Door terminology

The terminology used to describe the components making up a door and its surroundings can be complex and confusing.

[edit] Lintel

The lintel is the structural member at the top of an opening such as a door opening (sometimes referred to as a doorway) that transfers the load from the structure above to the side walls of the opening.

[edit] Casings, linings and frames

These sit within the structural opening (or doorway), forming the frame within which the door will be fixed.

Generally door frames are used for external doors and door linings or casings for internal doors.

Door casings are supplied with an integral door stop, whereas door linings have a ‘loose’ door stop that has to be fixed to the lining.

Casings and linings can be trenched, meaning that the top rail has a slot in it into which the side rails fit. Typically trenched linings or casings are used for standard door sizes, whereas untrenched linings or casings may be used for non-standard sizes and old doors where some flexibility is required.

[edit] Mouldings, architraves and surrounds

Generally, profiled mouldings are used to conceal the joint between the wall construction and the casing, lining or frame. The mouldings can be plain or highly decorative.

Door surrounds include both top and side mouldings, perhaps designed with features at the centre and at corners to give an overall decorative effect.

In its proper use, an architrave is a top moulding where the moulding extends across the top of the side mouldings. However, in the modern construction industry, the term architrave it is frequently used to refer to any horizontal or vertical mouldings that form the surround to a door.

[edit] Ironmongery hardware and furniture

There are a range of additional components and accessories that can be added to door constructions to enable their proper operation, such as hinges, knockers, hooks, bolts, stops, finger plates, kick plates, letterboxes, closers and so on.

These components are generally referred to as ‘door furniture’. Where they are made of metal, they may be referred to as ‘ironmongery’.

The term ‘hardware’ is sometimes used more specifically to refer to door handles and knobs.