Easy to read Furniture Finishing Terms & Definitions
- Topcoat: Explains the final coats of any material, after primer or sealer, leading to the end result or final finish.
- Staining: Applying a translucent or semi translucent colour to a new wood surface, prior to a clear topcoat.Or in some cases adding translucent colour to a clear lacquer.
- Sanding: Sanding wood with a series of different grits (roughness) of sandpaper in order to achieve a smooth wood surface prior to staining and/or a topcoat.
- Finish Sanding: Sanding with a very fine or high grit sandpaper in order to prepare a surface for the next layer or topcoat.
- Stripping: Removing the old finish in order to allow for proper adhesion with a new fresh stain and/or topcoat.
- Refinishing: Removing or stripping an old finish, sanding, staining and/or applying a new topcoat.
- Finishing: Staining and/or applying a sealer/primer and/or a topcoat to a new surface that has not previously been stained or had a topcoat applied.
- Restoration: Returning the item back to it's original new condition.
- Sprayed Finish: Any material that is applied using equipment designed to atomize the liquid to allow for a smooth even surface when applied properly.
- Hand Rubbed Finish: Applying the different coats of any material by rag or brush, finish sanding and/or polishing the finish in order to achieve a smooth shiny finish.
- ReSpraying: Applying by spray gun a liquid material over top a current or existing finish on any given piece.
- RePaint: Applying a new topcoat whether by brush, roller or by spray gun.
- Up-Cycle: Improving the finish or repairing a piece in order to save it from being sent for garbage.
- Electrostatic Painting: A method that uses a positive and negative particle charge to attract the liquid material to a metal surface without atomizing the particles prior to application.
- Conventional Painting: This method uses paint rollers,brushes or a conventional spray system to apply a liquid material on any given surface.
- Oil Based Materials: The main solvent and material is derived from an oil based product.
- Water Based: Liquid material that can be diluted or cleaned up with water. The solvent used may or may not even be water, this product is defined as Water Soluble.
- Glazing: Applying a translucent liquid colour to a previously finished material, wiping and/or brushing that material leaving behind trace amounts of that coloured material.
- Antiquing: Using one or more methods of making a finish appear to be old, worn, or distressed.
- Sprucing Up: Considered to be making an improvement to any given piece.
- Low VOC: The level of Volatile Organic Compounds associated with a product, VOC's may or may not be Hazardous in the amount or even considered Toxic to the environment. Voc's are measured in two ways. ppb (parts per billion) for evaporated compounds and g/l (grams per litre) for the weight of the VOC's used in manufacturing a liquid finishing material.
- HAP'S: Hazardous Air Pollutants, considered to be toxic to the environment.
- Green: The methods and/or products used to produce the end result do not harm or have minimal impact on the environment and are considered to be non toxic.
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