For specifics on your Kitchen or Bathroom remodeling in Orange County or elsewhere, please review or glossary of unfamiliar general contractor terms.

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L -M - N
O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V- W- X -Y - Z

A

Acrylic - A clear plastic used as a binder in paint and as a casting material in sculpture and construction materials.

B

C

Ceramic Tile - Made from clay or a mixture of organic materials, ceramic tile is finished by kiln firing. Made in many shapes and sizes, it may be glazed or unglazed.

Contractor - someone (a person or firm) who contracts to build things or one that agrees to furnish materials or perform services at a specified price, especially for construction and remodeling work.

Corian - a solid surface material made by Dupont composed of acrylic polymer and alumina trihydrate.

Custom Cabinets - cabinets which are made to order in specific sizes.

D

Dimmer Switch -A switch that can vary the intensity of the light it controls.

E

Enamel Paint - Hard gloss paint made with a high proportion of varnish/oil to create its hard surface. Needs a strong or solid undercoat, as it is not opaque. Enamels flow well.

Exhaust Fan (Kitchen/Bath) - Extracts air , humidity, or excess heat from the interior of a home.

F

Fiberglass - A material consisting of extremely fine glass fibers, used in making various products, such as yarns, fabrics, insulators, and structural objects or parts.

Flat Paint - An interior paint that contains a high proportion of pigment and dries to a flat or lusterless finish.

Formica Countertops -A trademark used for a variety of high-pressure laminated plastic sheets of synthetic resin employed as a smooth surface on tables and counters.

G

GFCI outlet -GFI or GFCI is an acronym for "Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter" which is a special electrical receptacle or outlet that can stop electrical power within milliseconds of detecting a short circuit.

Granite Countertops -A common, coarse-grained, hard igneous rock consisting chiefly of quartz, orthoclase or microcline, and mica, used on a level surface on a cabinet.

H

Hardwood Floor Covering - a covering for a floor with the wood of a dicotyledonous tree.

High Efficacy Fluorescent Lights - a new type of fluorecent fixture which produces light at lower energy usage

I

Incandescent Lights - electric light in which a filament is heated to incandescence by an electric current.

J

K

L

Laminate Floor Covering - a covering for a floor thats divided into thin layers.

Latex Paint - water-base paint that has a latex binder.

M

Marble Countertops -A metamorphic rock formed by alteration of limestone or dolomite, often irregularly colored by impurities used on a level surface on a cabinet.

Modular Cabinets -cabinets which are designed with standardized units or dimensions, as for easy assembly and flexible arrangement.

N

O

Oil Base Paint - A liquid mixture oily consistency , usually of a solid pigment in a liquid vehicle, used as a decorative or protective coating.

P

Pendant Light - A decorative hanging lamp or chandelier.

Plumbing fixture -a fixture for the distribution and use of water in a building.

Porcelain Tile - Ceramic tile that is made from dry-pressed porcelain clay resulting in a tile that is dense, strong , fine-grained, and smooth with sharply formed facets.

Q

R

Recessed Can Light - a light fixture recessed into the ceiling that usually concentrates the light in a downward direction. It is often a relatively unobtrusive light fixture that is made up of three main components – a housing that rests above the ceiling, a trim which can be seen at the ceiling opening, and a light source (light bulb) that is recessed and is often difficult to see unless one looks straight up into the fixture.

S

Semi-Custom Cabinets -cabinets which are made to specific sizes (like custom cabinets) but are produced in a cost-effective factory setting (like modular cabinets).

.Solid Surface Countertop -A flat, level surface on a cabinet, as in a kitchen or bathroom counter.

T

Textured Coating - A structure of interwoven fibers or other textured elements spread over a surface for protection or decoration.

U

V

Vacancy Sensor Switch -a special type of light control switch which can detect the absence of people in a room and turn the lights off automatically.

Vinyl Floor Covering -Any of various typically tough, flexible, shiny plastics used to cover a floor.

W

X

Y

Z