) | Expanded polystyrene (EPS) may or may not have a #6 stamped on it, and comes in all thicknesses and shapes, but should always - have a visibly round-beaded structure - be quite rigid - break easily under pressure | Packaging foam for appliances |
| Tile and Stone | ile is a thin building material made from ceramic, porcelain, or other natural materials. Tiles are typically set by using a mortar product. Stone is typically quarried materials like granite, marble, and slate. | - |
| Treated Lumber | Structural lumber for buildings and is often pressure-treated with preservatives or fire-retardants. | - |
| Untreated Lumber | “Raw” or “natural” wood or wood products that have not undergone any chemical treatments or protective processes. It retains its natural properties, including original color, texture, and grain patterns. | - |
| Windows | Windows are made up of glass panels and a frame that can include metal, wood, vinyl, or composite materials. Windows are considered a salvage building material if they are in good condition and meet energy efficiency standards. Single pane windows may not be salvageable. | - |
| Wood Pallets | A platform made from wood used for handling, storage, and transportation of materials. The lumber used for a pallet may be heat-treated, kiln-dried, or treated with a pesticide (methyl bromide, stamped MB). | Wood pallets |
| Yard ‘Waste’ or Trimmings | Vegetative materials generated by yard and lawn care. | Leaves, grass, brush, wood chips, tree branches |