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Duron Paints & Wallcoverings: Glossary of Terms

Wallcoverings Glossary of Terms Page

Choose the first letter of the the term you're interested in:
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

- A -

Acoustical Wallcoverings: Non-woven and woven textiles designed to reduce reflective sound in meeting rooms, offices, theaters, auditoriums, restaurants, corridors and elevator lobbies. These products are predominantly made of man-made polyester and olefin fibers/yarns. They receive a sound absorption rating known as NRC – Noise Reduction Coefficient. This rating indicates the amount of sound absorbed by the wallcovering. Higher ratings can by achieved by installing backerboards or cork behind these wallcoverings. The higher the NRC number, the more noise absorption. They are field installed on vertical surfaces or used on pre-wrapped panels, ceilings and operable walls. Installation is performed similar to synthetic textiles.
All-over Design: Usually floral, foliage or scroll patterns which cover an entire paper without any particular feature standing out.
American Single Roll: A single roll of wallcovering that comes in a wide variety of lengths and widths ranging from 18 to 36 inches in widths and four to eight yards in length. Regardless of length or width, each single roll contains 34 to 26 feet of wallcovering.
Applique: A cut-out design or ornament in fabric or other material that is applied on top of another, larger surface. In wallcovering, cut-outs applied to plain, textured or figured backgrounds.

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- B -

Batik: A non-directional geometric type design with an East Indian influence. The background has a tie-dyed appearance. The word itself refers to a method of dyeing designs on cloth by coating with removable wax the parts not to be dyed.
Blooming: A hazy or foggy appearance due to the incompatibility of some of the compounds in the coating or plastic sheeting.
Bolt: A roll of fabric or wallcovering of a given length.
Booking: When applying paste onto wallcoverings, the procedure of folding pasted surfaces together for easier handling.
Border: A narrow strip of wallcovering often used just under the ceiling or around a window or door frame.
Butt Seam: Most common type of wallcovering seam in which the edge of two strips of wallcovering are tightly butted together without any overlay or spacing between the strips.

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- C -

Ceiling Papers: Plain, geometric, trellis or foliage patterns of wallpaper which look good on a ceiling from all directions.
Chairrail: The topmost molding of a dado which is placed on the wall at the height of a chair back. Complementary wallcovering patterns are often used above and below a chairrail. A wallcovering border is often used as a chairrail.
Coatings: A thin protective surface layer, usually of acrylic, which is applied to wallcoverings to provide washability and durability.
Crocking: Coloring that rubs off and causes discoloration.
Collage: A technique in which pictorial images or patterns and pieces of colored, textured material are superimposed onto each other.
Color Change: Putting different colors in place of those used on the previous run when manufacturing wallcoverings. The pattern does not change.
Color Run: The amount of role of a particular design produced of a single color combination. Subsequent runs of that same design and colorway may be slightly different. (This is why it is important for purchasers to retain the run number in case additional rollage is needed.)
Companion Wallcoverings: A set of wallcoverings designed and colored to be used together in the same or adjoining areas.
Contract Wallcoverings: Wallcoverings produced for commercial use and normally available in 48 and 54 inch widths.
Cork and Cork Veneer: Type: This type of wallcovering has a variegated texture with no definite pattern or design. Cork Veneer is shaved from cork planks or blocks and laminated to a substrate that may be colored or plain.
Recommended areas of use: Cork wallcoverings are generally used in focal walls and unique office environments, etc. where a rich, warm effect is desired.

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- D -

Digital Printing/Wallcovering: Used mostly for borders and murals, digital printing is defined as one of several non-impact technologies where the image or pattern is created, manipulated and finalized by electronic systems and printed by a computer controlled printer.
Double Cut Seam: Type of seam used in situations where it is necessary to overlap two strips of wallcovering and yet avoid a raised ridge. One example would be when a border is being used as a chairrail with coordinated wallcoverings above and below the border/wallcovering. A straightedge is placed at the center of the overlap and with a razor knife or blade, a cut is made through both layers. The top cutoff section is removed and then the bottom cutoff portion is removed leaving a tightly butted seam.
Dry Strip: Most solid vinyls, polyofin/synthetic textiles and some other type of wallcoverings are tear-resistant and dry strippable. Always pull at a 45-degree angle or less to make sure you put the minimum amount of stress on the wall surface.

