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Text treePainter and Decorator Terminology

Glossary

abrasive blasting
process used to clean a surface or create a profile with abrasive media such as sand, beads, glass, soda or walnut shells
acclimatized
bringing a product to ambient temperature before use
acrylic latex paint
water-thinned paint which employs acrylic resin as the majority of the binder
airless spraying
process of atomization of paint by forcing it through an orifice at high pressure; the effect is often aided by the vaporization of the solvents, especially if the paint has been previously heated
alkyd paint
a synthetic resin widely used in the manufacture of paints and varnishes; alkyd paint must be thinned and cleaned up with solvent or paint thinner; the terms alkyd paint and oil-based paint are generally used interchangeably
alligatoring
paint film cracking that makes the surface look like alligator skin
back priming
applying a coat of paint to the back of woodwork or exterior siding to prevent moisture from entering the wood and causing the grain to swell
backing rod
a foam plastic rod inserted in a joint to be sealed, to regulate the depth of sealant
bleach
product creating a chemical process to lighten wood finishes and/or to create a uniform color of wood
blistering
the forming of bubbles or pimples on the painted surface; blistering is caused by moisture in the wood, by paint having been applied before the previous coat was dry, and by excessive heat during or after application
broad knife
a flexible bladed knife, 1 to 6 inches wide, used to apply fillers
checking
a kind of paint failure in which many small cracks appear in the surface of the paint
corner bead
a metal, paper or plastic covering protecting and reinforcing corners of drywall
cracking
the splitting of a dry paint or varnish film, usually a result of aging or movement of the substrate; different forms are hair-line cracking, checking, crazing, grain cracking, or alligatoring
drier
a paint ingredient that aids the drying or hardening of the film
efflorescence
a deposit of salts that remains on the surface of masonry, brick or plaster when water has evaporated
eggshell
a gloss range between flat and semi-gloss; the sheen closely resembles the lustre of an eggshell; note that eggshell is a degree of gloss, not a colour
elastomeric
a flexible high performance coating used to bridge fractures (less than 1/8 inch)
electrostatic spraying
a paint spraying process using electrically charged particles in the paint and a grounded substrate to significantly reduce overspray
emulsion
a preparation where minute particle of one liquid such as oil are suspended in another such as water. Used for poly-mix paint in spraying techniques
enamel
a paint that forms an especially smooth, hard film; enamels may be obtained in a full range of glosses and can be either latex or alkyd (oil)
epoxy
products made from synthetic resin derived from petroleum; epoxies, which are generally cured by catalysts, are perhaps the most durable of all coatings
etching
to wear away or roughen a surface with an acid or other chemical agent or with a fine abrasive prior to painting to increase adhesion; to prepare the surface of metal or concrete using acids
faux finish
technique used to change surfaces into appearing to be of a different material; for instance, to make a wall look like granite, marble or a wood grain
feathering
a process used to blend a small area into its surroundings after spot-priming, applying filler or scraping off an area of old paint
filler
comes as a ready-mixed paste or in powder form and is used for repairing small holes and cracks in the surface to be decorated
film thickness
depth or thickness of the dry coating in millimetres
fire retardant
a coating which will (1) reduce flame spread, (2) resist ignition when exposed to high temperature or (3) insulate the substrate and delay damage to the substrate
fitch brush
a small long handled brush used for intricate work
flat paint
paint with no gloss even when the surface is viewed from an angle; flat finish has even less gloss than an eggshell finish; flat paint is less durable than higher gloss paint
gilding
applying metal leaf (gold, palladium, brass, aluminium) for decorative effects; a decorative finish of gold or brass
glaze
transparent or translucent coatings applied over a painted surface to produce blended effects of their colors
gloss
the ability of the finished surface to reflect light in a mirror like manner; the higher the gloss, the more scrubable and durable the finish; degrees of gloss include flat, velvet, eggshell, low lustre, semi-gloss and high gloss
graining
simulating the grain of wood by means of specially prepared colors or stains and the use of graining tools or special brushing techniques
grout
fluid mortar mixture consisting of cement and water with or without aggregate
hoarding
a tall screen or fence used to screen off a construction site or work area
holiday tester
a specialty tool used to detect pinholes and flaws in insulated coatings on conductive substrates
honeycomb
concrete that, due to lack of the proper amount of fines or vibration, contains abundant interconnected large voids or cavities
hot spots
incompletely cured lime spots that bleed through the coating on a plastered wall
