Home improvement contractors, manufacturers, inspectors, building officials, and tradespeople often use terminology that is unfamiliar—or use familiar words in very specific ways. This glossary explains the terms used throughout Surface Blueprint in plain English.
Where an industry commonly uses several terms for the same concept, the preferred technical term is identified and common alternatives are cross-referenced.
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1
1-Part Epoxy
Coatings & Flooring
A ready-to-use, single-component floor coating marketed using epoxy terminology but requiring no separate resin-and-hardener mixing immediately before application. It should not be assumed to be chemically or functionally equivalent to a conventional two-component reactive epoxy. Some products marketed this way use epoxy/acrylic technology.
See also: 2-Part Epoxy, Epoxy.
2
2-Part Epoxy
Coatings & Flooring
An epoxy product supplied as separate components—usually resin and hardener or activator—that are mixed before application. Mixing begins the curing reaction and gives the material a limited usable period.
See also: Activator, Epoxy, Pot Life.
A
Absorption
Concrete · Masonry · Moisture
The process by which liquid enters the pores of concrete, masonry, plaster, stone, grout, or another porous material. Absorption is different from water vapor passing through a material.
Acid Etching
Surface Preparation
Using an acid solution to chemically clean or roughen concrete. Some coating manufacturers still permit acid etching, while many high-performance systems prefer mechanical preparation because it can produce a more controllable surface profile.
See also: Mechanical Preparation, Concrete Surface Profile.
Acid Wash
Pools
An acid treatment applied to a cementitious pool finish to remove certain deposits, expose aggregate, or deliberately remove a thin portion of the surface. An acid wash is not ordinary cleaning and does not repair loose or delaminated plaster.
See also: Etching — Pool Finish, Delamination.
Acrylic
Paints & Coatings
A family of synthetic polymers widely used as binders in paints, sealers, deck coatings, and other finishes. Acrylic identifies chemistry, not automatically thickness, durability, permeability, or suitability.
Acrylic Coating
Coatings
A coating using acrylic resin as an important binder. Acrylic products range from thin paints and sealers to textured and high-build deck coatings.
See also: High-Build Coating.
Acrylic Latex Paint
Paints
A waterborne paint using acrylic polymer particles dispersed in water. A paint can correctly be both acrylic and latex; modern architectural latex paint does not mean natural rubber latex.
See also: Latex Paint.
Acrylic Modifier
Decorative Concrete
A polymer added to cementitious material to change properties such as adhesion, flexibility, workability, or water resistance. It becomes part of the cementitious mixture and should not be confused with an acrylic topcoat or sealer.
Acrylic Roof Coating
Roofing
A liquid-applied roof coating using acrylic polymer as its primary binder. Product-specific requirements for substrate, thickness, drainage, and ponding-water exposure still control.
See also: Roof Coating, Ponding Water — Roofing.
Activator
Coatings
A component added to another component of a reactive product to initiate, enable, or affect curing. Manufacturers may instead use terms such as hardener, curing agent, catalyst, or Part B; their exact chemical functions are not necessarily identical.
Active Crack
Concrete Repair
A crack whose movement-producing mechanism remains active. Filling the visible opening does not necessarily stop the movement that caused it.
See also: Dormant Crack, Structural Crack.
Adhesion
Coatings · Concrete Repair
The bond holding two different materials together, such as a coating and concrete. A coating can remain internally strong yet fail because adhesion to the substrate is poor.
See also: Cohesion, Substrate.
Adhesion Promoter
Coatings
A preparatory product used to improve bonding between surfaces or coating layers. Similar products may be called bonding primers or tie coats.
See also: Bonding Primer, Tie Coat.
Adhesion Test
Surface Preparation
A test used to determine how securely a coating or repair material is bonded to the surface beneath it. Formal pull-off tests measure the force required for failure and also reveal where the failure occurred.
See also: Pull-Off Adhesion Test.
Aggregate
Concrete · Pools
Solid particles combined with a binder. In pool finishes, aggregate may include marble, quartz, pebbles, or glass. In concrete, aggregate normally consists primarily of sand and stone.
Aggregate Exposure
Pools · Decorative Concrete
Controlled removal of surface cement paste to expose decorative aggregate such as quartz or pebble.
Aliphatic
Coatings
A chemistry term often encountered with polyurethane and polyaspartic topcoats, particularly products designed for good exterior color stability. It does not by itself guarantee UV resistance or exterior suitability.
See also: Polyaspartic, Polyurethane / Urethane.
Alkali-Resistant Primer
Paints · Stucco
A primer formulated to tolerate relatively high alkalinity in cementitious materials such as stucco, masonry, or concrete. Product-specific pH and cure requirements still apply.
See also: Alkalinity, pH.
Alkalinity
Concrete · Stucco
The condition of having a pH above neutral. Fresh cementitious materials are highly alkaline and can affect some coatings.
See also: pH.
Aluminum Extrusion
Pool Cages
An aluminum shape manufactured by forcing heated aluminum through a shaped die. Pool-cage posts, beams, and rails are commonly aluminum extrusions.
Anchor
Pool Cages · Construction
A fastening component that connects an enclosure or other construction to concrete, masonry, or another supporting element and transfers loads into that support.
See also: Fastener, Connection.
Anodizing
Aluminum
An electrochemical process that increases the thickness of aluminum's natural oxide layer. Unlike ordinary paint or powder coating, the anodized layer becomes part of the aluminum surface.
See also: Powder Coating.
Approved
Florida Code
Accepted by the authority responsible for a particular requirement. The word is incomplete unless you know approved by whom, for what purpose, under which rules, and subject to what limitations.
Approved Assembly
Florida Code
A specific combination of products, substrates, attachment methods, dimensions, and installation details evaluated or approved as a system. Approval of one component does not automatically approve arbitrary substitutions elsewhere in the assembly.
See also: Florida Product Approval, Limits of Use.
Authority Having Jurisdiction — AHJ
Florida Code
The building department, building official, agency, or other authority responsible for enforcing a particular requirement in a particular location.
See also: Building Official, Building Permit.
B
Back-Buttering
Tile
Applying a thin coat of setting mortar directly to the back of a tile immediately before placing it into mortar spread on the substrate. It can improve mortar contact but does not replace proper mortar application on the substrate.
See also: Mortar Coverage.
Backer Board
Tile
A manufactured panel intended to provide a suitable surface for tile. A backer board should not automatically be assumed to provide the waterproofing for a wet installation.
See also: Cement Backer Board / CBU, Waterproofing Membrane — Tile.
Backer Rod
Joints & Sealants
Flexible compressible material placed behind sealant to control sealant depth and shape and prevent unwanted bonding to the bottom of a joint. It is not merely filler used to reduce sealant consumption.
See also: Bond Breaker, Joint Sealant.
Backrolling
Coatings
Rolling over freshly sprayed, squeegeed, or spread coating to improve distribution, contact, coverage, or finish.
Bare Aluminum
Pool Cages · Aluminum
Aluminum from which a protective organic coating is absent or has been removed. Bare areas may require preparation or primer treatment different from sound existing coating.
See also: Primer, Field-Applied Coating.
Base Coat — Resin Flooring
Coatings & Flooring
A coating installed beneath later decorative or protective layers. In flake flooring, the basecoat commonly receives the decorative flake broadcast.
See also: Broadcast, Full-Flake System.
Base Coat — Stucco
Stucco
The cementitious plaster beneath the final decorative finish. In traditional three-coat stucco, the scratch and brown coats form the base.
