Glossary PAINT A HOUSE Your Guide To Do-It-Yourself Home Painting

GLOSSARY

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We have created this Glossary of Painting Terms which you should become familiar with to better enable you to perform more Professional Style Painting! You should also read our Frequently Asked Questions and our Tips-Hints for more help!

A	B	C	D

E	F	G	H	I

J	L	M	N	P

R	S	T	V

Acrylic: A water base synthetic Paint
Alcohol: De-Natured Alcohol used for cleaning-up latex Paint and for thinning and cleaning-up Pigmented Shellac Stain Sealer, plain Rubbing Alcohol works too
Alkyd: An oil base synthetic Paint
Angle Edge Brushes: Brushes with the end of the bristles tapered (we don't recommend using these, Flat Edge Brushes are better)... In the picture, the Angle Edge Brush is on the LEFT
Apron: The piece directly below the Sill that contacts the wall and gives a more "complete" and eye-pleasing appearance to a Window Casing
Back Prime: Priming the back side of a surface
Baseboard: The finished wood piece placed at the bottom of a wall, running the full length of the wall, and sometimes having a smaller "Shoe Molding" attached to it's bottom edge
Bi Fold: A Door that is hinged along the vertical centerline and folds together when opened
Block Sanding: Wrapping a piece of sand paper around a small block (usually wood) to give a flat surface for sanding larger flat areas
Boxing: Pouring containers of Paint together back and forth to superficially mix them together
Casing: The outer-most trim pieces that surround an opening, such as a window or door
Cove: A rounded corner or edge between a wall and a ceiling
Curing: The time consuming process of allowing Paint to fully bond internally, usually about two weeks for most Paint
Cutting In: A Brushing technique used to apply Paint to produce a true finished-line-edge against an adjoining surface
Down Spouts: The virtical "tubes" that drain water from Gutters down to the ground
Duster: A tool used for dusting surfaces, usually an old paint brush
Dry Roller: A paint roller that has been loaded with Paint, and rolled out until it seems ready to re-load with more Paint, but can be used first to roll surfaces to tighten-up the stipple, before re-loading it with more Paint
Egg Shell: Virtually the same as Satin, a type of Paint finish
Enamel: Any kind of Paint that is formulated to give an extra hard finish
Epoxy: A special Paint that is made from chemicals that when combined together or when exposed to air, will form a highly tight internal bond and be able to resist standing water or extreme surface abuse
Extension Sticks: Wood (or other material) pieces that come in various lengths or are adjustable, and can be used to attach to Paint Roller Handles (or to Brushes) to enable reaching greater distances
Faux: The technique of applying Paint to change the appearance of a surface from what it was to a different surface
Flat: The most common of Paint finishes... it has the least light reflection and appears most pleasing to the eye
Flat Edge Brushes: Brushes that have no taper on the bristle edge (as opposed to Angle Edge Brushes which are tapered from one face edge to the other) In the picture, the Flat Edge Brush is on the RIGHT
Glazing Compound: Used for Puttying Windows, it differs from Putty by retaining it's plasticity longer
Gold Leaf: Paint made from hammered out thin leaves of Gold, used for Gilding and is very expensive
Gloss: A type of Paint finish which has a high Sheen and is highly light reflective
Heel: The bottom of a Brush's bristles where they enter the handle
Idiot Stick: An old term for Extension Sticks
Jam: The narrow piece of molding that stops a Door from swinging thru a Door casing
Joint Compound: A synthetic compound that is used for repairing walls, usually over larger areas
Lacquer Thinner: A solvent for thinning Lacquer Paint but can be used for removing Grease
Latex: A synthetic water based Paint
Linseed Oil: A natural drying oil made from the Flax Plant, used in Oil Based Paint and in other Painting materials
Long Handle Brush: Brushes with longer handles than regular Brushes, usually available at most Paint Stores
Loover: Thin strips of material, usually wood, that are stacked either vertically or horizontally with spacing between them to allow air to pass thru
Matte: A type of sheen finish, virtually the same as a FLAT Finish
Mineral Spirits: Petroleum solvent used for thinning or cleaning up Oil Based Paint
Nap: The length of fibers on a Roller Cover
Nylon: A type of material used for brush bristles, but is usually not as good as Polyester or Nylon-Polyester combinations
Paint and Varnish Remover: A material used to remove Paint or Varnish, and is usually a thick film material, and requires several minutes to work on the surface, then it must be scraped off, a somewhat "messy" job
Paint Thinner: A solvent used for thinning or cleaning-up Oil Base Paint
Panel Door: A hollow Door with minimal wood around the edges and within the center inside, usually with a flat surface on the complete outside
Patching: Using Spackle or other compounds to repair holes, cracks or other defects on a surface
Plaster of Paris: A compound which when mixed with water will make Plaster for quick repairs
