GLOSSARY

A – glossary           (   B  :  C  )

ABATEMENT
Involves either removal of the painted surface, covering the painted surface with an impermeable surface, or covering surface with heavy-duty coating (encapsulant).

ABRASION
The process by which coating surfaces are worn away by rubbing, scraping, or erosion.

ABRASION RESISTANCE
The ability of a coating to resist being worn away and to maintain its original appearance and structure when subjected to rubbing, scraping, or erosion. This property is related more to the toughness of the coating than to its hardness.

ABRASIVE
A material used for wearing away a surface by rubbing. Examples of abrasives are: powdered pumice, rottenstone, sandpaper, steel wool. These materials are used for smoothing rough surfaces before painting.

ABRASIVE BLAST CLEANING
Abrasive blast cleaning uses an abrasive propelled by air pressure, centrifugal force, or water pressure to clean and usually to profile a surface. Stand-off distance, angle of attack, and dwell time are the three most important variables under the control of the operator that can affect the quality and effectiveness of the blast cleaning.

ABRASIVE BREAKDOWN RATE
The rate at which abrasive particles become too small to be reused after a certain number of impacts (blasting cycles).

ABRASIVE PAD
A web of nylon fibers imbedded with abrasive material in different sizes and densities. These pads can be used to remove dried soil, debris, and loose paint from all types of surfaces, as well as loose rust and loose mill scale from steel.

ABRASIVE, BLAST CLEANING
Blast cleaning abrasives are particles of controlled mesh sizes propelled by compressed air, water, or centrifugal force to clean and roughen a surface.

ABSTRACT
A pattern or motif not based on natural forms, such as an abstract pattern of wallcovering.

ACCENT
Any bright object or colour that draws attention. Accents often are used in decorating.

ACID ETCHING
A method of preparing concrete floors for painting. An acid etching solution usually is made up of diluted hydrochloric acid (5 to 10 percent), diluted phosphoric acid (20 to 25 percent), or citric acid. These solutions can clean and remove dirt and other impurities from the concrete as well as provide a surface texture to improve the coating adhesion.

ACRYLIC RESIN
A synthetic resin, made from derivatives of acrylic acid and related compounds, with excellent colour and clarity. Widely used in latex and solvent-thinned coatings.

ADDITIVE
A substance added in very small quantities to a coating formulation. Additives are used to adjust, enhance, and improve the emulsion, suspension, drying, application, weathering, or other properties of a coating.

ADHESION
The degree of attraction between a coating and a substrate or between two coats of paint that are held together by interfacial forces consisting of chemical and/or mechanical action.

ADVANCING COLOUR
A colour that gives an illusion of being close or advancing to the observer. Warm colours such as red or orange are considered advancing colours.

AERIAL LIFT
An aerial lift is used to raise a worker from the ground to an elevated job site.

AEROSOL
A product that uses compressed gas to spray the coating from its container. Note: Aerosol paint products have not contained chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) since 1978.

AGITATOR
Mechanical device used for mixing or stirring.

AGRICULTURAL VARNISH
Varnish designed especially to protect and beautify farm implements and machinery. Such materials are exposed to severe conditions and must be highly resistant to moisture, dust, friction, intense sunlight, and high temperature.

AIR ABRASIVE BLAST CLEANING
A process that uses compressed air to propel abrasive particles against the surface to be cleaned. The term "open blast cleaning" indicates that a localized containment does not surround the blast stream.

AIR-ASSISTED AIRLESS SPRAYING
This paint application system is a modification of the airless spraying system. It uses pressurized air at the edges of the airless spray pattern to more fully atomize paint spray. Consequently, a lower airless spray pressure can be used to achieve proper paint atomization.

AIR DRY (CURE)
The process of curing or drying a coating at ordinary room conditions.

AIR ENTRAPMENT
Inclusion of air bubbles in wet or dry paint film.

AIR SPRAYING
A coating application method using a nozzle to direct compressed air to atomize the liquid paint stream.

AIR VOLUME
Quantity of air measured in cubic feet (usually per minute) at normal atmospheric pressure.