See also: Scratch Coat, Brown Coat.
Base Course
Pavers
The structural aggregate layer beneath the bedding layer and above the subgrade or subbase.
See also: Bedding Sand, Subgrade.
Bedding Sand
Pavers
The thin layer of specified sand directly beneath conventional sand-set concrete pavers. It performs a different function from joint sand.
See also: Joint Sand, Base Course.
Bleed-Through
Roofing · Coatings
Discoloration or staining that migrates from an underlying roofing or coating material into or through a new coating. Asphaltic roofs can require compatible bleed-blocking primers.
See also: Primer.
Blistering
Coating Failures
Raised bubbles or swollen areas in a coating. Possible causes include moisture, vapor, contamination, heat, trapped solvent, outgassing, or loss of adhesion. A blister describes the defect—not automatically its cause.
See also: Outgassing, Delamination.
Blocking
Paints
Unwanted sticking between two painted surfaces that contact each other. Do not confuse with stain blocking.
See also: Stain-Blocking Primer.
Bond Breaker
Joints · Tile · Coatings
A material or condition that intentionally or unintentionally prevents adhesion between two layers. In sealant joints, bond-breaker tape is deliberately installed to prevent unwanted adhesion; in tile or coating work, paint, sealer, or contamination may act as an unintended bond breaker.
See also: Backer Rod.
Bond Coat
Concrete · Pools
A material installed between an existing surface and a new cementitious finish, overlay, or plaster to improve adhesion. Some resurfacing systems require a separate bond coat; others do not.
Bonding Primer
Paints & Coatings
A primer primarily formulated to improve adhesion to difficult surfaces. It does not eliminate required cleaning or preparation.
Breathable
Coatings
Informal terminology usually meaning vapor-permeable. Breathable is not a precise performance measurement.
See also: Vapor-Permeable, Permeability.
Broadcast
Coatings · Decorative Concrete
Scattering flake, quartz, sand, or another aggregate into wet coating.
See also: Full Broadcast, Flake.
Brown Coat
Stucco
The second base coat in a traditional three-coat Portland cement stucco installation.
See also: Scratch Coat, Finish Coat — Stucco.
Built-Up Roof — BUR
Roofing
A low-slope roofing membrane constructed from multiple layers of reinforcing material bonded with bitumen.
See also: Low-Slope Roof.
C
Calcium Nodule
Pools
A localized calcium-carbonate protrusion developing at a particular point on a cementitious pool finish. A calcium nodule is not automatically ordinary pool scale and does not, by itself, prove plaster delamination.
See also: Mineral Scale / Scaling, Delamination.
Caulk
Sealants
Common consumer terminology for material placed in cracks and joints. For Surface Blueprint, sealant is generally the preferred technical term because products commonly called caulk can have very different movement capabilities.
See also: Sealant.
Cement Backer Board / CBU
Tile
A cementitious panel manufactured as a backing surface for tile. It tolerates moisture better than ordinary gypsum drywall but should not automatically be treated as the complete waterproofing system.
See also: Backer Board, Waterproofing Membrane — Tile.
Cementitious
Concrete · Pools · Stucco
Made primarily from cement or using cement as an important binder. A cementitious overlay is fundamentally different from ordinary paint even when both are advertised as resurfacing.
Cementitious Grout
Tile
Tile grout using cement as the primary binder. Grout fills tile joints; it normally is not the waterproofing layer behind the installation.
See also: Grout, Waterproofing Membrane — Tile.
Chalking
Paints · Coatings · Aluminum
Formation of loose powder as a coating surface deteriorates. Chalking is a coating-film condition and is different from underlying metal corrosion even though both may produce light-colored residue.
See also: Corrosion.
Change of Plane
Tile
A location where adjoining tiled surfaces meet at different angles, such as wall-to-wall or wall-to-floor. These locations commonly require movement accommodation rather than rigid grout alone.
See also: Movement Joint, Sealant.
Chip-Out
Pools
Mechanical removal of existing pool finish. A full chip-out and removal only of hollow or failed areas are materially different scopes of work.
See also: Delamination, Plaster Sounding.
Cladding
Building Envelope
The exterior material or system covering a wall, such as stucco, siding, brick veneer, or EIFS. Cladding is only one component of the complete wall assembly.
See also: Exterior Wall Assembly, Water-Resistive Barrier — WRB.
Coating Removal
Surface Preparation
Removal of existing paint, sealer, adhesive, or coating. Removing the old coating does not necessarily mean the exposed concrete has the correct profile for the replacement system.
See also: Concrete Surface Profile, Surface Preparation.
Coating System
Coatings
The complete combination of preparation, primers, repairs, base coats, body coats, decorative material, and topcoats intended to work together.
Cold Joint
Concrete
An unplanned boundary between concrete placements caused by enough delay that the placements no longer combine as one continuous fresh mass.
Compaction
Pavers · Concrete Support
Densifying soil, aggregate, or other supporting material by reducing air voids. Inadequate compaction can contribute to later settlement.
See also: Settlement, Subgrade.
Compatibility
Coatings
The ability of products or materials to be used together without unacceptable adhesion, chemical, or physical problems. Compatibility should be established from the specified system rather than guessed from generic chemistry.
Concrete Lifting
Concrete Repair
General terminology for raising settled concrete without removing and replacing the slab. Actual methods include cementitious slabjacking and polyurethane foam lifting.
See also: Slabjacking, Polyurethane Foam Lifting.
Concrete Surface Profile — CSP
Surface Preparation
The ICRI system for describing the roughness of prepared concrete. The current system runs from CSP 1 through CSP 10, with higher numbers representing increasingly aggressive profiles.
See also: Surface Profile, Mechanical Preparation.
Condensation
Moisture
Liquid water that forms when water vapor encounters a sufficiently cool surface. A slab or wall can therefore become wet even when water is not leaking through it.
See also: Dew Point, Moisture-Vapor Transmission.
Connection
Pool Cages · Construction
The location and components through which one structural member transfers force to another member or to its support.
See also: Fastener, Anchor, Structural Member.
Contraction Joint
Concrete
A formed, sawed, or tooled weakened plane intended to influence where cracking caused by restrained dimensional change occurs. This is the preferred technical term for what is commonly called a control joint.
See also: Control Joint, Expansion Joint.
Control Joint
Concrete
Common field term for a contraction joint.
See also: Contraction Joint.
Coping
Pools
The finished material forming the upper perimeter edge of a swimming pool. Coping is separate from the pool interior finish and surrounding deck.
See also: Waterline Tile.
Corrosion
Metals
Deterioration of metal through chemical or electrochemical interaction with its environment.
See also: Galvanic Corrosion, Rust.
Corrosion Product
Metals
Material formed as metal corrodes. Aluminum corrosion products often appear white or gray rather than the reddish-brown rust associated with carbon steel.
Crack Chasing
Concrete Repair
Mechanically opening or reshaping a crack to create a controlled area for repair or sealant material. Also commonly called routing.
See also: Crack Routing.
Crack Injection
Concrete Repair
Introducing a repair or sealing material into a crack by injection. The term does not identify whether the material is epoxy, polyurethane, or another chemistry.
See also: Epoxy Injection, Polyurethane Injection.
Crack Routing
Concrete Repair
Cutting or grinding a controlled groove along an existing crack so it can receive repair or sealant material. Routing does not stop the movement that produced an active crack.
See also: Crack Chasing, Active Crack.
Crack-Isolation Membrane
Tile
A membrane designed to reduce transfer of specified in-plane substrate cracking into tile or stone installed above it. It does not correct structural or vertically displaced cracking and does not eliminate required movement joints.
