Countertops Glossary
Find all kitchen top glossary and terms here!
A
Aluminium Kitchen Cabinet – Kitchen cabinet made from aluminium. It has many benefits such as heat resistant, rust resistant, bacteria resistant, anti-termite, highly customisable and many more.
Apron Front Sink – Often referred to as farmhouse sinks. They have a panel in front that extends down the face of the cabinet in which the sink is supported.
Arkstone Quartz – Arkstone quartz, a stunning range of quartz that is true marble lookalikes. The veining of Arkstone Quartz mimics natural marble beautifully without compromising the durability of quartz.
Aurastone – The distinctive, unique and beautiful effect you get from natural granite, quartz and marble add texture and luxury to any interior and outdoor area.
Aura Sink – The revolutionized undermount sink from Aura. Aura undermount sink GUARANTEES that you will never have to worry about sink leakages problems anymore.
B
Backsplash – The material that helps protecting the wall behind the sink from water.
Base Cabinet – Base cabinet is the one designed to sit under the countertop of a kitchen or bathroom.
Base Skin – The base skin of a kitchen cabinet is the recessed area between the bottom of the base cabinet and the floor.
Bugholes – Small cavities in tops which are created by trapped air.
Build-ups – Strips that sometimes attached to the underside of countertops to raise them even with the cabinet tops.
Bullnosing – The process of adding on a finished edge to an unfinished natural or man-made tile. It will also protects the edge from cracking and chipping.
Butcher Block – A countertop crafted from a variety of hardwoods and often used in island or countertop inserts.
C
Caesarstone – A man-made quartz stone that is much harder than natural stone, making it resistant to scratches, heat and stains.
Ceramic Tile – A type of countertop made from inexpensive, yet durable, ceramic sections.
Color Quartz – ColorQuartz is a premium modern collection of stylish and trendy colors for your desired interior surface applications at affordable prices.
Concrete Countertop – Concrete counter-tops are counters that have a concrete surface.
Corian – Acrylic solid surface brand created by Dupont. It’s easy to clean, nonporous, and stain-resistance. DuPont™ Corian® solid surface can be whatever your design imagination commands it to be.
Contemporary Style – Contemporary style encompasses a range of styles developed in the latter half of the 20th century.
Compac – Compac is made with up to 95% natural quartz. It has endless design possibilities for your kitchen countertops, bathroom vanities, floors, walls and interior designs, definitely most of the designer choice. It has features which are truly remarkable and unique such as high durability, high hardness,zero porosity, easy to clean and many more. Compac Quartz is also highly recommended for household surfaces like kitchen countertops because it is resistant to oils and acids from food.
Cooktop – A fabrication of stove burners that fits nicely into countertop.
Country Style – Country style refers to an aesthetic that represents rural farmhouse-like design
Custom Cabinet – Custom cabinets are storage areas which are measured, designed and built to fit a unique room
D
Dekton – Dekton ultracompact surfaces are a sophisticated blend of the raw materials used to produce the very latest glass and porcelain with the highest quality quartz work surfaces. Dekton employs exclusive Sinterized Particle Technology, a high tech process which represents an accelerated version of the metamorphic change that natural stone undergoes when subjected to high temperatures and pressure over thousands of years.
Drain Board – A portion of the countertop with grooves or depressions designed to channel water into the sink.
Drop-In-Sink – A sink that has a rim that fits over the countertop, also known as top-mount sink or self-rimming.
E
Edge Return – A thick countertop edge that will gives the impression of a thicker slab.
Engineered Stone – A manmade stone composed of quartz particles and has a nonporous surface which make it resistant to scratches. Easier to maintain than natural stones with a similar price.
G
Gloss – A countertop finish which has smooth texture and deep shine.
Granite – An expensive, but yet elegant and durable countertop material made from ingenious rock. Requires a lot of maintenance and constant sealing. Often there are many small specks throughout the stone that makes a unique look.
Grinder – A tool being used to adjusting cuts, cutting angles, and also cleaning up sink-holes.
Grout – A cement paste for filling bugholes in countertops.
H
Hanex Solid Surface – Hanex solid surfaces can be fabricated and installed with inconspicuous seams in residential and commercial applications. Crafted from a unique blend of natural minerals and acrylic resins, Hanex solid surfaces can be cut, shaped and formed into an unlimited range of superior designs. While being aesthetic, Hanex solid surfaces are also very durable, giving you the best of both worlds.
Hanstone – HanStone Quartz is an innovative combination of quartz to produce a luxurious yet durable stone surface. It’s a gorgeous blend of different sizes, types and colors of quartz crystals, thus giving you desired hues while capturing the essence of natural colours. Unlike many other surfaces, HanStone Quartz is non-porous, thus requires no sealing.
I
Imperial Solid Surface – Imperial Solid Surface is an advanced composite product used as a decorative material in a variety of residential and commercial applications. This composite surface offers durability, practical functionality and design versatility. And because it is supplied in sheets and shapes, Imperial solid surfaces can be fabricated with conventional woodworking tools into virtually any design.
Inset Doors/Drawers – Doors and drawer fronts recessed to fit the same level with a cabinet frame when closed, makes it looks more natural.
Integral Sink – A sink that made out of with the same material as the countertop to achieve a continuous surface.
K
Knockout – A rubber material placed in a form where there will be a hole in the countertop.
Kompacplus – KompacPlus brings the balance between sustainability and aesthetics. These innovatively designed panels are crafted with precision and built to last a lifetime – making it the material of choice for those who seek the ultimate aesthetic experience. KomplacPlus is resilient to wear and tear after years of heavy use. These beautifully crafted panels have low flammability and do not disintegrate, thus making it the perfect choice for your kitchen.