AIRLESS SPRAYING
A coating application system that uses hydraulic pressure instead of air to atomize the paint. Atomization is achieved by forcing the paint at high pressure (2,000 to 3,000 p.s.i.) through a spray nozzle with a small orifice (opening).

ALCOHOL SOLVENT
A solvent with high polarity and a strong affinity for water. Alcohol solvents used in paints include ethanol, isopropanol, and n-butanol.  Methanol is used mainly in paint removers.

ALIPHATIC SOLVENT
Hydrocarbon solvent composed primarily of open chain hydrocarbons derived from paraffin-based crude oil. These solvents have poor to moderate solvency for all but oil-based coatings. Among the typical aliphatic solvents are mineral spirits, naphtha, hexane, and heptane.

ALKALI
A substance that neutralizes acids, such as lye, soda, lime, etc. Alkalies or strong alkaline solutions are highly destructive to oil paint films.

ALKALINE CLEANER
A cleaner that saponifies certain oils and greases and their surface-active constituents and washes away other types of contaminants. Trisodium phosphate is a commonly used alkaline cleaner.

ALKALINE PAINT STRIPPER
A paint stripper comprised of relatively diluted concentrations of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), potassium hydroxide, and other highly alkaline materials, often in combination with solvents and detergents to aid in removing paint. These strippers are effective only on oleoresinous-type coatings. It can take several hours for the alkali to attack and break down the paint resin.

ALKYD RESIN
Synthetic resin made from polyhydric alcohols and polybasic acids; generally modified with other resins, fatty oils, or fatty acids. Alkyd resins are a specific type of polyester resins and may be regarded as complex esters. These resins are used in paints, varnishes, and lacquers.

ALL-OVER DESIGN
Floral, foliage, or scroll patterns, as distinguished from stripes and textures that cover an entire wallcovering without any particular feature standing out prominently.

ALLIGATORING
A paint surface defect that forms cracks resembling the hide of an alligator.

ALUMINUM LEAF
Aluminum in very thin sheets or flakes.

ALUMINUM PAINT
A coating consisting of a mixture of metallic aluminum pigment in powder or paste form, dispersed in a suitable vehicle.

ALUMINUM PASTE
Metallic aluminum flake pigment in paste form, consisting of aluminum, solvent, and various additives. The metallic aluminum pigment can be in the form of very small, coated leaves or amorphous powder, known by the respective designations of "leafing" and "nonleafing."

AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
The temperature of the surrounding area or environment.

AMIDE
Compound containing oxygen and amino (NH2) groupings that is used as a curing agent for epoxy resins.

AMINE
Organic substituted ammonia; an organic compound having an NH3 group thet is used as a curing agent for epoxy resins.

ANALOGOUS
Similar or comparable in many respects; adjacent colours on a colour wheel.

ANCHORAGE
The mechanical effect of paint "keying" itself into the surfaceto which it has been applied.

ANGLE BLASTING
Blast cleaning with the angle between the blast stream and the surface being significantly less than 90 degrees.

ANGLE OF ATTACK
The angle of the blast stream to the surface. For general blast cleaning, 60 to 70 degrees is a good angle of attack. Rust, mill scale, and heavily pitted surfaces require a head-on (80- to 90-degree) angle of attack. Old paint will peel away at a 45- to 60-degree angle of attack.

ANTI-CORROSIVE PAINT
Metal paint designed to inhibit corrosion and rusting of iron and steel.

ANTI-FOAMING AGENT
Additive used to control or prevent formation of foams during the manufacture or application of coatings.

ANTI-FOULING PAINT
The final coat of paint applied to the hull of a ship below the water line. The paint usually is formulated to release noxious or poisonous substances at a controlled rate to prevent the growth of barnacles, algae, and other organisms on ships’ bottoms.

ANTIQUE FINISH
A finish or finishing technique that gives furniture, walls, and exterior surfaces the appearance of age or wear.

