Glossary of terms

A

AEP

Spanish Pediatry Association (Asociación Española de Pediatría). Our painting Xylazel Aire Sano Paint Suitable for Sanitary Environments collaborates with the AEP in the attainment of its goals, especially emphasizing the vigilance regarding the health of the child and the adolescent, in its physical, psychic and social aspects.

Airless

Airless spray gun application system.

AITIM

Association of Technical Research on Wood Industries (Asociación de investigación técnica de las industrias de la madera). Our products: Xylazel Total IF-t and Impralit KDS have the AITIM quality certificate.

Albura

The part of wood located between the duramen and the cambium. It is the part lightest in colour and usually more likely to be attacked by insects and mould.

ANEPROMA

National Association of Companies for Wood Protection (Asociación Nacional de Empresas de Protección de la Madera).

Antioxidant enamel

Enamel that has anticorrosive properties and is applied directly onto metal without the need to prime. Our products: Oxirite Range. 

Application dosage

Amount of product that must be used by surface unit for an optimum result, e.g. 200 mL/m2.

Application systems

Method by which a product is applied, i.e. roller application, spray gun...

Autoclave

Industrial facility for the deep impregnation of wood using vacuum-vacuum, Bethell and other systems. Water soluble and protective salts are used in an organic solvent. Our products: Xylazel Total IF-T and Impralit KDS.

B

Balm

Liquid and almost transparent substance with natural waxes that revives the colour of wood, and at the same time nourishes, protects and enriches it. Our products: Xylazel Restoration Balm.

Bethell System

Application procedure for protective products in autoclave used for Classes of use 4 and 5. The process includes another pressure vacuum phase and a final vacuum phase.

Bicomponent

Products that are supplied in two different containers and must be mixed before use. Drying takes place via the chemical reaction between one, the base and the second, and is also called catalyser. Our products: Xylazel Damp Proofing Solutions.

Biocides

Prepared active substances (containing one or more active substances) or microorganisms, whose purpose is to destroy, counteract, neutralise, impede the action of or exert control of another kind over any harmful organism by chemical or biological means. Biocides are split into 23 product types. Wood protectors belong to the TP8 group. Our products: Xylazel Treatments.

Biodegradable

Which can be degraded via biological action.

Blackboard effect

Surface effect enabling the painted surface to be used as a blackboard; paints very resistant to wet rubbing. Our products: Xylazel Healthy Air Paint for Children’s Environments.

Blue mould

Mould, usually ascomycetous, that affects wood with moisture content above 30% and leaves the wood with blue and black stains. Blue mould primarily affects conifer wood after sawing.

Building Technical Code

The Building Technical Code (CTE) is the regulatory framework establishing the requirements to be met by buildings in relation to basic safety and habitability established in Law Ley 38/1999 of 5th November governing Building Standards (LOE).

C

Capillary rising damp

Damp that rises through the capillaries of materials. 

Chalk aint, Chalk effect paint or Chalky Finish

These are paints that are very rich in mineral loads that are applied in a single coat without sanding, stripping or priming the support beforehand. Thay are primarly used to decorate indoor furniture. The paint finish is matte, with a powdery or silk matte appearance when a protective wax is applied to finish. It is used in vintage, Nordic and shabby chic deco. Our products: Xylazel Chalky Finish Furniture Paint. 

