Glossary
Glossary Terms
Adjustable Shelf: A shelf that can be moved to different heights.
Arch: A curved shape usually at the top of a cabinet door.
Base Cabinet: Also called a lower cabinet that usually sits on a toekick. Base cabinets also support countertops and are usually twenty four inches deep.
Base Molding: A decorative molding that looks nice and adds a finished look to flooring and walls.
Bookmatching Veneers: Placing multiple sheets of veneers side by side to make a mirror image of each other.
Crown Molding: A special carved molding used on the top of a cabinet.
Casing: A trim moulding that surrounds doors and windows.
Cathedral: A natural curved graining in wood.
Chase: A cut out in a cabinet for cables ,pipes or cords.
Concealed Hinge: Any hinge that cannot be seen from the outside of a cabinet.
Coniferous: Trees that do not lose their leaves and have either needles or smaller, thinner leaves than the Deciduous trees.
Custom: A project that is designed and made to a clients specific needs and desires.
A one of a kind.
Dado: A groove that is cut into one piece of material so that it may accept another usually at a ninety degree angle .
Deciduous: Trees than anually shed their leaves. and have broader wider leaves than coniferous trees.
Decorative Hardware: Any type of knob, pull, or handle used to open a door or drawer.
Distressing : A technique that adds dents, scratches and nicks to a new piece of furniture in order to give it an aged appearance.
Dovetail: A method of joining two pieces of wood, usually at a corner by interlocking them like a puzzle.
Drawer Front: A decorative panel that attaches to the front of a drawer. The drawer front is where the handle is mounted.
European (Euro) Style Cabinets: A style that does not use a face frame on the front outside edges of the cabinet.
Exposed Hinge: A hinge that is visible from the outside of a cabinet when the door is closed.
Face Frame Cabinets: A wood frame approximately 2 inches wide, that is attached to the front of a cabinet, framing the cabinet opening.
Fireplace Mantel: A decorative shelf above a fireplace.
Fireplace Surround: A decorative fireplace mantel with verticle sides to frame the fireplace opening.
Fixed Shelf: A shelf that is non adjustable
Five Piece Door: Consists of two verticle pieces of hard wood (stile), Two horizontal pieces of hardwood (rail) , and a center panel (Flat or Raised)
Flat Panel: A thin flat panel in the center of a five piece door.
Flute: A decorative design grooved into a wood surface.
Frameless Cabinets: see European (Euro) Style Cabinets
Full Extension Drawer Slide: Drawer slides that allow the drawer to be pulled out completely from the cabinet, giving you full access to the entire drawer.
Hardwood: Lumber that is manufactured from trees that annually lose their leaves (deciduous) Hardwood does not reference the actual hardness of the wood.
Inset Doors/ Drawer Fronts: Doors and Drawer fronts that are recessed to be flush with the front of the cabinet.
Kiln-Dried: A heated process to eliminate excess moisture from wood.
Lazy Susan: A storage unit usually round or pie shaped utilized in corner cabinets. The unit spins to get maximum useage of otherwise wasted corner space.
Lower Cabinet: See base cabinet.
Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF): A wood based product that uses small wood fibers and either glue or resin , which are compressed together to produce sheets that are available in plywood sheet sizes, usually four feet by eight feet.
Melamine: A durable colored coating that is applied to the outside of a substraight such as plywood or MDF.
Mortise: A rectangular hole that is bored into one piece of wood to accept a tenon.
Mortise and Tenon Joint: A jointery technique where the tenon on one piece of wood fits into the mortise of the other piece.
Plywood: Material made from thin sheets of wood that are glued and pressed together to a desired thickness.
Rabbet : A step or ledge that is cut into a piece of wood. Rabbets are commonly used in the inside of cabinet doors that have glass centers.
Rail: The horizontal hardwood pieces of either a door or a face frame.
Router: A high speed tool that accepts different profile bits to cut decorative edges, dados and rabbets.
Slab Door: A one piece flat door.
Softwood: Lumber that is manufactured from coniferous trees . Softwood does not reference the hardness of the actual wood.
Stain: The process of changing the natural color of wood.
Stile: The verticle hardwood pieces of either a door or a face frame.
Tenon: The protruding part of hardwood that fits into a mortise.
Toe Kick: The piece below the bottom of a base cabinet that is recessed a few inches from the front of a cabinet to allow room for ones feet .
Upper Cabinet: A cabinet that is above a base cabinet and is attached to the wall. Usually upper cabinets are more shallow than a base cabinet.
Veneer: An extremely thin layer of wood that is applied to a sub straight such as plywood or MDF.
