Natural Stone Definitions
F
Fabricated
Used in reference to dimensional stone, it means having undergone cutting, machining, or other processes in order to refine the product for its intended application manufactured and ready for installation.
Face
The exposed surface of stone on a structure.
Fascia
Any flat horizontal member, generally between moldings, most frequently used when referring to elements of a classical architecture cornice.
Feed Rate
The rate of speed with which routing, cutting, or sawing blades and bits travel as they are cutting the material.
Feldspar
A group of crystalline minerals, all silicates of aluminum with potassium, sodium, calcium, or barium. An essential constituent of nearly all crystalline rocks.
Ferruginous
Said of limestone or sandstone containing a high proportion of iron oxide.
Fiberglass Backing
A fine grid mesh reinforcement that is adhered to the back surface of stone slabs which have limited stability. The primary intent of this reinforcement is to reduce safety risks in the handling of fragile slabs.
Fieldstone
A naturally occurring, irregularly shaped stone, as found in a field, used for various building applications without further fabrication. Fieldstone is commonly used in freestanding walls, veneers, walkways, and garden bed linings.
Filler Strip
Filling
A trade expression used to indicate the filling of natural voids in stone units with cement or synthetic resins and similar materials.
Fines
The powder, dust, and silt or sand-sized material resulting from processing, usually crushing, stone.
Finish
Process applied to the exposed surfaces of dimensional stone during fabrication to achieve the desired aesthetic and/or performance characteristics of the stone. The finish may be applied early or late in the fabrication sequence.
Fissure
An industry term describing any naturally occurring separation along crystalline boundaries visible in the exposed surface of the stone. Note that the industry use of this term is different than the scientific, geological use of this term.
Flagstone
Thin slabs of stone with irregular shapes and split edges used for paving surfaces such as walks, driveways, and patios. The term is used to describe any stone used in this pattern, although is most often used to describe sedimentary stones that have been cleft into their final thickness.
Flamed Finish
Flamed finishes are created by directly exposing the surface of the stone to a high-temperature flame. Most of the stone’s surface carbon is burned off, creating textured quartzites with gentle coloration. This finish can hide surface imperfections and tone variations. Flaming can also produce significant hue changes. This process can lighten the finish of stone a few shades, creating a more natural, faded appearance. Flaming can be performed by hand or by an automated machine. Surface roughness can vary from slick (< 1/64”) to rough (1/4-2″), depending on the process. Also called Thermal Finish.
Fleuri
Fleuri Cut
To cut slabs of quarried stone parallel to the natural bedding plane. See also Cross Cut or Vein Cut.
Flexural Strength
Flooring
Stone used as an interior pedestrian walking surface.
Flute
One of series of shallow, concave, parallel grooves running vertically on the shaft of a column, pilaster, or other surfaces.
Fracture
Any break or separation of fabric within the stone as a result of mechanical stress.
Freestone
A stone that may be cut freely in any direction without fracture or splitting. Also called “universal stone.” See Isotropic.
Frieze
- A decorated band along the upper part of an interior wall.
- The middle member of the entablature, located above the architrave and below the cornice.
Front End Loader
A heavy equipment earth moving machine with a hydraulically powered bucket on two booms (or arms) extending in front of the tractor portion of the machine. The bucket may be replaced with other devices to accomplish specific tasks in stone quarrying operations.
Frost Flower Finish
Frost flower is an artistic looking variation of the adze finish. It’s created by manually applying an adze hammer in short strokes and in random directions. The imprint on the surface of the stone yields a pattern similar to that on a winter glass window. Frost flower patterns can be random or geometric, and more commonly used on darker colored stone. Frost flower finish on blue limestone is very common. Surface roughness can vary from smooth (1/64-1/16”) to very rough (>2”), depending on the process.
