A.B.C.D.E.F.G.H.I.J.K.L.M.N.O.P.Q.R.S.T.U.V.W-Z

L CUT: A piece of tile cut or shaped to the letter "L".
LAITANCE: A layer of weak and non-durable material containing cement and fines from aggregates, brought by bleeding water to the top of over-wet concrete, the amount of which is generally increased by overworking or over-manipulating concrete at the surface by improper finishing or by job traffic.
LAMINATED--Two or more layers of firmly united material.
Laminated wood- an assembly made by bonding layers of veneer or lumber with an adhesive. May also refer to edge- glued lumber items such as treads, etc.
Laminates (i.e. countertop material)-High pressure laminate is manufactured in a flat press by combining decorative papers saturated in melamine resin with phenolic-impregnated kraft layers at pressures exceeding the NEMA standard of 750 psi (5.17 MPa) and temperatures approaching 300 deg. F (150 deg. C). The panels are trimmed to size and the backs are sanded to facilitate bonding. The thickness of the laminate is determined by the number of kraft layers used. The laminating process combines the durability of melamine resins with the aesthetics of decorative papers creating a surfacing material that has been the standard for well over forty years.
Lapis Lazuli (or Lapis) - dark, royal blue opaque stone with white veins or patches (calcite) and a few gold-looking metallic flecks (pyrite). Lapis is often dyed to enhance the blue in the stone.
LATEX --A compound, either natural or man-made, used to coat the back of carpet and to adhere carpet components to one another. Also material used to splice yarn.
LATEX BLEEDING -- Where latex on the back of the carpet has penetrated through to the face.
LATEX-PORTLAND CEMENT GROUT: Combines Portland cement grout with a special latex additive.
LATEX-PORTLAND CEMENT MORTAR: A mixture of Portland cement, sand and a special latex additive which is used as a bond coat for setting tile.
LATH: Metal mesh which acts as a backing or reinforcing agent for the scratch coat or mortar.
LAYOUT LINES: Lines chalked on a substrate to guide in accurately setting tile.
LAYOUT STICK: A long strip of wood marked at the appropriate joint intervals for the tile to be used. It is used to check the length, width or height of the tile work. Common names for this item are "idiot stick" or "story pole".
LEG: A tile wall running alongside a bathtub or abutment. This term is sometimes used to describe a narrow strip of tile floor.
LENGTHWISE CONDITIONS -- Irregularities in carpet which run parallel to the side edge in a lengthwise direction.
LENGTHWISE LINES -- Narrow lines running continuously or intermittently throughout the carpet in a lengthwise direction.
LENGTHWISE OILY LINES --Dark lines that may appear in carpet after short periods of usage, resulting from soil attraction to oil in yarn.
LEVEL: (a) A surface or line with all points at the same elevation. (b) Horizontally straight.
LEVELING COAT: See Plumb Scratch.
LEVEL LOOP -- A construction in which the carpet face yarns are tufted or woven into loops of the same pile height.
Lift Hook --A metal device embedded into the unit for the purpose of lifting and/or anchoring.
Limestone - a sedimentary rock, chiefly composed of calcium carbonate; formed from the shells of marine animals
LINING, CARPET -- See PADDING
Lintel --A unit spanning an opening and carrying the load of a wall above.
LOOM -- A machine in which yarn or thread is woven into a fabric by the crossing of the warp or chain by other threads, called the weft or filling, at right angles to the warp threads.
LOOPED PILE -- Pile surface in which looped yarns are left uncut. In woven carpet, sometimes referred to as "round wire."
LOOPERS -- The thin flat steel components that move beside the inserted needles and hook the tufting yarn into loops.
LOW ROWS -- Rows of excessively low pile height across the width of the carpet. Usually due to run out of the final bits of face yarn of the spools on the Axminster loom.
LUGS: Protuberances attached to tiles to maintain even spacing for grout lines.
Lug Sill --Window sill built into the wall which runs horizontally beyond the masonry opening.
LUSTER -- Sheen of yarns, fiber, or finished fabrics.
LUSTER FABRIC -- Any cut pile fabric woven with surface yarns spun from special types of staple and chemically washed, like hand woven Oriental fabrics, to give a bright sheen or luster.