ANTI-SKINNING AGENT
Any material added to a coating to prevent or retard the processes of oxidation or polymerization that result in the formation of an insoluble skin on the surface of the coating in a container.

APPLICATION
Any process by which a coating is applied to a surface.

APPLICATOR
A tool for applying coatings.

APPRENTICE PAINTER
One engaged in learning the painting trade.

ARCHITECTURAL COATING
Protective and decorative finish intended for on-site application at ambient temperatures.

ARCHITECTURAL ENAMEL
Enamel designed for use on interior trim; may be gloss or semi-gloss.

ARCING
Swinging a spray gun away from perpendicular to the surface being coated. This causes the coating to be applied thinner at the end of a spray pass than at the center.

AROMATIC SOLVENT
Hydrocarbon solvent made of a compound that contains an unsaturated ring of carbon atoms, typified by the benzene ring structure. These solvents have a greater solvency than aliphatic solvents. Xylene (xylol), toluene (toluol), and high flash naphtha are aromatic solvents used in coatings.

ASPHALT MASTIC
A mixture of sand, crushed limestone, and fiber bound with asphalt that produces a thick film coating.

ASPHALT VARNISH
Asphalt varnish is composed of asphalt pitch that is heat-treated with Gilsonite and thinned with mineral spirits or naphtha. Varying degrees of flexibility and toughness are obtained by varying the ratio of pitch to Gilsonite.

ATOMIZE
Break a stream of liquid into small particles, such as a spray nozzle does to paint during application.

B - glossary

BACK BLOCKING
Applying additional thickness of gypsum wallboard by adhesive at a back joint, usually on ceilings, to reduce ridging or beading.

BACK PRIMING
Applying a coat of paint to the back of woodwork or exterior siding to prevent moisture from getting into the wood and causing the grain to swell.

BACKER ROD
A rod of urethane, Styrofoam, or similar material that is inserted into wide joints or cracks to provide a backing so that caulking or sealant material cannot flow through the joint being sealed.

BARRIER COAT
Coating used to isolate a paint system from the surface to which it is applied in order to prevent chemical or physical interaction between them.

BARRIER PIGMENT
A pigment that can improve the ability of a coating to provide a good barrier between the environment and the substrate it protects.

BASKET-WEAVE DESIGN
In wallcovering, a loosely woven fabric effect that represents the weave of a basket or coarse matting.

BATCH
The total quantity of paint or other material that is produced in a single processing, mixing, and/or filling operation.

BEADING
A slight bead or protrusion that forms along a finished drywall joint. It can result from joint compound being applied before the preceding coat was dry, paper along the edges of the drywall panels becoming loosened or delaminated, or drywall panels being set too close together to allow for expansion. Sometimes called "ridging."

BELT SANDER
A power tool with a continuous belt of abrasive that moves in one direction.

BINDER
Nonvolatile portion of the liquid vehicle of a coating. When the paint dries, the binder becomes part of the solid film. It binds the pigment particles together and cements the paint film to the surface.

BITUMASTIC
An asphalt or coal tar mastic (thick-film) protective coating used primarily for waterproofing.

BITUMEN
Black or dark brown solid or semisolid cementitious material that gradually liquefies when heated and is soluble in carbon disulfide.

BITUMINOUS COATING
Asphalt or tar-based coating used to provide a protective finish; applied as hot melt, solvent cutback, or water emulsion.

BITUMINOUS CUTBACK
Asphalt or coal tar dissolved in a suitable aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon solvent to lower its viscosity for application at ambient temperatures.

BITUMINOUS EMULSION
A suspension or emulsion of minute particles of asphalt or coal tar, emulsifying agents, and inert filling materials in water. These emulsions, unlike straight bitumens, do not need to be heated to be applied.

BLAST ANGLE
Angle of blasting nozzle with reference to surface; also, angle of particle propelled from centrifugal blasting wheels with reference to surface.

BLAST CLEANING
Cleaning and roughening a surface (particularly steel) by the use of metallic or non-metallic grit or metal shot (usually steel) abrasives that are projected against the surface being cleaned by compressed air, centrifugal force, water, or a compressed air/water mixture.

