Kitchen Glossary: 50 Fitting Terms Explained

Boiling water tap: A boiling water tap dispenses near-boiling water on demand as well as normal hot and cold water. A small tank, filter and power supply sit in the cupboard under the sink, so that unit needs space and a socket or fused spur. Most have a safety mechanism on the boiling outlet. Sink and tap installation
Building warrant: A building warrant is the approval needed in Scotland before certain building work starts, such as removing a load-bearing wall or changing drainage. It is issued by the council's building standards service, and once the work is finished a completion certificate is submitted to the council, which accepts it if the work complies. Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs
Carcass: The carcass is the box that forms the body of a kitchen unit: the sides, base, top rails and back panel, usually made from chipboard or MDF. Doors, drawers and worktops are fixed to it, so a square, level and firmly fixed carcass is the foundation of a good kitchen fit. Kitchen installation
Ceramic farmhouse sink: A ceramic farmhouse sink is a deep fireclay sink with an exposed front, often called a Belfast or butler sink. It sits on a dedicated base unit, with the worktop running up to it or over it. It is heavy, so the unit beneath must be built to carry its weight. Sink and tap installation
Compact laminate: Compact laminate is a dense, solid worktop material, usually around 12mm thick, made from layers of resin-impregnated paper pressed together. It is waterproof right through, so it suits undermount sinks and busy kitchens, but it needs specialist tools to cut and join. Kitchen worktop fitting
Consumer unit: The consumer unit, sometimes called the fuse box, is where the electricity supply is split into separate circuits, each protected by a circuit breaker and usually by RCD protection. A new kitchen circuit starts here, and replacing a consumer unit is notifiable work in England and Wales. Kitchen electrics
Cooker hood: A cooker hood is the extractor fitted above a hob to capture steam, grease and cooking smells. It either ducts the air outside or filters and recirculates it. Hoods come in chimney, canopy, integrated, ceiling and island designs, and should be at least as wide as the hob. Cooker hood installation
Cornice: Cornice is a moulding fitted along the top edge of wall units to finish them and hide the gap above. It is usually supplied to match the doors and cut with mitred corners on site, and it is often left off modern plain-fronted kitchens. Replacement kitchen doors
Downdraft extractor: A downdraft extractor sits behind or within the hob and rises from the worktop when in use, drawing steam sideways and down. The air is ducted through the plinth or recirculated. It keeps sight lines open over an island but takes up space in the unit below. Cooker hood installation
Ducted extraction: Ducted extraction removes cooking air from the kitchen through a duct to an outside wall or the roof, taking moisture as well as smells and grease out of the home. In England and Wales, a cooker hood extracting outside should remove about 30 litres per second. Cooker hood installation
End panel: An end panel is a decorative board fixed to the exposed side of a unit at the end of a run, an island or a tall housing. It matches the doors and covers the plain carcass side, and it often runs down to the floor to finish the plinth line. Replacement kitchen doors
Filler panel: A filler panel is a strip of matching board used to close a gap between a unit and a wall, or to give clearance at a corner so doors, drawers and handles do not clash. Fillers are cut and scribed on site to suit walls that are not straight. Kitchen installation
First fix: First fix is the stage of work done before walls are finished and units fitted: running electrical cables, fitting back boxes, and positioning water supplies, wastes and gas pipes. It needs to be right first time, because everything is covered up afterwards. Kitchen installation
Fixed-hinge appliance door: A fixed-hinge, or door-on-door, appliance door is fixed directly to the appliance's own door, so both swing together as one. The alternative is a sliding hinge, where the kitchen door hangs on the housing and slides on a track fixed to the appliance door. The appliance's instructions say which type it needs. Integrated appliance installation
Flat-pack kitchen: A flat-pack kitchen arrives as boxed panels and fittings, and each unit is assembled on site before it is fixed in place. Flat-pack units cost less to buy and are easier to carry into a home, but assembly adds time and cost to the fit. Flat-pack kitchen fitting
Fused connection unit: A fused connection unit, often called a fused spur, connects an appliance to a circuit through a fuse, usually with a switch. In kitchens, switched fused connection units above the worktop let integrated appliances be isolated without pulling units out. Kitchen electrics