Classes of use / classes of use or of risk

UNE-EN 351-1 defines the concept of class of use as the likelihood that a structural element will sustain attacks by biotic agents, and primarily is a function of the extent of damp it comes to reach during its life of service. The following classes of use are defined below.Class of use 1: The structural element is covered, protected from the elements and not exposed to moisture. Under these conditions, solid wood has a moisture content below 20%. Examples: beams or pillars inside buildings;Class of use 2: The structural element is covered and protected from the elements, but, given the environmental conditions, wood moisture content over 20% in part or in the entirety of the structural element may occasionally occur. Examples: structure of a covered swimming pool where high environmental moisture is maintained with occasional condensation and structural elements near water conduits;Class of use 3: The structural element is exposed and not in contact with the ground. The moisture content of wood can exceed 20%. It is split into two classes;Class of use 3.1. The structural element is outdoors, above the ground and protected, that is, subject to design and construction measures aimed at impeding excessive exposure to the direct effects of the elements, inclement atmospheres or sources of damp. In these conditions, wood moisture content can at times exceed 20%. Examples: beam that points outdoors, but in its upper zone and head is protected by a capstone or sacrifice pieces.Class of use 3.2: The structural element is located outdoors, above the ground and is not protected. In these conditions wood moisture frequently exceeds 20%. Examples: any element whose upper face or head is subjected to the direct action of rainwater, a pillar that, without being embedded in the ground, maintains a shorter distance with this and is splashed by rain or subjected to snow piling up, etc.Class of use 4: The structural element is in contact with the ground or with fresh water and, therefore, exposed to humidification, where the moisture content permanently exceeds 20%. Examples: constructions on fresh water and pillars in direct contact with the ground;Class of use 5: Situation in which the structural element is in permanent contact with salt water. In these circumstances, the moisture content of the wood is permanently over 20%. Example: constructions in salt water.

Comején

Name that is given in some Central and South American countries to termites and other xylophagous insects. 

Concentrate

Substance from which part of the liquid has been removed to reduce its volume.

Conifer wood

Wood from trees in the gymnosperm group: pine, fir, yew, cypress...

Corrosion

Destruction of metal via the action of external agents, primarily encouraged by damp, saltpeter and contamination. 

Curing time

Time elapsing from the application of a product until it achieves all its final properties. Hardness, gloss, elasticity... 

D

Damp caused by condensation

Damp that usually condenses on a cold surface that forms a thermal bridge. Condensation causes and encourages the appearance of mildew on wood and on the surfaces of works, especially in damp and badly ventilated premises. 

Damp stains

Stains usually caused by the proliferation of mould colonies on damp surfaces. 

Decking

Wooden floor or decking. Our products: Xylazel Decking and Anti-Slip Decking.

Density

Ratio existing between the weight and volume of an element. 

Dewaxer

Very liquid product for removing wax. Especially used to clean antique furniture. Our products: Xylazel Dewaxer. 

Drying time

Time elapsing from application until the product stops being sticky and you do not leave a fingerprint when you touch it. 

Duramen

Part of wood located between the medullar and the albura. This zone is usually a darker colour than the albura and at the same time resistant to attack by xylophagous insects and mould.

E

Ecolabel

European eco label that assesses the environmental effects of a product throughout its life cycle: raw material consumption, production, distribution, utilization and disposal. It is given to products that guarantee a high level of environmental protection.

Exit hole

The holes that are visible on a wood’s surface that were caused by woodworm when they exit.

Exotic or tropical trees

Usually wood from trees in the broadleaf group that come from tropical countries: iroko, teak, elondo, sapele, Brazilian cherry, ayous, cumaru, ipé, among others. 

F

Finish

Product that is applied as a final coat and that provides the surface with physical and aesthetic properties such as gloss, colour, etc. 

G

Galvanized

Zinc coating of a metal surface that prevents corrosion. Our products: Xylazel Primer for Galvanized Metals. 

Galvanized steel

Steel coated with a fine layer of zinc to prevent corrosion.

Grey wood

Wood with a deteriorated surface as a result of the joint action of the sun and rain. 

Groove

Crack in the wood. 

H

HALS. UV Filter

UV filters that act as free radical captors by inhibiting the degradation of paints and varnishes. 

Hammer finish

Paint finish with an embossed appearance. Our products: Oxirite Hammer.

Hardwood

Wood from trees from the broadleaf and flowering groups: oak, chestnut, beech, ash, iroko, teak, elondo, sapele, cherry, walnut...

Heat-resistant paint

Paint resistant to high temperatures. Our products: Xylazel Anti-Heat Metal Paint.

