Kitchen
Glossary Terms
Backflow Preventer--a device that keeps
water in the sink from going back into faucets where the spout
pulls out and becomes a sprayer
Base Cabinet--a kitchen cabinet that goes on
the floor, usually deeper and taller than a wall cabinet
Bidet--a bathroom fixture used to wash private
parts; much more popular in Europe than the U.S., probably
due to the fact that Americans customarily bathe every day
Built-in Appliances--those that are installed
into a run of cabinets; as opposed to free-standing appliances,
which slide into place; for example, a built-in oven would
be mounted in a cabinet by itself, as opposed to an oven that
is part of a stove
Cabinet Box--the chassis of a cabinet, the
guts; if you took a cabinet, laid it on its back and took
the door and the frame (if any) off of it, you'd be left with
the cabinet box
Cathedral Arch--a style of raised panel door
where the panel has a stylized arch at the top
Commercial Style--appliances that have the
stainless-steel -clad look of those found in restaurants;
normally more powerful than a typical home appliance, but
not as powerful as restaurant equipment, especially in the
case of cooking appliances (an important safety feature)
Custom Cabinets--cabinets that are made to
order to a customer's exact specifications; usually with better-quality
wood and more of an emphasis on personal craftsmanship; frequently
the most expensive cabinets available
Cutout--a hole in a countertop, perhaps for
a sink or access to recycling bins
Escutcheon--a plate that sits under the faucet
on the rim of the sink; in a two-handle faucet, the handles
sit on the escutcheon; in a single-lever faucet, the escutcheon
covers unused holes on the sink
Face Frame--a wooden frame that is fixed to
the front of a cabinet box; the term also refers to all cabinets
that are manufactured with a frame
Flat Panel--a style of cabinet door consisting
of a frame surrounding a flat panel so that the front of the
panel is a little deeper than the frame
Frameless--cabinets manufactured with the door
attached directly to the cabinet box, with no face frame.
Frameless cabinets can be just as sturdy as framed cabinets-the
sole difference is the style of construction
GFCI--short for ground-fault circuit interrupter;
refers to a type of outlet that shuts itself off automatically
if it gets wet, thereby avoiding shock or fire
Glazing--a pane of glass in a window; most
windows sold today are at least double glazed, with two sheets
of glass creating a sort of air sandwich
Gravity-Fed--a toilet that uses gravity to
pull water through the trap and into the sewage system; the
way toilets normally work, as opposed to a pressure-assisted
toilet
Inset Door--a door that sits flush in the frame
on front of the cabinet
Kickspace--same as toekick
Laminate--what most people refer to as Formica
(which is a brand name); a surfacing material consisting of
paper and plastic pressed together under heat; in addition
to Formica, brands include Wilsonart, Nevamar and Pionite
Lavatory--a bathroom sink
Mullion--a cabinet door with glass panes
Neo-Angle--a corner shower whose door is usually
at a 45-degree angle to the walls
Pantry--in the cabinet industry, a cabinet
that runs from the toekick up to the soffit
Pedestal Lav--a bathroom sink that sits atop
a post of some sort, instead of being installed into a vanity
top or mounted to the wall
Pressure-Assisted--a toilet that uses a sealed
tank to trap air when the tank fills with water; the trapped
air gives the water an extra push when the toilet is flushed
Pull--a cabinet or drawer handle, as opposed
to a knob
Rail--the horizontal piece in a cabinet door
frame, as opposed to a stile
Raised Panel--a style of cabinet door consisting
of a frame around a panel that has been routed so that the
panel and door frame are flush with each other
Semi-custom Cabinets--cabinets that fall somewhere
in between stock and custom; in a nutshell, more options than
stock at a lower price than true custom
Shim--a piece of wood (scrap usually) used
to fill in small unseen gaps or to bring one corner of a cabinet,
appliance or billiard table up so that the entire thing is
level
Soffit--the area above the wall cabinets; some
designs forego the soffit and take the cabinets all the way
up to the ceiling
Solid surfacing--a material used for countertops
and sinks that has the color running through its entire depth,
making it easier to repair; made of polyester or acrylic with
pigment added; brands include Corian, Gibraltar, Fountainhead,
Avonite and Swanstone
Sones--a measurement of how much noise something
makes; in kitchens and baths, this usually applies to ventilation
fans
Stile--the vertical piece in a cabinet door
frame, as opposed to a rail
Stock Cabinets--cabinets that come in a set
number of widths, finishes in doorstyles; the lack of options
means manufacturers can keep a lot of them in stock and have
them available for quick delivery; frequently, though not
always, the least expensive cabinets available
Toekick--the small indented area between the
base cabinets and the floor, sometimes called toespace or
kickspace
Top--a countertop or vanity top, depending
on the room
Trap--the s-shaped pipe right below a sink
or in a toilet; water in the trap creates a seal between the
house and the sewer system
Wall Cabinet--a kitchen cabinet mounted to
the wall, usually shallower than a base cabinet
Whirlpool Bath--a tub fitted with jets
that circulate water and/or air forcefully; sometimes referred
to generically as a Jacuzzi, which is a brand name
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