Painting Terms
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Tack Free - A film is considered tack-free when the finger, with a slight pressure, will not leave a mark. The surface will not be sticky.
Tack Rag - Cheesecloth or other cotton fabric used to remove dust from surfaces prior to painting. The cloth is usually dampened with slow-drying varnish.
Tackiness - Slight stickiness of the surface of an incompletely dried film when pressed with the finger.
Tacky - Very sticky condition of paint when the fIlm is not dry but dust will not stick.
Tagging - Tagging is painting one color onto the surface of another color, that should not be there or painted by accident (e.g. wall color on ceilings or trim).
Tails - (See Fingering)
Take Off - The process of measuring and listing the quantities of materials to be used from a set of plans and specifIcations. These materials are listed by type or by operation in an organized manner.
Talc - A white magnesium silicate paint extender which is greasy or soapy to the touch.
Tannin - (1) Soluble natural stain in woods such as cedar. (2) Wood Staining.
Tannin Blocking - The process of making tannin stains insoluble so they can not stain the topcoat, (e.g., by means of a primer before the topcoat on cedar siding).
Taupe - A dark, brownish gray color, the color of moleskin.
Tempera - A pigment in water or in a vehicle soluble in water.
Tensile Strength - The force per unit area that is applied at the time of rupture of the specimen. It is calculated by dividing the breaking force in pounds by the cross-section of the unstretched specimen in square inches.
Texture - The roughness or irregularity of a surface.
Texture Paint - Paint that can be manipulated by brush, roller, trowel or other tool to produce various effects.
Thermal Barrier Coating Material - A coating material applied to objects to protect them from thermal breakdown.
Thermally Protective Coating Material - A coating material that protects against thermal influences, such as against extreme heat or cold.
Thickener - A substance added to a liquid to increase its viscosity.
Thinner - Volatile liquid used to adjust consistency or to modify other properties of paint, varnish and lacquer. Thinner is used to thin and clean up paint.
Thixotropy - The property of a material that causes it to change from a thick, pasty consistency to a fluid consistency upon agitation, brushing or rolling.
Through Dry - A condition of paint being completely. dry.
Tie Coat - A coating applied between two coats which will not bond. Tint A color made by mixing white pigment with a small amount of colored pigment.
Tint - A tint is created when white is added to a color.
Tint Base - The basic paint in a custom color system to which colorants are added.
Tinting - Final adjustments in the coloring of paint.
Tipping - The process of shaving the tips of synthetic filament to prepare the tips for flagging (splitting) for superior paint performance.
Tipping Off - The fInal smoothing brush coat, usually on enamel trim such as a door and casing. Also called laying off.
Titanium Dioxide - White pigment in virtually all white paints. Prime hiding pigment in most paints.
Toluene Or Toluol - An aromatic solvent used in the manufacture of some paints and lacquers; also used as a "reducer," particularly in lacquers.
Tone - A tone is created when gray is added to a color
Toner - Pigmented lacquer sealer that is applied by spray. Toners provide color and make the surface appear more even.
Tongue And Groove - In carpentry, a joint made by joining two pieces of timber, one having a tongue cut in the edge and the other having a groove to receive the corresponding tongue.
Tooth - A characteristic of good wall primer, it's a slight roughness which allows a better distribution of the fInish coat.
Top Coat - The last or final finish coat of paint or varnish.
Touch Up - To improve, repair or fInish by minor changes or additions.
Touch Up Failure - Difference in color and appearance between original and touch-up paint. Usually caused by poor technique; touching up with different batch number and applicator; touching up at different temperatures; failure to reduce touch up paint by up to 25%.
Toxic - Poisonous.
Traceability - The ability of a material to be traced back to its point of origin.
Trade Union - A combination of tradesmen organized for the purpose of promoting their common interests in regard to wages, hours of work, safety measures, unemployment compensation and other benefIts.
Transparent - Having the property of allowing light to permeate without diffusion or scattering; clear.
Triadic Color Scheme - A color scheme using three colors that are equidistant on the color wheel.
Trim Brush - A brush for painting door trim and other wide moldings
Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) - A heavy-duty cleaning agent in powder form. Mixed with water, it acts as a degreaser and deglosser.
Tung Oil - A fast-drying oil from the seeds of tung trees grown in China and Japan. It is used in place of linseed oil in paints and varnishes for a more water-resistant coating.
Turpentine - The distilled sap of the long-leaf pine used as a paint thinner.
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