Dado - The zone between a chair rail or lower part of a sill and the baseboard.

Damper - An adjustable metal plate controlling convection currents in a fireplace.

Dead Load - The weight of things and materials that are always present at the same place in a building.

Deadening Felt - A thin sheet of felt between the sub-floor and the finished floor.

Dental - A molding motif that projects from the edge of a roof line or cornice.

Door Styles - Doors are made for interior or exterior use and are either flush or paneled. They may either be solid of honeycombed construction.

Doric - The simplest of the three classical orders of Greek architecture.

Dormer - The setting for a vertical window in the roof. Called a gable dormer if it has its own gable or shed dormer if a flat roof. Most often found in upstairs bedrooms.

Double-hung Window - A window which operates by means of two sashes that slide vertically past each other.

Down spout - A metal or plastic tubing connected to the gutter for runoff.

Drain Title - Title pipe laid along the outside of footings to carry off excess water. Plastic perforated pipe often used for same purpose.

Drip Cap - A projection found, along the top edge of exterior windows and doors to allow water to fall directly to the ground.

Duct - A sheet metal enclosure carrying warm or cool air from a forced air heating or cooling plant.

Dutch Door - A door divided horizontally in half; the halves may be opened together or individually.