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| B-grade |
| Like B-heart redwood, B-grade redwood contains limited knots. However, B-grade may also contain sapwood. Used for highly visible applications where the wood won't be subjected to rot. |
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| B-heart |
| Redwood grade that contains limited knots but no sapwood and is less expensive than clear all-heart. |
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| Back band |
| Molding used to decorate the outer edges of flat casing. It can also be used as a base cap. |
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| Back prime |
| The process of painting the back or unexposed side of material. |
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| Back-buttering |
| Applying adhesive to the back of a tile to supplement the adhesive spread on the setting bed. Any tile with an uneven back, button-backed tiles, sheet-mounted mosaic tiles and small cut tiles must be back-buttered to provide a strong bond. |
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| Backlighting |
| Illumination coming from a source behind or at the side of an object. |
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| Backsaw |
| A saw used for small work on the bench top. An extra-fine narrow backsaw is called a dovetail saw. |
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| Backsplash |
| The vertical part at the rear and sides of a countertop that protects the adjacent wall surface. It is at least 4-inches high. |
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| Baffle |
| An obstacle purposely placed around a bird feeder to keep out unwanted competitors and predators. |
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| Baking |
| The process of drying a coating material by the application of artificial heat. A baking enamel is one which requires elevated temperatures of 300°F to 400°F in order to become hard and dry. |
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| Ball Mills |
| Cylindrical vessels containing steel balls used in grinding coatings. |
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| Baluster |
| A vertical railing member that supports the upper and lower rails. |
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| Balustrade |
| The entire assembly that supports the handrail. It consists of newels, balusters and the handrail. |
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| Barium Metaborate |
| A pigment commonly used in corrosion-inhibitive coatings. Pigment particles plug the small pores in the dry film and absorb any moisture that enters the film, preventing it from reaching the metal substrate. Barium metaborate is also a mildewcide. |
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| Barrier coat |
| A coating used to isolate a paint system either from the surface to which it is applied or a previous coating for the purpose of increasing adhesion or ensuring compatibility. |
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| Base cabinet |
| A cabinet that rests on the floor and supports a countertop. |
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| Base cap |
| Molding applied to the top of base trim. |
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| Base coat |
| In decorative painting this is the solid color of either gloss or semi-gloss paint that shows underneath the glaze coat pattern. |
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| Base plan |
| Transferring rough measurements of an existing room to a scale drawing; a convenient scale for planning a bathroom is to make 1/2 inch equal 1 foot. |
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| Base shoe |
| Molding used to conceal any variation between the floor and base bottom. It is also used to cover edges of sheet vinyl flooring (when in-stalled without first removing base trim). |
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| Base tile |
| Tile that has a finished top edge; it is designed specifically for the floor line. |
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| Base trim |
| Sometimes called base molding, base trim protects the lower portion of the walls, and covers any gaps between the wall and the floor. |
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| Baseboard |
| A piece of trim, either plain or milled, installed around a room at the base of the walls to conceal the joints of walls and adjoining floor covering. |
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| Baseboard shoe |
| A narrow piece of trim, usually quarter round, attached to the baseboard at the floor to hide any gaps. |
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| Baseplate |
| A plate that distributes vertical loads. |
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| Basin |
| A shallow sink. |
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| Basket-weave design |
| A pattern or arrangement that simulates an over-and-under weaving pattern. |
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| Bat |
| A brick that is cut in half lengthwise. |
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| Bay window |
| A window, typically three sided, that projects from a wall, creating a recessed area in the structure's interior. Also called an oriel. |
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| Bead |
| Heavy accumulation of a coating which occurs at the lower edge of a panel or other vertical surface as the result of excessive flowing. |
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| Beam |
| Horizontal structural member that sits on posts or walls and supports the structure above it. When bearing walls are removed, they must be replaced by a beam. |
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| Beam hanger |
| A metal pocket- or shelf-like hanger that supports a beam where it butts into another member. |
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| Bearing wall (load-bearing wall) |
| A wall designed to support rafters, ceiling joists or walls directly above it. All outside walls of a house are bearing walls. |
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| Bidet |
| A bowl-shaped fixture that supplies water for personal hygiene. It looks similar to a toilet. |
