Cabinet Terms
These describe the box itself and the parts that make it up.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Carcass | The cabinet box: sides, top, bottom and back, without doors or fronts |
| Stile | A vertical member of a frame, on a door or a face frame |
| Rail | A horizontal member of a frame |
| Panel | The infill inside a frame, which floats rather than being glued |
| Face frame | A frame applied to the front of the carcass that the doors close against |
| Frameless | A carcass with no face frame, doors mounted directly to the sides |
| Plinth | The recessed base a floor-standing cabinet stands on |
| Toe kick | The recess at the base that lets you stand close to the cabinet |
| Drawer box | The drawer itself, separate from the drawer front |
| Runner | The mechanism a drawer slides on; full-extension means it opens completely |
| Soft close | A damper that stops a door or drawer slamming |
| Scribe | A filler piece trimmed on site to close a gap against an uneven wall |
Top and Basin Terms
These describe the working surface and how the bowl relates to it.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Vanity top | The countertop, supplied with or without a basin |
| Integrated basin | A bowl formed as one piece with the top, with no joint |
| Undermount | A bowl fixed beneath the top, so the top surface runs to the opening |
| Drop-in | A bowl set into a hole with its rim resting on the top |
| Vessel | A bowl standing entirely on top of the counter |
| Cut-out | A machined opening in the top for a basin, tap or waste |
| Tap hole | A drilled hole for the tap; count and spacing must be specified |
| Overflow | A secondary outlet near the rim; determines the waste type required |
| Slotted waste | A waste for a basin with an overflow; unslotted for one without |
| Upstand | A raised lip at the back of the top against the wall |
| Coved upstand | An upstand curved into the top with no corner joint |
| Overhang | How far the top projects beyond the cabinet front |
Installation Terms
These describe how the vanity meets the building, and they are where most site problems originate.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Rough-in | Service positions set out before finishes; the dimensions the vanity must suit |
| Finished floor level | The floor after tiling; the datum heights should reference |
| Noggin | Timber blocking in a stud wall that a wall-hung cabinet fixes into |
| Backing plate | A plate or rail spreading the load of a wall-hung cabinet |
| Bottle trap | A compact trap; positioned high it protects drawer space |
| P-trap | A conventional trap; sits lower and occupies more of the cabinet |
| Clear floor space | The unobstructed floor in front of the vanity |
| Filler | A piece closing a gap between the cabinet and a wall |
| Setting out | Marking positions on site before installation begins |
Commercial and Order Terms
These decide what is actually in the shipment, and they are the terms most worth reading carefully.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Supply scope | Exactly which items are included in the quoted price |
| Component list | An itemized breakdown of what ships, unit by unit |
| Approved drawing | The drawing signed off by the buyer that production works to |
| Reference sample | A physical sample agreed as the standard for color and finish |
| Made to size | Produced to your dimensions rather than a catalog size |
| Knock-down | Shipped flat for assembly on site rather than assembled |
| Carton dimensions | Packed size, which governs the delivery route, not the product size |
| Emission class | The formaldehyde classification of panel products used |
Of these, supply scope causes more disputes than everything else combined. A photograph of a styled bathroom is not a supply scope, and the taps, mirror and accessories visible in it are not included unless a component list says they are.
