Doorhanger Glossary

All of these terms could possibly appear on the exam

Hinge- A pair of metal plates, connected by a steel rod called a pin, that is used to connect the door to the frame and swing it open and closed.

Swing- The operation of a door on hinges. 'Swing in or out' refers to whether the door moves toward you or away when you open it; 'swing left or right' tells us on which side the hinges are.

Door Shoe- A product that fits over the bottom of the door, both sealing the bottom against dirt, air and pest infiltration with a rubber barrier, and shedding water away from the doorway using a metal lip. If you don't have one, you are losing heat through the gap.

Threshold- Located directly beneath the bottom of an exterior door, the threshold raises the level of the door bottom so it will swing over the floor as it opens, without dragging. If your door rubs the floor when you open it, you will need a taller threshold.

Door Sweep- A thin piece of rubber or plastic which fits on the inside of the door, at the bottom, often used (as a poor substitute) in place of a door shoe, to seal the bottom from dirt, air and pests. It is often installed on the wrong side of the door, and interferes with the operation of the door.

Sill- Part of the door frame (or jamb), the sill is a heavy piece of hardwood, usually oak, located directly beneath the threshold and above the foundation of the house. It protrudes toward the outside several inches, and is the first thing most people step on when they enter the home. It needs replacement when the protruding part splits off, or when the sill suffers from water or termite damage.

Door Jamb- The sides of your doorway.

Water damage- Wood and water are natural enemies. If water is allowed to enter unprotected wood, it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria that feeds upon the connective tissue in the wood, leaving it spongy and soft, and ready for replacement. Small amounts of water damage can be filled with a polyester resin filler.

Termite Damage- These tiny burrowing insects look like short white worms. They hate the outside environment, and colonies will contentedly burrow through wood, eating the softer summer wood, destroying its integrity. They leave behind thousands of tiny dark and light pellets which resemble pepper. Termite professionals can kill them only by tenting the building and adding insecticide. They eat slowly, but can destroy a home in time

Astragal- A wood or metal divider that covers the vertical gap between double doors, used to block light and air from entering the home and providing a measure of security against illegal entry.

Lite- A nonopening pane of glass in a door.

Panel- A (usually) rectangular decorative plank of wood that fits into the door as part of its design, as in a 'six PANEL door'.