Philadelphia Stone 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.
Glossary