TASC Housing and Design flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Housing cost burden

A household is cost-burdened when gross housing costs exceed 30 percent of gross income; severe burden means costs reach 50 percent or more of income.

Empty nest stage

The life-cycle stage after children leave home, when households often need less bedroom space and may prefer lower-maintenance housing, single-level living, or smaller units.

Universal design

Design usable by people of all ages and abilities without adaptation, featuring no-step entries, wide clearances, lever handles, and accessible controls and lighting.

Household crowding

Crowding is commonly measured as persons per habitable room; more than one person per room is crowded and more than 1.5 per room is severe crowding.

Front-end ratio

A lending measure comparing monthly housing cost (principal, interest, taxes, insurance) to gross monthly income, used to judge affordability before other debts.

Back-end ratio

Total monthly debt payments divided by gross monthly income; lenders commonly cap this near 36 to 43 percent when approving a mortgage.

Buy versus rent break-even

The holding period needed for appreciation and equity to offset purchase closing costs, moving costs, and selling commissions; short stays usually favor renting.

Security deposit protection

Renters should photograph unit condition at move-in, complete a signed checklist, keep receipts, and give written notice, so deductions at move-out can be disputed.

Fair housing protected classes

Federal law bars housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, and national origin, covering rentals, sales, advertising, and financing.

Design elements list

The building blocks of design are line, form, space, mass, texture, color, and light; principles such as balance and rhythm organize these elements.

Asymmetrical balance

Visual balance achieved with unlike objects or unequal sizes whose combined visual weight matches on each side of an axis, often using color, texture, or placement.

Color value and intensity

Value is the lightness or darkness of a hue; intensity, also called chroma or saturation, is its purity or strength. Tints add white and shades add black.

Analogous color scheme

A scheme using hues adjacent on the color wheel, such as blue, blue-green, and green; it produces harmony and calm but limited contrast.

Warm versus cool colors

Warm hues (red, orange, yellow) appear to advance and feel cozy; cool hues (blue, green, violet) appear to recede and can make rooms feel larger.

Three lighting layers

Ambient lighting provides general illumination, task lighting focuses on work surfaces, and accent lighting highlights features; decorative fixtures add style and sparkle.

Golden section ratio

A proportion of roughly 1 to 1.618, long used in art and design; rectangles and arrangements built on it are perceived as pleasing and balanced.

Kitchen work triangle

The path linking sink, refrigerator, and range; the three legs should total about 13 to 26 feet with no leg shorter than 4 or longer than 9 feet.

Main circulation width

Primary paths through a home should be about 36 to 48 inches wide; secondary paths need 24 to 36 inches and single-person passage at least 24 inches.

Kitchen aisle clearance

Allow at least 36 inches between opposing counters in a one-cook kitchen and about 42 inches when two cooks work, plus 15 inches of landing space beside sink and range.

Dining table allowances

Plan about 24 inches of table edge per seated diner and leave 36 inches between the table edge and walls or furniture for chair pull-out and walking space.

Public, private, service zones

Space planning groups rooms into public (entry, living, dining), private (bedrooms, baths), and service (kitchen, laundry) zones, keeping noisy or messy functions separated from quiet ones.

Bathroom fixture clearances

Allow about 30 inches in front of lavatories and toilets, 24 inches in front of tubs or showers, and 15 inches from toilet centerline to an adjacent side wall.

Open plan trade-offs

Open layouts improve light, sightlines, and social connection but reduce acoustic privacy and cooking-odor containment; furniture and rugs define functional zones.

Hardwood flooring traits

Solid or engineered wood is warm, repairable, and refinishable, but it is moisture-sensitive and unsuitable for wet areas such as full baths and basements.

Quartz versus granite counters

Quartz is engineered, nonporous, and stain-resistant; granite is natural stone that is heat-resistant but porous and needs periodic sealing to resist stains.

Upholstery double rubs

A durability rating from abrasion tests such as Wyzenbeek or Martindale; higher double-rub counts indicate fabrics suited to heavy residential or commercial use.

Paint sheen selection

Flat hides wall flaws but cleans poorly; eggshell and satin suit general walls; semi-gloss and gloss resist moisture and scrubbing, fitting trim, kitchens, and baths.

Low-VOC materials

Products that release few volatile organic compounds, improving indoor air quality; low-VOC paints, adhesives, sealants, and flooring reduce odors and irritation.

Smoke and CO alarm placement

Install smoke alarms on every level and inside and outside sleeping areas; place carbon monoxide alarms near sleeping areas and on each level of the home.

Radon testing and mitigation

Radon is an odorless soil gas linked to lung cancer; test homes, and when levels reach about 4 pCi/L, use sub-slab depressurization to vent gas outdoors.

GFCI versus AFCI

GFCI devices protect people from shock by sensing ground faults near water; AFCI breakers protect against arc faults, typically on bedroom and living-area circuits.

Preventive maintenance schedule

Recurring tasks: change HVAC filters monthly to quarterly, clean gutters twice yearly, test smoke alarms monthly, clean dryer vents annually, and inspect roof and caulk seasonally.