GLOSSARY OF GRANITE FABRICATION TERMS

Granite - An igneous rock composed chiefly of feldspars and quartz, usually with one or more other minerals. It is relatively hard and dense, and will polish to a high gloss. It is an excellent choice for kitchen countertops, floors, and other heavily used surfaces. Granite, quarried from the mountains of Italy, the U.S., India, and dozens of other countries around the world, is one of the most popular natural stones on the market. Available in a striking array of colors, granite's durability and longevity make it ideal for kitchen countertops and other heavily used surfaces, including table tops and floors.

Limestone - Any stone consisting wholly or mostly from calcium carbonate.

Travertine - A form of limestone deposited by hot springs.

Marble - A metamorphic rock composed of limestone in a crystalline state. It is capable of being polished to a gloss. Marble is found in the mountainous regions of Canada, Italy, Germany, Spain, the U.S., and other countries worldwide. Because of its beauty and elegance, marble is a popular choice for countertops, floors, foyers, fireplace facings and hearths, walls, and windowsills.

Slate - A fine-grained rock that tends to split along parallel cleavage planes. Slate is relatively soft and porous

Onyx - A microcrystalline variety of quartz, usually having parallel lines of color.

Engineered Stone - A man-made substance of crushed quartz and polymer binders used to emulate natural stone. . It is sold under many labels (Silestone, Cambria, CaesarStone, Zodiac by DuPont, etc.).

Rodding - The process of embedding fiberglass or steel with epoxy in the bottom side of stone to increase strength in relatively weak areas. GEM uses this method of reinforcement near sink and cook-top cut-outs.  

Sealing - The process of using a clear solvent-based product to protect the stone from oil and water based stains while allowing it to breathe.

Impregnating - The technical term for sealing.

Profiling - Edge detail applied to the stone.

Templating - The process of making a full-size mock up, or duplication of your surface to be made out of granite/marble.

Under-mount Sink - A sink that physically mounts to the bottom side of the natural/engineered stone. Alternative to under-mount is a lip-mount sink, customarily found with laminate tops.

Sink Reveal – Applicable only on under-mount sinks. It is term used to describe the size of the hole cut for an under-mount sink. A bigger sink bowl cut-out reveals the top of the under-mount sink. A smaller sink bowl cut-out hides the top of the sink because the stone overhangs the edge of the sink. GEM’s standard reveal is to overhang the bowl by 1/8” – 3/16”.

French Miter - The practice of making a seam that splits the angle of the inside corner to the depth of the profile, then shoots straight to the back perpendicular to the stone.

Impregnators: Impregnators are designed to penetrate below the surface of the stone and deposit solid particles in the pores of the stone or to coat the individual minerals below the surface of the stone. The application of impregnators restricts water, oil and dirt from entering the stone.

Sealers: See Impregnators

Zodiac by DuPont® Natural Quartz surfacing contains 93% natural quartz and therefore is susceptible to slight variations in shade and particulate distribution. Zodiac by DuPont® Quartz can be supplied and fabricated by GEM Marble & Granite.