BLAST NOZZLE
Device through which abrasive is propelled during blast cleaning.

BLAST POT
A container that holds abrasive material until it is fed to the blast nozzle in air abrasive blast cleaning systems.

BLEACH SOLUTION
A water solution of sodium hypochlorite, often called household bleach. It is a disinfectant and mildewcide used as a surface treatment for removing mildew and bacteria before painting.

BLEACHING WOOD
Bleach solutions are used to restore natural colour to stained or discoloured woods or the make woods lighter in colour.

BLEEDING
The diffusion of colouring through a coating from the substrate.  Bleeding usually occurs as a result of solubility in the vehicle portion of the top coat. It often can be prevented or reduced by application of a barrier coating (primer, sealer).

BLISTERING
Usually caused by solvent entrapment, moisture diffusion through the coating, or application of paint to a surface containing excessive moisture.   Blistering also can occur when moisture enters painted wood through some indirect source, such as poor joints or careless carpentry work, or as a result of excessive heat or sap (resin) trapped in the wood.

BLOCK COAT
A barrier coat or transition primer/tie coat that prevents incompatible paints from touching.

BLOCK FILLER
An emulsion coating that is heavily pigmented, usually with a finely divided silica flour.

BLOCKING
The undesirable sticking together of two painted surfaces or of touching layers of wallcovering or other material.

BLUSHING
A film defect appearing as a milky opalescence. It sometimes forms as the paint film or lacquer dries because rapid solvent evaporation cools the surface and moisture from the air condenses on the cooled wet coating.

BODY
Subjective assessment of the apparent consistency or viscosity of a paint.

BODY HARNESS
A full-body safety harness is a device worn around the entire torso, including the shoulders, waist, upper legs, and buttocks.

BOLT
A roll of wallcovering containing the surface area equivalent of two or three single rolls.

BOND-BREAKER TAPE
A special tape used to prevent caulk or sealant from sticking to the back of a joint. It allows the sealant to move with the joint.

BOND COAT
A coating used to improve the adhesion of subsequent coats.

BONDING STRENGTH
The adhesion between a coating film or wallcovering adhesive and a substrate or previous coating film. The amount of stress needed to separate a coating or wallcovering from the surface to which it is bonded.

BOOKING
After adhesive is applied or activated, some wallcoverings, especially prepasted ones, require a brief curing period, which allows the adhesive to soak into the material before it is hung. To accomplish this, the wallcovering is "booked," which means it is folded paste side to paste side, and allowed to sit for the curing period.

BOOM LIFT (CHERRY PICKER)
A boom lift or "cherry picker" has a single or articulated arm that can maneuver an enclosed work platform and worker(s) to a work area either above or below the area where the boom lift is located.

BORDER
A narrow strip of wallcovering used as a decorative accent. It may be placed along walls at the ceiling, around windows or doors as a frame, or around a room to create a chair-rail effect.

BOSUN’S CHAIR
A rigging system suspended from a single cable or rope and designed for use by a single individual, who is limited to working in a sitting position.

BOUNCE BACK
The rebound of atomized paint particles during spray application. This effect is most pronounced when paint is being applied into corners or boxed areas. The resultant return flow of atomization air carries some of the paint particles away from the surface.

BOXING
Pouring paint from one container to another several times to assure that no unmixed material remains on the bottom and that the paint is uniformly mixed.

BREAKING STRENGTH
The ability of a wallcovering to resist the initiation of a tear.

BRISTLE
Natural or synthetic fibers bundled together and attached to a handle for use in soaking up paint and spreading it onto a surface.

BROAD KNIFE
A multipurpose hand tool with a blade that ranges in size up to 10 to 12 inches wide.

BRUSH MARK
Parallel ridges and valleys in a coating produced by the bristles of a brush during paint application. Depending on the leveling characteristics of the paint, brush marks may or may not remain in the dried coating.

BRUSH-OFF BLAST CLEANING
Blast cleaning standard with the lowest quality requirements.

