Abrasion - Wearing away of a
surface in service by action such as rubbing, scraping or erosion.
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Abrasion resistance - The ability
of a material to withstand mechanical action such as rubbing,
scraping, or erosion that tends to progressively remove material
from the surface.
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Abrasive - Any material used to
wear away, smooth or polish a surface; for example, sandpaper that
is used to smooth wood.
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Absorption (light) - The light
energy (wavelengths) not reflected by an object or substance. The
color of a substance depends on the wavelength reflected.
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Abuse-resistant drywall - A
heavy-duty type of drywall, available in 1/2- and 5/8-inch
thicknesses, that has heavier paper than regular panels and a
reinforced core.
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Accelerated weathering - Tests
designed to simulate, but at the same time intensify and accelerate,
the destructive action of natural outdoor weathering.
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Accelerator - A substance used in
small proportions to increase the speed of a chemical reaction.
Accelerators are used in paint to hasten the curing of a coating
system.
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Accent - In a room scheme, a small
area of intense color that contrasts, either in hue or tone, with
the lighter or more muted prevailing colors. Often provided by
accessories and trimmings, accents add detail and draw the eye to
various elements.
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Accent light - A type of light that
highlights an area to emphasize that aspect of a room's character.
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Accent lighting - A type of
lighting that highlights an area or object to emphasize that aspect
of a room's character.
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Accessible designs - Those that
accommodate persons with physical disabilities.
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Accordion folding - A folding
technique used for a booked strip of wallpaper. The paper is folded
back and forth to keep pasted sides together and allow relaxing or
expanding time. This fold also makes long strips easier to manage
during the installation.
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Acetate - The plastic sheet
material often used for making stencils.
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Acetone - A solvent used in fast
dry, film building coatings. Good solvent, with a low flash point.
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Achromatic - Lacking color, black,
gray or white.
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Acid demand - The amount of acid
required by a body of water to raise the pH to neutral (7).
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Acrylic - A water-based plastic
polymer that acts as the binder in acrylic paints.
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Acrylic paint - A water-soluble
paint with a plastic polymer (acrylic) binder.
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Acrylic resin - An aqueous
dispersion of acrylic resins, water-white in color, very
transparent, and resistant to discoloration, moisture, alcohol
acids, alkalis and mineral oils. Usually made by polymerization of
acrylic acid and methacrylic acid.
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Acrylic varnish - A coating that
contains the same medium used to make water-soluble paints and
glazes.
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Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) -
A plastic formulation (typically black in color) used for
some rigid pond shells, also for drainpipe in plumbing systems.
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Activator - The curing agent of a
two compound coating system.
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Active - A state in which a metal
tends to corrode; opposite of passive.
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Active solvent - A liquid which can
dissolve a paint binder when used alone.
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Actual dimension - The exact
measurements of a piece of lumber after it has been cut, surfaced
and dried. Example: A 2x4's actual dimensions are 1-1/2 x 3-1/2
inches.
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Actual dimension (lumber) - The
exact cross-sectional measurements of a piece of lumber after it has
been cut, surfaced and dried.
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Actual dimensions - masonry - The
measured dimensions of a masonry unit.
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Actual length (rafters) - Length of
a rafter after half the thickness of the ridgeboard has been
subtracted.
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Adaptable - Refers to design that
can be easily changed to accommodate a person with disabilities.
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Adapter - A fitting that connects
two pipes of different sizes or materials.
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Additive - A substance added in a
small amount, usually to a fluid, for a special purpose - such as to
reduce friction, corrosion, etc.
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Adhesion - The property of a paint
film that enables it to stick to a surface.
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Adhesive aeration - A condition
where the adhesive is filled with miniature air bubbles. Mixing or
whipping the adhesive in too vigorous a manner is usually the cause.
These bubbles can cause small blisters to form beneath the
wallpaper, especially when installing nonbreathable types.
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Adhesive mastic - A pastelike
cement used for applying floor and wall tiles; a waterproof caulking
compound used in roofing.
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Adhesive penetration - The process
where the adhesive soaks into the wallpaper substrate during the
relaxing or booking period.
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Adhesive viscosity - The internal
friction of an adhesive that restricts its tendency to flow or
spread. The viscosity controls the amount of adhesive you can spread
at a given thickness. Adhesive viscosity also affects drying time.
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Adhesive volatility - The
evaporation time associated with a particular adhesive. Volatility
increases during the hot summer months, especially if you are
working on new construction and there is no air conditioning.
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Adhesive wrinkles - Wrinkles or
ridges that occur immediately following the installation of
wallpaper, caused by further expansion of the paper. Inadequate
booking time is often a cause. Adhesive wrinkles normally dry out
within 24 to 48 hours. Wrinkled wallpaper should generally be
removed and reinstalled rather than fixed.
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Adulteration - Any admixture of
less value than the accepted standard, or the partial substitution
of one substance for another without acknowledgment.
