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| Tack |
| That property of cohesion between particles of a paint that can be described as the pulling power of the paint against the surface to which it is applied. Similar to stickiness or adhesion. |
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| Tack cloth |
| A piece of cheese cloth or other lint-free cloth treated with turpentine and a small amount of varnish to produce a tacky surface that picks up and holds dust and lint. |
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| Tack free |
| That condition when a film of finishing material has reached the point that the surface can be touched lightly without a sensation of stickiness. |
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| Tack rag |
| A piece of cheesecloth or other fabric treated with turpentine and varnish to create a sticky or tacky quality so the rag will pick up and hold all the dust that it touches. |
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| Tacky |
| That stage in the drying of a paint at which the film appears sticky when lightly touched with the finger. |
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| Tall oil |
| A vegetable oil by-product from the manufacture of wood pulp. It is a mixture of fatty acids and rosin. |
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| Tannin |
| Water- or solvent-soluble colors/resins found in wood. |
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| Tape test |
| A type of adhesion test consisting of the application of an adhesive tape to a dried coating and rapidly removing the tape with a swift, jerking motion. The coating can be either scribed or unscribed, depending on the specification. The "wet adhesion" test for latex paints is performed by first wetting the paint with a specified quantity of water for a specified time and blotting off the excess surface water. The tape test is made immediately after blotting. |
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| Tarnish |
| Surface discoloration of a metal surface caused by a thin film of corrosion product. |
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| Task lighting |
| Lighting that concentrates in specific areas for tasks such as preparing food, applying makeup, reading or doing crafts. |
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| Tempera paint |
| A mixture of pigments and a water-soluble glutinous emulsion binder, often made from an oil extracted from egg yolks. |
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| Tempered hardboard |
| Solid or perforated hardboard panels impregnated with resin under high pressure to make them stronger and more resistant to moisture. |
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| Terebene dryer |
| A substance (prepared from oil of turpentine) that can be added to alkyd-based paints (most often house paints) to speed their drying. |
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| Terne plate |
| Steel coated on one or both sides with a lead-tin alloy. |
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| Terra cotta tiles |
| Pavers that are available in a variety of earth tones. |
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| Tertiary colors |
| A mix of a primary and secondary that produces a range of complex colors, such as blue-green, yellow-green and red-orange. |
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| Textured roller |
| A roller with a nap made from wire or plastic strands that leave a distinctive pattern in wet joint compound. |
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| Texturing compounds |
| Substances that go into paints where a rough, grained or dimensional quality is desired. |
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| Thermal expansion/contraction |
| The movement within a structure or wall in response to temperature changes. |
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| Thermal paint |
| Coating containing small granules of metallic powder that creat a resistance when current is applied and thereby heat the substrate. |
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| Thermoplastic |
| The property of softening when heated and hardening upon cooling, as contrasted to thermosetting. |
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| Thermosetting |
| The term applied to resins which become hard after heating and cannot be resoftened. |
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| Thick-bed mortar |
| A layer of mortar more than 1/2-inch thick that is used to level an uneven surface for tiling. |
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| Thickener |
| (1) Any material used to thicken a liquid. (2) An additive used to thicken (increase viscosity) or modify the rheology of a coating. |
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| Thin set |
| A method of attaching tile to a substrate by means of a troweled-on adhesive. |
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| Thin-set adhesive (mortar) |
| Any cement-based or organic adhesive applied in a thin layer (less than 1/2 inch) for setting tile. |
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| Thinner |
| A liquid that is mixed with paint to make it less thick. Mineral spirits may be used for alkyd paints and water for latex paint. |
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| Thinset adhesives |
| Any cement-based or organic adhesive applied in a thin layer (less than 1/2 inch) for setting tile. |
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| Thixotropy |
| The property of certain gels to become liquid upon being shaken or agitated and to coagulate again when left in an undisturbed condition. |
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| Threshold |
| A wood or aluminum strip used on the bottom of doors to cover the gap between the sill and the floor; not often used on interior doors. |
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| Tiered frame |
| A coated-wire framing system in which baskets are placed on separate levels. |
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| Tile cutter |
| Special machine used to cut ceramic tile. |
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| Tile nipper |
| Plier-type tool used to make irregular shaped cuts in tile. |
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| Tile spacer |
| Anything used to create consistently sized grout joints. |
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| Tilt-out tray |
| The storage space created behind a sink base's false front panel used for hiding soap, sponges, steel-wool pads and other cleaning accessories. |
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| Timber |
| Lumber pieces, larger than a nominal 4x4, typically used as columns or beams. |
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| Tint |
| A color lightened with white toward a pastel range. Pink is a tint of red. |
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| Tinting strength |
| Coloring power of a given quantity or pigment or paint. |
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| Titanium Dioxide, TiO2 |
