| Term | Definition |
| K Bracing | That form of bracing where a pair of braces located on one side of a column terminates at a single point within the clear column height. |
| K Series | A standard Steel Joist Institute designation for longspan steel joists. |
| Kalotermes | See Termite. |
| Kalsomine | See Calcimine. |
| Kaolin | 1. A refractory clay consisting essentially of minerals of the kaolin group and which fires to a white or nearly white color; also called China Clay. 2. Inert pigment which tends to impart easy brushing properties to paint products in which it is used. |
| Kasmir | Fabric vendor with broad assortment; moderately priced. (2229 Monitor Street, Dallas, TX 75207) |
| Kata Thermometer | Large-bulb alcohol thermometer used to measure air speed or atmospheric conditions by means of cooling effect. |
| Kauri Gum | A fossil copal found in New Zealand. |
| Kauri Reduction | Test for solvent power of petroleum solvents. |
| Keene's Cement | A cement composed of finely ground, anhydrous, calcined gypsum, the set of which is accelerated by the addition of other materials, used in areas subjected to moisture; a hard, strong finishing plaster that is made from gypsum and maintains a high polish; |
| Keeper | The metal latch plate in a door frame into which a doorknob plunger latches. |
| Keeper See | Strike, 2. |
| Kelly Ball Test | A method by which the workability of fresh concrete can be determined. |
| Kelvin Scale | A temperature scale on which the unit of measurement equals the Celsius degree and according to which absolute zero is 0°, the equivalent of minus 273.16° C; water freezes at 273.16° K. and boils at 373.16° K. |
| Kennel | 1. A shelter for a dog. 2. A breeding or boarding establishment for dogs. |
| Kerf | 1. A cut made with a saw, or with a cutter, part way through a material, generally to facilitate breaking to a desired shape. 2. The space from which metal has been removed by a cutting process. |
| Kerosene | A distillate obtained in petroleum refining which evaporates slowly. |
| Ketones | Organic solvents containing CO grouping; commonly used ketones are acetone (dimethyl ketone); MEK (methyl ethyl ketone); and MIBK (methyl isobutyl ketone). |
| Kettle | Portable roofer's equipment for heating bitumen to a suitable temperature for use. |
| Kettle Bodied Oil | Oil which has been held at an elevated temperature until the oil has thickened. |
| Kettle, Steam | See Steam Kettle. |
| Key | 1. A slot formed into a concrete surface for the purpose of interlocking with a subsequent pour of concrete; a slot at the edge of a precast member into which grout will be poured to lock it to an adjacent member. 2. A small piece of wood inserted in one |
| Key Changes | The different combinations of bittings or tumbler arrangements in a series of locks. |
| Key Lock | A lock which is activated by a key. |
| Key Switch | An electric on-off switch operated by a removable key. |
| Keyed Joint | 1. A joint in which one structural member is keyed or notched into an adjoining member as in timber construction. 2. In masonry construction, a finished joint of mortar which has been tooled concave. |
| Keyhole Saw | A narrow pointed fine tooth saw for cutting small or curved holes. |
| Keyless | A plastic or porcelain light fixture that operates by a pull string. Generally found in the basement, crawl space , and attic areas. |
| Keystone | The wedge shaped central stone at the top of an arch. |
| Keyway | A slot formed and poured on a footer or in a foundation wall when another wall will be installed at the slot location. This gives additional strength to the joint/meeting point. |
| Kick Hole | A hole in the roofing membrane at the base of a parapet wall, at the cant, usually caused by being stepped on or kicked. |
| Kick Lift | A jacking wedge used to elevate or shift the gypsum board into proper nailing position on the wall during the application procedure. |
| Kick Plate | A metal plate or strip that runs along the bottom edge of a door to protect against the marring of the finished surface. |
| Kiln | A furnace, oven, or heated enclosure for processing a substance by burning, firing, or drying. |
| Kiln Dried | Lumber that has been heated in a kiln to dry and control the amounts of moisture. |
| Kiln Dried Lumber | Lumber that has been kiln-dried, often to a moisture content of 6 to 12%; common varieties of softwood lumber, such as framing lumber, are dried to a somewhat higher moisture content. |
| Kiln Drying | Drying of wood, paint, varnish or lacquer in room or compartment with heat and humidity regulated. |
| Kiln Run | Brick or structural clay tile from one kiln which have not been sorted or graded for size, burning, or color variation. |