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Advancing colors - Warm, saturated
colors that seem to come forward toward the viewer. Advancing colors
can make rooms seem more cozy and objects slightly larger.
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Aeration cell - An oxygen
concentration cell; an electrolytic cell resulting from differences
in dissolved oxygen at two points.
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After-tack - Film defect in which
the coated surface, having once reached a tack-free stage,
subsequently develops a sticky condition.
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Agglomerate - Clumps of pigment
crystals which have formed loose clusters containing entrapped air.
Usually undesirable in paint, as they tend to settle out and have
poor optical properties.
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Aggregates - Crushed stone, gravel
or other material used with cement and water to form concrete.
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Aging - Allowing to stand
undisturbed for a period in order to develop certain
characteristics. Some materials improve upon aging, others have a
tendency to lose their value.
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Air barrier - An air-infiltration
barrier or house wrap that can be used to protect a storage area in
the attic from moisture and dust.
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Air barrier tape - A moisture-proof
tape that covers the joint and sticks to the substrate. Duct tape or
contractor's tape work well.
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Air brush - Very small spray gun,
not much larger than a fountain pen, designed as an artist's tool.
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Air cap (air nozzle) - The
structure at the front of a spray nozzle which directs compressed
air against the paint to form and shape an atomized cloud of
droplets.
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Air chamber - A vertical,
air-filled pipe that prevents water hammer by absorbing pressure
when water is shut off at a faucet.
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Air drying - The most common form
of curing a coating in which drying takes place by oxidation or
solvent evaporation by simple exposure to air without heat or
catalyst.
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Air entrapment - The inclusion of
air bubbles in liquid paint or a paint film.
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Air gap - The distance between the
outlet of a faucet and the overflow level of the fixture.
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Air-dried lumber - Lumber that is
dried by being exposed to air, rather than an oven or kiln.
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Air-dried wood - Lumber that is
stacked with spacers to allow air to circulate and is usually marked
indicating its maximum moisture content at the time it leaves the
mill.
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Air-entrained (concrete) - Concrete
that has been mixed with an admixture that causes tiny bubbles of
air to be held in the mixture as the concrete sets. Air-entrained
concrete is more workable and less vulnerable to frost.
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Airless spraying - Process of
atomization of paint by forcing it through an orifice at high
pressure.
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Alcohol - A group of solvents of
relatively high evaporation rate but with fairly low solvent
strength. Methanol, ethanol, and isopropyl are common alcohols.
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Aliphatic - A class of organic
solvents which are composed of open chains of carbon atoms, derived
from paraffin base crude oil. Aliphatics are relatively weak
solvents. Among the typical aliphatic hydrocarbons are gasoline,
mineral spirits, naphtha and kerosene.
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Alizarin crimson - One of the basic
pigments, alizarin crimson is synthetically derived from coal tar
and ranges from scarlet to maroon.
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Alkali - An aqueous liquid which
has a pH value of between 7 and 14. A base or caustic material.
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Alkyd paints - Paints with
artificial resins (alkyds) forming their binder; often imprecisely
called oil-based paints. Alkyds have replaced the linseed oil
formerly used as a binder in oil-based paint.
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Alkyd resin - A modified
polyester-type resin used widely in the coatings field. Alkyd resin
coatings are outstanding in their weather resistance.
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Alligation - Fine cracks resembling
alligator skin that appear in a primer-sealer coat. Alligation can
result when there is grease, dirt or wax buildup on a wall surface,
when the temperature is low, or when the product is not thoroughly
mixed.
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Alligatored finish - Any finished
surface that shows numerous cracks caused by aging and drying.
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Allowance - wallpaper - The 2 to 3
inches of material for trimming included at the top or bottom of a
strip of wallpaper.
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Alternating rolls - The technique
of working with two separate rolls of wallpaper to minimize waste
while installing a drop-match patterned design.
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Aluminum - A lightweight,
corrosion-resistant metal used for vertical and horizontal siding.
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Aluminum oxide - A long-life grit
for abrasive wheels and sandpapers.
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Aluminum paint - A paint that
includes aluminum particles and gives a metallic finish when dried.
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Aluminum-oxide sandpaper - A
tan-colored sandpaper that is commonly used on sanding belts and
disks.
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Ambient lighting - General
illumination that surrounds a room. There is no visible source of
the light.
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Ambient temperature - Room
temperature or the existing temperature of the surroundings.
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American single roll - An
increasingly uncommon unit of wallpaper, usually containing between
34 to 36 square feet. These rolls vary from 20.5 to 36 inches in
width and from 4 to 7 yards in length.
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Amide - A functional group which
can act as an epoxy resin curing agent.
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Amine - Materials often used as
curing agents for epoxy coatings.
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Amphoteric - Possessing both basic
and acidic properties.
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Anaerobic - An absence of unreacted
or free oxygen.
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Analogous colors - Any three colors
located next to one another on the color wheel.
