Can You Identify These Basic House Features Actual Adults Should Know?

By: Todd Betzold
Image: Eric Schaeffer / Moment / Getty Images

About This Quiz

While HGTV has made all of us think that we need to renovate or buy a new house, some of us should stick to renting because we don't have a clue about basic house features. We may learn a lot about renovations and flipping a house on HGTV, but is it enough to learn about the basics every home should have?

That's where this quiz comes into play, as we are going to test your knowledge of some typical home features. While these terms may be basic to you, they may seem like a foreign language to other people. You may know what some home features look like, but do you know their names or what uses they have beyond the obvious? We will test you on everything from construction to bathroom features, from exterior items to interior decor.

Maybe you want a pantry or an island in the kitchen, but can you recognize either in a photo? Similar items will be included in this big test today, so try and make your way through the entire quiz and identify the household features you are looking at in the photos. It may not be as easy as you think, so the pressure is on!

That area where the sink meets the wall or floor is sealed with caulk - it's the gel or rubbery line. This helps prevents leaking. Caulk wears out over time, though, so edges need to be re-caulked every few years.

Bookcases or other heavier standalone objects in your house should be anchored to the wall, in case anything happens that could make them tip over. Many types of anchors are available, and they must be attached to wall studs.

Gutters collect leaves, dirt, branches and dead animals over time. Because of that, get out the ladder and hose and start clearing these things out every year, or hire a professional to do it.

If the door moves up or down when it's open, it means the screws in the door hinges are loose. Here's a tip: remove the loose screws and then use a wooden matchstick dipped in carpenter's glue to help fill the hole.

After a while, the shower head will get moldy and rusty, so it will need to be replaced. You can use a wrench to loosen the head and remove it, then install a new one in its place after cleaning off the shower head stem with some vinegar or alcohol.

We all want clean air in our lives, which is why the furnace filter should be changed every three months in your house. If you have a smoker in the house or a pet that sheds a lot, then you need to change the filter even more frequently.

When there is a plumbing issue, the first thing to do is turn off the water. All water flow can be stopped at the water shut-off valve, which varies in location from house to house. Knowing where that valve is can prevent a lot of damage, so if you don't know, find out!

The pipe, duct or opening in a chimney is called the flue. A flue is used to get rid of exhaust gases from the fireplace, furnace or water heater. Be sure your chimney flue is clean before lighting a fire in your fireplace.

In some homes, you may see a clerestory, which is a bank of windows above eye level. They are usually added to enhance the home's natural light and add some warmth to the interior.

Columns are a hallmark of classical and neoclassical style. The Doric column is simple, while the Corinthian can be quite ornate. All are found in ancient Greek and Roman ruins, like the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill.

A banquette is an alternative to a typical dining table with chairs or benches. It can be a great space saver if square footage is limited.

The inglenook was made popular during the Middle Ages, but gained popularity again in the late 19th century. It is an area near a fireplace, often including a bench, which gave the person cooking or tending the fire a chance to sit down.

Of course, plumbing problems vary depending on the model of sink and faucet you have, but basic faucet leaks are usually all the same. To repair, you would need to replace a faulty or worn-down O-ring, washer or stem inside the faucet head.

A small gable is also called a gablet, and it normally appears at the peak of a roof with four sloping sides. A gablet is also the triangular top set over a dormer window.

Spiral staircases may seem hazardous or make you dizzy, but they're also stylish and convenient in tight spaces. Some of the first spiral staircases were used in castles in the Middle Ages.

The bay window is often the centerpiece of the home, both from the inside and the outside. It may look upon a delightful vista or may be a key gathering space in the home.

The lintel is a support for a door or window that can also serve as decor. The lintel spreads a load out to the surrounding walls as well.

The mantel sits above the fireplace and can be a great decorative centerpiece of a home. But did you know that it was originally created to catch smoke from the fire, the way hoods now do in kitchens?

A fanlight happens to be that semicircle window that is sometimes found above a door or other windows. The name comes from the resemblance of the fanlight to a geisha accessory.

If you are mounting something on the wall or need to secure a bookcase to the wall, a stud finder is a great tool to have. It will help keep things in place and keep you from having 12 nail holes in the wall!

A scullery is essentially a small kitchen - a room in the house that is normally used for washing dishes or clothes. It is considered to be an overflow kitchen.

A downspout is a tube that is connected to the gutters. This downspout is what directs the water down from inside the gutters and away from the home's foundation.

Tin ceilings had elaborate patterns and used to be sold door-to-door by traveling salesmen. Copper ceilings were also popular. You can still find these ceilings in some homes today, though they are rarely seen in new construction.

This may come as a shock to some, but roofs need ventilation. An attic can get very hot, so roof vents allow some of that heat to escape.

The door stop prevents a door from slamming into the wall when it's opened forcefully. Door stops come in all shapes and sizes - they can blend in or be decorative.

Shingles are often made of asphalt because of its waterproof properties. Other roofing materials are slate and wood. Flashing is placed under shingles at roof intersections for extra security.

Supply lines bring water into your house. Some of it gets sent directly to the water heater and then it is returned to the supply lines for you to use.

A loose toilet seat can be a simple fix, as you may just need to open up the plastic snap-shut lid at the back of the toilet seat. Tightening those bolts may fix the issue. Otherwise, a new toilet seat may be needed, and that's an easy replacement also.

A range hood is also known as an exhaust hood or extractor hood. It contains a mechanical fan and hangs above the stove. The purpose of the range hood is to remove fumes, smoke and heat while cooking.

The breaker box is also known as the electrical panel. Electricity runs into the breaker box and then it is split into separate circuits throughout the house.

Baseboards can be found covering the lowest part of a home's interior walls. They are normally made of wood or vinyl. They cover the joint between the wall surface and the floor.

You never realize how much hair comes off of you until you see it all in the drain, which causes it to clog up. That's why you need to bring out a snake and pull that gunk out every once in a while.

Ceiling joists are those long pieces of wood that connect the outside walls together. They have multiple purposes, as they also help secure the bottom ends of the rafters and support the ceiling materials for the rooms below.

You can find a crawl space under some homes, below the first floor. There is no basement in these homes, so this one- to three-foot-high area allows someone to crawl around and access plumbing and electrical lines.

Carbon monoxide is a gas that can be hard to detect because it has no odor. It can build up in a home due to a running car engine or a faulty heating system.

The keystone sits at the center of an arch, supporting the curved structure. While it isn't always larger than other stones or decorated, many architects make it a focal point of their design.

Milk boxes used to be a standard in suburban homes across the United States. The box was constructed in a wall of the home and had an opening on the outside, where the milk would be delivered.

A valance is used to hide the window blinds when they're pulled up or to cover unsightly curtain rods. It's a small detail that can add some sophistication to a home.

A pantry is an area used to store food that doesn't need to be refrigerated, and sometimes dishes, cleaning products and linens. It's usually a closet of sorts.

Apartment buildings, especially in major cities, are required to have fire escapes for tenants on upper floors. Fire escapes were introduced during industrialization to keep tenants safe in new, large apartment buildings. Even if you don't have or need a fire escape, having a plan in case of an emergency is important! Also, install smoke detectors.

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