The First Complete Kitchen Cabinet Glossary

• Sapwood
  Living wood. It is not resistant to decay.
• Sash
  The frame that holds glass windows.
• Scribe Molding
  A small, molding thin piece used to cover gaps where the cabinet meets the wall or floor. It provides a finished and uniform look.
• Sealer
  Also called a sealant, Sealer is a substance used to prevent dust, fire, smoke, gas, air or liquid from damaging the cabinet.
• Self-Close Mechanism
  Drawers containing a piston that respond to various levels of pressure and weight, absorbing the impact and closing the door slowly and safely. Good self-close drawers will stop about one inch before and slowly bring the drawer to a close in order to prevent doors from smashing fingers.
• Semi-Custom Cabinets
  These cabinets are pre-made and range between nine and 36 inches in three inch increments. They are made in a variety of sizes and styles for kitchens at a reasonable cost.
• Shaker
  Shaker doors is widely admired for its simplicity and quality with basic roots of clean and aesthetic class and functionality. These panels are sometimes made of with recessed veneers. Good quality Shaker panels will be reversed raised panels, having the same visual look of recessed panels with extra sturdiness and thickness.
• Sidemount Guides
  Drawer hardware that is mounted on the side of the drawer.
• Single Oven Cabinet
  An oven cabinet used to house a single oven.
• Sink Base
  A base cabinet made to accommodate a sink. There is no back panel for easy plumbing connections so that drilling and routing is not necessary. These cabinets have fake drawers, but can have tilt-outs to maximize storage space. Sink base cabinets can also be used for cooktops.
• Sink Tilt-Out Tray
  Most panels underneath the sink are fake drawers. Sink tip-out trays make use of the space, tilting out for extra storage. They are often used to hide sponges, scouring pads and other small items from view.
• Sink Tip-Out Tray
  See Sink TIlt-Out Tray.
• Skin
  Skins are ¼ inch panels that are used to cover unfinished backs and sides. They can also be applied to the side panels of cabinets to cover scratches or cuts.
• Slab Door
  See Flat Panel.
• Soft-Close Mechanism
  Drawers that have magnets that guide the drawer closed. These are not self-closing.
• Softwood
  Wood from conifer (needle-bearing) trees.
• Soss Hinge
  A concealed hinge that requires mortises to be carved in the door and cabinet.
• Spatter
  Leaving small specks of lighter color on a darker stain or vice versa.
• Spice Drawer
  Drawers that are usually no more than six inches wide and used to store spices, napkins or other small items. They can be installed as a or base under wall cabinets.
• Spice Rack
  A pull-out rack unit. It is usually six or nine inches wide and houses spices, cans, oil, etc. The rack has two or three shelves that are open and accessible from both sides.
• Spinning Trays
  The rotating shelves of a lazy Susan.
• Square-Cut Joint
  See Butt Joint.
• Stain
  An intentional discoloration for cabinets. Stains are used to alter the color of natural wood depending on design and style.
• Stem Rack
  See Glass Rack.
• Stile
  See Center Stile.
• Straight Grain
  A type of grain that runs in one direction.