Door Terms?
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Posted Monday, October 19, 2009 | 12 Views |
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Our front door has wood decay present in the wood trim on the side of the door. When we try to describe the problem to a contractor, they ask what part of the trim are we referring? We do not know what to call it. Can you help us with door terms?
If you only have a plain front door, the wood trim is broken into two parts, the door "frame" (where the hinges are attached) and the exterior trim which is called "brick molding". The bottom of the door is called a wood "sill" and on top of the wood sill is an aluminum or wood "threshold" which holds the weather stripping for the bottom of the door.
If you have a fancier door with very wide trim on both sides (approximately 8" wide) the trim is called a "pilaster".
Some doors with pilasters have a window above the door called a "transom" and in many cases will have a sloped roof piece above the transom called a "pediment". Some doors will have skinny windows on both sides called "side lights". On the outside of the skylights may be either" brick molding" or "pilasters". More expensive doors may even have an oval window above the top called a "fanlight".
When you replace the wood, prime all six sides and paint with two coats of a premium exterior paint. Once installed, be sure to caulk well and paint one more time.
The easiest thing to do is take a digital picture of the door and email it to your contractor. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words.