Glossary - W
Wainscot
Woodwork lining the walls of a room or passage.
Washability
Ease with which washing will remove dirt from the paint's surface without causing damage to it.
Washing off
If you apply a water-based product in cold conditions (i.e. below 10ºC), loss of adhesion can occur and the coating may simply wash off when it rains. To rectify, thoroughly clean down the surfaces to remove all dirt, grease and surface contaminants. Scrape back all areas of poorly adhering or defective coatings to a firm edge and rub down to 'feather' broken edges. Dust off and re-apply coating.
Waste pipe
See 'Soil pipe'.
Water paint
Any paint in which the 'thinning' agent is water, might strictly be classified as a water paint. However the term has come to mean an oil or varnish bound washable distemper in which the binder, on drying, becomes mainly insoluble in water.
Weather board
Boards fixed to overlap one another to prevent entry of rain etc.
Web
The central part of a girder connecting the two flanges.
Wet adhesion
The ability of dry paint to adhere to the surface, in spite of wet conditions, is particularly important for exterior house paints.
Wet edge
Refers to the condition of a paint which has been applied for a short while but has remained in a sufficiently liquid condition to be successfully joined up and to dry without showing the lap.
Wire cut
A type of brick so called from its method of manufacture in which the clay blocks are cut into shape instead of being moulded or pressed.
Working up
The action of an existing and apparently dry coat of paint being removed by the action of brushing the succeeding coat over it.
Wrinkling
The development of wrinkles during drying. Often caused by too thick an application.
WWP
Abbreviation for 'water waste preventer', or flushing cistern.