See also: Movement Joint, Uncoupling Membrane.
Crazing
Concrete · Pools
A network of very fine surface cracks. In pool plaster, crazing, checking, and check cracking are often used with substantial overlap. Crazing should not automatically be interpreted as structural shell cracking.
See also: Structural Crack.
Cure / Curing
Concrete · Coatings · Pools
The process through which a material develops its intended properties. Curing is not necessarily the same as drying.
D
DBPR
Florida Code & Licensing
Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. DBPR administers contractor licensing and other regulatory programs. Contractor licensing and Florida Product Approval are separate systems.
See also: Florida Product Approval.
Debonding
Pools · Coatings
Separation of one material from another material to which it was intended to remain bonded.
See also: Delamination.
Delamination
Concrete · Pools · Coatings
Separation within a material or between layers intended to remain bonded. A hollow response during sounding can indicate delamination.
See also: Sounding, Debonding.
Design Pressure
Florida Product Approval
The positive or negative pressure a building component or assembly is designed or approved to resist. An approval number alone does not establish that the product's design pressure is adequate for a particular building.
See also: Florida Product Approval.
Dew Point
Moisture · Coatings
The temperature at which moisture in the surrounding air begins to condense on a surface under the existing conditions.
See also: Condensation.
Diamond Grinding
Surface Preparation
Mechanical abrasion using rotating diamond tooling. Grinding can remove coatings and concrete and create a surface profile, but diamond ground does not describe one universal resulting CSP.
See also: Concrete Surface Profile.
Differential Settlement
Concrete · Pavers
Unequal settlement between adjoining areas. It can produce cracking, slope changes, faulting, or vertical displacement.
See also: Settlement, Vertical Displacement.
Drainage Plane
Building Envelope
A layer or surface arranged so water entering behind an exterior finish can drain outward rather than accumulate within the wall.
See also: Water-Resistive Barrier — WRB, Flashing.
Dry-Film Thickness — DFT
Coatings
The thickness of a coating after drying or curing.
See also: Mil, Wet-Film Thickness — WFT.
DTM — Direct-to-Metal
Metals · Coatings
A coating formulated for direct application to specified, appropriately prepared metal surfaces. Direct-to-metal does not mean direct over corrosion, chalk, salts, grease, or failed paint.
See also: Surface Preparation, Corrosion.
Dust Extraction
Surface Preparation
Capturing dust at or near the equipment producing it during grinding, cutting, scarifying, or similar operations.
E
Efflorescence
Concrete · Masonry · Stucco · Pavers
A generally white mineral deposit left when moisture carries dissolved compounds through or across porous material and the water evaporates. Efflorescence indicates moisture movement but does not identify the source by itself.
See also: Moisture Movement.
Elastomeric Coating
Coatings
A coating designed to stretch and recover substantially more than ordinary architectural paint. Elastomeric describes a performance characteristic rather than one universal chemistry.
Epoxy
Coatings · Concrete Repair
A reactive resin chemistry used in flooring, coatings, adhesives, anchoring, crack injection, and repair materials. The word epoxy does not tell you which of those functions the particular product was designed to perform.
Epoxy Adhesive
Tile · Concrete Repair
A reactive resin adhesive used to bond materials in applications for which the specific formulation is designed. Tile-setting epoxy, anchoring epoxy, and crack-injection epoxy are different products.
See also: Anchoring Epoxy, Epoxy Injection.
Epoxy Grout
Tile
Tile grout using epoxy resin rather than cement as its principal binder. Low water absorption does not make epoxy grout a substitute for a required waterproofing membrane.
See also: Waterproofing Membrane — Tile.
Epoxy Injection
Concrete Repair
Injecting low-viscosity epoxy into suitable cracks. Because cured epoxy can create a rigid bond, epoxy injection serves a different purpose from many flexible polyurethane water-stopping injections.
See also: Polyurethane Injection.
Erosion
Pavers · Concrete Support
Removal or movement of supporting soil, sand, or aggregate by flowing water or other forces.
See also: Washout, Settlement.
Etching — Pool Finish
Pools
Loss or dissolution of material from a cementitious pool finish, potentially producing roughness, pits, or increased aggregate exposure. Etching removes material; scaling deposits material.
See also: Mineral Scale / Scaling.
Expansion Joint
Concrete
A separation provided between adjoining sections to accommodate expansion and contraction. An expansion joint should not automatically be filled rigidly as though it were an accidental crack.
See also: Isolation Joint, Contraction Joint.
Exterior Wall Assembly
Building Envelope
The complete collection of materials forming an exterior wall, potentially including framing or masonry, sheathing, WRB, flashing, drainage components, stucco, and coatings.
See also: Water-Resistive Barrier — WRB, Flashing.
F
Factory-Applied Finish
Aluminum
A coating or finish applied to a manufactured component under controlled factory conditions before installation. Factory finishes may be powder coatings, liquid architectural coatings, anodizing, or other systems.
See also: Powder Coating, Field-Applied Coating.
Fastener
Pool Cages · Construction
A screw, bolt, anchor, rivet, or similar component used to connect parts or attach construction to a support.
See also: Anchor, Connection.
Feather Edge
Concrete Repair
The thin tapered perimeter of a repair where repair material approaches nearly zero thickness. Some products permit feather edges; others require a minimum edge thickness.
Field-Applied Coating
Pool Cages · Coatings
A coating applied to already fabricated or installed construction at the jobsite rather than on a factory finishing line.
See also: Factory-Applied Finish, Powder Coating.
Film-Forming Sealer
Concrete · Pavers
A sealer that creates a continuous film at the surface. It can affect appearance, gloss, traction, vapor transmission, and future coating compatibility.
See also: Penetrating Sealer.
Finish Coat — Stucco
Stucco
The final exposed decorative plaster or finish applied over the stucco base coat.
See also: Base Coat — Stucco.
FL Number
Florida Product Approval
The identifying number assigned to a Florida statewide product approval. The number is a reference to the approval record—not a substitute for reading its limits and installation documents.
See also: Florida Product Approval, Limits of Use.
Flake
Coatings & Flooring
Decorative chips, usually vinyl or similar material, broadcast into a wet floor coating to provide color, pattern, and texture.
See also: Broadcast, Full-Flake System.
Flashing
Roofing · Building Envelope
Material or a constructed detail designed to direct water away from joints, openings, penetrations, and transitions. Paint, sealant, and roof coating should not automatically be treated as substitutes for required flashing.
Florida Building Code — FBC
Florida Code
The statewide construction code adopted by the Florida Building Commission. Current code-edition dates should be stated on the dedicated Florida Code page rather than embedded in this evergreen glossary.
Florida Product Approval
Florida Code
Florida's statewide approval process for specified categories of building products. It is not a universal approval program for every coating, flooring product, repair material, or finish used in Florida.
See also: FL Number, Approved Assembly, Limits of Use.
Full Broadcast
Coatings
Applying flake, quartz, sand, or another aggregate until the wet coating is essentially covered to refusal.
See also: Broadcast.
Full-Depth Repair
Concrete Repair
Removal and replacement of damaged concrete through the full thickness of the slab or member.
See also: Partial-Depth Repair.
Full-Flake System
Coatings & Flooring
A layered resin-floor system in which decorative flakes are broadcast heavily into a wet basecoat, excess loose flake is removed after cure, and one or more clear wear or topcoats are applied.
See also: Flake, Wear Coat, Topcoat.