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- E -

Embossing: A raised effect created by impressing a design into wallcovering using either pressure or heat.
Engraving: Machine priming of wallcovering with etched-out rollers to obtain subtle and fine effects.
Etching: A process in which a copper shell is slowly revolved in an acid bath.

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- F -

Fabric Backed Vinyl Solid Vinyl: Wallcovering that has a woven substrate of cloth/scrim or non-woven substrate synthetics. In either case, the substrate is laminated or calendared to solid vinyl decorative surface.
Width: 20.5 to 54 inches
Fiberglass Wallcovering: This wallcovering is composed of fiberglass yarns made from all natural, non-toxic materials of sand, lime and clay. Fiberglass wallcovering is designed to be painted after it is installed, allowing virtually endless color and finish selections. The finer weaves also serve as a breathable substrate for printing borders and sidewalls. In addition, it has inherent qualities of durability and fire and mildew resistance.
Recommended areas of use: Fiberglass wallcovering has been accepted and specified worldwide for more than 30 years and has just been added to the AIA Masterspec for wallcovering. Applications of this product are accepted in all facets of the commercial market, ranging from hotels to hospitals, and from educational facilities to ship and boat interiors. Because of the nature of the material and the high performance features of all patterns when combined with paint, it is not typically classified as Type I, II or III. However, the performance features fall into the II and III categories (the weight does not determine the performance). Fiberglass wallcoverings have an inherently high tear and tensible strength.
Width: 39 inches

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- G -

Grass Cloth: A hand-made product made by gluing woven native grasses onto a paper backing. Grasscloth is a handcrafted product usually made from a native vine (arrowroot) of Korea. These vines are cut and soaked in local streams until the bark can be removed in very thin ribbons strips. The strips are allowed to dry and graded according to thickness and quality. When the bark is dried it looks like dried grass. The bark strips are then tied together and rolled into hanks (skeins of grass) and sold to weavers. The weavers use hand-made looms, which are strung vertically with cotton threads. This is called warp threading.
The grass is then placed in a wooden shuttle that is manually moved back and forth horizontally. This produces weft. Once the grass and cotton are woven together, it is called netting. After the netting is made it is laminated to a paper backing or substrate, and then dyed to a specific color. It is trimmed and packaged and is truly a natural hand-made product. Grasscloth has a natural shading effect.
Width: Generally 36 inches
Recommended areas of use: Real grasscloth should be used only in areas where no moisture or grease is present. It cannot be scrubbed or washed because the natural grass easily stains. A soft brush and vacuum cleaner should be used. Grasscloth is excellent for staircases and offices.
It adds a rich warm effect to a room and hides a multitude of defects due to poor wall surfaces because of its rugged natural effect. Imitation grasscloth is sometimes used in high traffic areas such as bathrooms and kitchens. These imitations are usually solid vinyl with woven substrates.
Ground: Raw stock onto which a coat of pigment has been applied before the top colors are put on in wallcovering manufacturing.
Ground Coat: The coat of pigment applied to raw stock before the top colors are put in wallcovering manufacturing. The background color.

