Natural Stone Definitions
W
Wainscot
An interior veneer of stone covering the lower portion of an interior wall.
Wall Tie
In masonry, a type of anchor, generally a metal strip, used to secure facing to backup a wall or to connect the wythes of a cavity wall. Ties are mortared into joints during setting, and thus do not require that slots or anchor holes be cut.
Walls, bearing
A wall supporting a vertical load in addition to its own weight.
Walls, cavity
A wall in which the inner and outer wythes are separated by an air space but tied together with metal ties.
Wall Veneer
A wall in which the backing and a thin facing are made of different materials but are not so bonded as to exert a common reaction under load.
Wash
The slope on the top of a stone unit intended to shed water.
Waterjet Finish
Waterjet finishes are created when a high-pressure jet of water is applied to the stone surface in order to wash out the softer particles. This process creates a more uniform, textured finish and allows more of the natural color to show. The resulting surface can resemble a flamed finish in roughness, but unlike flaming, the method does not change the color of the stone. Surface roughness can vary from slick (< 1/64”) to smooth (1/64-1/16”), depending on the process. There is also a version of waterjet which resembles a honed finish but with a less slippery surface. Waterjet finishes are produces by automated machines.
Water Recycling System
Any system that recovers water used in shop fabrication machinery and restores it to a reusable condition by filtering and/or chemical neutralization, after which it is returned to service.
Water Repellent
Any of several types of liquid-applied formulations used to render masonry walls less absorptive. These treatments are said to maintain a material’s ability to breathe away moisture, as distinct from sealers, which form impervious, non-breathing coatings.
Water Table
A course that projects from the face of a wall, generally near grade and having a beveled top and a drip cut in the projecting underside, to deflect water.
Waterproofing
See Damp Proofing.
Waxing
The practice of filling minor surface imperfections such as voids or sand holes with melted shellac, cabinetmaker’s wax, or certain polyester compounds. In the dimensional stone industry, it does not refer to the application of paste wax to make surfaces shinier.
Wear
The removal of material or impairment of surface finishing through friction or impact use.
Weathered Finish
As the name implies, weathered is a natural alteration of stone due to climate, weather, soil contact, surface waters, or groundwater. Weathered stone has a natural grooved or textured look. Surface roughness can vary from slick (< 1/64”) to very rough (>2”), depending on the process. Antiqued and sand blasted finishes can look similar to weathered stone.
Wedging
Splitting of stone by driving wedges into planes of weakness or holes in the stone.
Weep Holes
Openings for drainage in veneer joints or in the structural components supporting the veneer.
Well Cover Stone
Large flat stones with a hole cut in the middle to be placed over an artisan well.
Wire Sawing
A method of cutting stone by a wire or cable. Traditionally, the term applied to the use of a twisted wire carrying an abrasive slurry as the cutting agent. Currently, the term is more frequently used to describe the use of a cable that is fitted with diamond abrasive segments at regular intervals, cooled with water.
Worked Stone
Cut stone that’s been ground, carved, or processed in some way.
Worn Finish
A Worn surface is created by repeated abrasion over a long time. The tops of cobblestones exhibit a worn surface after a few years or traffic. It is softer to the touch than the original surface and often shinier. Surface roughness can vary from slick (< 1/64”) to rough (1/4-2″), depending on the process.
Wythe
The inner or outer part of a cavity wall.
