Glossary of Stone Finishes

Polished: To smooth or brighten a surface increasing the reflective quality and luster by chemical or physical processes. Generally gloss levels should be + 90 as measured by a gloss meter. To achieve this, final polishing should have been done by latest Italian/ French machines using imported abrasives.

Buffing: Using a non-abrasive pad attached to a machine, which rotates the pad in a circular fashion over the stone, generally between 150-300 RPM. Polishing formulations containing micro-fine abrasive materials are used with buffing to produce a more reflective gloss on the surface of stone. Waxes are also used with buffing to enhance the gloss of polished stone.

Honed: To grind a surface with a high grit material to a uniform specification without producing a reflective surface.

Sawn: i.e. unpolished. It is not advisable to buy this way because : floor polishers do not give as good a polish as factory machine polishers. many defects are not visible easily before polishing.

Calibration: To grind a surface with a high grit material to a uniform surface to maintain the thickness variation.

Gangsaw: To grind two sides of the stone surfaces with a high grit material to a uniform specification without producing a reflective surface.

Shade variation: Slabs / tiles should be sorted to ensure uniformity of shade. Normally, any colour can be sorted into three shades. Sorting is simple -just lay all the material on the floor and look from different directions.

Colour patches: These are darker or lighter patches or bands of single colours due to mineral localisation.

Scratches: The marring of the surface caused by physical trauma such as small stones or sand embedded in shoes scraping across a marble floor.

Staining: The absorption of foreign pigments or oils into the porous stone causing discoloration.

Double color: Sometimes two different grain sizes occur in the same slab, giving the appearance of a double colour.

Free lengths: i.e. lengths varying randomly while width is constant are also very attractive. Choose the widths as per the expected floor area. Buy random lengths and cut at your site to fit.

Flatness Tolerances

A 4’ dimension in any direction on the surface shall determine variation from true plane, or flat surfaces. Such variations on polish, hone, and fine rubbed surfaces shall not exceed tolerances listed below or 1/3 of the specified joint width, whichever is greater. On surfaces having other finishes, the maximum variation from true plane shall not exceed the tolerance listed below or + 3 mm of the specified joint width, whichever is greater.

Polished, honed or fine rubbed finishes... + 0.5 mm

Sawn, Calibrated, 4-cut and 6-cut.... + 1 mm

Edges also can be chamfered / bevelled. Chamfering removes whiteness and chipped edges. This looks very good. Chamfering is a simple process in which a polishing brick is run at an angle of 45 ?

·    Polished: This common finishing technique brings out the beauty of stone floors by reflecting their natural crystals. Progressively finer polishing heads are used to get a shiny surface. Limestone, marble, and granite floors are commonly polished.

·    Honed: Honed finishes are created by stopping before the last polishing stage. This allows for a softer, flat matte appearance that shows fewer scratches, and is easy to maintain. Slate, marble, and limestone do well with this type of finish.

·    Acid–washed: This shiny surface includes small etching marks and pits, offering a rustic look. Limestone and marble flooring are commonly acid–washed, and this technique is commonly used to soften the shine on granite.

·    Saw–cut refined: Saw marks are removed from this type of stone flooring during processing, but a honed finish is not achieved. You may have to special order this type of finish.

·    Flamed: The surface of the stone is heated and then rapidly cooled, causing the stone to chip and pop and leaving behind an unrefined, rough texture. This type of finish is most often seen on granite floors where slip–resistance is desired.

·    Split–faced: This rough–textured surface comes from hand cutting and chiseling at the quarry. It is primarily seen on slate floors.

·    Tumbled: This finish comes from tiles being tumbled in a machine, leaving a slightly pitted or smooth surface with rounded and broken edges and corners. Marble and limestone floors are most often given a tumbled finish.

·    Brushed: The stone's surface is brushed, giving the stone floor a naturally worn–down appearance.

Antique: Paris Ceramics reclaims floor surfaces from existing structures; these floors are at least 100 years old, but can be hundreds of years in age.

Antiqued Finish: A treatment of texturing and polishing that is done on the surface of a new stone to give an aged appearance.

Brushed Finish: A coarse wire rotary brush is used on the stone surface resulting in a weathered appearance.

Border: A decorative strip of stone or tile set within a field of tiles to create interest.

Bullnose: The rounding of an exposed edge of stone.

Bushmill: A texture added to the surface of the stone by a mechanical process. This can add a subtle or dramatic texture.

Cabochon: A decorative or contrasting tile use where four field tiles meet to add interest or formality.

Checkerboard: The use of alternating colors of stone tiles to create a checkerboard effect.

Cladding: Stone used to face a wall surface.

Cleft Finish: A rough surface due to the process of splitting the stone along its natural plane.

Flagstone: Large pieces of stone in various sizes used for interior and exterior surfaces.

Flamed Finish (Flamme): Exposing the surface of the stone to extreme heat of flame to create a rough surface. Stones with high quartz concentrations are usually used to achieve the flamed finish.

Granite: A course-grained, hard igneous rock that is comprised mostly of quartz and thoclase and mica.

Grout: A material, as mortar, used to fill the spaces in masonry or the spaces between tiles.

Herringbone Pattern: Setting rectangular tiles slanted to create a zigzag pattern.

Honed Finish: A smooth satin finish with a matte/sheen appearance.

Limestone: A stone formed of sedimentary rock that is composed mainly of calcium deposits of shells.

Marble: A limestone that has the ability of receiving a high polish.

Mortar: A material used to set stone tile, cement like.

Parquet: Inlaid pieces of stone fitted together to make a pattern.

Patina: The natural aging of the stone surface through oxidation and other exposures that enhance the color and texture of the surface.

Polished Finish: A high gloss, shiny finish.

Quarry: The physical location where raw blocks of materials are removed from the earth.

Quartzite: Stone composed of mineral quartz and sandstone.

Sandblasted: A high-pressure blast of sand is used to achieve a rough surface texture.

Sandstone: A sedimentary rock formed of grains of quarts cemented together by lime or silica.

Sedimentary: The materials that settle to the bottom of a liquid (sea beds). After millions of years of pressure, stone is formed.

Slab: A linear piece of stone cut from the quarried block often used for stair treads, counter tops and wall cladding.

Tesserae: Small pieces of stone use to make a mosaic.

Terracotta: Clay used for flooring, roofing tile and decorative tiles.

Travertine: Rock formed from Limestone near a hot bubbling spring or gases that pass through the forming rock resulting in its pitted surface.

Tumbled: A finish achieved from the “tumbling” of the stone to create an aged appearance by softening the edges.

Undulate: A wavy or uneven surface.