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| Bimetallic Corrosion |
| Corrosion resulting from dissimilar metal contact. |
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| Binder (in painting) |
| A viscous, pliant material that holds pigments in suspension and makes them adhere to surfaces; the bulk of what makes up paint. |
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| Biocide |
| An additive to coatings that kills plants (e.g., algae, fungus, mildew, mold) growing in or on the surface of the coating. |
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| Bisque |
| The clay body of a tile, or the clay from which the tile is made. |
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| Bite |
| Ability of a coating to penetrate or soften a previous coating or substrate. |
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| Bitumastic |
| A protective coating made primarily for waterproofing. A coal tar or asphalt based coating material usually used in thick films. |
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| Black silicone-carbide sandpaper |
| A sandpaper which is made with water-resistant glue to attach the abrasives to the paper. This sandpaper is often referred to as "wet-or-dry" sandpaper because it can be used with a water or oil lubricant, or no lubricant at all. |
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| Blast Profile |
| A cross sectional view of an abrasive blasted surface. |
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| Bleaching |
| The use of oxalic acid or other agents to lighten or restore discolored or stained wood to its original color. The fading of a color toward white generally caused by exposure to chemicals or ultraviolet radiation. |
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| Bleaching Agent |
| Any material which, when properly used, makes the color of an object permanently lighter. |
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| Bleeding |
| The diffusion of coloring matter from the undercoat or substrate through the coating on top of it, resulting in discoloration of the topcoat. |
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| Blemish |
| An irregularity, obviously not caused by weathering, marring the appearance of the surface of a specimen. |
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| Blender brushes |
| Specialty brushes used to blend and soften all types of wet painted surfaces. |
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| Blister (in wallpapering) |
| A small bubble of air that forms under the wallpaper during installation. The cause of blisters includes inadequate soaking or relaxing time, installation temperatures below 50 degrees F, air trapped between the wall and the paper, wallpaper installed on porous, unsealed wall and adhesive aeration. |
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| Blistering |
| Paint problem characterized by paint coming off the surface in bubbles. Caused by paint applied over a wet, oily or dirty surface. Also occurs when water vapor escapes from the house interior. |
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| Blocking |
| The undesirable sticking together of two painted surfaces when pressed together under normal conditions or under specified conditions of temperature, pressure and relative humidity. |
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| Bloom |
| A bluish cast which forms on the surface of some films. Blooming is caused by the deposition of a thin film of foreign materials such as smoke, dust or oil, or by the exudation of a component of the paint film. |
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| Blotching |
| A staining problem where the stain is unevenly absorbed causing dark and light areas. This is caused by a swirly grain or uneven density of a piece of wood. |
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| Blower |
| An electromechanical device that generates air pressure to provide spa jets and rings with bubbles. |
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| Blown ceiling |
| Popcorn-like texturing material fed through a hopper to an airless spray gun and blown onto a ceiling, where it is left to dry without retouching. |
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| Blueprint |
| Any of the prints made by the Ozalid process (the image can be blue, black or brown). |
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| Blushing |
| A term describing opaque lacquer that loses its gloss and becomes flat, or clear lacquer that turns white or milky. Usually caused by moisture settling on an uncured surface. |
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| Body |
| The thickness or viscosity of a fluid. A practical term used to give a qualitative picture of consistency. |
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| Boiled Oil |
| Linseed oil which will dry faster. Formerly it was heated to make it a drying oil. Today it has chemical driers added. |
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| Bolt - wallpaper |
| A continuous roll of wallpaper equivalent to two or more single rolls and packaged as one unit. Usually 48- and 54-inch commercial wallpapers are packaged in 30-yard bolts. Bolts are packaged this way to increase the usable yield. |
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| Bonderizing |
| A phosphate treatment on iron, steel or zinc which provides a degree of rust-inhibition and a good base for application of coatings. Bonderizing is a trade name of Parker Rust-Proof Company, and refers to their process of phosphating. |
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| Booking (in wallpapering) |
| The technique of folding wallpaper and allowing time for the adhesive to penetrate without drying out so that the paper expands. The time period varies with different types of wallpaper. To book wallpaper, fold it pasted side to pasted side, with the edges of the strip in alignment and the ends overlapping about 1/2 inch approximately midway down the strip. |
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| Borate-treated lumber |
| Lumber preserved with borate salts. This method is effective against wood-boring insects, but not as effective against mold and fungus, so it is not recommended for posts or other ground-contact situations. |
