Dublin kitchen renovation trade and spec glossary
Plain-English definitions of 15 Irish kitchen joinery, worktop and building terms that appear on Dublin kitchen quotes, from 18 mm MFC carcasses and moisture-resistant MDF to two-pack spray finishes, RSJ beams, Safe Electric certificates and the 13.5% VAT rule.
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15 kitchen cabinet, worktop and building terms
Use this reference when comparing written quotes from Dublin kitchen suppliers and fitters.
18 mm MFC Carcass
High-density melamine-faced chipboard cabinet boxes (18 mm sides, backs, and shelves) edged in 2 mm ABS impact tape and assembled with cam-and-dowel or glue-and-dowel joints for rigid support under stone worktops.
Moisture-Resistant MDF (MR MDF)
Dense green-core medium-density fibreboard used for painted shaker, slab, and in-frame kitchen doors in Ireland because it machines cleanly and resists swelling near dishwashers, sinks, and kettles.
Two-Pack (2K) Polyurethane Finish
A hard-wearing catalytic spray paint system mixing pigmented resin with an isocyanate hardener in a spray booth, curing to a scrubbable, non-yellowing satin or matt finish on bespoke kitchen cabinetry.
Engineered Quartz Worktop
Non-porous 20 mm or 30 mm slabs made from 90% to 93% crushed natural quartz bound with polymer resin, template-measured by laser after base cabinets are levelled and fitted with undermount sink cut-outs.
Porcelain / Sintered Stone Slab
Ultra-compact 12 mm or 20 mm kiln-fired ceramic worktop slabs impervious to hot pans, UV light, and acid etching, popular on large Dublin kitchen-extension islands and full-height splashbacks.
Compact Laminate (12 mm Solid Core)
Self-supporting high-pressure laminate worktop with a solid waterproof phenolic core that allows an undermount Belfast or stainless sink and drainer grooves at roughly half the cost of quartz.
In-Frame Joinery
Traditional cabinet construction where the door sits inside a solid 25 mm to 30 mm timber face frame fixed to the front of the carcass, using butt hinges or concealed soft-close hinges for period Dublin homes.
True Handleless (Gola Rail)
A continuous anodized aluminium or powder-coated J-channel or C-channel recessed into the top of the base carcasses behind the door top edge, letting you open drawers without routed J-pull edges.
First-Fix Electrics & Plumbing
The rough-in stage after rip-out and before plastering when cables are chased for the induction hob, ovens, island pop-up sockets, and under-cabinet LED drivers, and hot, cold, and 40 mm waste pipes are moved.
Safe Electric (RECI) Certificate
The statutory completion certificate issued by a Registered Electrical Contractor whenever a Dublin kitchen rewire adds new circuits, moves an induction hob isolator, or upgrades the consumer unit RCDs.
RGI Gas Certificate
A statutory Conformance Certificate from a Registered Gas Installer required by law whenever a natural gas hob, range cooker, or gas boiler is disconnected, capped, or relocated in a Dublin kitchen.
RSJ Box-Section Steel Beam
A structural rolled-steel joist specified by a Chartered Engineer to carry upper-floor joists and masonry above when knocking the load-bearing wall between a Dublin back kitchen and dining room.
Ducted Extraction (150 mm Rigid)
Rigid 150 mm smooth-bore PVC ducting routed from the cooker hood or downdraft hob through an external core-drilled wall with a backdraught damper, removing cooking steam and grease far better than carbon filters.
Scribing & Filler Panels
40 mm to 70 mm colour-matched panels planed on site to match out-of-plumb plaster walls and out-of-square alcoves in Victorian, Edwardian, and 1950s Dublin houses so cabinet runs sit dead level.
14% / 23% VAT Two-Thirds Rule
Irish Revenue rule under which labour and supplied kitchen cabinets, worktops, and sinks qualify for the 13.5% reduced building VAT rate unless the cost of supplied materials exceeds two-thirds of the total invoice.
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