paint
Paint is any pigmented liquid, liquefiable, or solid mastic composition that, after application to a substrate in a thin layer, converts to a solid film. It is most commonly used to protect, color, or provide texture. Paint can be made in many ...
s and other coatings used to paint the exteriors and interiors of buildings, often calle exterior wall coatings or external masonry coatings. Clear
varnish
Varnish is a clear transparent hard protective coating or film. It is not a stain. It usually has a yellowish shade from the manufacturing process and materials used, but it may also be pigmented as desired, and is sold commercially in various ...
es and
lacquer
Lacquer is a type of hard and usually shiny coating or finish applied to materials such as wood or metal. It is most often made from resin extracted from trees and waxes and has been in use since antiquity.
Asian lacquerware, which may be ca ...
s are generally excluded. Such products are usually designated for specific purposes such as roof coatings, wall paints, or deck finishes. Coatings are eco-friendly building material that increases the efficiency of energy used and reduces impact on human well-being and the environment. The coatings are typically applied with brushes, rollers or sprayers. Wall coatings are generally not suitable for amateur or DIY application as the installation of a wall coating typically requires not only training and skill, but specialist equipment such as a paint spraying machine. Most masonry surfaces can be treated an exterior wall coating, such as render, pebbledash, stone, stucco or brick. Most coatings are designed to be microporous in nature, allowing captive moisture within the wall to evaporate outside, whilst not allowing the passage of water to be drawn inside the building, thus largely providing a secondary feature apart from decoration, and that is to weatherproof a wall, and to stop damp forming inside the building. These coatings are intended for on-site application and do not include "factory-applied coatings for building products such as vinyl siding or aluminium window frames hatmay ultimately be used for architectural end-uses".
{{reflist, refs=
Harry E. Ashton "Architectural Coatings". Chapter 59 of ''Paint and Coating Testing Manual: 14th Edition of the Gardner–Sward Handbook''. Joseph V. Koleske, ed. ASTM International, 1995. p. 696. Retrieved 10 January 2016. {{ISBN, 0803120605Harry E. Ashton "Architectural Coatings". Chapter 59 of ''Paint and Coating Testing Manual: 14th Edition of the Gardner–Sward Handbook''. Joseph V. Koleske, ed. ASTM International, 1995. p. 701-702. Retrieved 10 January 2016. {{ISBN, 0803120605Defining Architectural Paint Products for the Purposes of the Assessment. Retrieved 10 January 2016.Rogers, Neal ASTM monograph. January 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2016. DOI 10.1520/MNL12240MCoatingsPainting materialsArchitectural terminology