Flitch Beam

Related terms

• Beam

  A primary horizontal member that carries loads from joists or framing across a span to posts or walls. Opening up a floor plan usually me…

• Footing Drain / Drain Tile

  Perforated pipe in gravel along the footing that collects groundwater and routes it away or to a sump, relieving pressure on the foundation.

• Exterior Waterproofing

  Excavating to the footing and applying a membrane/coating plus drainage to the outside of the foundation — the most thorough (and costly)…

• French Drain

  A gravel-filled trench with perforated pipe that redirects surface and groundwater away from the structure.

• Expansive Soil

  Clay-rich soil that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, cyclically stressing foundations. A leading cause of foundation cracking and mo…

• Frost Heave

  Upward soil movement when moisture freezes and expands, lifting shallow footings, slabs, and steps. Prevented by footing depth and drainage.

• Expansion Joint

  A deliberate separation that lets adjacent concrete or structure move with temperature and load without cracking or buckling.

• Frost Line / Frost Depth

  The depth to which ground freezes locally. Footings must bear below it (in central Ohio ~32 in.) so frost heave can't lift the structure.