I

Impregnability

Impregnability is the capacity of wood to introduce and move liquids in its interior. Impregnability varies depending on the species and zone of analysis, albura or duramen, the latter not usually being impregnable. The impregnability of each wood species can be consulted in Standard UNE EN-350. There are four degrees: impregnable, moderately impregnable, slightly impregnable and unimpregnable.

Iron oxides

Pigments that are used in the manufacture of lasurs and that provide protection against photodegradation. 

K

Knots

Wood formations corresponding to branches that were on the tree trunk.

L

Large woodworm

Type of woodworm belonging to the Longhorn Beetle group. These include the Hylotrupes bajulus and Hesperophanes cinereus.

Larva, larval phase

Phase between the egg and adult. It is in this phase when woodworm larvae affect wood. It can vary between six months and 10 years, depending on the species.

Lasur

Liquid product that creates a solid, transparent or semi-transparent film used to decorate and protect wood against the elements, and that enables easy maintenance. These products can contain biocide(s) to protect the film, the wood interphase or both against becoming mouldy or mildew forming. Our products: Xylazel Lasurs. 

M

Marine Varnish

Varnish that is generally used in coastal environments or those subject to abrasion. Our products: Xylazel Sea and Mountain.

Metalised

Type of finish that is reminiscent of a metal appearance surface. 

Mildew

Mould that grows on damp surfaces or surfaces rich in organic matter. It is usually identified as or confused with stains. 

Moth

Insects that usually attack the tissue. It also applies to xylophagous insects from the Lictidae family, also known as the oak processionary. Other include Lyctus brunneus and Lyctus linearis.

Multi-adherent

This usually refers to primers that improve the adherence of finish products onto difficult-to-paint surfaces, as in the case of aluminium or galvanised steel. Our products: Xylazel Multi-Adherent Antioxidant Primer.

Multi-surface paint

Paint suitable to be applied onto all kinds of supports thanks to its good adherence.

N

Natural durability of wood

UNE-EN 350 The natural durability of a wood is defined as its intrinsic resistance, in other words, without having received any treatment, to an attack by an xylophagous agent. This property varies from one species to another, within the same species (as in the case of the different durability that wood from fast-growing plantations and wood from natural forests can present) and also from one part of the same wood to another (duramen and albura).

O

Oil for teak

Mix of oils and natural resins especially selected to nourish and enrich wood. Indicated for maintaining exotic and tropical woods, such as teak or iroko. Our products: Xylazel Oils For Teak Range.

Open-pore protector

Product that does not form a layer like varnishes and that protects wood from the elements. They are steam-water permeable.

Oxidation

Oxidation is a chemical reaction where a metal or non-metal transfers electrons, thereby increasing its state of oxidation. Oxidation caused by the environment is known as corrosion.

P

Paint

Pigmented, opaque coating for surfaces. Paints can be water- and solvent-based and decorate and protect the surface.

Paint stripper / remover

Product that when applied onto a painted or varnished surface dissolves the coating so it can be easily removed. Our products: Xylazel Stripper. 

Patina

Coloured wax or stain that is applied onto wood surfaces to give them an antique appearance. 

Penetration

In the impregnation of wood in autoclave, the depth that the protective product reaches from the surface.

Photodegradation

Degradation of the surface of wood via the action of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. This is also known as going grey, though in this term leaching by rainwater must be taken into account. In indoor woods, discolouration and changes in shade are caused.

Polyurethane

Type of varnish or paint, usually bicomponent, that is very hard and resistant to environmental degradation. It is primarily used in the industrial sector. Our products: Xylazel Extra Floor Varnish.

Primer

Paint or varnish that is applied as a first coat before the finish or intermediate layers. It is usually used to protect the support or to improve the adherence of finishing products.

R

Repainting time

Time that must elapse between the application of two consecutive coats of paint or varnish. 

Resin

Component of wood usually related to conifer woods. Resin can stain the surface and harm the adherence of coatings. The term resin is also used for paint and varnish agglutinant.

