Compression Crack: A closed crack caused by compressive forces leading to bulging or buckling of the material.

Compressive Stress: The opposite of tensile stress, it is the squeezing force applied on an object.

ComSOP: International Standards of Practice for Inspecting Commercial Properties

Concealed: Rendered inaccessible by the structure or finish of the building.  Wires in concealed raceways are considered concealed, even though they may become accessible by withdrawing them.

Concrete Masonry Unit: Often abbreviated CMU, or referred to as an architectural block, it’s the standard-size rectangular block used for building construction.

Condensate Trap: A drain trap installed on HVAC equipment that prevents conditioned air from entering the unit if under positive pressure or prevents condensation from ponding in the equipment if under negative pressure.

Condition: The plainly visible and conspicuous state of being of a material object or thing.

Conditioned Air: Air that has been heated, cooled, humidified, or dehumidified to maintain an interior space within the “comfort zone.” (Sometimes referred to as “tempered” air.)

Conditioned Space: An area or room within a building being heated or cooled.

Connector: The pipe that connects a fuel-burning appliance to a chimney.

Constant Air Volume Systems: Air handling system that provides a constant air flow while varying the temperature to meet heating and cooling needs.

Consultant: A person with particular expertise in a subject who assists the inspector with portions of the inspection.

Contamination: An impairment of the quality of the potable water.

Control Joint: A vertical, continuous weak plane that is built into brick and concrete block masonry that deliberately allows cracks to occur in a predetermined location to accommodate shrinkage.

Convector: A heat-emitting unit that uses fins and tubes for a convective heat transfer.

Conventional Roof System: A low-slope roof system where the insulation is installed under the roof’s membrane.

Coping: A construction unit placed at the top of a parapet wall to serve as a cover for the wall.

Core Sampling: A vertical cut taken of the roofing system that can be used for analyzing the roof’s layers of composition.

Corrosion: The deterioration of metal by chemical or electrochemical reaction resulting from exposure to weathering, moisture, chemicals, or other agents or media.

Cost to Remedy: An opinion of the cost to address physical deficiencies observed during an inspection, based on suggested remedies such as repair or replacement. It helps clarify the condition of the property and provides an initial indication of the funds that may be required to perform the remedies.

Counter-Flashing: A pre-formed metal that is secured to a wall, curb or rooftop unit used to cover and protect the upper edge of a base flashing and its associated fasteners.

Course: A horizontal row of bricks laid in mortar in masonry construction.

Cover Board: A relatively thin substrate that’s placed over the primary thermal insulation in a roofing system.

CPI: Certified Professional Inspector

Cracking: A term used to describe nonlinear visible breaks on the surface of a material.

Crater: A pit in the surface of BUR resulting from a burst blueberry blister.

Crawlspace: The area within the confines of the foundation and between the ground and the underside of the lowest floor’s structural component.

Creep: The deformation of a material over time under persistent load.

Cricket: An elevated and peaked construction installed on low-slope and structural metal roofs to divert water around roof-penetrating components.

Cross-Connection: Any connection between two otherwise separate piping systems, one of which contains potable water, and the other that contains something that could contaminate the potable water.

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