BRUSHABILITY
The ability or ease with which a paint can be brushed under practical conditions.

BUBBLING
A coating defect in which bubbles of air, solvent vapor, or both are present in the applied film. Bubbles may be temporary and work out of the coating during drying, or they may be permanent and remain in the dry film.

BUG HOLE
An air pocket left on or near the surface of vertical formed concrete or horizontal laid concrete.

BURLAP
Woven fabric of jute, hemp, sometimes flax, fused to a composition backing or to paper and used as a wallcovering.

BUTADIENE
A gas which is chemically combined with styrene to create a resin used in latex binders, styrene-butadiene.

BUTT END
Untapered end of gypsum wallboard panel at narrow dimension of board.

BUTT JOINT
Joint where butt ends of gypsum wallboards meet.

BUTT SEAM
A butt seam is made by aligning the edge of one wallcovering strip tightly against the next strip without any overlap.

C - glossary

CAKING
Hard settling of pigment from paint in an unopened container during storage.

CALCIMINE
A water-thinned paint composed essentially of calcium carbonate or clay, and glue. Sometimes spelled kalsomine.

CATALYST
A reaction promoter. A substance that induces, alters, or accelerates a chemical reaction. A catalyst is unchanged by the reaction it creates. In the paint industry, catalysts accelerate the cure of paint films. A negative catalyst (inhibitor, retarder) slows down a chemical reaction.

CATALYTIC CURING
Mechanism by which a coating is crosslinked by the action of a catalyst as opposed to oxidation, etc. Examples of such a system are two-part epoxies and polyurethanes.

CATALYZED EPOXY COATING
A coating based on an epoxy resin, e.g., epoxy/amine or epoxy/polyamide.

CATHODIC PROTECTION
A technique to reduce the corrosion rate of a metal surface by making it a cathode of an electrochemical cell.

CAULKING COMPOUND
Soft, plastic material, consisting of pigment and vehicle, used for sealing joints in buildings and other structures where normal structural movement may occur.

CEILING JOIST
Wood or metal horizontal framing member used for hanging drywall panels on a ceiling.

CEMENT-BASED PAINT
A paint composed of portland cement, lime, pigment, and other modifying ingredients. It is sold as dry powder and mixed with water for application.

CENTRIFUGAL BLAST CLEANING
A blast cleaning process (usually enclosed) that uses rotating, motor-driven, bladed wheels to hurl abrasive (usually steel shot, steel grit, or a shot/grit mixture) at the surface being cleaned.

CFM (CUBIC FEET PER MINUTE)
A measurement of compressed air flow.

CHAIR RAIL
A wooden molding strip placed on the walls of a room at chair-back height as protection against damage when chairs are positioned against the walls.

CHALKING
Formation of a friable powder on the surface of a paint film because of the disintegration of the binding medium due to weathering.

CHALKING RESISTANCE
The ability of a pigmented coating to resist chalking.

CHEMICAL STRIPPING
The use of paint remover or chemical stripping material to soften existing paint for removal by scraping and/or flushing.

CHINTZ PAPER
In wallcovering, a paper reproducing a printed cotton drapery material. It usually is printed in brightly coloured designs.

CHIPPING
Cleaning steel by removing paint or rust and scale, using a special "chipping" hammer.

CHIPPING HAMMER
A hand tool used to remove layers of loose rust, loose paint, and loose mill scale from steel surfaces.

CHIPPING RESISTANCE
The ability of a coating or layers of coatings to resist total or partial removal, usually in small pieces, resulting from impact by hard objects or from wear during service.

CHLORINATED RUBBER RESIN
Synthetic resin made by chlorinating rubber or other polymers under specified conditions. Unlike rubber, the resulting product is readily soluble and yields solutions of low viscosity.

CHLORINATED SOLVENT
Powerful organic solvent that contains chlorine atoms as part of the molecular structure.

CHROMA
Intensity or depth of colour. The quality of a colour that relates to its concentration.

CLEAR COATING
A transparent protective and/or decorative film; generally the final coat of sealer applied to automotive finishes.

