Terms Common to Cabinet Construction and Hardware
Adjustable Shelf ? Shelf that can be added or removed, with varying positions possible.
Backplate ? Usually a metal plate, often decorative, fitting between handles, pulls or knobs and doors or drawer faces.
Bead board ? Paneling with beaded, routed detail.
Bridge cabinet ? Cabinet spanning an open space, such as above an appliance.
Cam and bolt ? Construction hardware connecting the top, bottom or sides of some cabinets.
C-C or O.C. ? Indicates a center-to-center hole measurement between screw holes.
Crown Molding ? Decorative molding applied to wall cabinet tops to provide a finished look.
Custom Cabinetry ? Cabinets built to fit customer?s order of cabinet dimensions, shape, wood species, finish and special detailing.
Edge banding ? Material applied to edge of objects such as countertops, shelving or doors, to seal and cover the surface.
DIA ? Indicates the diameter of a round or symmetrical piece, often associated with a knob.
Finish ? The overall surface color, sealing, and added accents of a cabinet or piece of decorative hardware. This includes the highlights and darker tones added to create a special look. It does not include the shape, carved or cast detailing, or physical design of the piece.
Fixed Shelf ? Shelf constructed as a permanent part of the cabinet structure in a fixed position.
Flat Panel ? Recessed center panel to a door or drawer design.
Fluted Rail ? Decorative piece of molding spanning areas between cabinets.
Framed Cabinets ? Cabinet box has a front frame around the cabinet opening to which the door is attached.
Frameless Cabinets ? Frameless have no front frame. The doors are attached directly to the side walls of the cabinet.
Full Overlay ? Cabinet door that covers all or most of the face frame.
Glaze ? Secondary staining process used to create highlight on wood doors.
Knob ? Cabinet hardware piece used for opening a door or drawer that requires only one hole and one screw.
Light Rail ? Decorative molding applied to cabinets to hide lighting and/or to provide a finished look.
MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) ? Engineered wood product used as an alternative to natural wood.
Melamine Laminate ? Plasticized, hard surfacing material used on door and drawer faces.
Mullion Doors ? Doors with glass center panel.
Particleboard ? Engineered wood product made from wood particles.
PRJ ? Projection of a pull or knob from the door or drawer surface.
Pull (Handle Pull) ? Cabinet hardware piece for opening a door or drawer that requires two mounting locations (two holes and two screws).
Recessed Door ? Door with flat panel recessed from the stiles and rails.
Rosette ? Small decorative piece of molding, often round, square or otherwise symmetrical.
Shelf Pin: A piece of hardware, often metal or plastic, on which an adjustable shelf rests.
Soffit ? Soffit or bulkhead is the box-like protrusion between ceiling and the top of wall cabinets.
Soffit Spacer ? Decorative molding applied to wall cabinet tops to allow door clearance.
Solid Wood ? Wood boards fitted and glued together, as opposed to plywood, laminated wood, veneers, particle board, or MDF.
Stain ? Coloring applied to wood surfaces as part of the finishing process.
Stock Cabinets ? Pre-designed, factory-built cabinets.
Toe Kick ? Molding used to cover the open space under the cabinet for a finished look.
Veneer ? Thin sheets of superior wood attached with glue to an inferior substrate.
V-Groove ? Vertical beaded or grooved design.
Vinyl Laminate ? Decorative Material used on the interior of some factory-built cabinetry, and sometimes used to cover cabinet exterior end panel surfaces.
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