Glossary

Commonly used terms in Trim Packages:

Baseboard – The piece of trim that sits on the floor at the base of the wall.

Casing – This is the trim used to frame windows and doors.

Chair Rail – A horizontal piece of wall trim that generally is applied 3-4 feet off the floor. Its original purpose was to prevent your chairs from damaging the wall.

Coffered Ceiling – A coffered ceiling is a group of sunken panels of various shapes in a ceiling.

Column – A vertical structural support.

Corbel – A decorative bracket or block located under an architectural element that extends out from a wall.

Cove Moulding – A narrow trim used to cover seams of joining parts.

Crown Moulding – Horizontal trim that’s used to decorate or “crown” the wall where it meets the ceiling.

Fireplace Surround – A three-sided piece that “frames” the sides and top of a fireplace.

Lineal Foot – A unit of measure used to describe the length of moulding pieces.

Mantel – The top horizontal piece above a fireplace.

Moulding – This is a general term that refers to the category of various trims. This category includes things like baseboard, casing, chair rail, etc.

Plinth Block – The decorative block at the base of door trim.

Plywood – Wood sheets that are manufactured using thin layers glued together.

Profile – The term used to describe the style of a moulding. Looking at the piece from the end would show the “profile”.

Shiplap – A siding or wall covering that uses boards that fit together in a tongue and groove manner.

Tongue & Groove – A method of connecting two boards. One side has a “groove” and the other has the “tongue” that fits into the groove of the next piece.

Wall cap – The horizontal “capping” of a short/partial wall.

Commonly used Stair & Railing terms:

Balusters – The vertical parts of a railing.

Box Stair – A stair that will be “boxed in” by walls when installed.

Bullnose – The rounded edge on a stair tread.

Cove Moulding – A narrow trim used to cover the seams where the tread and riser meet.

Gooseneck – The piece of rail used to make a sharp rise to a landing newel or higher section of railing.

Open Stair – The treads and risers run out past the stringers and will not be closed in by walls.

Rise – The vertical measurement from the top of one tread to the top of the next tread.

Riser – The vertical component of a stair which, along with stringers, supports each tread.

Rosette – A transitional element used in corners of door and window casing and also used to securely attach the railing to the wall.

Newel – The vertical post, usually at the beginning and/or end of a railing.

Newel Attachment Kit – Metal plates and screws for attaching the newel post at the base.

Nosing – The part of a stair tread that extends past the riser.

Run – The horizontal measurement that tells how much distance is available for your stairs to use.

Stringer – The sides of a stair that holds the treads and risers in place.

Turnout – The piece of a railing that allows the rail to change direction.

Volute – The decorative curved piece of rail at the start.

Winder Treads – These treads resemble pieces of a pie that are stacked in a way that allows a stair to make a sharp turn when space is an issue.

Wood Plug – These are used to hide screws that are used in railing assembles. Plugs can be flat to the surface or have a rounded top. The rounded are referred to as “Mushroom Plugs”.

Commonly used Door terms:

Bifold Door – A door that is hinged in the middle slides on tracks.

Brick Moulding – the exterior trim that is applied on the exterior of the door unit to cover the connection point between the door frame and the wall stud where the door unit is installed.

Core – The innermost layer or center section of the door.

French Door – A door with glass panes throughout its length. A French door could be a pair or not.

Jambs – The surrounding wood frame to which a door is hinged to create a door unit. It also allows the door to be installed into a wall.

Lites – Refers to the glass of doors. Ex: A “9-lite” door would have a grid that creates 9 squares of glass.

Panels – The part of the door which is raised above or sunk below the level of the rest of the door to create depth.

Plinth Block – The decorative block at the base of door trim.

Rails – The horizontal components of the door.

Rough Opening – An opening in a wall for a door or window.

Sidelites – Narrow, vertical windows on one or both sides of an exterior door.

Sill/Threshold – The bottom or piece of a door frame. Usually made from aluminum or wood.

Sticking – The profile (ovalo or square) of the edge of the stile or rail that gives it definition and allows it to hold panels.

Stiles – The vertical components of a door. Together, the stiles and rails form the frame of the door slab.

Stop – Limits the door’s opening swing. It is part of the frame and the door rests on it when closed.

Sweep – A form of weatherstripping attached to the bottom of a door that seals the opening.

T-Astragal – A profile of material and weatherstripping that covers the seam between doors in a two-door system.

Threshold/Sill – The bottom or piece of a door frame. Usually made from aluminum or wood.

Transom – A mounted piece of glass or wood above the door unit.