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- H -

Hand-Printed Murals: Type: This is a simulated photographic wallpaper enlarged to be placed on a room-sized wall. It is usually divided into quarter panels for purposes of the installation. This type of mural portrays a nature, scene, mountains, sea shores, forests woodlands, etc.
Width: Various
Recommended areas for use: Most photo murals are used on focal walls of waiting rooms, offices, seating areas, etc. to enhance an outdoor scene. They normally add depth to a room by making it appear larger. Usually the murals are not very washable; therefore, a very mild detergent or pure water is used to clean them. Over-washing can result in the ink coloring coming off.
Header Strip: A strip of wallcovering that is allocated to be hung above a door or window.
Heavy Duty Clay: They are starch-based adhesives with clay added for extra tack and stronger “suction” bonds. They range in solids from 35 to 55 percent. The higher the solids, the better the tack for heavy wallcoverings or wallcoverings with surface coatings that tend to make them curl at the seams.
Heavy Duty Clear: Recommended for hanging vinyls up to 36-ounces while providing an excellent past-the-wall adhesive for fiberglass, textiles and acoustical wallcoverings. They have excellent tack and open time and are ideal for use in paste machines. Most are strippable with strippable wallcoverings.
Hemp: Type: Wallcovering that is made from fibers of the hemp plant. Hemp wallcovering is a coarse fiber structure and closely resembles real grasscloth, with the exception of a much finer weave. As in grasscloth, it contains irregularities in color and pattern and also the seams will be dominant.
Width: Mostly 36 inches
Recommended areas of use: Same as grasscloth.
Hot Spots: Shiny spots on wallcovering caused by a chemical reaction.

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- J -

Jacquard Design: Woven fabrics manufactured by using the Jacquard attachment on the loom. This attachment provides versatility in designs and permits individual control of each of the warp yarns. Thus, fabrics of almost any type or complexity can be made. Brocade and damask are types of jacquard woven fabrics.
Jacquard Knit: A weft double knit fabric in which a Jacquard type of mechanism is used. This device individually controls the needles or small groups of needles and allows very complex and highly patterned knits to be created.
Job-Lot: Discounted patterns which are often sold at reduced price.
Jute Weave: Type: Wallcovering that is made by using jute, a strong coarse fiber that is used in making burlap. This is a natural plant product from India and surrounding countries. Both the warp and weft of this product may be made from jute, or it can be combined with another type of natural fibered yarn. It is laminated to a paper backing much like grasscloth.
Width: Mostly 36 inches
Recommended areas of use: Same as for grasscloth.

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- L -

Lamination: The process of building up thin layers of materials and bonding them together as one product under heat and pressure with an adhesive added.
Leather/Suede Wallcoverings: Type: A leather and leather-like finished fabric with a napped surface resembling the leather made from the skin of a goat. They are sometimes very difficult and delicate to install because of their tendency to stain. If adhesive is allowed to contact the finished surface, it may permanently stain or ruin. Extreme precautions are used during the installation due to this factor; therefore, the slip sheeting (masking) technique should be employed.
Width: Generally 36 inches
Recommended areas of use: Suede and leathers are considered exotic materials, meaning unusual in effect or appearance. It can create a dramatic impact on a room. Suedes and other exotic wallcoverings, such as pasted leaves on wallpaper, can be used in rooms to serve as heat and sound insulators.
Line: Merchandise belonging to one group or series offered by a manufacturer. In wallcovering, name collections appearing periodically every year or two.
Lineal Yard: A lengthwise measure of goods.
Lining Paper: Plain material, often paper, usually applied horizontal and used under wallcoverings to assure a smoother surface and better adhesion.