G
Galvanic Corrosion
Metals
Accelerated corrosion that can occur when dissimilar metals are electrically connected in the presence of a conductive environment such as moisture containing salts. Also called dissimilar-metal corrosion.
See also: Corrosion.
Grade
Concrete · Pavers · Drainage
The elevation or slope of a surface. The word also describes shaping underlying material to the required elevation and slope.
Granule Loss
Roofing
Loss of mineral granules from the exposed surface of asphalt shingles. Some granule loss occurs naturally; excessive loss can expose more of the asphalt surface.
See also: Granule Retention.
Granule Retention
Roofing
The ability of asphalt shingles to retain their protective mineral granules. Improvement in a granule-retention test does not automatically prove a particular increase in whole-roof service life.
Grinding
Surface Preparation · Concrete Repair
Mechanical removal of a thin amount of coating or concrete using rotating abrasive tooling. Grinding can correct limited surface irregularity but does not restore lost support beneath a slab.
See also: Diamond Grinding.
Grout
Tile
Material installed in joints between tiles after they are set. Grout normally does not bond the tile to the substrate and normally is not the waterproofing layer.
Grout Joint
Tile
The intentionally provided space between adjoining tiles. Where movement must be accommodated, the joint may require flexible sealant instead of rigid grout.
See also: Movement Joint.
Grout Sealer
Tile
A penetrating or other treatment intended to reduce absorption and staining of compatible grout. It does not convert an ordinary grout joint into the waterproofing layer of a wet assembly.
See also: Waterproofing Membrane — Tile.
Gunite
Pools
Dry-mix pneumatically placed concrete in which water is added at or near the nozzle. The word is often used loosely for any concrete pool shell, although wet-mix shotcrete is a different placement process.
See also: Shotcrete.
H
Hairline Crack
Concrete
A very narrow crack. The term describes width—not cause or structural significance.
See also: Structural Crack.
Heave
Concrete · Pavers
Upward movement of a slab or pavement section. Heave is different from settlement, which is downward movement.
See also: Settlement.
High-Build Coating
Coatings
A coating intended to create a comparatively thick film. Because marketing usage varies, specified wet- and dry-film thicknesses are more informative than the phrase high-build alone.
See also: Wet-Film Thickness — WFT, Dry-Film Thickness — DFT.
High-Velocity Hurricane Zone — HVHZ
Florida Code
The special Florida Building Code zone consisting of Broward County and Miami-Dade County. HVHZ is not another name for all hurricane-prone portions of Florida.
Hollow Area / Hollow Spot
Pools · Concrete
An area producing a hollow or dull response during sounding. The result may indicate a void or separation but does not establish the exact cause or depth.
See also: Sounding, Delamination.
Hot-Tire Pickup
Garage Floors
Damage that occurs when hot vehicle tires soften, mark, adhere to, or pull a floor coating from the substrate.
See also: Adhesion.
Hydration
Concrete · Pools
The chemical reaction between hydraulic cement and water that causes cementitious materials to harden and develop strength.
See also: Cure / Curing.
Hydrostatic Pressure
Moisture
Pressure exerted by liquid water against or through a structure or material. This is different from ordinary water-vapor transmission through concrete.
See also: Moisture-Vapor Transmission.
I
Integral Color
Decorative Concrete
Pigment mixed into concrete or cementitious overlay material before placement. It differs from stain, paint, or sealer applied later to the surface.
Interlock
Pavers
The interaction among adjoining pavers that helps them resist relative horizontal, vertical, and rotational movement. It depends on the complete pavement system.
See also: Interlocking Concrete Pavement.
Interlocking Concrete Pavement
Pavers
A pavement made from individual concrete paving units whose filled joints, bedding, base, compaction, and edge restraint allow the units to function together under load.
See also: Joint Sand, Base Course, Edge Restraint.
Isolation Joint
Concrete
A separation allowing adjoining portions of construction to move relatively independently. Although sometimes confused with expansion joint, the technical meanings are not identical.
See also: Expansion Joint.
J
Joint Filler
Concrete Joints
Compressible material occupying a joint, often beneath the exposed joint sealant. It is not synonymous with joint sealant.
See also: Joint Sealant.
Joint Sand
Pavers
Material installed and compacted into joints between conventional interlocking concrete pavers. It contributes to interlock and is not merely cosmetic gap filler.
See also: Polymeric Sand.
Joint Sand Stabilizer
Pavers
A material intended to help hold installed joint sand in place. Stabilization and surface sealing are related but distinct functions.
See also: Joint Sand, Sealer.
Joint Sealant
Concrete Joints
Flexible material installed at the exposed portion of a joint to exclude water and debris while accommodating the movement for which the joint was designed.
See also: Backer Rod, Bond Breaker.
K
Knockdown Texture
Pool Decks · Decorative Concrete
A decorative texture commonly produced by applying small deposits of cementitious material and flattening their high points with a trowel while still workable. Knockdown describes a texture and finishing method—not one manufacturer's product.
See also: Spray Texture.
Kool Deck®
Pool Decks
A specific Mortex-branded cementitious pool-deck topping. The brand name should not be used generically for every textured or knockdown pool deck.
See also: Knockdown Texture.
L
Laitance
Concrete · Surface Preparation
A weak layer of cement and fine aggregate at the concrete surface. A coating can bond strongly to laitance and still fail when the laitance separates from stronger concrete beneath it.
See also: Sound Concrete.
Large and Heavy Tile
Tile
Tile whose dimensions, weight, or installation requirements call for setting materials and techniques designed to maintain adequate support and mortar thickness.
See also: Mortar Coverage.
Latex Paint
Paints
Common terminology for waterborne architectural paint containing dispersed polymer particles. A latex paint may use acrylic, vinyl-acrylic, or another polymer chemistry.
See also: Acrylic Latex Paint.
Lath
Stucco
Mesh or another plaster base used to support cement plaster. Stucco applied directly to suitable masonry may not use lath in the same manner as stucco over framed construction.
Limits of Use
Florida Product Approval
The restrictions and conditions attached to an approved product or system, such as substrates, dimensions, design pressures, attachment methods, or HVHZ use.
See also: Florida Product Approval.
Lippage
Tile · Pavers
A difference in elevation between adjoining installed units. Excessive lippage can create an uneven surface or trip concern.
Liquid-Applied Roofing
Roofing
A roof-covering system installed in liquid form and cured to form a continuous roofing layer or membrane. It should not automatically be treated as synonymous with applying a maintenance roof coating over an existing roof covering.
See also: Roof Coating, Maintenance Coating.
Local Product Approval
Florida Code
Approval of a covered product by the local authority having jurisdiction rather than through the statewide Florida Product Approval program.
See also: Florida Product Approval, Authority Having Jurisdiction — AHJ.
Loss of Support
Concrete Repair
A condition in which part of a slab is no longer adequately supported by the soil, base, or other material beneath it.
See also: Void, Settlement.
Low-Slope Roof
Roofing
A roof with relatively little pitch that generally relies on a continuous weather-resistant membrane or roofing system. A roof commonly called flat normally still requires drainage.
See also: Positive Roof Drainage.
M
Maintenance Coating
Roofing
A coating applied over an existing roof covering primarily for maintenance, protection, reflectivity, or service-life extension. It does not automatically become a new roof covering or roof replacement.
See also: Roof Coating, Roof Replacement.
Marcite
Pools
Common Florida terminology for traditional smooth pool plaster made primarily from white Portland cement and fine marble-type aggregate.
