Laboratory Furniture Glossary

This helpful glossary will help you better discuss laboratory furniture with laboratory planners and designers.  

ADA - Americans with Disability Act. There is now a wide variety of laboratory furniture designed to conform to ADA guidelines.

BIFMA - BIFMA stands for the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association.

Base Cabinet – A case that is mounted to the floor, and typically contains a surface. Base cabinets can have doors or drawers or can be open, and are typically used for storage.

Best Practices – The act of choosing high quality manufacture and installation of laboratory furniture, including those that conform to SEFA-8 Recommended Practices.

Cabinet Depth – The measurement of a cabinet from back to front.

Cabinet Height – The measurement of a cabinet from top to bottom, excluding the surface.

Cabinet Width – The measurement of a cabinet from one side to the other.

Casework – A general term used to describe laboratory furniture including base cabinets, wall cabinets, display cabinets, and storage cabinets, as well as desks and counters.

Composition Core – A core material of furniture comprising particle board.

Counter-Mounted Cabinet – A cabinet that is mounted on a shelf or work surface.

Cupboard – The part of the cabinet that has no drawers. May or may not be enclosed by doors.

Combination Unit – A cabinet that features both drawers and doors.

Drawer – A box in a cabinet that is opened and closed by pulling or sliding.

Free-Standing – Furniture that stands alone, and is not mounted to other surfaces, walls, or cabinets.

Hardware – Materials used in cabinet making, such as hinges, pulls, and screws.

High-Pressure Laminate – Decorative sheets of thermosetting laminate used in the manufacture of casework.

Laminate – A material that is made from one or more layers of materials being bonded together.

Levelers – Hardware that enables cabinets and casework to be vertically adjusted to level.

Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) – A type of building material made by bonding wood fibers together with heat and pressure.

Particleboard – A type of panel that is made when particles, often wood, are joined together with a binder.

Rack Resistance – The ability of a desk or table to remain stable under stress.

Removable Back – A panel on the back of a cabinet that can be removed to gain access to plumbing.

Shelving – A flat, open surface designed to store items.

Table – Any type of furniture with a flat horizontal surface.

Tall Cabinet – A floor-mounted cabinet that stands 84 inches high.

Wall Cabinet – A cabinet that is mounted on a vertical surface, such as a wall or panel.

Work surface – A horizontal surface placed on a table or base cabinet.

Contact Labscape today to speak with our experts to assist you in all your laboratory needs.