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- M -

Matching: Hanging strips of wallcovering so that the design will be in the correct relation to the preceding strips. The types of match are random, straight and drop.
Matte Finish: A dull finish.
Molding: An ornamental strip of wood or plaster that protrudes from a ceiling or wall surface.
Monochromatic: Of one color, sometimes in different light-to-dark values.
Mural: A wall decoration with a pictorial design that continues over two or more strips of wallcovering and is intended to cover part or most of a wall without repeat. Also called scenics.
Muted Colors: Any colors with brightness that has been lessened or moderated, often by their contemporary colors.
Mylar: Type: Mylar is actually a trademark of DuPont for a particular brand of polyester film. This film is applied to the decorative print of wallpapers which may have a paper, woven or non-woven, substrate for backing. Mylar wallpapers are often mistaken for foil wallpapers and are very similar in nature. Mylar is actually a polyester film that is metalized sheeting. Mylar will not tear easily, but will burn. Foils will tear easily, but will not burn.
Width: Generally 27 inches
Recommended areas of use: Mylars are relatively easy to care for as far as washability. They should be washed with mild dishwashing liquid and warm water; therefore, as soon as it can be washed, it should be dried with a soft cloth. Mylars and foils show every imperfection in a wall surface; therefore, extreme care should be taken to prepare the walls. Sometimes a loner paper is required to smooth out rough places. Extreme caution should also be used during installation, especially when cutting out for electrical outlets and switches, because the metalized film is a very efficient conductor of electricity.

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- N -

Neutral Colors: Beiges, whites, grays and browns. Colors which coordinate well with most other colors and which have been especially popular for the last decade or so.
New Drywall: Make sure the drywall is free of dust, dirt and mildew. Joints and spackled areas should be thoroughly cured and sanded smooth. Best results are obtained when the moisture content of the drywall is at or less then 5 percent.
New Plaster: Allow at least 60 to 90 days for the plaster to completely cure. Use a moisture meter to make sure the residual moisture does not exceed 5.5 percent. Best results will be obtained when pigmented, water-based wallcovering primer is used to decrease the porosity of the plaster and form a good surface to bond to.
Non-woven: Fabric backings in different grades offer improved wallcovering printing techniques while maintaining the tear strength qualities necessary for commercial installations. There are also several grades of poly cotton woven backings, most commonly known as scrim, osnaburg and drill, which complement products and their usage areas. Scrim is mostly used in the light construction and usage areas while osnaburg is used in medium to heavy usage areas such as corridors. One backing commonly used, is a sprayed acrylic backing used mostly on fabric wallcoverings to allow for stability and improved hanging qualities. We will note that with some wall treatment products, a backing is not necessary if the product is stable enough to hang on its own.

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- O -

Off Grades: Not first quality goods.
Overlapping Seam: A method of hanging wallcovering.

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- P -

Paper Backing: Used on paper backed vinyls, vinyl coated papers and specialty products.
Paper Backed Vinyl/Solid Sheet Vinyl: Type: Wallcovering that has a paper (PULP) substrate laminated to a solid vinyl decorative surface.
Width: 20.5 to 54 inches
Recommended areas of use: This type of wallcovering is very durable since the decorative surface is a solid sheet of vinyl. It is classified as scrubbable and peelable. Solid sheet vinyls can be used in most all areas of home or business since it resists moisture and is stain and grease resistant; however, they will not withstand hard physical abuse.
Paper Weave: Type: Wallcovering that is usually from Japan and very similar to real grasscloth. The weave, however, is actually paper that has been cut in thin strips and then twisted and spun into lengths of yarns (hanks). A manufacturer makes this paper yarn into weave and then it is laminated to a paper backing. These should not be confused or classified with the Korean grasscloth, reedcloths or rushcloths.
Recommended areas of use: Same as for grasscloths.
Pasted Leaves: This is an exotic type of wallpaper that is sometimes very useful to portray an outdoor scenic atmosphere. Its composition is actually “real” dry leaves that are laminated to a substrate. Very delicate care must be taken during the installation to prevent damage to the surface, especially on outside corners.
Recommended areas of use: Same as for grasscloths and suede cloth.
Peelable: A wallcovering that can be dry peeled from the wall leaving only the substrate on the wall. Note important differences between “peelable” and “strippable” wallcoverings. Most paper-backed vinyls, including some pre-pasteds, are peelable. The top layer can be removed, leaving a paper layer on the wall. This paper layer can be removed by soaking with a wallpaper remover or left on the wall, primed and hung over if it is soundly bonded to the wall.
Pick Off: A condition in which coating sticks to the shell during the printing process, which is usually caused by an air bubble in the coating or by tacky color pulling off some of the coating.
Pigmented Acrylic Primer: This primer bonds to most difficult surfaces and also promotes strippability. It hides drywall joints, patterns, etc. and can be tinted with “universal tints” to match wallcoverings for gaps at seams.
Plastic-Coated Wallpaper: Wallpaper which feature a thick plastic coating.
Plumb Bob/Line: A weighted line used to produce a vertical line to assure that each strip is hung perfectly straight.
Polymer: A compound formed by the reaction of simple molecules.
Poly-Vinyl Chloride: Commonly referred to as PVC.
Polyolefin/Synthetic Textile Wallcoverings: Type: These woven and non-woven textile looking wallcoverings were developed to give the aesthetic appearance of a natural textile while adding an increased value in stain and abrasion resistance found in vinyl wallcoverings. These products are comprised of polyolefin yarns, which are olefin fibers made from polymers or copolymers of propylene.
Polypropylene fibers are produced by melt spinning the molten polymer (pellets), which are then stretched into the fiber and woven into a sellable product, much like a natural fabric is weaved. There are also a multitude of synthetic fibers such as polyester, rayon and nylon, to name a few.
Recommended areas of use: These products, unlike natural textiles, are installed in high traffic areas due to their improved cleaning and abrasion characteristics.
Pretrimmed: Rolls of wallcovering from which the selvage has been trimmed at the factory.
Primary Colors: The three colors, red, blue and yellow, which cannot be produced by mixing any other pigments together.
Primer: Special primer paints designed for use under wallcoverings, often used in place of sizing materials.
Production Run: The production of one pattern in one combination of colors from the beginning to end on one machine.

