Painter’s dictionary · A–Z

Painting & decorating terms, explained

From cutting in to mist coats, skirting boards to white spirit — the words painters and decorators use in the UK, plus terms you may come across from other countries, all in plain English.

A

Acrylic paint: A water-based paint that dries to a flexible, water-resistant film. Most modern wall and ceiling paints are acrylic-based.
Adhesion: How well a coating grips the surface beneath it. Poor adhesion is a common reason paint peels or flakes.
Architrave: The decorative moulding fitted around a door or window frame to cover the join between frame and wall.

B

Baseboard: The American term for what the UK calls a skirting board. See also: Skirting board.
Bleeding: When a stain, knot or previous colour shows through a new coat of paint. Usually needs a stain-blocking primer.
Blistering: Bubbles forming under a paint film, often from trapped moisture or painting in strong heat. The cause should be found before repainting.
Blocking: When two freshly painted surfaces — like a door and its frame — stick together on contact. More common with water-based paints.
Brush marks: Visible ridges left in dried paint by brush bristles. Good technique, the right brush and laying off help avoid them.

C

Caulk: A flexible filler used to seal gaps between surfaces, such as where skirting meets a wall. Decorator’s caulk can be painted over once dry.
Chalking: A powdery residue on the surface of weathered paint. New paint will not grip chalking well, so it must be cleaned off and stabilised first.
Colour washing: A decorative technique where a thinned glaze is brushed over a base colour to give a soft, broken finish.
Cornice: The moulded plasterwork where a wall meets the ceiling. In modern homes this is often called coving.
Coverage: How far a paint goes, usually shown on the tin as square metres per litre. Porous or dark surfaces often need more than stated.
Coving: A curved moulding fitted between wall and ceiling to soften the join. The everyday UK version of a cornice.
Cutting in: Painting a neat brush line around edges, corners, ceilings and woodwork before rolling the main area.

D

Dado rail: A horizontal moulding fixed part-way up a wall, traditionally to protect plaster from chair backs. Often used to split two colours or finishes.
Distemper: An old-fashioned chalky wall coating found in some older properties. It must be removed or sealed before modern paint will hold.
Drop cloth: The American term for a dust sheet — the covering laid over floors and furniture while painting. See also: Dust sheet.
Drywall: The American term for plasterboard. See also: Plasterboard.
Drying time: How long paint takes to dry. Touch dry means it no longer feels wet; recoat time is when it is hard enough to paint over.
Dust sheet: A canvas or plastic sheet that protects floors and furniture from drips and dust during decorating.

E

Efflorescence: White salty deposits that appear on brick, render or plaster when moisture moves through the wall and evaporates. The moisture source needs dealing with first.
Eggshell: A low-sheen finish for woodwork and walls, sitting between matt and satin. Popular for a softer look than gloss.
Emulsion: The standard UK term for water-based wall and ceiling paint. Comes in matt, silk and soft-sheen finishes.
Enamel: A hard, durable paint finish traditionally used on woodwork and metal. The term is more common in American and older UK paint ranges.
Etch primer: A primer that slightly bites into very smooth metal so following coats can grip.
Extension pole: A telescopic pole that a roller screws onto, used to reach ceilings and high walls without a ladder.

F

Fading: Loss of colour in paint from sunlight and weathering. Exterior paints are formulated to resist it.
Feathering: Softening the edge of a patch of filler or a wet paint edge so it blends smoothly into the surrounding area.
Feature wall: One wall decorated in a different colour, wallpaper or finish to create a focal point. Often called an accent wall in America.
Filler: A paste or powder used to repair cracks, holes and dents before painting. Different fillers suit different depths and surfaces.
Flashing: Patchy differences in sheen or colour after painting, often where filled areas were not sealed. Sealing repairs first helps prevent it.
Flaking: Paint peeling away from the surface, usually after blistering or cracking. Loose material must be removed before repainting.

G

Gloss: The shiniest standard paint finish — hard-wearing and easy to wipe, so often used on skirting, doors and window frames. Also describes the general shine level of any paint.
Graining: A decorative technique that imitates the look of wood grain using glazes and specialist tools.

H

Hue: Another word for a pure colour — red, blue, green and so on — before white, black or grey is added.

K

Knotting solution: A shellac-based treatment painted over knots in timber to stop resin bleeding through and staining the finish.

L

Lacquer: A clear, hard protective finish, usually applied to wood or metal.
Laying off: The final light pass of a brush or roller over wet paint, always in the same direction, to give an even finish without marks.
Lead-based paint: Paint containing lead, common in homes decorated before the 1990s. It is hazardous when sanded or stripped, so test and take precautions before disturbing old coatings.
Limewash: A traditional breathable finish made from lime, used on older masonry. It suits buildings that need moisture to escape through the walls.
Lining paper: A plain paper hung on walls before painting or wallpapering to give a smoother, more even surface.