Gas Safe Register: The Gas Safe Register is the official register of businesses and engineers allowed to carry out gas work for payment in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Anyone working on gas must be competent, and registered engineers carry an ID card showing the types of gas work they are qualified to do. Hob and oven installation
Granite worktop: A granite worktop is cut from natural stone, so every slab has its own pattern and colour variation. It is very hard and tolerates heat well, and it is usually sealed to resist staining. Like other stone, it is templated and fitted after the base units are fixed. Kitchen worktop fitting
Handleless kitchen: A handleless kitchen has no handles on its doors and drawers. Instead, they open using a recessed rail or channel along the unit, a shaped edge on the door, or push-to-open fittings. It gives a clean, modern look but needs precise fitting so the lines stay straight. Supply and fit kitchens
In-frame kitchen: An in-frame kitchen has its doors and drawers set inside a solid face frame on the front of each unit, rather than covering the carcass edges. It gives a traditional, furniture-like look and needs very precise fitting, because the gaps around each door are on show. Supply and fit kitchens
Induction hob: An induction hob heats the pan directly using a magnetic field, so the glass surface stays cooler than on other electric hobs. It needs pans with a magnetic base and usually a dedicated circuit from the consumer unit, which is notifiable work in England and Wales. Hob and oven installation
Inset sink: An inset sink drops into a hole cut in the worktop, with its rim resting on the surface and sealed around the edge. It is the usual choice for laminate and wood worktops, and it is simpler and cheaper to fit than an undermount sink. Sink and tap installation
Integrated appliance: An integrated appliance is built into the kitchen units and hidden behind a door that matches the rest of the kitchen. Fridges, freezers, dishwashers and washing machines are common examples. Each needs the right housing size, a door-fixing kit and the ventilation gaps in its instructions. Integrated appliance installation
Isolation valve: An isolation valve is a small valve on a water pipe, usually under the sink or behind an appliance, that turns off the supply to one tap or appliance without shutting off the whole house. It makes repairs, appliance changes and leak control much simpler. Kitchen plumbing
Larder unit: A larder unit is a tall cupboard, usually as high as the top of the wall units, used to store dry food and tins. It may have shelves, internal drawers or pull-out baskets, and it usually sits at the end of a run so it does not break up the worktop. Kitchen design and planning
Licence for alterations: A licence for alterations is the written consent a leaseholder usually needs from the freeholder before making structural changes or moving services in a flat, such as relocating a sink or cutting a new vent. The lease sets out what needs consent, and freeholders may charge a fee.
Light rail: Light rail, sometimes called a pelmet, is a trim fitted along the underside of wall units. It finishes the bottom edge and hides under-cabinet lights from view, so the light falls on the worktop rather than into your eyes. Kitchen lighting
Mason's mitre: A mason's mitre is a joint used where two laminate worktops meet at a corner. One worktop is routed with a jig so the shaped front edge of the other runs neatly into it. It looks cleaner than a joint strip but needs accurate cutting and careful sealing. Kitchen worktop fitting
Pan drawer: A pan drawer is a deep, wide drawer in a base unit, usually under or beside the hob, sized to hold saucepans, frying pans and lids. Pan drawers make heavy items easier to reach than shelves in a cupboard and are a common choice in new kitchens. Kitchen design and planning
Part P: Part P is the part of the Building Regulations in England and Wales that covers electrical safety in homes. It makes some work notifiable, such as new circuits and consumer unit replacements. In Wales it is wider, also covering extending a circuit within a kitchen. It does not apply in Scotland or Northern Ireland. Kitchen electrics
Plinth: The plinth is the panel that runs along the bottom of the base units, hiding the adjustable legs and the gap beneath. It clips to the legs so it can be removed for access, and it may include vents for appliances or a plinth heater. Kitchen installation
Quartz worktop: A quartz worktop is engineered stone made from crushed quartz bound with resin and pigments. It has consistent colour, low porosity and good stain resistance, but the resin can mark under direct heat, so trivets are advised. It is templated after the base units are fixed. Kitchen worktop fitting
Range cooker: A range cooker is a wide freestanding cooker, typically 90cm or more, with two or more ovens and a large hob in one appliance. It can be gas, electric or dual fuel. It needs a stability bracket, the right gas or electrical supply, and space for a cooker hood of matching width. Hob and oven installation
