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If you’re thinking of replacing or upgrading your doors, but tend to adopt a wooden expression when confronted with terminology for parts of a door, you may find our glossary of door joinery terms helpful.
Having a good understanding on terms can help ensure that you get the door you want. Our trusted network of friendly installers can help with anything you’re unsure of.
A
Aperture
The hole or opening in a door, where a pane of glass would be fitted. Often left empty so that the door can be glazed to suit the owner’s personal taste.
Architrave
A moulding around a door in the gap between the edge of the frame and the wall.
Astragal
A vertical piece connected from the sill to the head designed to seal off the gaps that leak air, water, light, etc, and provides additional security.
B
Batten
A narrow strip of wood.
Beading
Mouldings around a panel or a pane of glass in a door.
Bevel
An angled, sloping or canted surface.
Bi-fold
Doors that fold together on a track as they open to save space.
Butt hinge
A hinge that attaches to the abutting surfaces of a door jamb and the door.
C
Casement
A window attached to its frame by hinges on the side.
Casing
A door opening’s timber lining.
Composite Doors
Constructed using a variety of complimentary materials to create a strong durable material that is built upon its core and used with an outer skin.
Core construction
This refers to how a door is constructed on the inside.
D
Deep Bottom rail
A door that has a wider or deeper bottom rail. This design is often seen in traditional-style doors and is chosen for its aesthetic appeal.
Double Rebate Composite Door
Double rebated composite doors feature two grooves and two weather seals for extra insulation, security, and triple glazed options.
Dovetail
A kind of joint in which one piece is splayed like a dove’s tail and fits into another shape like a jigsaw piece.
Drip bar
A strip at the bottom of your door that deflects rainwater.
Drip groove
A groove in the underside of a door or window sill that stops rainwater running back to the wall.
E
Engineered wood
This is layers of hardwood compressed together to create products that look like wood, but designed to be more durable.
F
Finish
The door surface. Can be lacquered or natural ready to have a finish applied.
Flush casement
A window or door where the sash and frame are flush.
Frame
The surround that a door fits into and supports the door.
French Door
Large reinforced doors, often used as Patio Doors. Can be designed a uPVC frame.
G
Grain
The pattern made by the direction of the wood fibres on the surface of a door.
GRP skin
Glass reinforced plastic, also known as GRP, is a high-impact resistant skin used to strengthen foam filled composite doors.
H
Hardwood
Timber produced from broad-leaved trees.
Head
The top horizontal piece of a wooden door frame.
I
Inlay
A decorative strip embedded into the front of a door, flush with the door’s surface.
J
Jambs
The vertical side members of a door frame.
L
Laminated wood
This is wood with a laminated easy-clean surface.
Lights
Individual panes of glass set within a door.
M
Mid-rail
The horizontal or vertical piece on a door that usually houses the letterbox.
Mortice Lock
A lock that fits into a recess or pocket in the leading edge of a door rather than being surface mounted.
Mortice Plate
The rectangular piece on the inside of the door that the latch or deadbolt tongue enters when the door is closed.
Moulded Wood
These are strips of wood shaped with contours for decoration or ornament.
Mullion
Mullions are doorframe parts that separate and support the different sections of a door.
P
Painted Finish
This is the final finish on the surface a door that has been painted.
Panels
Door panels are the pieces of material that fill the frame.
Pre-Finished
This is a door that has been painted or varnished.
Primed
These are doors that have received an undercoat in preparation for a topcoat finished.
S
Semi-Solid Core
A door whose core is part solid and part cellular.
Sill
The lower piece of an exterior door frame that prevents dirt or water entering ender the door.
Sidelight
This is usually a narrow panel of glass set beside a door.
Single Rebate Composite Door
A door rebate is the deep groove cut into the door frame that allows the slab to fit tightly against its frame.
Solid core
This is when a door has a heavy and solid centre, normally made from wood-based components.
Standard core
These are doors with a cellular structure interior, so they’re lighter in weight than semi-solid or semi-solid doors.
Stile
A vertical side member of a door or window sash.
T
Timber Alternative door
A door made of UPVC that is foiled with a grained colour to make it look like a timber door
Top mullion
The vertical piece between the two uppermost panels of a door.
Toplight
A window that sits above another window or a door.
Top rail
The horizontal piece that fits across the top of the door.
U
U-Value Rating
The thermal resistance performance of a door.
uPVC Doors
A rigid durable form of PVC which is often used for External Doors thanks to it’s ability to withstanding most weathering and being unable to rot thanks to its engineered construction.
Now you know every detail, why not design your own? Personalise every detail of your new – choose your system, style, colours (inside & out), glazing, beading and hardware to create the perfect door for you.
Find a trusted Residence Collection installer near you and send your design directly to them.
@residencecollection
