Glossary of Terms
A plain-language reference for the millwork and trim terms you'll encounter in our showroom, catalogues, and on the job site.
A
- Architrave
- An architrave moulding is sometimes called a door header. It is the top horizontal trim piece over the door.
B
- Back Band
- Back band is a decorative trim that is added to the outside edge of the casing to offer more depth and width.
- Baseboard
- The baseboard ties the wall and floor together offering a visual foundation. It protects the walls from bumps and cleaning.
- Base Cap
- A base cap is used as a decorative piece that is placed on top of a dimensional board at the floor to create a two-piece baseboard.
- Bed Mould
- A bed mould is similar to a crown or cornice mould but smaller in size.
- Brick Mould
- Brick moulding is an exterior casing for doors and windows. It is quite thick and allows siding or brick to butt up against it.
- Burlap
- Burlaps are often used to cover the joining line between two parallel flush surfaces.
C
- Cap Mould
- A cap mould is a generic term for a moulding that is designed to cap something off.
- Casing
- Casing is used to trim around doors and windows. It covers the gap between the drywall and the jamb.
- Casing Build Up
- A casing build up is two or more pieces of moulding put together to get a more custom look without the costs.
- Chair Rail
- Chair Rail is applied on the wall parallel to the crown and base. Often it is installed approximately one-third the distance up the wall.
- Corner Blocks
- Corner blocks are often referred to as rosettes and are decorative blocks placed in the top corners of the door and window casing.
- Cove Mould
- Cove mould is an inside corner concave in shape and comes in various sizes depending on the application.
- Crown Mould
- Crown moulding is applied where the ceiling and wall meet to offer a dramatic and elegant look to a room.
D
- Decorative Mould
- Decorative mouldings are used for various decorative applications in all aspects of millwork.
- Door Jamb
- Door Jamb is the square wood frame around the three sides of the door or four sides of a window.
- Door Stop
- Doorstop is applied to door jambs to stop the door from swinging in the wrong direction.
F
- Fluted Moulding
- A fluted moulding is often a wider and symmetrical casing with vertical flutes cut into it.
H
- Half Round
- Half round has a 180-degree half circle profile and has many applications in millwork.
- Handrail
- Hand railing is used as a safety rail for support in a stairwell.
K
- Keystone
- A keystone is an architectural accessory that is placed in the centre of the architrave over doors and windows.
N
- Nosing
- A nosing is often used at the top step and landing of stairwells. It is the part that projects past the vertical riser.
O
- Outside Corner Mould
- An outside corner mould is used to protect an outside corner as an outside corner guard.
P
- Panel Mould
- Panel mould is a decorative trim applied to the wall to add a visual relief to the wall.
- Plinth Block
- Plinth blocks are another accessory similar to corner blocks, only they are placed at the bottom of the door casing.
Q
- Quarter Round
- Quarter round moulding is a 90-degree inside corner moulding often used for shoe mould or any application where two adjacent surfaces meet.
S
- Shingle Mould
- A shingle moulding is another decorative moulding that can be used for many design applications.
- Shoe Mould
- Shoe moulding is used where the floor and the baseboard meet. It is often referred to as quarter round.
- Stair Riser
- The riser is the vertical portion of the staircase.
- Stair Spindle
- A spindle is commonly referred to as a baluster. Spindles & balusters are the vertical supports that tie the handrail to the staircase.
- Stair Tread
- The stair tread is the actual stair step you walk up the stairs on.
T
- Threshold
- A threshold is used at the bottom of an exterior door between the jambs. It covers two different floor coverings or to close a gap.
- Transition Strip
- A transition strip helps transition two different flooring surfaces together and hides any rough or irregular seams.
W
- Wainscoting
- Wainscoting is used as a decorative relief applied to wall surfaces usually between the chair rail and the baseboard.
- Window Sill / Stool
- The sill or stool is the bottom portion of a window. It projects past the casing and a skirt or apron moulding is used underneath.
Have a question about a specific product?
Our team is happy to walk you through terminology and help you find exactly what your project needs.
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