Stone Industry Terms Flashcards
Blockmatch
Slabs that are cut out of the same stone block/lot
DEKTON
Dekton is a sophisticated blend of the raw materials used when making glass, porcelain, and quartz. It uses a high tech process which represents an accelerated version of the metamorphic change that natural stone undergoes when subjected to to high temps and pressure over thousands of years.
Zero Prosperity = Minor defects
Ultra compact, can be very durable despite thin widths
Abate
In stone carving, to cut away material,
leaving parts in relief.
Abrasive Finish
A non-reflective surface finish. An abrasive
finish may be defined by the grit size of
the abrasive
Abrasive Hardness (Ha)
A measure of the wearing performance
of stone for floors, stair treads, and other
areas subjected to abrasion by foot traffic
Absorption
The amount of water absorbed by a stone,
expressed as a percentage by weight.
Abutment
A solid stone “springer” at the lowest
point of an arch or vault
Accelerator
In masonry, any ingredient added to mortar
or concrete to speed the curing process.
Acid Wash
A treatment applied to the face of a stone
to achieve a texture or finish that is distressed.
Most acidic chemical treatments
are effective only when applied to calcareous
stone varieties.
Adhered
Used in reference to stone veneer,
secured and supported by adhesion of
an approved bonding material over an
approved backing.
Admixture
A material other than water, aggregates, lime or cement, added to concrete or mortar at the time of mixing. Admixtures are typically added to function as water repellents, coloring agents or to adjust the curing rate of the concrete or mortar
Agate
A variegated, translucent, cryptocrystalline
variety of quartz showing colored
bands or other markings (clouded, mosslike,
etc.).
Agglomerated Stone
A manmade product composed of crushed
stone combined with resin. See also engineered
stone and cultured stone.
Alabaster
A fine grained and translucent variety
of gypsum, generally white in color. Commonly
used in decorative applications as it
is can be cut and carved easily with a knife
or saw. Term is often incorrectly applied
to fine grained marble.
Alkaline
Pertains to a highly basic, as opposed to
acidic, substance; for example, hydrogen
or carbonate of sodium or potassium
Allowable Capacity
The safe load that can be resisted by a
stone anchor, determined by dividing the
ultimate capacity by the factor of safety
Ambient Temperature
Temperature of the surrounding environment.
Anchor
A corrosion resistant metal fastener used
for securing dimension stone to a structure
or adjacent stone units. Anchor types
for stonework include those made of flat
stock (straps, dovetails)and round stock
(rod cramp, rod anchor, eyebolt and dowel)
Anchorage
The means by which slabs are secured to a
self supporting structure.
Anorthosite
A dark-colored igneous rock consisting
mostly or entirely of calcic plagioclase
Antique Finish
A finish that replicates rustic or distressed
textures. Produced through mechanical
or chemical means to simulate the naturally
occurring effects of the aging process
Arch
The curved or pointed construction over
a doorway or opening. Arch shapes range
from flat to semicircular or semielliptical
to acutely pointed
Argillite
A weakly metamorphosed compact rock
composed mainly of clay and shale. Used
locally as building stone, although rarely
produced commercially
Artificial Stone
A manmade product attempting to
replicate the look of natural stone. This
term is actually a misnomer, as it includes
an obvious contradiction of terms. Stone
is naturally occurring earth material. See
engineered stone and cultured
marble.
Backsplash
A vertical covering of the wall where a
countertop surface meets the wall surface,
designed to protect the wall from
moisture. Backsplashes range from a few
inches in height to “full height backsplashes”
that extend from the countertop surface
to the underside of the upper cabinets
Bedrock
General term referring to the rock underlying
other unconsolidated material,
such as soil.
Bleed
Staining caused by corrosive metals,
oil based putties, mastics, caulking, or
sealing compounds
Blending
The random positioning of adjacent veneer panels, floor slabs, or tiles, to prevent large regions of uniform color, contrasted by adjacent large regions of dissimilar uniform color.
Bollard
A free standing stone post or guard.
Bond
- Pattern of joints in successive courses.
2. To stick or adhere.
Book Match Pattern
A vein matching technique where opposite
faces of adjacent slabs are exposed,
producing a repeating mirror image of
the veining trend of the material. Bookmatched
material is most commonly
polished to allow the greatest visibility of
the veining character of the stone.
Border Stone
Usually a flat stone used as an edging
material. A border stone is generally used
to retain or define the pattern around the
field of paving
Boss
In masonry, a roughly shaped stone set to
project for carving in place. A carved
ornamentation to conceal the jointing at
the junction of ribs in a Gothic vault.
Bowing
A warping or curving of a stone unit.
Brownstone
A trade term applied to ferruginous dark
brown and reddish-brown arkosic quartz
based stone extensively used for construction
in the U.S. during the 19th century.
Bullnose
Convex rounding of a stone edge, such as
a stair tread or countertop.
Calcite
A common rock forming mineral. The
chief constituent of limestone and
most marble.
Calibration
Within the stone industry, the process in
which stone slabs or units are abraded
to achieve a more precise thickness
tolerance (±1mm) than what would
normally be produced by standard sawing
techniques. The term is most frequently
used in the production of stone tile, which
must have limited thickness variation to
allow installation using thinset adhesive.
The term gauge is essentially synonymous,
although is more commonly used
to describe less precise techniques.
Canopy
A sheltering roof, as over a niche or a
doorway.
Carve
To shape a solid material such as stone by
precisely cutting it with a tool.
Caulk
To seal a joint with an elastomeric, adhesive
compound.
Chiseled Edge
The rustic, aged appearance produced by
mechanically chipping the stone edge.
Cladding
Exterior veneer stone covering. Non-load
bearing stone veneer used as the facing
material in exterior wall construction.
Cleavage
The ability of a rock mass to break along
natural surfaces; a surface of natural
parting.
Cobblestone
A dimension stone large enough for use in paving. A term commonly used to describe paving blocks, usually granite, and generally cut or cleft to approximately rectangular prisms.
Color Enhancer/Sealer
A product that is designed to enrich, brighten and enhance the color and/or character of the stone. Stone enhancers are more frequently used on honed or textured surfaces where the stone color and/or character are muted by the finish. Enhancers are also used to match the color of an exposed slab edge to that of a resin treated slab face.
Cross-cut
The process of cutting the initial block
of stone parallel to the natural bedding
plane. The effect is a mottled or cloudlike
appearance. Synonymous with fleuri cut,
although the term cross cut is most often
used when describing travertine materials.
Dolomite
- The mineral form of calciummagnesium
carbonate. Constituent
of some building limestones. - A crystalline variety of limestone
containing in excess of 40 percent
magnesium carbonate as the
dolomite molecule.
Also called “dolostone”.
Dolomitic Limestone
Limestone that contains more than 10
percent but less than 80 percent of the
mineral dolomite.
Dowel
A short piece of cylindrical nonferous
metal used as a stone anchor
Eased Edge
Standard Edge
A slightly arrised, chamfered, or radiused
edge to eliminate the sharpness of the
fabricated stone edge.
Engineered Stone
A manmade product composed of a blend
of natural minerals (generally quartz) and
manmade agents (such as polyester, glass,
epoxy, and other such ingredients).
Epoxy Resin
A flexible, usually exothermic curing
resin made by the polymerization of an
epoxide; used as an adhesive.
Exposed Face
The visible side of any stone element
