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| Valance |
| Short drapery that hangs along the top part of a window, with or without a curtain underneath. It can also be made of wood or metal that is painted or covered with fabric. |
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| Value |
| The lightness or darkness of a color, running from a low-value shade to a high-value pastel tint. Value varies with the amount of white or black in the color's composition. |
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| Value scale |
| A graphic tool used to show the range of values between pure white and true black. |
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| Vanity |
| The countertop and cabinet used to support a sink. The vanity is usually included for storage purposes. It may double as a dressing table. |
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| Vapor barrier |
| A plastic film or other product used on exterior walls to prevent the formation of vapor behind the adjoining interior walls. A properly installed vapor barrier can prevent the formation of mildew due to water vapor between the wall and the wallpaper. |
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| Vapor degreasing |
| The use of a condensing solvent vapor to dissolve and rinse away oil and grease from a surface prior to assembly or painting. |
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| Vapor pressure |
| The outward pressure of a mass of vapor at a given temperature. It is the index of the volatility of a liquid. |
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| Variegated pattern |
| Any pattern or design that contains different features in character, form and appearance. Examples: floral and stripes, wide stripes and narrow stripes. |
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| Varnish |
| The traditional top coat used in decorative painting, consisting of an oil-based paint with a solvent and an oxidizing or evaporating binder, which leaves behind a thin, hard film. |
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| Vehicle |
| The liquid portion of a finishing material consisting of the binder and volatile thinners as contrasted to the pigment or solid matter. |
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| Veneer |
| A thin sheet of wood applied to a piece of inferior wood or plywood. Fine wood veneer is used in furniture. This allows you to use rare and exotic woods, which either are not available in solid form or would be too expensive. |
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| Vent |
| An outlet for air, such as a vent pipe in a plumbing system or a ventilating duct. |
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| Vermillion red |
| One of the basic pigments, vermilion red is a brilliant pure red made from mercuric sulphide. |
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| Vertical board-on-board fence |
| Fence that is fully sided to provide privacy while not entirely blocking sunlight. Often built on a property line. |
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| Vinyl |
| A type of flexible water-and-rot-resistant siding made from extruded polyvinyl chloride (PVC). |
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| Vinyl fence |
| Prefabricated fence made of PVC plastic that imitates a variety of fence designs, including board, rail, picket, lattice and ornamental metal. |
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| Vinyl-faced panel |
| Predecorated drywall paneling that is attached with adhesive and special fasteners and requires no edge or joint treatments. |
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| Viscometer |
| Any instrument that measures viscosity or the internal friction of fluidity of a liquid. |
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| Viscosity |
| Expression of the flow characteristics of a fluid. A high viscosity indicates a thick, slow-flowing material. |
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| Vise |
| A device, usually having a pair of jaws, designed to hold wood or other material while work is being done on it. |
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| Visible spectrum |
| The bands of hues created when sunlight passes through a prism. |
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| Vitreous tile |
| Nonporous tile, stronger than nonvitreous, that absorbs little water and is freeze-thaw stable. |
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| VM&P Naphtha |
| The abbreviation for Varnish Maker’s and Painter’s Naphtha. A petroleum distillate with a boiling point of about 197°F and a flash point 70°F. |
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| VOC |
| Volatile organic compound |
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| Volatile content |
| Percentage of materials which evaporate. |
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| Volume solids |
| The percentage by volume of non-evaporating material in a coating. |
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