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| Borders (in wallpaper) |
| A strip of wallpaper, usually less than 15-inches wide, that is used as a decorative element along ceiling lines, chair rails and around doors and windows. |
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| Bounce Back |
| The rebound of atomized paint, especially when applied by conventional air spray methods. |
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| Bow window |
| A rounded bay or bowed window projecting out from a building in an arced shape. |
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| Box cornice |
| A cornice completely closed with trimwork. |
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| Boxing |
| Pouring all paint of the same color and formula into one large container and then mixing it together to eliminate minor variations in color between cans. |
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| Breathable wallpaper |
| Any wallpaper that has a porous surface through which air can pass. |
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| Breather |
| A type of coating, usually oil-based, which will allow moisture vapor to pass through. A breather is required for coating the broad surfaces of a wood house. |
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| Breccia marble |
| Marble that is composed of sharp fragments cemented together. |
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| Brick |
| Clay that is molded to shape and fired at high temperatures in a large kiln or oven. The color of the natural clay determines the color of the brick. |
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| Brick veneer tile |
| Tile that simulates the appearance of real brick. |
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| Bright Rubbed Effect |
| Mostly a furniture finish, where gloss is rubbed to a mar-free finish with approximately 50-60 units of gloss at 60°, with sandpaper, pumice, or steelwool and either oil or water. |
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| Brightness |
| An optics and appearance attribute of visual sensation by which an observer is aware of the differences in luminance or lightness and saturation. |
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| Brittleness |
| The tendency of a dried film to crack or flake when bent, flexed, or scratched. |
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| Broom finish |
| The texture created when a concrete surface is stroked with a stiff broom while the concrete is still curing. |
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| Brush |
| A tool composed of bristles set into a handle; often used to apply coatings. Bristles may be synthetic (needed for water-thinned paints) or natural, such as hog hair. |
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| Brush marks |
| Marks of the brush that remain in the dried paint film. |
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| Brushability |
| The ease of applying a coating by brush. Measured as ICI Viscosity. |
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| Bubbling |
| The appearance of bubbles in the film while a material is being applied. Caused by any condition that causes air, vapors, or gases to be trapped in the film while it is soft but after it has hardened sufficiently to prevent the gas from escaping. |
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| Builder's flat |
| A mixture consisting of joint compound diluted with water, which is spread on a wall like paint (usually on new construction). It provides a decorative surface, but it is one of the worst enemies of a good wallpapering job. To install wallpaper over builder's flat, first wash it thoroughly with a mixture of ammonia and water, and then seal it with an acrylic primer-sealer or a thinned-down oil-based primer-sealer. |
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| Built-in |
| Any element, such as a bookcase or cabinetry, that is built into a wall or an existing frame. |
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| Built-up beam or girder |
| A beam or girder made of smaller component parts, for example, nailing together three 2x12s for a "built-up" 6x12 beam. |
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| Built-up trim |
| Several profiles of trim combined to appear as one large piece of molding. Most often it is used as ceiling trim or on the exterior of the home. |
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| Bullnose tile |
| A trim tile with one rounded edge, used to finish off outside corners. |
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| Burled wood |
| Wood that has been cut from a gnarled, knotty part of a tree, giving it a curved and irregular grain pattern. |
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| Burn-in stick |
| Stick of filler material used in the repair of surface damage to furniture. The filler must be melted onto the damaged surface and then trimmed smooth. Also called lacquer or shellac stick. |
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| Burnished seam - wallpaper |
| A seam that has a slick or glossy look caused by excessive pressure from a seam roller. |
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| Burnt sienna |
| One of the native colors, this is a deep, rich rust-red made from calcined raw sienna. |
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| Burnt umber |
| One of the native colors, burnt umber is a dark reddish brown made from calcined raw umber. |
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| Butcher block |
| A counter or tabletop material composed of strips of hardwood, often rock maple, laminated together and sealed against moisture penetration. |
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| Butt seam |
| The most common (and easily achieved) type of seam in wallpapering, in which two strips are placed edge to edge without any overlap. After forming a butt seam, roll it gently with a seam roller to secure it in place. Recheck the seam after 10 minutes and roll again if necessary. |
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| Butt-edged wood tiles |
| Tiles with flat edges along all sides. |
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