Cabinet Terms

Standard Cabinet Terms

Door Overlays:

Refers to how much distance the doors or drawer fronts overlays (or covers) the frame. This measurement is from the inside frame opening to the outside part of the door. The overlays vary from top and bottom and on the sides. Emerald City Cabinet Company offers two overlays, standard and full.

Standard Overlay:

Cabinet frames are built using 1-1/4” wide material and the doors and drawer fronts overlay the frame 1” in width leaving 1/4” of the face frame visible. When two cabinets are installed next to each other the gap between the doors will be 1/2”. Cabinets with drawers will have fronts that overlay the 1-1/4” frame 5/16” leaving 1/2” between drawers or doors with drawers. From the top of the door or drawer fronts to the tops of all cabinets there will be 11/16” of the frame showing.

Full Overlay:

Same as standard overlay except there will be only a 1/8” between drawers/drawers and doors.

Inset:

This is a Craftsman style look. The cabinet doors and drawer fronts sit inside the frame with a 1/8” gap all the way around.

5-Piece Doors:

Popular, sturdy door construction with 5 pieces assembled together. Two stiles and two rails constructing the frame and a center panel.

Door Center Panel:

This is the center portion of a stile and rail door. The center panel choices are 1/4” flat veneer, solid raised panel, reversed raised panel, or beaded.

Butt Joint/Cope n’ Stick:

5-piece construction with stiles and rails joining at a 90 degree angle in the corners.

Mitered:

5-piece construction assembled with stiles and rails joining in the corners at a 45 degree angle.

Applied Molding:

5-piece construction with additional molding applied to the face of the door. This can be done in either Butt joint or Mitered.

Slab:

For a Modern look – Doors are completely flat. These doors come with either solid wood or an mdf center core.

Edge Details:

This refers to a profile that could be cut onto the outer section of the door. With many profiles to choose from, this will give the opportunity to design a look of your own at little or no additional cost.

Drawer Fronts:

Emerald City Cabinet Companies offers 3 types of drawer fronts:

Slab Drawer Front:

Made of solid material and is completely flat. An edge detail can easily be added to the front for an enhanced look.

5-Piece Drawer Front:

Available in either recessed or raised panel. Comprised of two stiles, two rails, and a center panel. An edge detail can easily be added to the fronts for an enhanced look.

Routed Drawer Front:

Solid drawer front with a detail carved into it to coordinate with the detail of the door.

Cabinet Finishes

Stain:

Emerald City Cabinet Company uses a solvent-based stain applied directly to the wood. Color options are available from a clear natural finish to our dark espresso finish.

Full Glazes:

Concentrated high- pigment based material (usually dark in color) applied to the whole door over the top of a selected base coat. The glaze is wiped off leaving a distinct color variation to the cabinet surface. The edges, corners and crevices will have a heavier build due to its inability to be wiped clean.

Highlight Glaze:

The process is similar to full glaze except the pigmented material is only applied to the edges, corners, and crevices. The base color will not change, only the door and drawer front details will be enhanced.

Clear Top Coat:

Is a solvent-based, catalyzed conversion varnish applied to the entire cabinet surface. This product allows for long lasting durability and easy cleaning.

Paint:

Our multi-step process starts with a white catalyzed primer that covers the complete surface and serves as a bonding agent for the top coat. The top coat is a catalyzed conversion varnish tinted to create the chosen color. This product also allows for long lasting durability and easy cleaning.

Wood Species

Oak:

Hardwood with defined wood grain. Available in red, white and quarter sawn. Easy stainability.

Maple:

Hardwood with a closed wood grain typically white in color. May have small amounts of dark mineral streaking. Easy stainability.

Alder:

Softer wood with closed wood grain typically light tan in color. May have small amounts of dark mineral streaking. Stains nicely.

Cherry:

Hardwood with closed wood grain typically pink to light red in color. Expect small amounts of variation in color. Stains Nicely.

Hickory:

Super hardwood with open wood grain. Drastic color variations from white to very dark brown. Easy stainability.

Rustic Woods:

Available in Cherry, Alder, and Maple. Color variations is common. Large knots, pin knots, and minerals are acceptable. Stains Nicely.

Standard Types of Cabinet Construction

Framed Cabinet Construction:

The frame is made of solid wood and is attached to the outside perimeter of the cabinet box. The frame is a solid foundation for the door hinges and helps is the stability of the cabinets.
Emerald City Cabinet Company only constructs cabinets using framed construction.

Frameless Cabinet Construction:

These cabinets are constructed using equal size panels, usually 5/8” or 3/4” thick at the top, bottom and sides. These cabinets are typically assembled using dowels. The door hinges are mounted directly to the cabinet side panel.

Available Cabinetry Types

Stock:

These cabinets you will typically find in a warehouse or a retail store shelf. They are produced in large quantities and usually have very limited selections and accessories.

Semi-custom:

These cabinets typically offer many door styles, colors and accessories. Cabinets are built on a per order basis, so limited modifications are more easily obtained.

Custom:

Large amounts of doors styles, colors and accessories are available. Cabinets are built on a per order basis with cabinet shapes and sizes being specific to the room.

Material Terms

Veneers:

A thin piece of wood applied by glue over the top of particle board or plywood. Because veneers are produced in large amounts of surface area consistency in grain pattern and color is more common than solid wood.

Particleboard:

Made up of recycled wood chips glued together under high pressure. Particleboard is most often used as a substrate for laminates, melamine, and wood veneers.

Plywood:

Thin slices of lumber glued together to the desired thickness. Plywood is most often used as a substrate for laminates, melamine, and wood veneers. Thought to be more durable than particleboard.

Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF):

Hard, smooth surface made up of recycled wood products. MDF is non-shrinking and works great for painted surfaces.

Vinyl Laminate:

Coating applied to a substrate (typically particleboard) and used for the interior of a cabinet box. Durable and easy to clean.