See also: Plaster — Pool.
Masonry Primer
Paints · Stucco
A primer formulated for concrete, stucco, block, brick, or similar mineral surfaces. Depending on the product, it may tolerate alkalinity, reduce porosity, improve adhesion, or equalize absorption.
See also: Primer.
Mastic — Roofing
Roofing
A relatively thick roofing material commonly used for sealing or reinforcing details, seams, penetrations, and flashing areas.
Mastic — Tile
Tile
Common trade term for premixed organic tile adhesive. It is not cementitious thin-set mortar.
See also: Organic Adhesive, Thin-Set Mortar.
Mechanical Preparation
Surface Preparation
Preparing concrete through physical abrasion, impact, cutting, blasting, or removal. Methods include grinding, shotblasting, scarifying, and similar processes.
See also: Concrete Surface Profile.
Membrane
Roofing · Waterproofing
A continuous or substantially continuous layer intended to resist water or weather. The word is sometimes used loosely in marketing; the actual material, thickness, and tested system matter.
Miami-Dade NOA
Florida Code
A Notice of Acceptance issued through Miami-Dade County's Product Control program. A Miami-Dade NOA and a statewide Florida Product Approval are separate approval mechanisms.
See also: Florida Product Approval.
Microtopping
Decorative Concrete
A thin bonded decorative cementitious overlay. Manufacturer usage varies, so actual specified thickness should be checked.
See also: Overlay.
Mil
Coatings
One-thousandth of an inch: 0.001 inch. Coating wet- and dry-film thicknesses are commonly expressed in mils.
See also: Wet-Film Thickness — WFT, Dry-Film Thickness — DFT.
Mineral Scale / Scaling
Pools
Mineral material deposited on a pool finish from the water. Scale adds material to the surface; etching removes material from it.
See also: Calcium Nodule, Etching — Pool Finish.
Modified Bitumen
Roofing
Asphalt roofing material modified with polymers to alter characteristics such as flexibility and temperature performance. Often shortened to mod-bit.
Moisture Content
Moisture
The amount of water contained within a material. A moisture-content reading and a moisture-vapor-transmission measurement are not the same thing.
See also: Moisture-Vapor Transmission.
Moisture Mitigation
Flooring · Coatings
Measures specifically intended to reduce the risk that moisture from concrete will damage coatings, adhesives, or flooring installed above it. An ordinary primer should not automatically be called a moisture-mitigation system.
See also: Primer.
Moisture Movement
Moisture
Movement of moisture through concrete or another porous material. Moisture may move as liquid water or water vapor depending on conditions.
See also: Moisture-Vapor Transmission, Hydrostatic Pressure.
Moisture-Vapor Transmission
Concrete · Flooring
Movement of water vapor through concrete or another material. It is different from liquid water under hydrostatic pressure.
See also: Hydrostatic Pressure.
Mortar Bed
Tile
A comparatively thick cement-mortar layer constructed to support tile or stone. It is different from the thin layer of bonding mortar used in a thin-set installation.
See also: Thin-Set Mortar.
Mortar Coverage
Tile
The amount of contact achieved between setting mortar, substrate, and the back of the tile. Adequate coverage is important because large voids can reduce support and contribute to cracking or bond failure.
See also: Back-Buttering.
Mottling
Pools
Blotchy or uneven color variation in a cementitious pool finish. Mottling describes appearance; it does not, by itself, prove defective workmanship or identify the cause.
Movement Joint
Tile · Concrete
An intentionally flexible joint provided to accommodate movement. Crack-isolation membranes do not eliminate required movement joints.
See also: Crack-Isolation Membrane, Sealant.
Mudjacking
Concrete Lifting
Common contractor terminology for slabjacking performed using cementitious or soil-cement-type slurry. It is one form of concrete lifting.
See also: Slabjacking.
N
Negative-Side Waterproofing
Waterproofing
Waterproofing installed on the side opposite the water source, after water has already entered or passed through some portion of the structure.
See also: Positive-Side Waterproofing.
O
Organic Adhesive
Tile
Premixed tile-setting adhesive whose binder is organic or polymeric rather than cementitious. Commonly called mastic.
See also: Mastic — Tile.
Outgassing
Concrete Coatings
Release of air or moisture vapor from porous concrete or mortar. If this occurs while a coating is fluid, it can contribute to bubbles or pinholes.
See also: Pinhole, Blistering.
Overlay
Concrete · Decorative Concrete
A new layer installed over an existing surface to restore or improve its function or appearance. Overlays can be bonded or unbonded and can vary greatly in thickness and chemistry.
See also: Resurfacing.
Overspray
Coatings · Pool Cages
Fine coating droplets that travel beyond the intended spray area. Pool-cage repainting can create overspray concerns involving screens, pool water, windows, vehicles, and neighboring property.
P
Partial-Depth Repair
Concrete Repair
Removal and replacement of deteriorated concrete through only part of the slab or member thickness.
See also: Full-Depth Repair.
Paver
Pavers
An individual manufactured paving unit installed as part of a segmental pavement system.
Penetrating Sealer
Concrete · Masonry · Pavers
A treatment whose active material enters pores rather than creating a substantial continuous surface film.
See also: Film-Forming Sealer.
Penetration
Building Envelope · Roofing
An object or opening that passes through or interrupts a wall or roof system, such as a pipe, vent, conduit, or equipment attachment.
See also: Flashing.
Perimeter Joint
Tile
A movement-accommodation space where tile work meets surrounding walls, columns, curbs, or other restraining construction.
See also: Movement Joint.
Permeability
Moisture · Coatings
The ability of a material to allow a fluid or gas to pass through it. In coating discussions this commonly refers to water vapor.
See also: Permeance, Vapor-Permeable.
Permeance
Moisture
A measure of water-vapor flow through a particular material or assembly under specified conditions. Permeance and permeability are related but not identical measurements.
See also: Permeability.
pH
Concrete · Stucco · Pools
A numerical measure of acidity or alkalinity. Acceptable pH for coating new cementitious material depends on the specific coating system.
See also: Alkalinity.
Pinhole
Coating Failures
A very small hole extending through a coating. Possible causes include outgassing, trapped air, porosity, or application technique.
See also: Outgassing.
Plaster Dust
Pools
Calcium-rich material commonly released during early filling and curing of a new cementitious pool finish.
Plaster Sounding
Pools
Tap testing a pool finish while listening for changes in sound. Well-bonded areas generally sound sharper; hollow or dull areas may indicate separation or a void beneath the finish.
See also: Sounding, Delamination.
Plaster — Pool
Pools
A cementitious interior pool finish made from hydraulic cement, aggregate, and water, with possible pigments or admixtures. The word can mean traditional white marcite specifically or cementitious pool finish more broadly.
See also: Marcite.
Polyaspartic
Coatings & Flooring
A fast-curing resin chemistry commonly classified technically as an aliphatic polyurea. Products vary considerably in working time, film thickness, UV resistance, and intended use.
See also: Polyurea.
Polymer-Modified
Concrete · Tile
A cementitious material containing added polymers intended to alter properties such as adhesion, flexibility, or water resistance.
Polymeric Sand
Pavers
Common retail and contractor terminology for joint sand containing polymer or other stabilizing additives activated after installation. It is a type of stabilized joint sand, not one universal formulation.
See also: Joint Sand, Joint Sand Stabilizer.
Polyurea
Coatings
A broad family of fast-reacting resin coatings and elastomers. Polyaspartic coatings belong to the broader polyurea family, but the terms are not interchangeable.