CLOTH RAG AND WIPER
Material used with water, detergent, or solvent before any other method of surface preparation to remove dirt, grease, oil, mud, markings, and other washable contaminants from all types of surfaces.

CLOSE-GRAIN WOOD
Wood having narrow annual growth rings. This results in small, closely spaced pores and fibers (e.g. birch, maple, etc.).

CLOSED ABRASIVE BLAST CLEANING
Compressed air or centrifugal blast cleaning done within a localized containment or enclosure that surrounds the abrasive stream. The enclosure is held to the surface to create a seal and is equipped with a vacuum to remove spent abrasive and debris simultaneously with the blasting operation.

COAL TAR
A black or dark brown, solid or semisolid, cementitious material that gradually liquefies when heated.

COAL TAR EPOXY COATING
Coating with both coal tar and epoxy resin in the binder orvehicle.

COAL TAR URETHANE COATING
Coating with both coal tar and polyurethane resin in the binder or vehicle.

COALESCENCE
The mechanism of film formation that occurs when water evaporates from an emulsion or latex coating and permits contact and fusion of adjacent emulsion or latex particles; joining of particles into a film as the water evaporates.

COALESCING SOLVENT (OR AGENT)
A solvent with a high boiling point that aids in film formation by temporarily softening the vehicle when it is added to a latex or emulsion coating. The coalescing solvent softens and melds the individual pigmented resin particles during the final stages of drying, enabling a relatively continuous coating film to be formed.

COATED ABRASIVE
Abrasive material bonded to a backing material.

COATING
Generic term for paint, lacquer, enamel, etc.

COATING SYSTEM
A protective film consisting of one or more coats.

COATING WORK
An all-inclusive term to define operations required to accomplish a complete coating job; construed to include materials, equipment, labor, preparation of surfaces, control of ambient conditions, application of coating systems, and inspection.

COBWEBBING
Production of fine filaments (cobwebs) instead of the normal atomized particles during the spray application of a coating.

COHESION
The propensity of a substance to adhere to itself. The force holding a substance together.

COLD CRACKING
The crazing and cracking of a coating or wallcovering at cold temperatures or after repeated cycling between room temperature and cold temperatures.

COLOUR
A term used variously to designate the colours of the spectrum.

COLOURANT
Concentrated color (dyes or pigments) that can be added to paints to make specific colors.

COLOURFASTNESS
The ability of a film of paint or varnish to show little change in original colour after being exposed to the weather.

COLOUR PIGMENT
An inorganic or organic pigment that provides colour to a paint.

COLOUR RETENTION
The ability of paint to keep its original color. Major threats to color retention are exposure to ultraviolet radiation and abrasion by weather or repeated cleaning.

COLOUR RUN
The amount of rolls of wallcovering produced at any one time. A repeat run at another time probably will not exactly match the colour(s) of the original run so it is given another run number.

COMMERCIAL BLAST CLEANING
Moderate grade of blast cleaning.

COMPANION WALLCOVERING
A set of two wallcoverings usually designed and coloured for use in the decoration of the same or adjoining rooms. The one may consist of a large bold pattern, the other a stripe or other semi-plain effect, both containing the same scheme of colouring; sometimes referred to as ensembles.

COMPATIBLE
Paints are compatible when they are capable of being used together without detrimental effects.

COMPLEMENTARY COLOURS
Two contrasting or opposite colours on the colour wheel that combine the use of the three primary colours.

COMPLIANCE COATING
A coating whose volatile organic compound content does not exceed that allowed by regulation.

CONCRETE
An homogeneous mixture of portland cement, aggregates, and water that may contain admixtures.

CONSOLIDANT
A liquid wood epoxy that reinforces or restores damaged or disintegrated wood.

CONSTRUCTION ADHESIVE
An adhesive used to form a strong bond between drywall panels and framing and to reduce the number of fasteners needed.

CONTAINMENT
A method to limit dust, debris, paint chips, paint dust, spent abrasives, and overspray from contaminating the environment.

