Glossary
Discover the meaning of some of the most common terms used in our industry in the Glossary
AA – Aluminum cap and nose
Active/Inactive Sidelite Seats – A synthetic piece located on top of the sill supporting the sidelites.
Active/Inactive Door Panel– Referring to French Door and Hinged Patio Door Systems; it is the door adjacent to the main door in the system. The inactive door is fixed while the active panel moves open and close.
Active Handset – Typically found on an exterior door, it is used to secure a door allowing key access from the exterior and locking/unlocking access from the interior thumb turn.
ADA Compliant– Meets the standards of the American with Disabilities Act.
AI – Adjustable Inswing
Alumawood Astragal – A type of astragal made up of aluminum and wood components.
Astragal– An aluminum or wood (or combination of both) part that attaches to the fixed door panel. It allows the fixed panel to attach to the top of the unit and into the sill when closed. This can be unlatched to allow both panels to be opened at once.
Astragal Bolt – Portion inserted into the body of the astragal, slides up and down and locks into the hole in the bottom of the unit.
AO – Adjustable Outswing
Block Sill – A fixed sill using blocks instead of a continuous substrate.
Brickmould – Wood molded pattern used to go around exterior door frames. This is often put on prehung units.
Bumper Outswing– Bumper Outswing Sills afford ultimate protection in high exposure areas and under severe weather conditions. The seal produced by the Bumper Outswing increases with pressure against the door, creating a tough seal against air and water infiltration.
Cap – The portion of the seal that seals against the door bottom of an inswing unit. Provides and gives the overall height of the sill. These come in different materials, such as composite, aluminum, oak, and vinyl.
Casing – The trim around the door that covers the jamb edges.
Caulk – Sealant which is usually extruded into a joint to seal against air and water infiltration through the joint.
Center Mull – Profiled stationary piece of wood that goes into the center of a Patio or CSL door.
Continuous Sills – A single sill that spans the door unit and sidelite to be stronger and have a better appearance than two or three separate pieces.
Corner Pad– Offers resilience, durability, and consistent compression, for lasting performance; provides a seal in the bottom corner of both sides of the unit. This is referred to as the “Critical Corner.”
CSL – Continuous Sidelite – 1 piece header and sill with center mulls. Single CSLs have one sidelite panel and Double CSLs have two sidelite panels.
Dado – A machined groove across the width of a part.
Dam – Part of a sill that acts as a barrier to air driven water. There can be high dam or low dam sills.
DSR – Double Screen Rail
Door Bottom –A plastic, wood, or aluminum part that is applied to the bottom of a door panel to allow the panel to seal against the sill of a door unit. Also called a “sweep.”
Door Jamb – Wood frame that goes around the door to secure it in place
Door Frame Alignment Bracket – A small metal part that can be installed to a door unit to help prevent racking of the unit during shipment.
Dummy Handset – Handset does not engage/disengage a lock latch, but is mounted to match the appearance of the active door.
Escutcheon – Decorative backplate surrounding the key cylinder hole and handle.
FI – Fixed Inswing
Field Packs – Small bags that are shipped with astragals and prefinished frame headers that contain components intended to be applied to the product and/or door unit in the field.
Fingerjointed – Joining two pieces of wood together to make one long piece. The profile is similar to your fingers and can interlock into one another.
Flush Bolt– A unique locking mechanism that does not allow French doors to be forced open; injection-molded piece built into the astragal.
Floating Boot– Located on the bottom of the Ultimate Astragal, it lifts with the flush bolt and allows the door bottom to clear the threshold.
FOB – Fixed Outswing Bumper Sill
FO – Fixed Outswing
HAI – High Dam Adjustable Inswing
Handing – A term which describes or determines the direction of swing of a door when opening
Haunch – Type of cut into the mull that allows it to fit into the sill.
HD – High Dam
Hinge Jamb – Hinge side of the door jamb.
Header – A solid piece of wood located across the door frame.
