Door Glossary
Active Door
In a two-door system, the door that is primarily used.
Astragal
A metal lip with weatherstripping that covers the seam between a double door.
Backset
The distance between the edge of the door and the center of the bore hole.
Bore Hole / Boring
A pre-drilled hole or holes that allows the handle set to be installed.
Brickmould
Exterior trim that is used to finish and seal the openings of exterior doors.
Casing
Trim that surrounds the interior edge of the door jamb. Used to cover the gap between the door jamb and wall.
Clavos
Decorative nails attached to a door that are meant to be seen. Sometimes with a 1” diameter or larger.
Double-Pane Window
Two panes of glass set into a frame with an air or gas pocket between them for insulation. This is also referred to as a double-glazed window.
Flush Bolt
A bolt used on a non-active door to keep it closed. It’s flush with the face or edge of the door when retracted. Typically, there are two per door.
Handing
The way a door swings open. When looking at a single door from outside of the home, if the hinges are on the left, this is a left-handed door. If the hinges are on the right, this is a right-handed door.
Hinge
The joint mechanism that holds the door and allows it to swing freely.
Inactive Door
In a two-door configuration, the door that is typically not opened.
Impact / Laminated Glass
Two tempered glass panes with a PVB (polyvinyl butyral) membrane sandwiched between them to help withstand heavy impacts.
Jamb
The surrounding frame to which a door is hinged to. A jamb allows the door to be installed into a wall.
Lites
The individual glass panes inside a door.
Mullion
A thick vertical or horizontal piece that adjoins two windows together. Primarily a structural element.
Muntin
Narrow metal strips that divide individual panes of glass within a window. Sometimes used for aesthetics only.
Panel
The part of the door which is raised above or sunk below the level of the rest of the door to create depth. A kick panel would be located at the bottom of a door.
Pre-Hung
A fully assembled door unit including the door, hinges, jamb and threshold.
Rail
The horizontal components of a door. Top rail, bottom rail, and center rail(s).
Roller Latch
A spring-loaded roller on the edge of the door used to help keep the door closed when not in use. This is not considered positive-latching hardware.
Rough Opening
An opening in the wall made by standard framing materials. Wall stud to wall stud and subfloor to bottom of header. The entire door unit fits inside this area.
Sidelite
The glass side panels on one or both sides of the door.
Slab
Door only. No jamb, hinges, threshold, or hardware.
Stiles
The vertical components of a door. Usually on the edges or center.
Strike Plate
A metal plate that is affixed to the jamb with a hole to accommodate the lock bolt.
Sweep
A form of weatherstripping attached to the bottom of a door that prevents the infiltration of water.
Swing
A door that swings into a home is called an inswing door. A door that swings out is called an outswing door.
Tempered / Safety Glass
Treated glass that will crumble instead of breaking into shards.
Thermal Barrier / Break
Breaks metal-on-metal contact, disrupting the transfer of cold or heat to the inside of your home. Helps prevent the interior side of doors and jambs from frosting up during extreme cold.
Threshold / Sill
The metal sloped cross piece that extends below the bottom of the door. It is slightly raised to keep water from flowing in. The door sweep rests on this to create a watertight seal.
Thumb Latch
A type of door handle that includes a lever to be pressed by the thumb to open the door.
Transom
A mounted piece of glass or window above the door unit.
Weather Stripping
A narrow, flexible strip that surrounds the door to keep moisture and air from coming in when the door is closed.
Wrought Iron
A tough, malleable form of iron suitable for forging rather than casting. The word wrought literally means ‘worked by hand’. Iron and steel are closely related, with steel having a higher carbon content.