"alkali resistance" means ability of a surface coating to resist deterioration due to chemical reaction with alkaline chemicals;

"architectural surface coating" means a paint, stain or varnish used to coat architectural or other constructed surfaces. This product category does not include driveway sealers, wood preservatives, or antifouling paints;

"aromatic compound" means any organic molecule that has a benzene ring in its molecular structure. For the purposes of this document is limited to aromatics with less than two substitutions (e.g., does not include disubstituted aromatics)

"cleansability" means the ease with which cleansing will remove soil or stains from a coating’s surface without causing damage;

"consistency" means the fluid thickness of a surface coating, thus its resistance flow after application. Also referred to as viscosity, consistency is generally measured in Kreb units;

"drying time" means the maximum period from the time a surface coating is applied until the time when it attains a specified state of tackiness or hardness, measured in hours;

"flash point" means the minimum temperature of a liquid at which the vapors given off are sufficient to form a flammable mixture with air which will ignite when exposed to an open flame in accordance with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) test method D93-80 (Pensky-Martens Closed Tester) or ASTM test method D3278-82 (Seta);

"flat paint" means a paint that registers a specular gloss of less than 15 on an 85-degree meter, or less than 5 on a 60-degree meter, when determined using ASTM D-523-89 (1999) Standard Test Method for Specular Gloss;

"flexibility" means the ability of a surface coating to expand and contract, without suffering cracking or other significant degradation, when exposed to cyclical temperature changes;

"halogenated compound" means any compound containing halogens including fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine;

"hiding power" means a measure of the ability of a surface coating to hide or obscure the underlying surface to which it has been applied. May be measured either in terms of minimum thickness or maximum coverage area per unit of coating;

"non-flat paint" means a paint that registers a specular gloss of greater than 15 on an 85-degree meter, or greater than 5 on a 60-degree meter , but less than 70 on a 60-degree meter, when determined using ASTM D-523-89 (1999) Standard Test Method for Specular Gloss. Non-flat coatings may be further categorized as low-medium- or high-gloss and may additionally be designated with specific marketing terms, including, among others, “semi-gloss”, “eggshell”, “velvet” and “satin”; “gloss paint” means a non-flat paint that registers a gloss of 70 or greater on a 60-degree meter, when determined using ASTM D-523-89 (1999) Standard Test Method for Specular Gloss;

"paint" means a pigmented liquid that is designed for application in single or multiple layers and forms an opaque, continuous film after application. The purpose is for decorating and/or protecting surfaces, as well as concealing surface irregularities. It does not include driveway sealers, wood preservatives or anti-fouling paints;

"scrub ability" means the ability of a paint film to resist wearing away or changing its original appearance when subjected to scrubbing and cleansing with water, soap or other household cleaning. Generally measured in terms of minimum “scrubbing cycles” withstood by a given coating thickness;

"stain" means a transparent, semitransparent or opaque mixture of colouring matter (dyes and/or pigments) in a vehicle, designed to colour and/or protect a surface by penetration, leaving practically no surface film;

"varnish" means a liquid composition that is converted to a transparent or translucent, continuous film after application as a thin layer. The purpose is primarily to protect and decorate surfaces;

"volatile organic compound" or "VOC" means any organic compound which participates in atmospheric photochemical reactions. It excludes those organic compounds which the ECP designates as having negligible photochemical reactivity found in Appendix 1; and

"weathering resistance" means the ability of an exterior paint film to withstand deterioration from exposure to the weathering mechanisms such as rain, humidity, temperature fluctuations, wind and solar (ultraviolet) radiation.