HFI – High Dam Fixed Inswing
HFO – High Dam Fixed Outswing
HP – High Profile
Inactive Caps – Used for a fixed door, i.e. glass panel
Inswing– Door that opens into the house when the hinged door panel is open
Kerf – Cut in the jamb where the weatherstrip is installed
Key Cylinder – Component within a lock that engages/disengages the latch, typically from the exterior
Length Terminology – Most lengths are vocalized in the door opening sizes. For example, 3/0 is 3 feet, 0 inches and 2/8 is 2 feet, 8 inches.
Lineal – Raw metal or assembled sill reaching lengths up to 154″.
LP – Low Profile
Mull Boot – Attaches to the mull, replacing the need for a haunch cut.
Mull Pack – A door frame system that has all the mull components and sills exactly to the door specifications requested.
Mull Pads – Transitional piece to form a seal between the mull and the sill.
Multi-Point Lock – Lock that offers multiple latching points, operated by one locking mechanism
Nosing – Located on the backside of the sill; usually has a rounded face or corner
Oak Adjustable– North American Oak thresholds, non-corroding adjustment mechanisms and the innovative bulb seal add to a proven product that will enhance the craftsmanship of a beautiful door.
One-Piece Mulls – A center mullion that eliminates back-to-back jambs and is sturdier.
Outswing– Door that opens out of the house when the hinged door panel is open.
Primed– Primer applied as a base before painting
Rabbet – Thin side of a door jamb that the door fits into when closed.
Rough Opening – Structurally framed opening in a wall where the door unit will be installed.
Shim – Thin piece of material used to fix the distance between parts during assembly.
Sidelite – Panel installed on one or both sides of the door, containing decorative glass.
Sill– Horizontal door component at the bottom of the door system fixed under the door panel
Sill Cap – The component of the sill that seals with the door bottom. The different types vary from fixed, adjustable and articulating (auto-adjustable) to seal tightly no matter the condition.
Sill Cover– Provides ultimate protection for the sill/cap
Sill/Jamb Gaskets – Transitional piece forming a seal between the sill and the frame.
SL – Sidelite Sill
Strike Jamb – Strike plate side of the door jamb.
SR – Screen Rail (Patio)
Strike Plate – Metal plate installed on the door jamb to receive the bolt
Strike Retainers – A plastic piece to which strike and deadbolt plates are attached.
Strike Support – An aluminum extrusion used in Ultimate Hurricane Astragals that hold the strike retainers.
Substrate – Portion supporting aluminum and is used to provide an area for stapling, screwing and caulking
Transom – The decorative glass component installed above the door.
Thermally Broken– Plastic cavity filled to create a break in the aluminum to prevent cold transfer and condensation inside the house.
Thumb-turn – Turn piece that engages/disengages the latch
Thumb-turn Drive Handset – Interior handset has a thumb-turn, with a fixed lever while the exterior is completely fixed.
Trim Caps – Plastic pieces used on various astragals. These pieces are applied to the ends of the astragals in order to improve the cosmetic appearance of the astragal. Some trim caps also provide for a seal against the header weatherstrip in the door unit.
Trim Plugs – Small plastic pieces on various astragals. These pieces are applied to the ends of the astragals in order to improve the cosmetic appearance of the astragal.
Two-Piece Mull – Two pieces of wood stapled together to form a wider mull.
Veneer – Thin film adhesively attached to the product, making up the exposed face in a variety of finishes.
Warping – A curved or deformed part of the product that is permanent and can be caused by assembly, installation or by exposure to heat or moisture.
Weatherstrip– A vinyl strip- loose or inserted into a mull or jamb part that provides an airtight seal around the door
Z-Series – A family of Endura sills made of composite components that can be combined to meet the needs of any configuration.
Z-Plus – Entirely synthetic injection molded sill with an enhanced thermal break.
Endura On Demand: Products & Replacement Parts
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