| Kilogram | A metric unit of mass and weight equal to 1000 grams. |
| Kilometer | A metric unit of distance equal to 1000 meters. |
| Kilowatt | An electrical unit of 1000 watts. |
| Kilowatt-Hour (KWH) | A measure of electrical energy equivalent to a power consumption of 1000 watts for one hour. |
| Kinematic Viscosity | A method of measuring viscosity using the stoke as the basic measurement unit. |
| Kinetic | Relating to motion. |
| Kinetic Energy | Energy associated with motion. |
| Kinetic Friction | The friction between two surfaces that are moving tangentially in contact with each other; kinetic friction is always slightly less than static friction. |
| King | See King Closer. |
| King Closer | In masonry, a closer used to fill an opening in a course larger than a half brick; about three- fourths the size of a regular sized brick; also called a king. |
| King Post | In a roof system, the member placed vertically between the center of the horizontal tie beam at the lower end of the rafters and the ridge, or apex of the inclined rafters. |
| King Post Truss | A standard peaked roof truss configuration. |
| King stud | The vertical "2 X's" frame lumber (left and right) of a window or door opening, and runs continuously from the bottom sole plate to the top plate. |
| King Valve | Liquid receiver service valve. |
| Kip | A unit of weight or force equal to 1,000 pounds. |
| Kirk | Church. |
| Kirsch | Popular supplier of decorative drapery hardware. A division of Newell. (4110 Premier Drive, Highpoint, NC 27265) |
| Kitchen | A room for preparation of food. |
| Kitchen Cabinet | A case, box, or piece of furniture with sets of drawers or shelves, with doors, primarily used for storage, mounted on walls or floors in a kitchen area. |
| Kitchen Compactor | A machine in a kitchen that compresses or compacts materials by using hydraulic weight, force, or vibration. |
| Kitchen Faucet | A fixture found in the kitchen that is used for drawing potable water. |
| Kitchen Fryer | An appliance used for frying foods. |
| Kitchen Range | A stove with an oven and a flat top surface with burners powered by gas or electric current. |
| Kitchen Sink | A stationary basin that is found in the kitchen and connected to a drain. |
| Knee Brace | A corner brace, fastened at an angle from wall stud to rafter, stiffening a wood or steel frame to prevent angular movement. |
| Knee Kicker | A short tool with gripping teeth at one end and a padded cushion at the other, used in making small stretches during carpet laying. |
| Knee Wall | A short wall under the slope of a roof. |
| Kneepads | Protective foam rubber pads for workers to wear strapped on their knees when working on floors. |
| Knife | 1. A cutting implement consisting of a blade fastened to a handle. 2. A sharp cutting blade or tool in a machine. |
| knife pleats | Sharply pressed, narrow, closely spaced pleats all running in the same direction. |
| Knife, Broad | See Broad Knife. |
| Knitted | A type of nonwoven carpet construction in which the backing yarn, stitching yarn and pile yarn are looped together with three sets of knitting needles, producing an uncut loop pile. |
| Knitted Carpet | Carpet made on a knitting machine by looping together backing, stitching and pile yarns with three sets of needles, as in hand knitting. |
| Knockout | A cylindrical removable section of a junction box or outlet box to accommodate installation of a conduit connector |
| Knot | That portion of a tree branch or limb that has been surrounded by subsequent growth of the stem; the shape of the knot as it appears on a cut surface depends on the angle of the cut relative to the long axis of the knot. |
| Knotty Pine | Pine wood whose knots are exposed, often used for cabinets and interior paneling. |
| Knotty Score | Of gypsum board, a ragged cut edge. |
| Knuckle | The enlarged part of a hinge into which the pin is inserted. |
| Knurled | Having a surface covered with small knobs or beads, as a nail which may have such a surface for greater holding power. |
| Kraft Paper | A sturdy brown wrapping paper. |
| Kraftcord | Tightly twisted yarn made from wood pulp fiber, used as an alternate for cotton or jute in carpet backing. |
| Kravet Fabrics | Fabric vendor. Broad selection in medium price range. (225 Central Avenue South, Bethpage, NY 11714) |
| Krebs Unit (KU) | Arbitrary units of viscosity. |
| KSI | Kips per square inch. |
| KU | Krebs Unit. |
| KWH | Kilowatt Hour. |
| Kyanite | The most abundant of the mineral polymorphs that include andalusite and sillimanite; Al2O3SiO2;used as a source of mullite in ceramics. |