asbestos -- a strong, incombustible, naturally-occurring mineral fiber widely used since 1880 for fireproofing and insulation; if airborne, the small, buoyant fiber can be easily inhaled or swallowed, causing serious diseases, such as, asbestosis, a chronic disease of the lungs that makes breathing increasingly difficult, and mesothelioma, a cancer of the membranes that line the chest and abdomen

abatement [asbestos] -- the removal of a surface or material containing asbestos, compliant with the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) regulations and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations

clear vertical grain (CVG) -- high quality vertically-grained lumber with very few knots or defects, if any

deconstruction -- systematic disassembly of building structures to salvage materials for reuse

demolition -- the destruction of structures, facilities, or materials by use of fire, water, explosives, machines, or other means

glued laminated beam (glulam) -- a structural beam composed of wood laminations or lams, which are pressure bonded with adhesives to attain a typical thickness of 1½" (looks like 5 or more 2x4s are glued together)

green building -- the practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings and their sites use and harvest energy, water, and materials, in order to reduce or eliminate harmful effects on human health and the environment through better design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal of structures and materials throughout the building's life cycle

gut -- to remove all materials until only the framework is left

joist -- a beam supporting a floor or ceiling

rafter -- structural member of a roof that supports the roof load, sloping down from the ridge to the eaves (overhang), establishing the pitch

recycle -- minimizing waste generation by recovering and reprocessing waste into usable products that might otherwise become waste

reuse -- to extend the life of an item by using it again, repairing it, modifying it or creating new uses for it

sub-floor -- rough or structural floor placed directly on the floor joists, to which the finished flooring is applied

sustainable -- a resource or system that meets present needs without compromising those of future generations, by way of minimizing negative impacts on the environment and its inhabitants

tongue and groove (T & G) [sometimes called "dressed and matched"] -- a joint in which the protruding ridge, or tongue, of one piece fits into a matching groove in the other piece

waste stream -- the flow or movement of waste from the point of generation (i.e., household or commercial premises) to final disposal (i.e., landfill)