Glossary of Decorating terms and Painters jargon.

Registered and Trade Mark names are shown in green.

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V
Vanishing point. Horizon where parallel lines meet.
Varnish. A clear finish in either matt or gloss or satin finish. Broadly speaking, a translucent liquid, which, when applied to a surface in a thin film, dries to a hard and more or less transparent finish.
Vehicle: The liquid portion of the paint, in which the pigment is dispersed; it is composed of a binder and a thinner
Veiling. Applying a very diluted colour over a previously decorated surface.
Veneer. Very thin sheets of finely grained or coloured woods used to decorate panels on doors and wainscoting, and to form bands or other patterns, which is a form of inlay, and also for coating the whole surface of commoner or stronger woods. Veneers of marble, lapis­lazuli, and other fine stones are also used in the same way.
Verdigris. Imitating the natural corrosion effect of copper, brass and bronze. A kind of greeny-blue rust.
Vert  Heraldic term for green.
Vinyl: (1) The unsaturated, univalent radical CH2: CH -- derived from ethylene. (2) Any of the various compounds containing this group, typically highly reactive, easily polymerized and used as a basic material for coatings and plastics. (3) Any of the various plastics, typically tough and flexible.
Viscosity. The degree of resistance to flow possessed by a paint, varnish, or other liquid.
Vivechroml. Akzo Nobel paint brand.
VOC. Volatile Organic Compound. Hazardous additive in paint. Any carbon compound that evaporates under standard test conditions. Essentially, all paint solvents except water are VOCs. Governments are beginning to limit the amount of volatile organics found in paint because of concerns about possible environmental and health effects.
Volutes A special scroll, seen, large and at right angles to the wall, on the capital of an Ionic column, immediately below the abacus; small and placed diagonally on the Corinthian capital.
Vorticism. A Futurist form of art in which impressionist views of life and still life are expressed by curves and whorls, spirals, and so on, usually in vivid colours. Has been used for wall decoration.
W
Washability: Ease with which washing will remove dirt from the paint's surface without causing damage.
Water-based. Solvent free paint preparations.
Wet and Dry. An fine abrasive sandpaper normally used with clean water to produce a very smooth surface.
Wet edge. The surface area where paint has most recently applied. Important when glossing large flat surfaces.
Whites. Painters white overalls
White spirit. Used to thin oil paints and clean brushes. Slightly cheaper than Turpentine Substitute.
Windsor. Chairs in which the legs and arms are all socketed to form a shaped 'saddle' seat. Each individual chair can be made from a mixture of different woods such as yew, ash and elm. They have been made in Britain since the middle of the eighteenth century. There are two main types, those with a rounded back and a bowed back piece known as a 'hoop' or 'crinoline' back, and those with a straight top rail.
Wiped Finish. A decorative effect obtained by wiping a wet coat of glaze, scumble, or paint from the raised portions of a surface, exposing the ground colour in these areas and leaving the glaze, etc., in the hollows and recessed parts.
Wolman. Wood care subsidiary of Zinsser.
Woodchip . A wallcovering made by including chips of wood in the pulp. It needs painting once hung, and is a good cover-up for poor walls.
Wood filler. Very hard filler for wood repairs.
Woodgraining. A paint effect used to resemble the grain of real wood. A base colour is applied first using an oil based paint in an oak, mahogany or pine colour, followed by a coat of scumble glaze. Whilst still wet and 'open', a special graining comb is dragged through to make the grain. Different sizes of graining comb are available and the finished result can look very lifelike. Alternatively you can use an eggshell paint the colour of your preferred wood and use a scumble glaze in a darker shade. Use a small brush to add details such as knots.
Wood oil. An abbreviation used for CHINA-WOOD OIL.
Wood stain. Transparent finish  to enhance the wood colour and allow the grain to show through.
Wrinkle Finish. A type of finish employed in industrial work in which the film, on drying, assumes a ridged or wrinkled formation which is con­trolled by the thickness of the coating and other factors.