Archive

Fabric Roller- An application tool made from a high nap fabric and designed to apply paint by saturating with paint and rolling across the surface.

Fading- Reduction in brightness of color.

Fanning- (spray gun technique).

Fan Pattern- Geometry of spray pattern.

Faux- Faux is a French word used to describe something made to resemble something else. It also means (fake).

Feather Sanding- Sanding to taper the edge of dried paint film.

Ferrous- Iron containing

Ferrule- The metal band that connects the handle and stock of a paint brush.

Filaments- The part of a synthetic paint brush that holds and applies the paint. In a natural bristle brush, the filaments are often referred to as bristles.

Filler- A composition used for filling fine cracks and pores to make the surface smooth before paint is applied.

Film- A layer or coat of paint or other material applied to the surface. The layer remaining after the paint has dried is often called the dried film.

Fingers- Broken spay pattern; fingerlike

Finish Coat- Topcoat.

Flaking- Small pieces of paint surface coming off. Cracking or blistering usually occurs before flaking.

Flammable- Easily set on fire.

Flash point- The temperature at which a coating or solvent produces vapors that are capable of being ignited when exposed to a spark or flame.

Flat- Practically no gloss even when the surface is viewed from an angle. A flat finish has even less gloss than an eggshell finish. Flat paint is less durable than higher gloss paint.

Flexibility- The ability of a coating to expand and contract during temperature changes.

Flow- The ability of a coating to level out and spread into a smooth film. Paints that have good flow usually level out uniformly with few brush or roller marks.

Flocking- A coating process producing velvet-like surface.

Foam Roller- A tool that is similar to a fabric roller but made from synthetic foam rubber. It is designed for clear, fine finishes.

Fresco- Is any of several related painting types done on plaster, walls or ceilings.

Frieze- A horizontal band of decoration around a room, building, mantle, etc.

Frogging- Misting.

Frottage- A faux painting technique, from the french word meaning “to rub”. A base coat is applied, and then a colored glaze is rolled over the base coat. A variety of materials such as paper or plastic is rubbed over the wet glaze to create different textured looks.

Fungicide- An agent that helps prevent mold or mildew growth on paint.

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 color.

Emulsify- To disperse (as an oil) in an emulsion.

Emulsion Paint- Water base paint with an emulsified resin.

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). Consumers, however, often associate the term with alkyd (oil-based) products.

Epoxy- Products made from synthetic resin derived from petroleum. Epoxies, which are generally cured by catalysts, are perhaps the most durable of all coatings.

Erosion- The wearing away of a paint film as a result of exposure to the weather.

Etch- Prepare the surface by chemical means to improve the adhesion of coatings.

Decorative Painting- The process or art of coating a surface with paint intended to decorate a room or piece of furniture.

Decorative Plaster- A versatile surface coating product, that may be rolled and then troweled on the wall for a variety of faux and decorative painting effects. 

Density- Weight per unit volume.

Dew Point- Temperature at which moisture condenses.

Dispersion-  Suspension of minute particles in a suitable medium.

Distressing- To create an aged look, achieved through a variety of faux procedures.

Drier-  A paint ingredient that aids the drying or hardening of the film.

Drop Cloth-  A sheet of cloth or plastic used to protect surfaces during painting of nearby areas.

Dry Dust Free- The stage of drying when particles of dust that settle on the surface do not stick to the paint film.

Dry Tack Free-  The stage of drying when the paint no longer feels sticky or tacky when touched.

Dry To Handle-  The stage of drying when a paint film has hardened enough that the painted surface may be used without becoming marred.

Dry To Recoat- The stage of drying when the next coat can be applied.

Drying Time- The period from the time a coating is applied until the time when it attains a specified state of tackiness or hardness.

Drywall-  Any substitute for plaster such as wallboard, plasterboard, gyproc or sheetrock.

Casein Paint- Water thinned paint with vehicle derived from milk.

Catalyst- An ingredient that speeds up a chemical reaction. Catalysts are sometimes used in two-component epoxy systems.

Cat Eye- Hole or holiday shaped like a cat’s eye, cratering.

Caulk- A flexible (semi-drying or slow-drying) mastic compound used to seal joints or fill crevices around windows, chimneys, etc., prior to or after painting.