Kryston – Crafted with the latest German technology, the highly innovative and aesthetically pleasing KrySton is not only decorative but a practical surfacing material. German densifying and layering technology renders KrySton surfaces scratch resistant and tough. KrySton is also chemical and bacteria resistant due to its non-porous nature. Besides its unique colors and aesthetics, KrySton is known for its long-lasting beauty, as it is polished to near perfection to exudes a natural gloss which does not fade with time.
L
Laminate – A thin material that sticked to particle board substrates. Often referred to as brand names such as ‘Formica’ or ‘Arborite’.
LG Hausys Hi-Macs – HI-MACS Acrylic Solid Surface is a delicate composition of acrylic, minerals and natural pigments that combine to create a smooth, non-porous, thermo-formable and visually seamless surface. On top of that, with its virtually limitless range of colours in all conceivable shades, there are virtually unlimited design possibilities. HI-MACS Arcylic Solid Surface is also impermeable to dirt, bacteria, viruses, and countless chemicals, making it the safe and hygienic choice for your family.
LH Quartz – LH Engineered Quartz is man-made, manufactured from 80% to 85% quartz, polymer resins, and pigments that are compacted under intense vibration, pressure, and vacuum into dense, non-porous slabs.
Lotte Staron Acrylic Solid Surface – Staron® Solid Surfaces by Lotte are highly functional, beautiful, acrylic surfacing materials that come in an impressive range of variegated colors. They are tough, non-porous, stain-resistant, and easy to maintain.
M
Marble – A natural, rare and expensive stone surface that requires maintenance, but it represents the luxuriousness feel for islands and countertops.
Matte – A smooth finish for countertops with very little shine.
Mitre – A seam in a countertop where the counter changes direction (usually in a corner).
N
Non-porous – A material that won’t stain. It isn’t affected by chemicals, acids, and temperatures; therefore it is always clean, safe, and resistant to bacteria buildup.
Nosing – The edge treatment of a countertop.
N-Boost – Silestone’s revolutionary technology that improves the DNA of its surfaces. Innovation that prevents the adhesion of liquids, enhances shine and intensifies color.
O
Overlay Doors/Drawers – Doors and drawer fronts that partially or fully overlap the face frame when closed.
P
Penetrating Sealer – A sealer which go into the concrete surface that helps increase water resistance.
Q
Quartz – A rock countertop material which never has to be sealed or polished (unlike granite).
R
Ready to Assemble – Cabinets that arrive ready to make in a kit; an economical option for do-it-yourselfers.
S
Seamstone Kit – A kit that allows you to polish and sand seaming material without scratching the granite surface.
SenGuard – A deep treatment applied during the manufacturing process that protects Sensa natural stone and helping to eliminate the required sealing for years to come. SenGuard protected natural stone repels liquids and prevents staining, saving homeowners both time and money and reducing the risk of darkening that comes with repeated applications of standard sealers.
Sensa – Sensa own a revolutionary protective treatment that offers high resistance against stains. In comparison with other natural stones, Sensa by Cosentino® is easy to clean, safe and requires little maintenance. And thanks to Mother Nature, the Sensa by Cosentino® slabs are unique due to its different linings, textures and unrepeatable colours.
Shim – A thin piece of wood used during installation to insure that countertops are level.
Silestone – Silestone is a combination of natural quartz and other raw materials that are extraordinarily hard and resilient. These characteristics combine to create an ideal surface for kitchen countertops, bathrooms, flooring and wall siding. Silestone is a non-porous surface and highly resistant to staining caused by coffee, wine, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, makeup and many other everyday products.
Slate-lite – Slate-Lite is a stone veneer with a real stone surface and flexible cotton-based or fiberglass backing. This state-of-the-art method makes it possible to attain many very thin slate slabs from some of the world’s most beautiful slate blocks. Each sheet is one-of-a-kind, preserving the natural beauty of a regular slate slab. You can use it for your furniture, walls, or even floor covering for breathtaking light effects.
Soffit – The area between the top of the wall cabinets and the ceiling.
Solid Surface – A solid, natural stone surface made which offers a non-porous surface that can also integrate kitchen sinks. Example: Corain Dupont, 3S Solid Surface.
Suar Wood – Suar Wood is designed specifically for table and kitchen top, where all wood are manufactured using the latest generation Tanalised E pressure treatment. Suar Wood countertops and furniture are 100% Safe for toddler and children, liquid and slight heat resistant and insect resistant, ensuring a long and trouble-free service life in a wide range of conditions. Desired service lives range from 60 years for internal timbers and 30 years for external timbers.
T
Template – A physical form used to stand in for the space into which a countertop will fit.
U
Undermount Sink – A sink mounted beneath the countertop.
Urethane – A type of staining sealer that provides resistance to weather, temperatures and scratches.
W
Wet Polishing – A method used to polish concrete countertops to eliminate grinding dust.
3S Quartz – 3S Quartz surfaces are ideal for any interior surface for countertops, bathroom vanities, interior furniture and many more. It is used by even the most exacting residential and commercial clients. Moreover, it is highly resistant to heat and has anti-scratch qualities. A wide selection of colors is able to compliment any home’s decoration and architecture.
3S Solid Surface – 3S Polyester solid surfaces are known for its visual depth, colors and have resistances to chemicals that acrylics do not. However, it is most appreciated for its high-gloss finish. It can be molded to an infinite number of shape that makes it more customizable.