Retention

In the impregnation of wood in autoclave, the amount of product that sticks after the treatment expressed in weight.

S

Safety Sheet

Document indicating the particular features and properties of a certain substance for its appropriate use. The primary purpose is to protect the operator's physical integrity during the transportation, storage and handling of the substance. This sheet or specification contains detailed instructions for its handling and seeks to reduce occupational and environmental risks. 

Sanding

Action of sanding a surface before applying a product or between coats. 

Satin

Intermediate degree of gloss between matte and gloss. 

SEAIC

Spanish Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology. Our Xylazel Healthy Air Paint is endorsed by SEAIC.

Sealant

Primer that is applied onto porous supports or that can stain in order to insulate them from the coating of finish.

Sealing primer

Varnishes with high solid content that are easy and quick to sand and that are used as a first coat to seal the wood before applying finish varnish. They are usually polyurethane or nitrocellulose.

SEMPSPH

Spanish Society for Preventative Medicine, Public Health and Hygiene. Our Xylazel Healthy Air Paint for Sanitary Environments is endorsed by SEMPSPH.

Shrinking and swelling of wood

Dimensional changes in wood as a consequence of changes in relative humidity in said wood. Swelling occurs when moisture increases, and shrinking occurs when it decreases. When wood achieves hygroscopic equilibrium moisture, dimensional changes are minimal. 

Small woodworm

Woodworm belonging primarily to the Anobiidae and Lyctids group. Others include the Anobium punctatum and Xestobium rufovillosum.

Solvent / diluent

Liquid that is added to paints and varnishes to reduce their viscosity. Also used to clean application tools. 

Solvent-based products

Paints and varnishes that are dissolved in a solvent. The best known in DIY are synthetic varnishes and enamels.

Stain

Liquid used to give wood colour. Can be water, solvent or hydroalcoholic based. Marketed for use as concentrate. 

T

Tannins

Substances typically present in some woods that cause drying problems for paint or varnish coating and stain the surface. 

Termites

Isopterous insects that destroy wood and cellulose materials. 

Terracota

Baked clay or mud. 

V

Vac-vac

Process of application of wood protector products in autoclave with a double vacuum time. Before and after impregnation. 

Varnish

Coating that is usually applied to wood and that creates a smooth, resistant surface on said wood. Our products: Xylazel Varnish Range.

Varnish

Coating generally used on metal and wood. Water or solvent based with a generally gloss or satin finish. 

Viscosity

Property of fluids that characterise its resistance as a result of friction between its molecules. 

VOCs

Volatile Organic Compounds of paints and varnishes. 

W

Water-based products

Paints and varnishes whose resins are dissolved or emulsified in water. 

Waterproof

Product that prevents damp or seepage. Our products: Xylazel Waterproof Lasur. 

Waterproofing

Product that is used to insulate from water and prevent seepage. 

White spirit

Mix of solvents that are usually used to dilute enamels and synthethic varnishes, and to clean application tools. 

Wicking

This term is used in the application of putty when it is dragged using a spatula.

Wood grain

Texture that is seen on the surface of wood as a result of the different colours that make up tree growth rings. There are woods such as walnut, oak or chestnut where the grain is very visible, which is where its decorative value comes from.

Wood pore

Print left by the conduit vessels of broadleaf wood. 

Wood protectors

Products used to protect wood, including from the sawing phase, or products derived from wood by controlling organisms that destroy or alter wood. See our products: Xylazel Treatments.

Wood-decay fungi

Fungi that feed on wood by destroying its cellular structure. They usually have and effect when wood is permanently exposed upon contact with earth or sources of moisture. 

Woodworm

Xylophagous insects whose larvae feed on wood. See Xylazel Woodworm.

Wrought finish

Wrought iron appearance. Our products: Oxirite Wrought and Oxirite Xtrem Wrought.

Y

Yield

Surface that must be painted by unit of volume of paint or varnish i.e. 8 m2/L. Each product has a different yield and this is expressed by the manufacturer on its containers.