Caulking Gun- A tool for expelling caulk from a tube. It enables a “bead” of material to be applied to cracks and seams.

Chalking- Loose powder forming on the surface of a paint after exposure to the elements.

Checking- A kind of paint failure in which many small cracks appear in the surface of the paint.

Coalescing- The flowing or melding together of emulsion particles when a latex paint dries.

Coating- A general term referring to any type of paint, stain, etc.

Coating System- Paint products used together to cover the same surface. The film may be the result of primer, undercoat and topcoat (also called finish coat).

Cohesion- The ability of a coating to hold together (the attraction of molecules within the coating).

Cold-Cracking- Cracking occurring at low temperatures.

Colorfast- Non-Fading.

Color Chip- A color sample usually consisting of a paint applied to a small piece of card (a chip).

Colorant- Colored pigment added in small proportions to prepared paints to tint them.

Color Washing- A technique used to build up layers of diluted paint to produce depth and textural interests.

Combing- A technique of pulling a toothed (comb) through wet paint.The comb can be made of a material such as: rubber, metal, leather, plastic or cardboard.

Combustible- Able to burn.

Consistency- Viscosity.

Coverage- The area over which a given amount of paint will spread and completely hide the surface. Coverage, also known as spreading rate, is normally expressed in square feet per gallon or in square metres per litre.

Cracking- Breaks in the paint film wide enough to expose the underlying surface.

Crackle Finish- Crackle finishes have an aged, weathered look, resembling cracked glass.

Crawling- Shrinking of paint to form uneven surface.

Crazing- Small interlacing cracks in the paint film.

Cross Spraying- Spraying first in one direction and second at right angles.

Curtaining- Sagging

Cutting-In- The brushing technique that is used when a clean, sharp edge is needed. Cutting-in is needed, for example, for a window sash (using a sash brush), the top of a wall where it meets the ceiling, and in areas that are hard to reach (especially when using a roller).

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.

Barrier- Shielding or blocking device.

Base- Tint base.

Binder- Film-forming ingredient that binds the particles together in a paint.

Bituminous Coating- Coal tar or asphalt coating.

Blast Cleaning- Cleaning with propelled abrasives.

Bleeding- Discoloration of a freshly applied topcoat caused by underlying finish penetrating outward.

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.

Block Coat- (Barrier coat or transition primer) – tie coat (adhesive) between non-compatible paints.

Blushing- A gloss film turning flat or a clear lacquer turning white. Blushing is usually caused by moisture condensation during the drying process.

Body- The thickness or thinness of a liquid paint.

Boxing- Mixing paint by pouring from one container to another several times to ensure thorough mixing.

Breathe- Permit the passage of moisture vapor through a paint film without causing blistering, cracking or peeling.

Bristle Brush- A paint brush with filaments made up of animal hair strands usually hog hair. Bristle brushes are used for alkyd paint.

Build- Apparent thickness or depth of the paint after drying.

Burnishing- Shiny or lustrous spots on a paint surface caused by rubbing.

Abrasion Resistance– Resistance to being worn away by rubbing or friction. Abrasion resistance is a matter of toughness, rather than hardness. It is a necessary quality for floor finishes, enamels and varnishes.

Accelerator- Catalyst; a material which accelerates the hardening of a certain coating.

Acetone- Dimethyl ketone; solvent.

Acoustic Paint- Paint which absorbs or deadens sound.

Acrylic-  A synthetic resin widely used as a latex to produce paints with good color and color retention. Acrylic latex paints may be thinned and cleaned up with water. Breeze interior and exterior latex paints in flat, eggshell and semi-gloss are all based on pure acrylic emulsions.

Activator- Catalyst or curing agent.

Adhesion- The degree of attachment between a coating film and the underlying paint or other material.

Aerosol Use of compressed gas to spray the product from its container.

Aging- Remaining undisturbed.

Agitator- Stirrer; mixer.

Air Bubble- Dry bubble in paint film caused by entrapped air.

Air Drying- Dries by oxidation or evaporative drying by simple exposure to air without heat or catalyst.

Airless Spraying- Spraying without atomizing air, using hydraulic pressure.

Alkali- A substance such as lye, soda or lime that can be highly destructive to paint films.

Alkyd-  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.

Aluminum paint- A paint that includes aluminum particles and gives a metallic finish when dried.