induction time
the time interval that must elapse after mixing the components of a multi-component paint before application can begin; also known as sweat-in time
intumescent coating
fire retardant coating which, when heated becomes plastic and produces non-flammable gasses, such as carbon dioxide and ammonia; the gasses are trapped by the film, converting it to foam about fifty times as thick as the original paint film; at this stage, the film solidifies, resulting in a thick, highly insulating layer of carbon, which effectively protects the substrate from fire
ʺkeep a wet edgeʺ
process of stroking or rolling the paint from dry areas back into wet areas to ensure a coat of paint always blends back into itself
knock-down
the term “knock-down” comes from the technique used to knock the top of the splatter down for a unique look
lacquer
a clear or pigmented coating that dries quickly by evaporation of solvent; transparent protective film; can be matt, gloss or eggshell
latex
a water-based paint product used in residential and commercial applications; latex has more permeability than oils and it eliminates odour and dangers associated with organic solvents; latex is fast-drying, has good color retention, is resistant to blistering and cleans up easily
lifting
raising and lifting of the surface as a result of the softening and penetration of a previous film by solvents in the paint being applied over it
marbling
technique used on all surfaces to give appearance of marble
masonry
mineral-based building material such as cement, mortar, stone, brick, and stucco
mildewcide
a chemical agent, often included in exterior paints and caulks, that discourages mildew growth on the paint surface
muriatic acid
a chemical used to etch and neutralize concrete substrates prior to applying paints and coatings; it is a diluted solution of hydrochloric acid
oil paint
a paint which is not water-based and can be diluted with turpentine; a paint that contains drying oil, oil varnish or oil-modified resin as the film-forming ingredient; the term is commonly and incorrectly used to refer to any paint soluble by organic solvents
orange peel
film having the roughness of an orange due to poor roller or spray application
peeling
the detachment of paint from the surface in ribbons or sheets; like flaking, it is the result of loss of adhesion and film integrity; peeling can be intercoat, or down to the substrate
pigment
finely ground, natural or synthetic, inorganic or organic, insoluble dispersed particles (powder) which, when dispersed in a liquid vehicle to make paint, may provide, in addition to color, many of the essential properties of the paint: opacity, hardness, durability, and corrosion resistance; the term is used to include extenders, as well as white or color pigments; the distinction between powders which are pigments and those which are dyes is generally considered to be on the basis of solubility; pigments being insoluble and dispersed in the material, dyes being soluble or in solution when used
plural component coatings
coatings that are applied using a method that proportions and mixes two or more components of a paint material in the process of delivering them to a spray gun
polyurethane
coatings ranging from hard glossy enamels to soft, flexible coatings; with thorough surface preparation, polyurethanes provide good to very good adhesion, hardness, flexibility and resistance
pot life
the period during which a two-part paint can be applied after it has been mixed
primer
the base coat, or first complete coat, of a paint system that is applied to an uncoated surface; primer can be latex or alkyd (oil) paint
primer-sealer
a priming system that minimizes or prevents the penetration of the topcoat into the substrate
putty knife
a flat-bladed, narrow metal tool for filling cracks and holes with spackling compound
rag-rolling
a method of producing decorative broken-colour effects by rolling a piece of crumpled fabric or paper over the wet surface of a glaze or distemper
recoat time
the period that must elapse between applications of coats of paint
resin
a natural or synthetic material that is the main ingredient of paint; it binds the ingredients together and improves the coat’s adhesion to the surface
runs
blemishes on the film that are caused by excessive flow of the coating
sags
runs or sags in paint film that flows too much during application; sags are usually caused by applying too heavy a coat of paint or thinning the paint too much
sash brush
an angled brush used for cutting-in
satin finish
a gloss range between eggshell and semi-gloss
sealer
a coating used to prevent excessive absorption of subsequent coats into a porous surface
seam roller
a small wooden or plastic roller for use on wallpaper edges
semi-gloss
a degree of gloss that is glossier than low lustre but not as glossy as high gloss
sheen
a moderately low degree of gloss; gloss with poor distinctness-of-image reflectance; characteristic where a coating appears to be flat when viewed near to the perpendicular, but appears to be glossy when viewed from a low or grazing angle
shellac
a natural resin, usually in the form of thin flakes, derived from a resinous substance called lac; shellac is used to seal and finish floors, seal knots, etc.