See also: Polyaspartic.
Polyurethane / Urethane
Coatings
A family of resin coatings frequently used as protective finish or wear coats. Formulations vary widely, so the generic name does not establish suitability for exterior UV, wet areas, vehicle traffic, or another specific exposure.
Polyurethane Foam Lifting
Concrete Repair
A slab-lifting method using injected polyurethane material beneath settled concrete. Sometimes marketed as polyjacking.
See also: Concrete Lifting, Slabjacking.
Polyurethane Injection
Concrete Repair
Injecting polyurethane resin into cracks, joints, or voids. Many formulations are intended primarily for flexible sealing or water stopping rather than rigid structural bonding.
See also: Epoxy Injection.
Ponding
Concrete · Pavers
Water remaining in a low area rather than draining away.
Ponding Water — Roofing
Roofing
Water that remains on a roof after rainfall because it does not drain promptly. Manufacturer definitions and warranty thresholds can vary. A coating rated for ponding exposure does not correct the drainage condition that created it.
See also: Positive Roof Drainage.
Porosity
Concrete · Masonry
The amount or proportion of pore space within a material. Porosity influences absorption, coating behavior, and outgassing.
See also: Absorption.
Positive Roof Drainage
Roofing
Roof drainage arranged so water is directed toward drains, scuppers, gutters, or roof edges rather than remaining in low areas.
See also: Ponding Water — Roofing.
Positive-Side Waterproofing
Waterproofing
Waterproofing installed on the side of a wall or structure where the water originates, so water is stopped before passing through the substrate.
See also: Negative-Side Waterproofing.
Pot Life
Coatings
The period after components are mixed during which a reactive product remains usable under specified conditions. Manufacturers do not use pot life and working time completely consistently.
See also: Working Time.
Powder Coating
Aluminum
A factory finishing process in which dry coating powder is electrostatically applied and heat-cured. Spraying liquid paint onto an installed pool cage is not powder coating.
See also: Factory-Applied Finish, Field-Applied Coating.
Pressure Washing
Surface Preparation
Cleaning using pressurized water. Pressure washing can remove contamination and loose material but does not automatically create the required concrete surface profile.
See also: Concrete Surface Profile.
Primer
Coatings
A preparatory coating selected for functions such as adhesion, porosity control, stain blocking, corrosion resistance, or alkalinity tolerance. There is no universal primer suitable for every problem.
Primer-Sealer
Paints
A primer that also reduces or equalizes penetration into the substrate. Do not confuse the word sealer here with a decorative concrete sealer.
Profile / Surface Profile
Surface Preparation
The texture and roughness of a prepared substrate.
See also: Concrete Surface Profile.
Pull-Off Adhesion Test
Surface Preparation
A test in which a loading fixture is bonded to a coating or repair and pulled perpendicular to the surface until failure occurs. The failure location can be as important as the measured value.
See also: Adhesion Test.
Q
Quartz Finish
Pools
A cementitious interior pool finish incorporating quartz aggregate. Quartz changes the aggregate and appearance but does not make the finish noncementitious.
R
Recoat Window
Coatings
The permitted period for applying another coating over a previous layer using the manufacturer's specified preparation. Exceeding the window can require additional abrasion or preparation.
Rectified Tile
Tile
Tile whose edges have been mechanically finished to tighter dimensional tolerances. Rectification does not guarantee perfectly flat tile, zero lippage, or installation without grout joints.
See also: Lippage.
Reinforcement Fabric
Roofing · Waterproofing
Fabric or mesh embedded in a liquid coating, mastic, or membrane to reinforce seams, transitions, penetrations, or the entire system.
See also: Membrane.
Repair Mortar
Concrete Repair
Mortar formulated specifically for repairing hardened concrete. Products vary in strength, shrinkage, thickness limits, modulus, and intended structural function.
Rescreening
Pool Cages
Removing and replacing screen mesh while retaining most or all of the existing enclosure frame. It should be distinguished from repainting, fastener replacement, structural repair, and complete enclosure replacement.
See also: Screen Mesh, Spline.
Resin System
Coatings & Flooring
A multilayer coating or flooring assembly built primarily from resin-based products. Different layers may use different chemistries.
See also: Coating System.
Resurfacing
Concrete · Pools
Installing a new finish over an existing surface after appropriate repair and preparation. Resurfacing can describe everything from thin coatings to substantial cementitious overlays, so the actual system should always be identified.
See also: Overlay.
Rocking Slab
Concrete Repair
A slab or slab section that visibly or detectably moves under changing load because it is not uniformly supported.
See also: Loss of Support, Void.
Roof Assembly
Roofing
The complete combination of roof deck, covering, and other components that collectively make up the roof construction. The visible roofing material is only one component.
See also: Roof Covering, Roof Deck.
Roof Coating
Roofing
A liquid material applied over a roof and cured to form a protective film. A maintenance roof coating should not automatically be treated as a new roof covering or roof replacement.
See also: Maintenance Coating, Liquid-Applied Roofing.
Roof Covering
Roofing
The weather-resistant material applied over the roof deck, such as shingles, tile, metal, or membrane roofing.
See also: Roof Deck.
Roof Deck
Roofing
The structural surface supporting the roofing system.
See also: Roof Assembly.
Roof Recover
Roofing
Installing an additional roof covering over a prepared existing roof covering without removing the existing covering.
See also: Roof Replacement.
Roof Rejuvenator
Roofing
A penetrating treatment marketed for qualifying aged asphalt shingles. It should be distinguished from a film-forming roof coating and from roof replacement.
See also: Roof Coating, Roof Replacement.
Roof Replacement
Roofing
Removal of an existing roof covering and installation of a new roof covering, with substrate repair as needed. A maintenance coating or rejuvenator does not ordinarily become roof replacement simply because it is marketed as restoration.
See also: Roof Recover.
Rust
Metals
The reddish-brown iron-oxide corrosion product associated primarily with iron and carbon steel. Aluminum corrodes but does not produce conventional red-brown rust.
See also: Corrosion.
S
Scarifying
Surface Preparation
Aggressively cutting, scratching, chipping, or pulverizing a concrete surface using impact cutters. Scarifying generally creates a rougher surface than ordinary grinding.
See also: Mechanical Preparation.
Scratch Coat
Stucco
The first base coat in traditional three-coat stucco. Its surface is intentionally scratched to provide mechanical texture for the brown coat.
See also: Brown Coat.
Screen Enclosure
Pool Cages
The structural screened enclosure commonly called a pool cage when it surrounds a residential pool. Framing, fasteners, anchors, connections, and roof geometry all contribute to its structural performance.
See also: Structural Member, Fastener.
Screen Mesh
Pool Cages
The woven material filling openings in a screen enclosure. Different meshes can vary in openness, strength, visibility, insect exclusion, and wind characteristics.
See also: Rescreening.
Screen Panel
Pool Cages
An individual section of screening bounded by enclosure framing members.
See also: Screen Mesh.
Sealant
Joints
Flexible or compressible material used to seal a joint, crack, or gap. Sealant movement capability and joint geometry matter.
See also: Joint Sealant, Backer Rod.
Sealer
Concrete · Masonry · Pavers
A broad term for treatments intended to reduce absorption, staining, or deterioration. A sealer may be penetrating or film-forming, so sealer alone is not a sufficiently specific product description.
See also: Penetrating Sealer, Film-Forming Sealer.
Setting Material
Tile
A general term for the mortar, adhesive, or other approved material used to bond tile to its substrate. The term does not identify one particular chemistry.