M

Marbling: A decorative paint technique that imitates the veined look of marble.
Masking: Covering edges and areas that must stay paint-free, usually with masking tape and paper.
Masonry paint: A durable exterior paint formulated for brick, render and stone, designed to cope with weather.
Matt: The flattest paint finish, with no shine. Good at hiding surface imperfections but generally less washable than silk or satin.
Mist coat: A first coat of thinned emulsion applied to new plaster so it soaks in and seals the surface before full-strength coats.
Mould: Dark spotting growth that thrives in damp, poorly ventilated rooms. The moisture cause should be addressed before cleaning and redecorating.

N

Nap: The length of fibres on a roller sleeve. Short nap for smooth surfaces and gloss; long nap for rough or textured walls.

O

Oil-based paint: Paint that uses an oil or solvent base rather than water. Traditionally used for gloss woodwork; cleaned up with white spirit.
Opacity: How well a paint hides what is underneath. High-opacity paints cover dark colours in fewer coats.
Orange peel: A slightly dimpled paint texture that looks like orange skin, usually from application or drying conditions.

P

Picture framing: When brushed edges around a wall dry darker than the rolled middle, looking like a frame. Cutting in and rolling while edges are still wet helps avoid it.
Pigment: The fine solid particles that give a paint its colour.
Plasterboard: Gypsum board fixed to walls and ceilings, ready to be skimmed or jointed and painted. Known as drywall in America.
Primer: The first coat applied to a bare surface. It seals the material and gives following coats something to grip.
Primer-sealer: A product combining the jobs of a primer and a sealer in one coat.

R

Rag rolling: A decorative technique where a rolled rag is pressed into wet glaze to create a soft, textured pattern.
Re-coat time: How long a coat must dry before the next one can be applied. Painting too soon can cause wrinkling or lifting.
Render: A sand and cement coating applied to exterior brick or blockwork.
Runs: Streaks of paint that have sagged down a surface because it was applied too thickly. Also called sags or curtains.

S

Sanding: Rubbing a surface with abrasive paper to smooth it before painting, or to key a glossy surface so new paint will stick.
Satin: A mid-sheen finish between matt and gloss. Satinwood is the common UK version for interior woodwork.
Sealer: A coating that soaks into porous surfaces to even out absorption, or blocks stains from bleeding into the finish.
Silk: An emulsion with a soft sheen, more wipeable than matt. Can highlight lumps and bumps on imperfect walls.
Size: A diluted adhesive painted onto plaster before wallpapering so the paper slides into place and bonds evenly.
Skirting board: The board running along the bottom of a wall where it meets the floor. Called a baseboard in America.
Solvent-based paint: Another name for oil-based paint — paint carried in solvent rather than water.
Spatter: Fine droplets of paint thrown off a roller during application. Working steadily and not overloading the roller reduces it.
Stabilising solution: A clear primer used on powdery or chalky masonry to bind the surface before painting.
Stain: A product that colours wood while letting the grain show through. Usually needs a protective clear coat on top.
Stain block: A primer designed to stop water marks, nicotine, knots and other stains bleeding through the finish.
Stippling: Dabbing wet paint or glaze with a stippling brush or sponge to create a fine, even texture.
Stripping: Removing old paint or wallpaper back to a sound surface before redecorating.
Sugar soap: A cleaning solution used to wash grease and grime off walls and woodwork before painting.

T

Tacky: Paint that is nearly dry but still slightly sticky to the touch. Not ready for another coat.
Tannin: Natural compounds in some timbers, like oak and cedar, that can bleed through paint as brown stains. A suitable primer blocks them.
Thinner: A liquid added to paint to make it flow more easily — water for emulsion, white spirit for oil-based paint.
Tint: Colourant added to a base paint to mix a chosen colour; also describes a colour lightened with white.
Topcoat: The final coat of a paint system — the one you see and touch.
Touch-up: A small amount of paint applied to repair scuffs or damage on a finished surface.

U

Undercoat: The coat applied after primer and before the topcoat. It builds an even colour and a smooth base for the finish.
Undertone: The subtle hint of another colour beneath the main one — for example a grey with a blue or green undertone.

V

Varnish: A clear coating that dries to a hard protective film over wood, available in matt, satin and gloss.
VOC: Volatile organic compounds — solvents that evaporate from paint as it dries. Low-VOC paints smell less and are kinder to indoor air.

W

Washability: How well a painted surface stands up to cleaning without losing its finish.
Water-based paint: Paint that can be thinned and cleaned up with water, such as emulsion and modern acrylic woodwork paints.
Wet edge: The still-wet border of freshly applied paint. Working into a wet edge stops lap marks and picture framing.
White spirit: The UK solvent used to thin oil-based paint and clean brushes. Called mineral spirits in America.

Y

Yellowing: The gradual yellow tinge that oil-based white paints can develop over time, especially away from daylight. Water-based alternatives stay whiter.

Written by H&C in our own words. Product instructions and manufacturer guidance always take precedence over general explanations.

Hailsham & East Sussex

Would rather leave it to a professional?

If a term on this page describes a job you need doing, tell us what you’re planning and we’ll talk you through it.

Message us on WhatsApp