Painting Terms
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Dead Flat - No gloss or sheen.
Decimal Equivalent - The value of a fraction expressed as a decimal, for example 1/2 = 0.5.
Deck Paint - Enamel paint which is very resistant to mechanical wear, used on such surfaces as porch floors.
Decorative Painting - Painting for appearance rather than for protection; aesthetic painting.
Deglosser - A liquid preparation used to remove the gloss of a painted surface, to slightly roughen or give "tooth" to the substrate. This lends improved adhesion to the coating being applied.
Deglossing - Any means of abrading a surface about to be painted.
Degreaser - Solvent or compounded material used for removing oils, fats, or grease from a substrate.
Delamination - The separation of a piece of material, layer by layer, due to failure of the adhesive.
Density - The ratio of the mass or weight of an object to its volume.
Dew Point - The temperature at which water vapor in the air begins to condense.
Diluent - A liquid used in coatings to reduce the consistency and make a coating flow more easily. The water in latex coatings is a diluent. A diluent may also be called a "Reducer," "Thinner," "Reducing Agent" or "Reducing Solvent."
Dipping Tank - A vessel fIlled with paint or a coating material used for submerging articles which must be coated on all sides.
Dirt Staining - excessive collection of dirt and other debris. Usually caused by - air pollution and flying dust
Dispersion - Suspension of minute particles in a suitable medium.
Distressing - Treatment of furniture, usually in the process of being antiqued, in order to make it appear older than it is. Consists of marring the surface or applying specks of glaze before varnishing.
Door Schedule - A list included in a plan set which gives symbols (numbers or letters) for each type of door used in the building.
Door Trim - The casing around an interior door opening used to conceal the break between the interior wall finish and the door frame or jamb.
Drag - Resistance to the brush or roller by paint or other coatings while they are being applied.
Drier - A paint ingredient that aids the drying or hardening of the film.
Drop - (1) In wallcovering, a drop is a length of wall cover from the ceiling to the floor. The total number of drops per room is the total width of the walls to be covered divided by the width of each roll. (2) One vertical descent of a scaffold.
Drop Cloth - A canvas tarp or plastic covering used to protect surfaces adjacent to the painting work.
Drop Sheet - A sheet of cloth or plastic used to protect surfaces during painting of nearby areas.
Dry Colors - Powder-type colors to be mixed with water, alcohol or mineral spirits and resin to form a paint or stain
Dry Dust Free - Drying stage of a coating at which airborne dust particles will not adhere to it.
Dry Film Thickness - The thickness of an applied coating when dry; expressed in mils.
Dry Film Thickness Gage - An instrument for measuring the dry film thickness of a coating. There are three common types of gages: a destructive gage in which the coating is cut through and the thickness of the coating layers are observed through a microscope with a calibrated lens; (2) An eddy current gage which measures film thickness over metallic substrates by detection of eddy current strengths; and (3) A magnetic gage which measures film thickness over magnetic substrates by detection of magnetic field strength.
Dry Ice Blasting - A process in which solid carbon dioxide pellets are blasted against a surface for purposes such as paint removal, nuclear reactor core cleaning and casting mold cleaning.
Dry Overspray - The outside edge of your overspray pattern usually causing a gravely looking edge (be careful that this is not rolled or painted over without sanding; as this will give you a rough finished texture.)
Dry Powder Coating Process - Powder coating in which the powder is applied to a surface using a dry method, such as electrostatic or fluid bed coating.
Dry Tack Free - The stage of drying when the paint no longer feels sticky or tacky when touched.
Dry To Handle - A painted surface in the final drying stage when the paint film can be touched or handled without being damaged.
Dry To Recoat - A painted surface in the last stage in the drying when the paint film can be painted over or recoated without damage to the previous layer.
Dry To Sand - Drying stage of a sandable coating at which it can be sanded without the excess sticking to or clogging the sandpaper.
Dry To Touch - Drying stage of a coating at which it has hardened enough that it may be touched lightly without any of it adhering to the finger.
Drying Oil - An organic oil used in paints and varnishes to allow a thin layer of application to dry to form a hard but solid elastic surface film (i.e. linseed oil, tung oil, perilla, fish oil, soybean oil).
Drying Time - The time necessary for a painted surface to dry to the last stage in the drying process where it is ready to recoat.
Drywall - A substitute for plaster such as wallboard, plasterboard, gyprock or sheet rock. Drywall typically consists of several thickness of fibre board or paper that have been bonded to a hardened core of gypsum.
Drywall Compound - A highly extended paste used to make a continuous seam between pieces of drywall (Sheet rock); also used to repair cracks, holes and other defects. It is sanded smooth before painting.
Dull Finish - Without luster, shine or gloss, but not flat.
Dumping - Using a spray application to apply excessive amounts of paint material.
Durability - The degree to which paint withstands the destructive effects of the environment to which it is exposed, especially harsh weather conditions. Durability has two aspects. Its protective properties safeguard the substrate from degradation. Its decorative properties allow the paint to retain its attractive appearance.
Dust Free - A painted surface that is dry enough so dust won't stick to the finish.
Dye - A colored material used just to dye or change color with little or no hiding of the underlying surface.
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