See also: Thin-Set Mortar, Organic Adhesive.
Settlement
Concrete · Pavers
Downward movement of a slab, pavement, soil, or supporting layer. A coating or resurfacing layer does not correct underlying settlement.
See also: Heave.
Shotblasting
Surface Preparation
A contained preparation method in which steel shot is propelled against concrete and then recovered. It can remove weak material and create a controlled surface profile.
See also: Concrete Surface Profile.
Shotcrete
Pools · Concrete
Concrete pneumatically projected onto a surface at high velocity. Wet-mix shotcrete differs technically from dry-mix gunite.
See also: Gunite.
Silane
Masonry Sealers
A small-molecule silicon-based chemistry commonly used in penetrating water repellents for concrete and masonry.
See also: Siloxane.
Silicone Roof Coating
Roofing
A roof coating using silicone polymer as its primary binder. Product-specific compatibility, thickness, drainage, warranty, and approval requirements still control.
See also: Roof Coating, Ponding Water — Roofing.
Siloxane
Masonry Sealers
A silicon-based chemistry commonly used in penetrating masonry water repellents. Silane and siloxane technologies are often blended.
See also: Silane.
Single-Ply Membrane
Roofing
A manufactured flexible sheet membrane installed as the primary weatherproof roof covering in a single layer. Common types include TPO, PVC, and EPDM.
See also: Membrane.
Skim Coat
Concrete · Decorative Concrete
A very thin layer applied to smooth, repair, or prepare a surface. Different products have different minimum thickness and feather-edge limitations.
Slab Stabilization
Concrete Repair
Filling voids or restoring support beneath a slab without intentionally raising it.
See also: Slabjacking, Void.
Slab-on-Ground
Concrete
A concrete slab supported by the ground or prepared supporting materials beneath it rather than suspended between structural supports. Slab-on-grade is a common alternative term.
Slabjacking
Concrete Repair
Injecting material beneath a slab to raise it, fill voids, or both. Industry usage varies: some sources distinguish intentional lifting from stabilization more sharply than others.
See also: Slab Stabilization.
Slip Resistance
Pool Decks · Flooring
Resistance to slipping under specified conditions. Texture, water, contamination, footwear, bare feet, slope, and wear can all affect actual performance.
Solar Reflectance
Roofing
The fraction of incoming solar energy that a roof surface reflects rather than absorbs.
See also: Thermal Emittance, Solar Reflectance Index — SRI.
Solar Reflectance Index — SRI
Roofing
A calculated value combining solar reflectance and thermal emittance to estimate how hot a surface is likely to become in sunlight relative to standardized reference surfaces.
See also: Solar Reflectance, Thermal Emittance.
Solids by Volume
Coatings
The percentage of a liquid coating's volume expected to remain as solid film after volatile components leave during cure or drying.
See also: Dry-Film Thickness — DFT.
Sound Concrete
Concrete
Concrete sufficiently solid, cohesive, and stable to serve as a suitable substrate for the proposed repair or coating. Sound concrete should not be confused with sounding.
See also: Sounding.
Sound Substrate
General
An underlying surface sufficiently solid, stable, cohesive, and properly attached to remain beneath the proposed repair or coating. A substrate can look intact yet be unsuitable if it is powdery, delaminated, weak, contaminated, or poorly bonded.
See also: Substrate.
Sounding
Concrete · Pools
Evaluating a surface by striking or tapping it and listening to the resulting sound. Clearer ringing responses generally indicate sound material; hollow or dull responses can indicate delamination or voids.
See also: Sound Concrete, Plaster Sounding.
Spall / Spalling
Concrete
Concrete that has chipped, broken, or detached from the larger mass. Spalling can range from shallow surface damage to deeper deterioration.
Spline
Pool Cages
Flexible material pressed into a channel in aluminum framing to hold screen mesh in place.
See also: Screen Mesh.
Spray Texture
Decorative Concrete
Texture created by projecting resurfacing material onto a surface. If the deposited material is subsequently flattened, the result may become a knockdown texture.
See also: Knockdown Texture.
Stain-Blocking Primer
Paints
A primer formulated to prevent stains or discoloring materials from migrating through the finish coat. It serves a different primary function from a bonding primer.
See also: Bonding Primer.
Structural Crack
Concrete
A crack associated with structural loads or forces. Width alone does not establish that a crack is structural.
Structural Member
Construction · Pool Cages
A component that carries or transfers load within a structure or enclosure.
See also: Connection.
Structural Repair
Concrete
A repair intended to restore or increase structural capacity. A cosmetic patch, crack fill, or decorative overlay is not automatically structural repair.
Subfloor
Flooring · Tile
The structural floor layer beneath underlayment, membranes, setting materials, and finished flooring.
See also: Underlayment.
Subgrade
Pavers · Concrete
The prepared soil or ground supporting a pavement or slab system.
See also: Base Course.
Subsidence
Concrete & Ground Movement
Downward movement of the ground or supporting material beneath construction. The term does not, by itself, identify the cause.
See also: Settlement.
Substrate
All Surface Systems
The underlying material to which another material is applied or bonded. Depending on the project, the substrate could be concrete, plaster, old coating, masonry, metal, roofing, or another material.
See also: Sound Substrate.
Surfactant Leaching
Paints
Migration of water-soluble coating ingredients to the surface of recently applied waterborne paint. It can appear as glossy, sticky, whitish, or brownish streaking, particularly under humid or damp early-cure conditions.
T
Tannin Bleed
Paints
Discoloration caused when water-soluble tannins migrate from wood through the coating system. A dedicated stain-blocking primer may be required.
See also: Stain-Blocking Primer.
Technical Data Sheet — TDS
Products
A manufacturer's document describing technical properties, preparation, application, coverage, cure requirements, and limitations. A TDS is not the same thing as a Florida Product Approval.
See also: Florida Product Approval.
Thermal Emittance
Roofing
The ability of a surface to release absorbed heat as thermal radiation.
See also: Solar Reflectance, Solar Reflectance Index — SRI.
Thin-Set Mortar
Tile
Cementitious mortar used to bond tile or stone in a thin-bed installation. Retail use of the word thinset can be confusing because some premixed organic adhesives have historically used similar terminology.
See also: Organic Adhesive.
Three-Coat Stucco
Stucco
Traditional plaster construction consisting of a scratch coat, brown coat, and finish coat.
See also: Scratch Coat, Brown Coat, Finish Coat — Stucco.
Tie Coat
Coatings
An intermediate coating intended to improve adhesion between layers that might otherwise bond poorly. The manufacturer's specified product and purpose should control.
See also: Adhesion Promoter.
Tile Assembly
Tile
The complete collection of materials making up the installed tile system, potentially including substrate, underlayment, membrane, setting material, tile, grout, and movement joints.
Topcoat
Coatings
The final exposed coating layer. A topcoat's job can include color, wear resistance, chemical resistance, UV resistance, or cleanability depending on the system.
Traction Additive
Coatings · Pool Decks
Aggregate or another material added to a coating to increase surface texture and traction. Pool decks require a balance between wet traction, barefoot comfort, and cleanability.
See also: Slip Resistance.
Trowel Burn
Pools
Visible darkening or discoloration associated with excessive or late troweling of cementitious pool finish. It can resemble mottling.
See also: Mottling.
Two-Component / 2K
Coatings
A product supplied as two components that must be combined before use. Epoxy resin and hardener are a common example.
See also: 2-Part Epoxy.