| A white pigment used in paints and enamels primarily to increase hiding power and give greatest brightness. |
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| Titanium white |
| The most common white pigment, titanium white is a brilliant white that is synthetically derived from the metal titanium. |
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| Tolerance |
| Variation from a specified limit. |
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| Toluene |
| Sometimes called toluol. A solvent, like xylene, that softens glue enough so it can be scrubbed off with a coarse cloth or soft-bristle brush. |
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| Tone |
| A color to which gray has been added to change its value. |
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| Toner |
| An organic pigment which does not contain inorganic pigment or inorganic carrying base. It is usually a heavy metal salt of a water soluble dye. |
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| Tooth |
| The coarse quality of a surface (or a coating on a surface) that improves the performance, appearance and longevity of paint. |
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| Top cap |
| A horizontal piece of lumber laid flat on top of the post and top rail, covering the end grain of the post and providing a flat surface wide enough to set objects on. |
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| Topcoat |
| Usually the final paint film applied to a surface. |
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| Topping compound |
| A drying-type joint compound used for the middle (filler) and/or finish coats. |
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| Torchiere |
| A lamp designed to direct light upwards. Most of the light is thrown against the ceiling and reflected back. |
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| Total rise |
| The total vertical distance through which the stairs must cross, from finished floor to finished floor. |
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| Total run |
| The total horizontal distance the stairs cover from the face of the top riser to that of the bottom riser. |
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| Touch up |
| Applying paint to small sections of a surface to obtain an even, unbroken coating film. |
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| Toughness |
| The ability of a hard finish to resist bending, impacts, or distortion without cracking. The opposite of brittleness. |
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| Toxic |
| Poisonous. |
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| Toxicity |
| A relative property of a chemical agent with reference to a harmful effect on some biological mechanism and the condition under which this effect occurs. The quality being poisonous. |
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| Track lighting |
| Lighting that utilizes a fixed band that supplies a current to movable light fixtures. |
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| Traditional style |
| A style of decoration or architecture that employs forms that have been repeated for generations without major changes. |
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| Translucent |
| A coating which admits some light; between opaque and transparent. |
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| Transom |
| A window mounted above a door or another window. Transoms usually occur above head height. |
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| Transparent |
| A coating which light can penetrate; one which we look through and see the surface underneath. |
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| Trash compactor |
| A mechanical device for squeezing trash into a compact bundle. |
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| Tread |
| The horizontal boards on stairs, supported by the stringer. |
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| Treated pigment |
| A pigment that has been processed during manufacturing to impart specific properties. |
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| Trellis |
| An open-framed garden structure on which plants and vines can grow. |
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| Triad |
| Any three colors located equidistant from one another on the color wheel. |
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| Trim |
| One-by lumber used as siding corner boards or as finish materials around windows and doors, under eaves or around cornices. |
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| Trim tile |
| A specially formed tile that is used to finish off inside or outside edges and corners of tile installations. |
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| Trisodium phosphate |
| (TSP) A strong, low-sud, powdered cleaning agent to be mixed with water and used to clean house exteriors and walls that have remaining wallpaper glue. |
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| Trompe l'oeil |
| French for "fool the eye," used to describe a painted surface that convincingly mimics reality. |
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| Troweling |
| Finishing the concrete after it has been screeded. This finishing step is for interior concrete applications and concrete without air-entrainment. |
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| True divided-light window |
| A window composed of multiple glass panes that are divided by and held together by muntins. |
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| Truss |
| Manufactured roof-support member internally supported through cross braces called webs. W-type and Howe trusses are the most common ones used in garage construction. |
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| Trusses |
| A roof framing system with rafters supported by crossed webs. An attic with trusses is not suitable for conversion to living space. |
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| Tufting |
| The fabric of an upholstered piece or a mattress that is drawn tightly to secure the padding, creating regularly spaced indentations. |
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| Tumbling |
| Process used in some paint storehouses whereby containers are repeatedly up-ended to redisperse pigments which may have settled or caked during storage of the paint. |
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| Tung oil |
| A water-resistant finishing oil or varnish ingredient made from crushed tung-tree seeds. |
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| Turbidity |
| A cloudiness in transparent coating caused by finely suspended matter. |
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| Turnaround |
| Space permitting, an area for cars to park and turn around without having to back into the street. |
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| Turpentine |
| A solvent made from distillate of pine resins, used as a thinner and cleaner for alkyd-based paints. |
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