When you have been in the trade for a long time you tend to pick up the lingo. With this in mind, we have developed a fun stone fabricators terms test for seasoned professionals or a fantastic cheat sheet for anyone new to the trade.
The 30 Terms
Look at the 30 terms/techniques below, can you describe what they mean? Have a go and then scroll down for the answers.
Leathered Texture | Riverwash Texture | Aperture |
Core Holes | Blind Holes | Fluting |
Underside Polish | Mitre down panel | Rebate Hob |
Flush-Fit Hob | Pop Up Socket | UCS |
Natural Quartzite | Birds Beak Joint | Birds Beak Edge |
Countertop | Undermount Sink | Surface Mount Sink |
Arris | Chamfer | Honed Finish |
Antique Finish | Bush Hammer | Flamed Finish |
PPE | The Matrix | Edge Profile |
Recessed Drainer | Ream | Conditioning |
The Answers
Leathered Texture – A leathered surface isn’t glossy and has little to no shine, It is a rustic tactile look common on kitchen countertops. Leathered stone has a textured, pebbly surface with little pits and fissures — sort of like the surface of a fine piece of leather. Leathered granite hides fingerprints, water spots and smudges well.
Riverwash Texture – Riverwash is a relatively new style of finish, it’s a unique texture that creates a beautiful 3D effect. The texture is quite similar to that of an orange peel and is popular on black granite.
Aperture – An aperture is a hole or opening in which light can travel through.
Core Holes – The holes that have been made with a core drill. Core holes are often used in sink installation to help cut out the sink or for tap holes.
Blind Holes – These are similar to a core drill with the exception that they leave no core, this is often used if you are drilling a hole as a recess instead of going all the way through.
Fluting – These are shallow grooves that run along a surface. Commonly used on kitchen countertops with fluting wheels to create the draining board.
Underside Polish – This is exactly how it sounds, the polishing underneath the worktop, This will commonly occur when the worktop overhangs as the underneath can be seen and felt.
Mitre down panel – This is often used to make the stone appear thicker. It will involve joining an edge underneath the kitchen worktop to give the appearance the stone is thicker than it is. The more popular waterfall kitchen island is another bigger example of a mitre down panel.
Flush Fit Hob – This is a hob that sits level with the stone, this look is achieved by cutting a rebate for the hob. (see below)
Rebate Hob – After the hole for the hob is cut out a rebate is cut around the hole for the hob to rest on. This allows for a flush fit hob installation, which allows the hob to fit level with the stone.
Pop Up Socket – These are made using a core drill. The socket is made to pop up out the stone. This is often seen in minimalist kitchens
UCS – Ultra-compact surfaces. i.e DEKTON or Neolith
Natural Quartzite – Unlike quartz, quartzite is a naturally occurring metamorphic rock. It is created when sandstone is subjected to extreme heat and pressure caused by tectonic plate compression in the crust of the earth.
Birds Beak Joint – A Bird Beak Joint is another name for a ‘V Joint’. It will comprise of 2 stone slabs joined together with a sloped edge, forming a V. It looks like a birds beak, hence the term.
Birds Beak Edge – The edge effect made with the bird’s beak joint
Countertop – A countertop or worktop is a horizontal work surface often found in kitchens, bathrooms or workrooms.
Undermount sink – An Undermount sink is a sink installation where the sink sits underneath the stone countertop. This type of installation allows beautiful displays allowing you to really show off your edging and polishing skills.
Surface mount Sink – A surface mount sink tends to sit on top of the stone.
Arris – An arris is a smaller chamfer (see below) eg 2 – 3 mm.
Chamfer – a slopped edge often at 45-degree or 60-degree angles. It can be achieved with an edging profile such as the E
Honed – The Honed finish is a dull matt finish on a kitchen countertop. This is a popular choice of finish commonly found on limestone and slate. A Honed Finish is created using abrasives like texturizing brushes and will provide a smooth matt finish without the visible groove.
Antique – The Antiqued finish replicates a distressed look over time. This gives countertops an aged appearance.
Bush Hammer – This is a rougher finish than the leathered effect. The finish can be achieved with a bush hammer.
Flamed – The flamed finish will produce a rough texture to the stone but with eye-catching sparkling granules.
PPE – This stands for Personal Protection Equipment. This is equipment worn by the worker to protect themselves from hazards in the workplace. It can include items such as dust masks, gloves and eye protection.
The Matrix – The matrix is part of the blade composition. The Matrix is the metal bond which holds the diamonds in place
Edge Profile – An Edge profile refers to the shape on the edge of the countertop made with a profiling tool. Common edge profiles include Z, Ogee, Dupont and Sharknose.
Recessed Drainer – This is when a recess is cut around the sink, using a recess wheel, for the water to drain to. This helps ensure the water does not run over the edge of the countertop.
Ream – This is the process of making a hole bigger. After coring out a hole you would use a reaming router to enlarge it to the desired size.
Conditioning – This is a pre-polish. You would need to condition the stone before using an edge polishing system if the stone was particularly distressed with scratches. This is done with a conditioning pad.
So how did you do on our stone fabricators terms test? Did you get 30/30, or do you need to brush up on your stone fabricators terms a bit more. Test you colleagues and see who can get the highest score in your workshop.