U
Uncoupling Membrane
Tile
A membrane or manufactured layer intended to reduce transfer of certain stresses between the substrate and tiled surface. It should not automatically be treated as synonymous with an ANSI crack-isolation membrane unless product documentation supports that function.
See also: Crack-Isolation Membrane.
Underlayment
Flooring · Tile
A layer installed over a structural substrate to provide or improve the receiving surface for finished flooring. Underlayment does not automatically mean waterproofing or structural correction.
See also: Subfloor.
Unsupported Slab
Concrete Repair
A descriptive term for a slab that has lost adequate contact with or support from the material beneath part of its area.
See also: Loss of Support, Void.
V
Vapor Barrier / Vapor Retarder
Moisture · Building Envelope
A material intended to restrict passage of water vapor through an assembly. Modern building terminology often classifies these materials by measurable vapor permeance rather than assuming complete vapor blockage.
See also: Permeance.
Vapor Drive
Moisture
The tendency for water vapor to move because of differences in vapor pressure. Temperature and humidity affect its direction and magnitude.
See also: Moisture-Vapor Transmission.
Vapor-Permeable
Coatings · Building Envelope
Able to allow some water vapor to pass through. A vapor-permeable coating may be called breathable, but that does not mean liquid water passes through freely.
See also: Breathable, Permeability.
Vertical Displacement
Concrete · Tile
A height difference between opposite sides of a crack, joint, or adjoining slab sections. It is an observation, not a diagnosis.
See also: Settlement, Heave.
Void
Concrete · Pavers
An empty or inadequately supported space beneath or within a slab, pavement, repair, or other construction element.
See also: Loss of Support.
W
Washout
Pavers · Concrete Support
A common field term for soil, bedding material, base aggregate, or joint material carried away by moving water. It describes material loss but does not identify why the water reached that location.
See also: Erosion.
Water Repellent
Masonry · Sealers
A treatment intended to reduce penetration of liquid water into a porous substrate. Water repellent should not automatically be translated as waterproof.
See also: Penetrating Sealer, Waterproof.
Water-Resistant
Tile · Building Materials
Able to tolerate or resist some water exposure without necessarily preventing water passage. Water-resistant and waterproof are not interchangeable descriptions.
See also: Waterproof.
Water-Resistive Barrier — WRB
Building Envelope
A material behind an exterior wall covering intended to resist liquid water that gets behind the cladding from moving farther into the wall. The WRB is not the exterior paint or stucco finish itself.
See also: Drainage Plane, Flashing.
Waterline Tile
Pools
Tile installed around the inside perimeter of a swimming pool near the normal water level. Also called perimeter tile.
See also: Coping.
Waterproof
Waterproofing
A term commonly used for materials or systems intended to resist water penetration. The useful question is what type and direction of water exposure the system is designed and tested to resist.
Waterproofing Membrane — Tile
Tile
A membrane specifically designed to prevent water from passing through a tiled assembly into construction beneath or behind it. Tile and grout themselves should not automatically be considered the waterproofing system.
See also: Grout, Water-Resistant.
Wear Coat
Coatings & Flooring
A coating layer designed to receive traffic and abrasion. It may also function as the system's topcoat, although some systems use additional finish or seal coats above it.
See also: Topcoat.
Weep Screed
Stucco
A drainage accessory at the bottom of certain stucco wall assemblies that terminates the plaster and allows water from behind it to drain outward.
See also: Water-Resistive Barrier — WRB.
Wet Insulation
Roofing
Roof insulation containing unwanted moisture. Applying a coating over wet insulation can conceal rather than correct the underlying problem.
Wet-Film Thickness — WFT
Coatings
The thickness of coating immediately after application and before drying or curing. Wet-film thickness can be checked during application with a wet-film gauge.
See also: Dry-Film Thickness — DFT, Mil.
Working Time
Coatings · Repair Materials
The practical period during which a product can still be applied or manipulated as required. Some manufacturers distinguish working time from pot life; others use the terms more loosely.
See also: Pot Life.
Aliases & Common Search Terms
These terms are included so homeowners can find the preferred definition even when contractors, retailers, or search engines use different wording.
Anti-Fracture Membrane
Control Joint (alias)
See Contraction Joint.
Cool Deck
See Kool Deck®.
Cooldeck
See Kool Deck®.
Kooldeck
See Kool Deck®.
Tap Testing
See Sounding.
Tap Test
See Sounding.
Sound Test
See Sounding.
Plaster Sound Test
See Plaster Sounding.
Polyjacking
See Polyurethane Foam Lifting.
Foamjacking
See Polyurethane Foam Lifting.
Foam Lifting
See Polyurethane Foam Lifting.
Mud Jacking
See Mudjacking.
Slab Jacking
See Slabjacking.
Mod-Bit
See Modified Bitumen.
Flat Roof
See Low-Slope Roof.
Thinset
See Thin-Set Mortar.
Thin Set
See Thin-Set Mortar.
Tile Mastic
See Mastic — Tile.
Decoupling Membrane
See Uncoupling Membrane.
House Wrap
See Water-Resistive Barrier — WRB.
Housewrap
See Water-Resistive Barrier — WRB.
Poly Sand
See Polymeric Sand.
Paver Joint Sand
See Joint Sand.
Paver Base
See Base Course.
FL Approval
FL Product Approval
Florida Approval Number
See FL Number.
NOA
See Miami-Dade NOA.
Dade NOA
See Miami-Dade NOA.
Pool Screen Enclosure
See Screen Enclosure.
Screen Cage
See Screen Enclosure.
Lanai Cage
See Screen Enclosure.
Electrolysis
See Galvanic Corrosion.
Granite Garage Floor
See Full-Flake System.
Flake Floor
See Full-Flake System.
Garage Epoxy
See Resin System.
Epoxy Floor
See Resin System.
Roof Paint
See Roof Coating.
Roof Sealer
See Roof Coating.
Shingle Treatment
See Roof Rejuvenator.
White Plaster
See Marcite.
White Coat
See Marcite.
Hollow Plaster
See Hollow Area / Hollow Spot.
Pool Scale
Calcium Buildup
Concrete Leveling
See Concrete Lifting.
Concrete Raising
See Concrete Lifting.
Sunken Concrete
See Settlement.
Concrete Sweating
See Condensation.
Power Washing
See Pressure Washing.
Pressure Clean
See Pressure Washing.
Dustless Grinding
See Dust Extraction.
Surface Blueprint Terminology Rules
- Use the first meaningful occurrence of a technical term on an article as the glossary link; do not link every repetition.
- Keep plain-English context in the article so the reader does not have to leave the page to understand the sentence.
- Use contraction joint as the preferred technical term and treat control joint as a common field alias.
- Keep sound concrete or sound substrate separate from sounding, which is an inspection method.
- Treat waterproof, Florida approved, high-build, breathable, restoration, and similar marketing-heavy terms as incomplete until the exact performance, approval, thickness, or scope is identified.
- Do not treat coating chemistry as the complete system: epoxy, acrylic, polyaspartic, polyurethane, and silicone identify chemistry, not every layer or function.
- Do not treat cleaning, coating removal, and profiling as synonyms. A surface can be clean but too smooth, or rough but contaminated.
- Do not treat resurfacing, crack filling, sealing, lifting, stabilization, and structural repair as interchangeable repair scopes.
- Use roof coating for a protective film and reserve roofing membrane/system language for products or assemblies that are actually designed and documented as such.
- Use Florida Product Approval, Miami-Dade NOA, permit, code compliance, and contractor licensing as separate regulatory concepts.