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- R -

Railroading: The horizontal application of a wallcovering.
Raw Stock: Paper in large reels. Also, the substrates used today, before lamination.
Reedcloth: Type: A handcrafted wallcovering in which every individual reed is inserted into the cotton warp threads of a hand-made loom. The reeds vary in thickness and colors. This is the natural effect. The production is very similar to that of grasscloth.
Width: Mostly 36 inches
Recommended areas of use: Same as for grasscloth.
Relief: Making a design prominent by raising it or by cutting away the surface or background of the design.
Repeat: The distance from the center of one motif or pattern to the center of the next.

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- S -

Screen Print: A printing process, also called hand-screening, for producing wallcoverings involving stretching silk tightly onto frames, with a separate screen used for each color.
Scrubbable: Any wallcovering that can be safely washed with a sponge and detergent while still on the wall.
Seams: Area where two wallcoverings are joined.
Selvage: Either edge of a roll of wallcovering carrying no design, intended to protect the design.
Shading: An effect that can sometimes appear along the seams of no patterned or textured wallcoverings due to heavier ink coverage at one edge than the other during printing.
Sidewall: Main wall area to be covered with wallcovering.
Silkscreen/Hand-Screen Printed: Screen printed wallcoverings are printed either totally by hand, partly by hand and partly by machine, or entirely by machine. A silk screen is used during the printing process to develop unique design techniques not usually available through other manufacturing processes.
Width: Varies
Recommended areas of use: Low traffic areas.
Single Roll: The standard commercial length of wallcovering.
Size: A sealer used to prepare the wall before the wallcovering is applied.
Stain-Resistant Wallcovering: A wallcovering on which a coat of plastic or vinyl has been added to make the surface mostly stain-resistant.
Straight Edge: A 6 foot or 7 foot ruler used by a paperhanger to trim the selvage off of wallcovering.
String Wallcovering: Type: Wallcoverings that have very fine threads laminated to a paper type substrate. These come in a variety of colors and unlike grasscloth, the seams are not dominant. The vertical threading effect butts together and creates a random match.
Width: Generally 27 to 54 inches
Recommended areas of use: Same as for grasscloth
Substrate: The backing of a wallcovering. It becomes laminated to the design layer.
Surface Printing: Conventional machine-printing in which the raised or routed design on the roller is transferred to the ground.
Swatch: A sample cutting of wallcovering or fabric.

