Glossary
Carpentry terms, plain language
Definitions for the words that come up when you are discussing cabinetry, trim and millwork — written so they are useful whether or not you are in the trades.
- Carcass
- The box or shell of a cabinet — the sides, top, bottom and back — to which doors, drawers and hardware are attached. The carcass material and thickness are the primary determinants of how cabinetry ages.
- Catalysed finish
- A finish that cures through a chemical reaction rather than solvent evaporation alone. Conversion varnish and catalysed lacquer are the two most common. Significantly more durable than standard lacquer or waterborne finishes.
- Cope / coping
- Cutting the end of a piece of trim to follow the profile of an adjacent piece, used primarily for inside corners. A coped joint tightens as wood shrinks; a mitred inside corner opens.
- Cornice
- A decorative moulding or built-up assembly at the top of a cabinet or room, transitioning between the vertical face and the ceiling or soffit.
- Dado
- A rectangular groove cut across the grain of a board, used to receive the edge of another panel in cabinet construction. Dadoed joints are stronger than butt joints secured only with fasteners.
- Direct answer
- A concise statement near the top of a page that answers the primary question the page targets, required by answer-engine optimization best practice.
- Dovetail
- A joint where interlocking wedge-shaped pins and tails create a mechanical bond. The standard for quality drawer box construction — stronger than dowelled or stapled joints.
- Drawer box
- The structural box of a drawer, separate from the drawer front. Quality drawer boxes use solid hardwood sides with dovetail joinery and a captured plywood bottom.
- Elevation drawing
- A flat, front-on view of a wall or face of cabinetry showing proportions, door and drawer layout, shelf spacing and how the unit terminates at ceiling and floor. The primary design document for custom millwork.
- Face frame
- A solid wood frame attached to the front of a cabinet box in traditional American construction. Doors overlay the frame. Adds rigidity but reduces accessible interior space.
- Filler strip
- A narrow piece of material used to close the gap between cabinetry and an adjacent wall or obstruction. Scribing filler to an out-of-square wall is a hallmark of quality installation.
- Float / floating
- A panel that is held in place by a groove or rabbet but not glued, allowing it to expand and contract seasonally with humidity changes without cracking or distorting the surrounding frame.
- Frameless construction
- European-style cabinet construction where doors mount directly to the side panels with concealed hinges. No face frame means roughly 15% more usable interior space but demands more precise construction.
- Full extension
- A drawer slide that allows the drawer box to be pulled completely clear of the cabinet, providing full access to contents at the back. Standard in quality cabinetry.
- Hinge, concealed
- A cup-style hinge that mounts inside the cabinet and is invisible when the door is closed. Three-way adjustable — the standard in modern cabinetry.
- Integrated panel
- A cabinet door or panel designed to cover a refrigerator, dishwasher or other appliance, creating a continuous cabinet face. Panel dimensions are model-specific.
- Lipping
- A solid wood strip applied to the edge of a plywood or MDF shelf, concealing the laminate or veneer edge and providing impact resistance. More durable than iron-on edge banding.
- MDF
- Medium-density fibreboard. An engineered wood product made from wood fibres pressed with resin. The standard substrate for painted trim and door panels in Calgary because it does not move seasonally like solid wood.
- Millwork
- A broad term for architectural woodwork — trim, mouldings, wainscoting, cabinetry, built-ins, shelving and any other wood components installed as part of a building.
- Mitred joint
- Two pieces cut at 45 degrees (or another complementary angle) to form a corner. Outside mitres are standard; inside mitres are prone to opening with seasonal wood movement.
- Plinth
- A base or kick plate at the bottom of a cabinet, recessed from the front face. In mudrooms and wet areas, raising the plinth off the floor prevents standing water from damaging the panel.
- Rift cut
- A lumber milling method that produces a straight, linear grain pattern with minimal cathedral arching. Produces the most stable and visually consistent boards — the premium specification for white oak and walnut.
- Scribing
- Cutting or shaping the edge of a panel, shelf or filler strip to follow the exact contour of an adjacent surface — a wall, floor or ceiling. The technique that makes built-in cabinetry look truly built in.
- Soft-close
- A hinge or drawer slide mechanism that decelerates the door or drawer in the final degrees of travel, preventing slamming. Standard in quality cabinetry.
- Undermount slide
- A drawer slide concealed beneath the drawer box, providing full extension and soft-close as standard. Higher quality and more visually clean than side-mount roller slides.
- Wainscoting
- Decorative panelling applied to the lower portion of a wall, typically 900–1200mm high. Common profiles include shaker-style flat panel, beadboard and raised panel.
- Worktop
- The horizontal surface on a counter or island. Material choices include stone (quartz, granite), solid wood (butcher block), and engineered surfaces. Distinct from cabinetry and usually templated after installation.
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