To help with cabinet making terminology we have put together this short list of terms.

Base Cabinet

• These are sometimes referred to as floor cabinets. Can consist of a drawer, single door, double door, oven, open or  corner.

Wall Cabinet

• Sometimes referred to as overhead cabinets. Can consist of single door, double door, or open.

Tall Cabinet:

• Also called pantry or broom cabinets.

Carcass:

• The main structure of the cabinet, mostly made from textured white board, parts that it includes are a deck or bottom, back, top or rail, 2 gables. This is what every thing attaches to doors, runners, tops etc

Kick Base:

• Normally a whiteboard ladder frame base which sits on the ground that supports the carcass.

Adjustable Feet:

• Are sometimes used instead of a ladder frame kick base to support the carcass. These don’t tend to support the kitchen cabinet and benchtops as well as a properly constructed ladder frame. It all comes down to personal preference’s.

Kick face:

• Are the panels that attach to the kick base or feet to give you the finished product. 

Gable:

• The vertical end or side panel of a cabinet, these are manufactured as lefts and rights.

Bottom or Deck:

• As the name suggest these a the base of cabinet.

Back:

• The name says it all.

Top:

• As above.

Top rail:

• These are use mainly in base cabinets instead of a full top.

Door Slab:

• Can be a door or a drawer face.

Particle Board:

• An engineered product made from woodchips which combined with a resin (Glue) is pressed into sheets of varies thickness.

MDF;

• Is also engineered wood comprising of very fine sawdust and resin compressed also compressed into sheets. MDF tends to be a lot stronger then particle board and is mainly used for doors and panels.

HMR;

• High Moisture Resistant

Melamine:

• Is the thin layer placed over particle board or MDF to give it a high wearing, coloured surface.

Edge-tape:

• Pvc edge that is glued to the cut board to give it a finished look.