Question

Your contractor might not give a "tinker's dam" but your client probably will when she sees the "frost boils" and "fugitive dye" on her new wall. What is the surface of the new wall and what is the definition of the phrases in quotation marks?

Answer

The new wall is concrete. A "tinkers dam" is a small dam of sand (or other noncombustible material) that is used to contain the spread of solder. A "frost boil" is a surface imperfection on concrete caused by the freezing of trapped moisture, and "fugitive dye" is a dye whose color fades with exposure to sunlight. It is used to temporarily color membrane-curing compounds, making coverage on concrete surfaces visible.