GLOSSARY 

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M 

MAINTENANCE COATING

A coating, other than the original coating, of which the primary function is protection; used to maintain highway and railroad structures, chemical plants, manufacturing plants, public utilities, and other industrial facilities. 

MAINTENANCE PAINTING

All repainting except that done for aesthetics.  

MARBLING

Simulating the grain and texture of marble by means of specially prepared colours and stain and graining tools. 

MARINE PAINT

Coating specially designed for immersion in water and exposure to marine atmosphere. 

MASKING TAPE

An adhesive tape used to protect small surfaces from becoming smeared with paint. 

MASTIC

1. A heavy-bodied coating of high build.

2.  An adhesive composition. 

MATCHING

Hanging strips of wallcovering so that the design is in correct relation to the preceding strip. 

MSDS - MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET

A printed source of information about the hazards of materials including coatings.  The MSDS contains the following information:

1. Product identification;

2. Hazardous ingredients, their permissible exposure limits (PEL), and  threshold limit value (TLV);

3. Physical properties;

4. Fire and explosion hazard data, such as flash point, lower and upper  explosive limits, and fire fighting procedures;

5. Health hazard data;

6. Chemical reactivity/stability data;

7. Spill and leak procedures;

8. Special protection information; and

9. Additional special precautions. 

MECHANICAL DRYWALL TOOL

Any mechanical device, such as an automatic taping applicator, used to apply joint compound and/or joint tape or to finish joints in the drywall finishing process. 

MEDIUM OIL ALKYD RESIN

Alkyd resin made with a medium oil-to-resin ratio. These resins contain between 40 and 60 percent oil as a modifying agent. 

MEDIUM OIL VARNISH

An oleo-resinous varnish, other than alkyd, made with a medium oil-to-resin ratio. 

MESH GRID

A paint roller accessory that is hung from the top of a 5-gallon pail partially filled with paint. Like the roughened surface of a paint tray ramp, it allows paint to be worked into the roller cover and provides a way of removing excess paint from the roller cover. 

METAL SPRAYING

Application of a spray coat of metal (usually zinc or aluminium) onto a prepared surface. 

METALLIC PAINT

Paint containing tiny flecks of aluminium or other metal, often used because of its attractive appearance. 

METALIZING

The spray application of a coating of metal onto a surface. 

MIL

One thousandth of an inch (0.001 inch, 25.4 micrometers). The thickness of a coating on a surface is usually measured in mils.  Metric 'mil' for millimetre equals 1/1000 of a meter. 

MILDEW

A fungus growth that "feeds" on paint, wallcovering, and other materials in damp places. It causes discolouration and deterioration.

MILDEWCIDE

An additive used to enhance a coating’s ability to resist fungus growth that can cause discolouration and ultimately decompose the binding medium. 

MILDEW RESISTANCE

The ability of a coating or a wallcovering to deter the growth of mildew. 

MILL SCALE

The heavy oxide layer formed during hot fabrication or heat treatment of steel and other metals.  
 

MINERAL SPIRITS (PAINT THINNER)

A petroleum-derived solvent used for thinning paint. Odourless mineral spirits have been refined to remove some odorous constituents. 

MISCIBLE

Capable of mixing or blending uniformly. 

MIST COAT

Thin tack coat; thin adhesive coat. 

MOISTURE TRAP

A device used to remove moisture from the air lines of abrasive blasting or spray painting equipment. A bleed valve at the bottom of the device is left open slightly to allow water caught in the trap to drain out. 

MONOMER

The starting compound for a polymerisation reaction. A monomer is capable of polymerising, or linking together, with itself or with different monomers. 

MSDS

See MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET. 

MUD

Trade jargon for joint compound. 

MUD CRACKING

A paint film defect that has the appearance of dried mud cracks.  

MULTICOMPONENT SPRAYING

A paint application method that automatically proportions and mixes two or more components of a paint material in the process of delivering them to the spray gun. Plural component spray equipment is used to apply coatings with a pot life that is too short to permit mixing and application by conventional air and airless spray equipment.

MULTIPACKAGE COATING

Cross-linking paint materials that must be stored in two or more separate containers and that must be mixed in the correct proportion before use. Once they are mixed, a chemical reaction begins and the paint remains usable for a limited time only. 

MURAL

A hand-screened, machine-printed, or lithographed mural decoration with a pattern that continues over several strips of wallcovering; intended to cover one wall of a room or the greater part of a wall without a repeat. 

MURIATIC ACID

A diluted form of hydrochloric acid used to clean concrete and masonry.