RCD: An RCD, or residual current device, is a safety switch that cuts the power very quickly if it detects current leaking to earth, for example through a person touching a live part. BS 7671 requires RCD protection for most socket outlets in homes and for many cables buried in walls. Kitchen electrics
Recirculating hood: A recirculating hood filters cooking air through grease and carbon filters and returns it to the room, with no duct to the outside. It removes smells and grease but not moisture, so another extract fan is usually needed. Its carbon filters need replacing regularly. Cooker hood installation
Rigid kitchen: A rigid kitchen is one whose units arrive already assembled, with the carcasses glued and dowelled in a factory. Rigid units are usually stiffer and quicker to fit than flat-pack units, and they are common in mid-range and premium ranges and in trade kitchens. Fit-only kitchen fitting
Scribing: Scribing is cutting a panel, filler or worktop to follow the shape of an uneven wall, so it fits tightly without a gap. Few walls are perfectly straight, especially in older houses, so careful scribing is a large part of what makes a kitchen look well fitted. Kitchen installation
Second fix: Second fix is the stage where the visible parts are connected once units, worktops and plaster are in place: sockets, switches, lights, taps, the sink waste and appliances. It is followed by testing, certification and the final checks before handover. Kitchen installation
Shaker door: A shaker door is a five-piece door with a flat centre panel set inside a plain square frame. It is a simple, traditional style that suits both period and modern homes, and it is widely available in painted and wood finishes. Replacement kitchen doors
Sintered stone: Sintered stone is a manufactured surface made by compressing natural minerals under high heat and pressure. It comes in thin, very hard slabs with good resistance to heat, scratches and stains. It is cut by specialist fabricators and templated after the base units are fixed. Kitchen worktop fitting
Snagging: Snagging is finding and fixing small defects at the end of a job, such as a door out of line, a chipped panel, a missing plinth clip or a gap in the silicone. A snagging check is done together at handover, and any items are put right afterwards. Kitchen installation
Soft-close hinge: A soft-close hinge has a built-in damper that slows a door in the last part of its swing, so it closes quietly without slamming. Most new kitchens use them, and they can usually be fitted to existing doors when the hinges are replaced. Replacement kitchen doors
Solid surface: Solid surface is an acrylic or polyester-based worktop material that can be joined almost invisibly and shaped into integrated sinks and upstands. Light scratches can usually be sanded out, but it is less heat-tolerant than stone. It is fabricated and fitted by specialists. Kitchen worktop fitting
Spillage test: A spillage test is a check by a Gas Safe registered engineer that fumes from an open-flued gas appliance, such as some older boilers or gas fires, go up the flue and not into the room. It is needed when a new cooker hood or extract fan could affect the flue. Cooker hood installation
Splashback: A splashback is a waterproof, wipeable surface on the wall behind the hob or sink, or along the whole run between the worktop and wall units. Common choices are tiles, toughened glass and stone. Glass splashbacks are made to measure once the worktops are fitted. Splashbacks and tiling
Tall housing: A tall housing is a full-height unit built to take integrated appliances, such as a built-in oven and microwave at eye level or a tall fridge-freezer. The opening sizes must suit the appliance models chosen, so these are confirmed before the kitchen is ordered. Integrated appliance installation
Templating: Templating is measuring the exact shape of stone or other fabricated worktops once the base units are fixed and level. The fabricator records every wall, corner and cut-out, then cuts the worktops in the workshop. Fitting usually follows about one to two weeks later. Kitchen worktop fitting
Undermount sink: An undermount sink is fixed beneath the worktop, so the cut edge of the worktop is exposed and polished and crumbs can be wiped straight into the bowl. It needs a waterproof worktop such as stone, solid surface or compact laminate, and the cut-out is made by the fabricator. Sink and tap installation
Upstand: An upstand is a narrow strip, usually around 100mm high, fitted along the back of the worktop where it meets the wall. It protects the wall from splashes and covers small gaps, and it can be laminate, wood or the same stone as the worktop. Kitchen worktop fitting
Worktop joint strip: A worktop joint strip is a metal or plastic profile that covers the joint where two laminate worktops meet, at a corner or along a run. It is simpler and quicker to fit than a mason's mitre and helps keep water out of the joint. Kitchen worktop fitting

Kitchen fitting glossary

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