Polyester: A synthetic material used for brush bristles, roller covers or other tools
Pop Corn Ceilings: Ceiling Paint that contains various chunks of filler or flocking material to give a textured finish, usually applyed with a Flocking Spray Gun
Pot Hooks: Metal hooks configured to easily hang Paint cans to Ladder Rungs, used for high work
Priming: Applying a preliminary coat of material to a surface, before the finish coat, to insure a good bond
Pure Bristle: Sometimes called "China Bristle" ...it is real animal hair used in Paint Brush Bristle, used primarily for Varnishing or sensitive refinishing with Oil Based Paint
Putty: A compound used for filling Holes or sometimes small openings, but more commonly used for glazing window panes to hold the glass intact
Riser: The piece of wood (or other material) that rises up from the toe end of a stairway step to connect it to the next higher-up step
Roller Cover: The tubular shaped cover, usually made from a Polyester material, that slips onto a Roller Handle, and which holds the Paint and applys the Paint to a surface when Rolling
Roller Handle: A metal frame tool that holds the Roller Cover on one end and has a handle on the other end, and is used to Roll surfaces and apply Paint to them, the handle usually has a threaded opening to allow Extension Sticks to be attached
Runners: Long narrow Drop Cloths usually 4 feet wide and of various lengths, used to cover hallways, stairways etc.
Sash: The framework, usually wood, that directly holds a window pane (glass)
Satin: A type of Sheen Paint finish that reflects light slightly, but not as much as Semi Gloss or Gloss
Scraper: A tool used to remove Paint from surfaces
Sealers: Material used to provide a water (and sometimes ultra violet light) barrier to a surface
Semi Gloss: A type of Sheen Paint finish that is commonly used on surfaces that require frequent washing, or cleaning, it reflects light more than a Satin finish
Sheen: A light reflective property of a Painted surface
Shellac: A material made from Bees (the Lac Bug) used to Seal surfaces from moisture, mildew, etc but primarily used for Interior surfaces
Shoe Molding: A narrow piece of molding that is attached (sometimes) to the very bottom of a Baseboard, used to protect the Baseboard from scuffing from appliances like Vacuum Cleaners
Silicon: A material that is added most often to Caulking to aid in durability
Sill: The horizontal trim frame piece at the bottom of a window casing, exterior door openings also have sills, but they are called Thresh Holds
Single Stage Step Ladder: A step ladder that can be opened fully into position in one move, the framing opens both the steps and paint tray platform in one motion... See Pictures
Skin: A Roller Cover
Slab Door: A solid Door, very heavy, usually used for weather proof or security openings
Soffit: The underside flat horizontal surface that extends away from adjoining surfaces and can be lower than the adjoining surface, as in the underside of an exterior overhang trim section, eaves
Spackling Compound: A compound which when mixed with water will make Spackle (which can be bought ready mixed), and is used for small surface repairs
Spar Varnish: A synthetic Varnish that is used to protect from water and weather conditions
Spinner: A tool used for spinning out Roller Covers and Brushes to remove water or solvent after cleaning them
Spot Priming: Using a Primer or Primer-Sealer locally for a small local area
Square Up: Finish up temporarily by cleaning up and organizing your shop area
Stain: A material (either water or oil based) used to color surfaces, it is absorbed into the surface material unlike Paint which is applyed as a top film to the surface material
Stain Sealer: A material used to seal surfaces, can be oil-based, water-based or shellac-based (recommended)
Stipple: The Paint finish produced by a Roller Cover, it can be a coarse or preferrably a fine Stipple
Stringer: The long piece of wood (or other material) that connects all the steps on either side of a stairway, (right and left Stringers)
Stripper: Same as Paint and Varnish Remover
Stucco: A surface finish that is produced by swirling or moving the applicator when applying the surface material, usually Plaster
Styling: The framework onto which the Doors hang on Kitchen, or other Cabinets
Switch Plate: Metal or plastic cover plates that protect Light Switches or Plug openings
Texture Paint: Paint that contains thicking material and requires special Roller Covers for application, to produce a textured surface finish
Thresh Hold: The Sill for an entrance-way Door
Tung Oil: A drying oil sometimes used for finishing fine wood surfaces
Turpentine: An oil-base Paint Thinner, usually more expensive than plain Paint Thinner and recommended for use with Varnish
Urethane: A synthetic polymer resin that can be added to certain materials, such as Varnish to make them more durable
Varnish: A natural or synthetic material used for protecting wood surfaces, usually after they have been Stained

F. A. Q.---Paint Quiz

tip Learn how to use Pigmented Shellac Stain Sealer-Primer... it kills stains better, undercoats wood surfaces better, and drys much faster for quick second coating! [read all the tips]

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