Like many other jobs, careers, or fields of interest, commercial painting has its own terminology. You may have happened to hear painting contractors in Pleasant Hill conversing with each other while working at your property. It might seem that they are speaking in a different language whenever they are talking about the paints they use and how they are carrying out their work.
Here are some of the following terms and their definitions that you might want to know before contractors arrive at your home or business:
1. Adhesion
How well the paint stays attached to the surface.
2. Bare substrate
Also called as only “substrate,” it is a surface without a coat of paint.
3. Bleeding
It refers to discoloration of in a new coat of paint when the old paint shows through. For example, when a darker color of old paint is showing through a lighter-colored new paint, the darker color is bleeding.
4. Blistering
A surface problem which consists of bubbles that form on a finished paint job. Blistering is caused by a variety of factors, among them moisture or contamination of the surface the paint is applied to. It can also be caused by painting over a previous coat before it has dried completely.
5. Blushing
The term refers to the appearance of whitish substance on a surface of varnish or enamel. It is a defect in the paint film. It is usually caused by rapid evaporation of excessive moisture during painting.
6. Breathe
The term refers to allowing moisture from the surface through the paint.
7. Brittle
When the paint is dry and lacks flexibility, it is brittle.
8. Cut in
The term refers to using the brush to paint around edges of a surface that are too difficult to reach with a roller.
9. Crocodiling
Also called “alligatoring,” the term refers to patterned cracks on the surface that resemble the scales of a crocodile (or an alligator). There are many possible causes of alligatoring. The coating may not be as flexible as the temperature fluctuates. The application of an extremely hard and rigid coating (such as solvent-based enamel) over a more flexible coating (such as a latex primer) may also cause alligatoring.
10. Hardness
The term refers to the paint’s ability to withstand dents, marring, and scratches.
11. Intercoat
A paint coat that is applied after the primer and before the topcoat.
12. Lap
Also known as a lap mark, the term refers to a freshly applied coat of paint that extends over another coat of paint that has been previously applied.
13. Masking
The term refers to the covering of areas that are not to be painted. This is usually done by using a painter’s tape and paper.
14. Orange peel
When the paint film has the appearance and roughness of an orange peel, it’s due to poor or improper roller or spray application.
15. Peeling
The term refers to the curling and detaching of paint due to loss of adhesion.
16. Runs
Drips in a finished paint job due to a thick and excessive application of paint. They are also called “sags.”
17. Spot priming
Application of primer to a smaller, more specific area (instead of the whole area) where the surface has become exposed.
18. Stripping
Removing old paint layers in preparation for the new paint.
19. Tacky
When the paint is not dry yet and still feels damp to the touch, it is tacky.
20. Touch-dry
When the paint no longer feels tacky to the touch (see “tacky”), it is touch-dry.
21. Wash ability
The paint’s ability to be cleaned and washed and still maintain its appearance.
Hopefully, these painter’s terms can help you understand and communicate better with your painting contractor, whether they are making an estimate or working on your home. Still, though, don’t hesitate to ask questions when there are other things that you don’t understand – your contractor will be glad to explain them to you.
Get the most out of your painting project by hiring only the best professional painting contractors in Pleasant Hill. If you are ready to hire painting contractors to take on your painting project, contact Custom Painting Inc. for a free estimate.