CONTAINMENT SYSTEM
A system that includes the containment structure, ventilation system, and, in some cases, dust collection equipment.

COPAL
A natural resinous substance exuded from various tropical plants. Copals are collected from living trees and dug from ground deposits.

CORE BOARD
A gypsum wallboard panel usually 1 inch thick covered with gray liner paper, designed to receive one or more successive layers of regular gypsum wallboard.

CORNER BEAD
An angled metal strip with a slight protrusion, or bead, along the outside corner. The strip fits over the drywall corner where it is nailed into place and finished with joint compound.

CORNICE HOOK
A steel device shaped like the top of a large question mark that hooks to a roof, parapet, or other structural support. Cornice hooks are used for rigging scaffolding.

CORRELATED
Different types of merchandise systematically related in colour and design, as wallcovering with fabric or a series of wallcoverings designed to be used together.

CORROSION
Deterioration of metal, concrete, or other materials by chemical or electrochemical reaction resulting from exposure to weather, oxygen, moisture, chemicals, or other agents in the environment in which it is placed.

CORROSION-INHIBITIVE PIGMENT
A pigment that when made into a paint has the property of reducing the rate of corrosion of the substrate to which it is applied.

COUPLINGS, AIR HOSE
Devices used to join hoses used in abrasive blasting.

COVE CEILING
A ceiling that is rounded at the ceiling angle.

COVERAGE
Ambiguous term used in some instances to refer to "hiding power" and in other cases to mean "spreading rate."

CRACKING
In protective coatings, the formation of breaks in a coating film that extend through to the underlying surface.  More generally, the splitting of a dry paint film, usually as a result of aging or using a paint that, because of its composition, becomes hard and brittle.

CRACKING RESISTANCE
The ability to resist cracks that extend through at least one coat of paint.

CRACKLE
The formation of pronounced fissures in the topcoat of finishing material, showing the undercoat through the cracks; caused by the topcoat drying hard before the undercoat is thoroughly dry; very similar to alligatoring.

CRACKLE FINISH
A finish in which alligatoring is produced by applying a topcoat designed to shrink and crack and expose a more flexible, slow-drying undercoat, usually of a different colour.

CRATERING
The formation of small, round depressions that resemble meteor craters in a coating film but that do not expose the previous coat or the substrate.

CRAWLING
A defect in which a wet coating recedes or "crawls" from part of the surface, leaving an uneven and sometimes uncoated area shortly after application.

CRAZING
The formation of a crisscross pattern of minute cracks on the surface of a coating film.

CREVICE CORROSION
Corrosion that occurs within or adjacent to a crevice formed by contact with two pieces of the same metal or another metal or with a nonmetallic material.

CREOSOTE
A liquid coating made from coal tar once used as a wood preservative. It has been banned for consumer use because of potential health risks.

CROCKING
Removal of colour upon abrasion or rubbing. Staining of a white cloth by rubbing lightly over a coloured surface.

CROCKING RESISTANCE
The ability of wallcovering or coating not to transfer colour when rubbed or abraded.

CROSS-LINKING
A particular method by which chemicals unite to form polymer films.

CROSS-SPRAY APPLICATION
A two-pass spray operation where an area first is covered by a series of parallel spray passes in one direction; then, while the coating is still wet, the area is covered again with a second series of parallel spray passes made at a right angle to the first.

CROW’S FOOTING
A film defect in which small wrinkles occur in a pattern resembling that of a crow’s foot.

CURING
The process of changing the properties of a paint from its liquid state into a final, more stable, solid, protective film by chemical reaction with oxygen, moisture, or chemical additives, or by application of heat or radiation.

CURING AGENT
An additive, sometimes called a hardener or promoter, that helps a coating film cure.

CURING COMPOUND
Waxy material applied to concrete to prevent moisture from evaporating rapidly during the curing process.

CUTTING IN
The process of painting corners and the perimeter of windows and doors with a brush prior to roller application of paint to the walls and ceiling; an operation calling for most careful workmanship to keep a clean edge, such as "cutting in" on a window sash with a sash tool.