Glossary

Landscaping Product Terms

Ashlar (pattern)

While the general definition of the term ‘ashlar’ varies somewhat within the stone mason community, in our case it refers to stone veneer that has been sawn along the top and bottom edges, and adheres to a 2:1 ratio pattern.

Brownstone™

One of the four major types of sandstone from The Rock Garden quarries. Brownstone™ is characterized by brown to black exterior and light brown to gray interior colors.

Cherokee™ Rubble

Sheared veneer cut in random pieces ranging from 8 to 15 inches that display a wide variation of naturally complementing colors. An exclusive Rock Garden product.

Cherokee™ Ashlar

Veneer with sawn top and bottom joints (bed joints), accenting the variety of rich interior colors and natural faces. An exclusive product of The Rock Garden.

Chop (pattern/edge)

Chop is a type of veneer that has a natural, yet squared up look. The pattern is generally chunkier squares and rectangles, while retaining the inherent characteristics of the stone with a natural snapped or chiseled edge.

Cladding

An exterior veneer stone covering that is rectilinear in shape and not load bearing.

Drywall

A technique used to create a retaining wall without using mortar.

Dry Stack

Naturally cleft, squared up walling rock. Approximately 8″ depth, with varying thicknesses and length.

Drystacked (application)

The process where a stone veneer is installed without any visible joints.

Extreme texturing

A unique process in which The Rock Garden team gives Watermark Buff™ an antiqued look.

Fieldstone

Random rubble that is hand-selected for size and shape to create a natural-faced veneer.

Flagstone

Large slabs of irregular shaped, naturally cleft stone used for paving walkways and patios. Usually range in size from about 36″ up to 5-6 feet.

Hearth

The stone floor or elevated base of a fireplace that may extend into a room.

Honed finish

Also referred to as a milled finish, it is best described as a matte polish for your cap stone. It doesn’t carry the sheen that a high polish does (like on granite for example), but it has a satiny smooth feel and look. A great option especially for counter-tops, as the sleek finish will make spill much easier to clean.

Joints

The space between stone, brick or concrete blocks that is usually filled with mortar or grout. The ‘head joint’ refers to the vertically running joint, and the ‘bed joint’ refers to the joint between the horizontal edges of the stone or brick.

Keystone

A keystone is the middle stone in an arch or vault that has a special shape to help the structure of the arch stay in place. It’s generally wider at the top and narrows towards the bottom.

LaPorte Chop

Brownstone™ veneer that is 4 to 8 inches top to bottom, 4 inches front to back and random lengths left to right. An exclusive Rock Garden product.

Lintels

A beam placed or constructed over an opening in a wall to carry the superimposed load.

Mantel

The structural member spanning the opening of a fireplace or a shelf that is part of the finish and above the fireplace opening.

Moss Rock

Boulders and drywall that have been exposed to the elements long enough to be naturally carved by erosion and painted by colorful lichen.

Naturals

The color of the exterior of Rock Garden stones that have been stained by the natural elements and have not been changed by cutting or sawing.

Old World Brownstone™

Brownstone™ veneer that consists of up to 60 percent naturals. An exclusive product of The Rock Garden.

Quoins

Stones at the corner of a wall emphasized by size, projection, rustication, or a different finish.

Roughbacks

The end of the stone block that has one side natural and one side sawn.

Sawn

The moderately smooth, granular surface of the stone that comes from the sawing process. Surfaces vary with the texture and grade of stone.

Sills

A flat stone used under windows, doors and other masonry openings or a horizontal unit used at the base of an exterior opening in a structure.

Snapped

The process of breaking stone into dimensional cuts with cutter shears.

Split Face

Stone that is cut with the grain, resulting in a surface that reveals the heart of the stone.

Steppers

Smaller to medium sized slabs of irregular shaped, naturally cleft stone that are used in garden paths or small-scale applications.

Stippled texture

This is the way we finish our stone caps unless otherwise directed. Once we saw the slabs to the desired thickness, we put it through a texturing process to regain its natural characteristic feel, leaving it with a ‘sanded’ finish.

Strip Edge

The strip edge is exposed when stone is cut across the grain, making the horizontal bed plain visible.

Strip Stone

Naturally cleft, squared up walling rock. Approximately 4″ depth, with varying thicknesses and length.

Summit Ledge

Brownstone™ linear veneer comprised of up to 80 percent natural faces and is another exclusive product of The Rock Garden.

Sunrise

The sunrise portion of the quarry is similar to Brownstone™ but has colors ranging from chocolate to hints of orange. In its raw block state it’s more blocky in shape than Brownstone™.

Texturing

A process in which The Rock Garden enhances the character of Watermark Buff™.

Tumbled

A process in which The Rock Garden uses a free-spinning cylinder to render an antiqued look on certain stone products.

Veneer

A general term used to describe stone that is vertically applied to the face of wall that is not load bearing.

Watermark Buff™

Watermark Buff™ is sawn Brownstone™ and exclusive to The Rock Garden. Used for dimensional cuts, Watermark Buff™ is rendered when Brownstone™ is quarter-sawn on the grain.


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