size
a liquid composition that prevents excessive absorption of paint or wallpaper adhesive into plaster, wallboard, or a similar porous interior surface
sling psychrometer
a tool that accurately determines relative humidity
solvent
any liquid which can dissolve a resin; generally refers to the liquid portion of paints and coatings that evaporates as the coating dries
spackling compound
a powder mixed with water or a ready-mix compound that is primarily used to fill large cracks in walls; it dries hard and can be sanded and painted, but does not tolerate much movement in the substrate
spot-priming
application of primer to spots that require additional protection because the old paint has been removed
stain
a solution designed to color a surface without hiding it; solid color and latex stains are available; stains may be latex or oil-based
stripper
a chemical compound, in jelly or liquid form used to remove old or damaged paint
substrate
the surface that is being painted
synthetic brush
a paint brush with filaments that are made from a non-absorbent plastic material such as polyester or nylon, rather than animal hair; synthetic brushes are usually used for latex paint
thinner
a liquid used to adjust consistency or to modify other properties of paint, varnish and lacquer; thinner is used to thin and clean up paint
TSP
tri-sodium phosphate, a cleaning agent; after the TSP has been dissolved in water, the solution is used in surface preparation; TSP is used to remove gloss, dirt and grease from surfaces
undercoat
for unpainted surfaces, the coat between the primer and the topcoat; for previously coated surfaces, the undercoat is applied directly to the old paint; matte finish paint (usually oil paint) used before the finish coat
urethane
a product resulting in a tough, chemical-resistant finish; urethane requires mineral spirits for thinning and cleaning up
varnish
a clear finish in either matt or gloss or satin finish; broadly speaking, a translucent liquid, which, when applied to a surface in a thin film, dries to a hard and more or less transparent finish
vinyl
a resin with poor adhesion but good hardness, flexibility and resistance; vinyl is used in plastics, wall coverings, wood adhesives, swimming pools, tank linings and marine equipment
viscosity
the degree of resistance to flow of paint, varnish, or other liquid; viscosity is often referred to as consistency; the higher the viscosity, the thicker the fluid
VOC
Volatile Organic Compound; hazardous additive in paint; any carbon compound that evaporates under standard test conditions; essentially, all paint solvents except water are VOCs
wet edge
the length of time during which a paint can be brushed before it becomes too dry to flow out and blend together
wood filler
very hard filler for wood repairs
wood graining
a paint effect used to imitate the grain of real wood
wood veneer
very thin sheets of finely grained or coloured woods used to decorate panels on doors and wainscoting, and to form bands or other patterns, which is a form of inlay, and also for coating the whole surface of more common or stronger woods

Abbreviations

VOC
Volatile Organic Compound
MSDS
Material Safety Data Sheet
ISO
International Standards Organization
NACE
National Association of Corrosion Engineers
WHMIS
Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System
SSPC
Society for Protective Coatings
TDG
Transportation of Dangerous Goods
TSP
Tri-Sodium Phosphate
HVLP
High Volume Low Pressure
OH&S
Occupational Health and Safety Act
Provided by the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program National Occupational Analysis (NOA) http://www.red-seal.ca