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- T -

Texture: The tactile surface quality of the wallcovering or fabric, perceived through touch.
Textile Wallcovering: Type: Fabric wallcoverings are usually laminated to a backing to enhance dimensional stability and to prevent the adhesive from coming through to the surface. These backings are usually acrylic or paper.
Width: Generally 54 inches
Recommended areas of use: The application of natural textiles is usually low traffic areas desiring the natural yarn look.
Total Weight: The combined weight of both backing and coating, measured in ounces per square yard of wallcovering.

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- U -

Undercloth (Paintable): This product can be used in areas where cracked or rough wall surfaces are present and a smooth paintable surface is desired. It is usually cloth backed with no embossing on the surface.
Width: 27 to 54 inches
Underliner: Type: Liner paper is a blank stock-type wallcovering. It comes in different weights such as light, medium, and heavy. It can be plain paper stock or a spun-type material.
Widths: 20.5, 27 and 54 inches
Recommended areas of use: Liner can be used on almost any wall surfaces, such as plaster, sheetrock (drywall), paneling and cinder block. Liner also can be used under mylar and foils to get a smoother surface. The walls must be properly prepared to accept the liner by applying the correct primer/sealer first. Liners are recommended also for use under non-breathable wallcoverings in order to absorb excess moisture.

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- V -

Value: Lightness or darkness of a color.
Vinyl: Man-made material used in the manufacturing of wallcoverings.
Vinyl Coating: Either the liquid vinyl or flexible film applied to a wallcovering backing material. It gives a wallcovering strength, durability and scrubbability.
Vinyl Laminate: Vinyl laminated to either paper or fabric.
Vinyl Over Vinyl: These adhesives are specifically designed to bond to vinyl. They have synthetic polymers added for bond strength and starch and other additives for easier application. They can be used to hang borders or full sheets or fabric/paper-backed vinyl over exciting vinyl. Extra care needs to be taken to clean these adhesives off while they are wet because of their added bond strength.

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- W -

Wainscot: Wood paneling used on interior walls, especially that which reaches partially up the walls. Wallcovering is often used below a chairrail as a substitute.
Wallpaper and Porous Wallcoverings: The easiest method for removal is to score the surface with a tool such as a “Paper Tiger” and then soak with a wallpaper remover and scrape off the wall. Wallpaper remover can be applied by spraying or sponge. Soaking times vary.
Wallcovering Adhesives: Wallcovering adhesives are specifically designed to hang wallcoverings from lightweight grasscloths and delicate papers to Type III vinyls that are 36 ounces and heavier. They contain preservatives to protect the adhesive in the can and mold/mildewcide to protect the dried film under non-porous wallcoverings such as vinyls. They vary in tack, percent solids, open time (working time), strippability and ease of application.
Wallcovering Primers: Wallcovering primers are specifically designed for use in preparing walls for the installation of wallcoverings. They contain mold/mildewcide packages that protect the film under non-porous wallcoverings such as vinyls. Wallcovering primers are designed to bond to difficult surfaces and form a film that responds to starch-based wallcovering adhesives.
Wall Fabric: A durable surface on a backing used to cover walls.
Wall Preparation: The preliminary cleaning of walls to prepare them for wallcovering. Also, can include patching cracks/holes and applying a primer-sealer.
Wall Primer: The preparatory coat of primer given to walls before hanging wallcoverings.
Washable: A wallcovering that can be cleaned with a sponge, mild soap and water.
Woven Fabric: Fabrics composed of two sets of yarns. One set of yarns, the warp, runs along the length of the fabric. The other set of yarns, the fill or welt, is perpendicular to the warp. Woven fabrics are held together by weaving the warp and the fill yarns over and under each other.