Archie Paint Glossary - L

Archie Paint Glossary - L

Archie Paint Glossary L The following glossary contains terms used commonly in the paint and coatings industry to describe the characteristics, usage and components of paints and coatings.


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Lacquer
Coating based on synthetic thermoplastic film-forming material that is dissolved in organic solvent. Dries by solvent evaporation. 

Lacquer Thinner
Commonly used term used to describe a solvent blend of ethyl alcohol, ethyl acetate and toluene.

Lac beetle
An insect that secretes a fluid that is made into lac flakes, the basic ingredient in shellac.

Ladder
Any stairway in which the slope exceeds acceptable rise and run requirements.

Lambrequin
Drapery that hangs from a shelf, such as a mantel, or covering the top of a window or a door. This term is sometimes used interchangeably with valance.

Laminate
To bond one or more thin layers of durable plastic to a fabric or a material, Formica, for example.

Laminated particleboard
Panels of particleboard that are laminated with a plastic surface material and are used in making solid-wall partitioned storage systems.

Laminated system
A prefabricated closet organizer system made up of components that consist of plastic laminated particleboard. Installation is usually manufacturer-specific.

Laminated wallpaper
Wallpaper that has a decorative surface bonded to a backing usually made of paper or fabric. Examples include grasscloth, cloth-backed vinyls and solid sheet vinyls.

Laminated wood tiles
Built of layers of wood; especially appropriate for damp areas.

Laminating adhesive
A product designed to adhere layers of drywall in double-layer applications, and to attach drywall to concrete or rigid foam insulation (polystyrene or urethane).

Lamination
The process of adhering two thin layers together, such as a wallpaper's intermediate layer and substrate.

Lampblack
One of the native colors, lampblack is a deep black made from nearly pure carbon (containing some oil and tar impurities).

Landing
A horizontal platform at midflight in a staircase. Most often necessary on stairs that change directions.

Laitance An accumulation of fine particles loosely bound to the surface of fresh concrete. It is caused by the upward movement of water. Must be removed from the surface to avoid loss of adhesion of a coating system.  

Lap
Area where a coat of paint or other coating extends over an adjacent fresh coat. The painter’s objective is to make this juncture without visible lap marks.

Lapping Color and sheen differences that occur when wet and dry layers overlap during spray, brush or roller application. Also known as "lap marks."  

Latex A milky-white, fine dispersion of a solid resin in an aqueous medium. Also used to describe water-thinned paints, the principal vehicle of which is latex. 

Latex-based Paint
General term used for water-based emulsion paints made with synthetic binders such as 100% acrylic, vinyl acrylic, terpolymer or styrene acrylic. A stable emulsion of polymers and pigment in water.

Lattice
Thin strips of wood that are crossed to make a pattern for a trellis or an arbor.

Lay-off
A process where a brush is used to smooth out paint that has been applied to a surface. 

Lead
A metal, previously used as a pigment in paints. Discontinued in the early 1950s by industry consensus standard, and banned by the Consumer Products Safety Commission in 1978 because of its toxicity.

Level
A hand tool for checking that any piece is perfectly horizontal or vertical. Also a term meaning horizontal.

Leveling
The ability of a paint to smooth out after application so that it shows no brush or roller marks when dry.

Lifting
Softening and raising or wrinkling of a previous coat by the application of an additional coat; often caused by coatings containing strong solvents.

Light box
A box containing the major types of lighting: incandescent (standard light bulbs) and fluorescent (cool white, warm white, and daylight).

Light reflectance value (LRV)
The numerical value associated with the amount of light reflected off a dry film coat; the measurement is obtained by using a gloss meter.

Light sources
Any device that creates light and any opening that admits light. Consider lighting variables before choosing colors, textures, shiny or dull finishes, etc. Variables include direct or reflected natural, incandescent or fluorescent light.

Light well
A lighting fixture recessed below ground level that directs light upward, typically used to highlight tall plantings or other features beside the pond.

Lightfastness
The ability to withstand color change on exposure to light.

Lightness
(brightness, reflectance, value) position on the gray scale between pure black and pure white.

Lightweight joint compound
A patching compound that is very light and nonshrinking and requires little effort when sanding. When the joint compound dries, it does not evaporate and, therefore, does not shrink.

Lignin
The binding agent that holds the cells in wood together.

Linear feet
A one-dimensional measurement of length.

Liner paper
Blank wallpaper stock available in a variety of weights, used to smooth a rough surface or to cover the grooves in paneling or concrete block walls. It is also used under expensive hand-printed murals and foils. Liners minimize the possibility of mildew, as they absorb excess moisture between layers of nonbreathing wallpaper and nonbreathing wall surface.

Lining brush
A thin, flexible, long-bristled brush used for fine lining and detail work.

Linseed oil
A finishing oil made from pressed flax seeds. An ingredient used in paint (oil-based) and varnish.

Lintel
Horizontal members that span a door opening; may be structural or solely decorative.

Liquid Driers
Solution of soluble driers in organic solvents.

Liquid sander, liquid sandpaper
Liquid chemical used to degloss a painted surface in order to improve adhesion of an applied coating. 

Lithopone
A white pigment of barium sulfate and zinc sulfide.
Historical Note: Lithopone was once a primary substitute for lead carbonate or "white lead" pigments; it has been largely replaced by titanium dioxide.

Livering
An increase in the consistency of a paint resulting in a rubbery or coagulated mass.

Local Cell
A galvanic cell caused by small differences in composition in the metal or the electrolyte.

Long Oil
Term used to describe a resin that contains more than 60% oil.

Louver fence
A fence with boards installed either vertically or horizontally on an angle so that they serve as filters for wind and sunlight.

Low sheen finish
A paint that has a low luster appearance. Its gloss level is between eggshell and flat. 

Lumen
The amount of light cast upon 1 square foot of the inner surface of a hollow sphere of 1-foot radius with an international candle in its center.

Luminaire
The lighting industry uses this term to encompass a "lighting fixture" or "fitting." Luminaires are grouped by mounting type and locations.

Luminous paint
Paint which exhibits fluorescence. Includes fluorescent paint, phosphorescent paint and radioactive paint.

Luster
The gloss of a finish.





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