Glossary of Terms

O

Off Fall   A remnant, or piece from a partially cut slab.

Ogee    A stone molding with a reverse curved edge.

Onyx    A translucent, generally layered, crypto crystalline calcite with colors in pastel shades of yellow, tan and green.

Oolitic Limestone  A calcite-cemented calcareous stone formed of shells and shell fragments, practically noncrystalline in character.  This limestone is characteristically a freestone, without cleavage planes, possessing a remarkable uniformity of composition, texture and structure. 

P

Parging   Applying a coat of mortar to the back of stine units.

Patina   When the surface of a material has changed in color or texture due to age or exposure to various elements.

Paver    A single unit of fabricated stone for use as an exterior paving material.

Pergola   Garden structure formed by two rows of posts or pillars with joists and open framing above.

Pillowed   A tile finish that features softly rounded edges.

Pitched Stone  A rough stone face or edge.

Plinth    The base block at the junction of the stone base and trim around a door or other opening.

Plutonic   Applies to igneous rocks formed beneath the surface of the earth.

Pointing   The final filling and finishing of mortar joints that have been raked out.

Polished Finish  A glossy surface finish that brings out the full color and character of the stone.

Porphyry   An igneous rock characterized by distinct and contrasting sizes of coarse and fine-grained crystals.

Q

Quartz   A silicon dioxide mineral that occurs in transparent or colored hexagonal crystals or in crystalline masses.  One of the hardest minerals that compose sandstone, granite and quartzite.

Quartz-Based Stone A metamorphic quartz-based stone formed in  exceedingly hard layers. 

Quoin    One of the decorative dressed stone or bricks used at the corner of a building.

R

Rake    An angular cut on the face of a stone.

Reglet   A narrow, flat, recessed molding or a kerf cut to receive flashing.

Reprise   Inside corner of a stone member with a profile other than a flat plane.

Resin    A chemical product, clear to translucent, used in some coating processes.

Rift    The most pronounced direction of splitting or cleavage of stone.

Rough Sawn  A surface finish resulting from the gang sawing.

Rubble   A term applied to irregularly shaped dimension stone used chiefly for walls and foundations.

Rustication   Exterior masonry cut in large blocks with deeply chamfered joints.  Surface can be smooth or rough textured.

S

Sandblasted  A matte-textured surface finish with no gloss done by a steady fro of sand and water under pressure.

Schist   A loose term applying to foliated metamorphic rock characterized by thin foliac that are composed of minerals of thin platy habits and long dimensions are parallel to planes of foliation.

Scotia   A concave molding

Sealant   An elastic adhesive compound used to seal stone veneer joints.

Sealing   Application of a treatment to retard staining.

Sedimentary  Rocks formed of sediments laid down in successive strata or layers.  These are derived from preexisting rocks or the skeletal remains of sea creatures.

Serpentine   A hydrous magnesium silicate material; generally dark green with whit, light green or black.  Considered commercially as a marble because it can be polished.

Setter   An experienced journeyman who installs stone.

Shim    A piece of plastic or non-corrosive, non-staining material used to hold joints to a size.

Slate    A very fine-grained metamorphic rock derived from sedimentary shale rock.  Characterized by parallel cleavage and entirely independent of original bedding.

Soapstone   A massive talc with a “soapy” feel, used for hearths, tabletops, chemical-resistant laboratory tops, stove facings and cladding:  known for its stain proof characteristics.

Spall    A chip or splinter separated from the main mass of stone.

T

TCA    Tile Council of America is an organization of manufacturers serving the ceramic tile industry.  It promotes the uses of tile, improvement of product standards, develops new installation methods and techniques and publishes the Installation Handbook.

Terrazzo   A flooring surface of marble or granite chips in a cementitious or resinous matrix, which is ground and finished after setting.

Tile    A thin modular stone unit less than ¾ inch thick.

Tolerance   Dimensional allowance in the fabrication process.

Travertine   A variety of limestone that is a precipitate from hot springs.  Some varieties take a polish and are known commercially as marble.

Tumbled Finish  a weathered, aging finish created when the stone is tumbled with sand, pebbles or steel bearings.

U

Unit    A piece of fabricated cubic or thin dimension stone.

Undercut   Cut so as to present an overhanging part

V

Vein    A layer, seam or narrow irregular body of mineral material different from the surrounding formation.

Veneer   An interior or exterior stone wall covering layer.

W

Wainscot   An interior veneer of stone covering the lower portion of an interior wall.

Weathering   Natural alteration by either chemical or mechanical processed due to the action of constituents of the atmosphere, soil, surface waters or temperature changes.

Weep Holes   Openings for drainage in veneer joints or in the structural components supporting veneer.

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