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Anchoring - Mechanical bonding of a
coating to a rough surface, as contrasted with adhesion, which is
chemical bonding.
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Angle of incidence - Angle between
the axis of an impinging light beam and a line perpendicular to the
specimen surface.
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Angle of view - Angle between the
axis of observation and perpendicular to the specimen surface.
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Anhydrous - Containing no water.
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Aniline dye - A synthetic tinting
medium made from coal-tar products, which can be dissolved in water
or alcohol and used to change the color of wood.
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Anionic surfactant - One which has
a negative charge and migrates toward the anode or positive pole
while in solution.
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Anode - The positive terminal of an
electrical source. In a corrosion cell, the anode is the electrode
that has the greater tendency to go into solution. The point at
which corrosion occurs.
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Anodic protection - An appreciable
reduction in corrosion by making a metal an anode and maintaining
this highly polarized condition with very little current flow.
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Anti-corrosive coating - A paint
made with neutral or slightly alkaline pigments and a water
resisting vehicle to be used as a primer on steel and other metals
to prevent or retard corrosion.
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Anti-mildew agent - A coating
additive, usually toxic in nature, which inhibits the growth of
mildew, fungus and other organisms.
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Anti-settling agent - A material
which slows down the natural settling of pigments and prevents hard
settling.
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Anti-skinning agent - A type of
antioxidant, usually volatile, which when added to a varnish or an
oil, will tend to prevent a skin of partially oxidized material from
forming on the surface of the liquid while in the container or
before being applied to the work.
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Antioxidant - A material which,
when added to a varnish or an oil, retards or prevents oxidation and
drying.
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Antique finish - A finish usually
applied to furniture or woodwork to give the appearance of age.
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Antiquing - Any technique used to
make a painted surface look old; usually refers to a thin glaze that
is applied to a surface, allowing the undercoat to show through.
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Appliance finish - Generally, the
thermoset coatings, which are characterized by their hardness, mar
resistance and good chemical resistance.
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Apron - bathtub - The front
extension of a bathtub that runs from the rim to floor.
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Apron - furniture - The board
between the tops of a table's legs that supports the top or, in the
case of a chair, the seat. Also called the "skirt."
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Apron - window - The piece of trim
around the interior side of a window that sits below the window
stool and supports it.
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Apron tile - Trim or facing on the
side or in front of a countertop edge.
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Aqueous - Pertaining to water; an
aqueous solution is a water solution.
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Arbor - Garden structure that can
support plants and serves as a transition between sections of a yard
or as an architectural feature that complements the landscape.
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Arc - Any portion of a circle, such
as those found in an archway or curved wall.
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Arch bead - A plastic or metal
strip designed to finish curved drywall seams in arched doorways or
windows.
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Architectural coatings - Coatings
intended for on-site application to interior or exterior coatings of
residential, commercial or institutional buildings -- as opposed to
industrial coatings. Also called Trade Sales Coatings.
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Architectural grade lumber - The
best-looking and most expensive grade of lumber.
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Armoire - A large, ornate cupboard
or wardrobe that is used for storage.
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Aromatic - An organic chemical
possessing the benzene ring structure. Benzene, toluol and xylol are
typical aromatic hydrocarbons.
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Art deco - A decorative style that
was based on geometric forms. It was popular during the 1920s and
1930s.
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Art nouveau - A
late-nineteenth-century decorative style that was based on natural
forms. It was the first style to reject historical references and
create its own design vocabulary, which included stylized curved
details.
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Artificial break - The point where
the wallpaper or border ends against a decorative wood strip,
spindle or other object. This lets the wallpaper or border end
without an obvious mismatch.
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Artist's acrylics - Paints that
contain pigments suspended in acrylic resin, similar to latex paint
but of much higher quality.
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Artist's oils - The tube or
oil-stick paint associated with fine-art paintings. They consist of
pigments suspended in linseed oil, and come in a wide range of
saturated colors.
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Arts and crafts movement - A
decorative style that began in England during the late nineteenth
century, where it was known as the Aesthetic Movement. Lead by
William Morris, the movement rejected industrialization and
encouraged fine craftsmanship and simplicity in design.
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Asphalt - A bituminous compound,
dark brown or black in color, used in the manufacture of asphalt
roofing shingles.
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Asphaltic concrete - A mixture of
liquid asphalt and aggregate used as a paving material.
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Astragal - A vertical strip
attached to the opening edge of one door in a pair, forming a jamb
for the other door to close into.
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Atom - The smallest particle of an
element.
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Atomize - To break a liquid into a
mist or droplets. Spray guns atomize paint by forcing the paint
through a small orifice under high pressure and through air stream
interaction.
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Attic - The space between the
rafters and the ceiling joists.
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Available lighting conditions - The
ambient light in a room, including natural light and artificial
light. Imperfections in the wall surface or wallpaper are more
evident as the ambient light increases. |
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