PALLETIZED - A system of stacking stone on wooden pallets for shipment or storage. Stone which comes palletized is easily moved and transported by modern handling equipment. Palletized stone generally arrives at the site in better condition then non-palletized material.

PANEL - A single unit of fabricated stone veneer.

PANEL WALL - A non-bearing wall consisting of panels of various materials, each panel being separately held in frame. The frame may be the structure itself or fastened to the structural framework of the building.

PARAPET - A low wall around the perimeter of a building at roof level or around balconies.

PARAPET WALL - Part of any wall entirely above the roof line.

PARCLOSE - A screen of stone separating chapels, especially at the east end of the aisles, from the body of the church.

PARGING - Dampproofing by applying a coat of mortar to the back of the stone units or to the face of the back-up material.

PARQUETRY - Inlay of stone floors in geometrical or other patterns consisting of two or more colors or materials.

PARTITION - An interior wall one story or less in height, generally non-loadbearing.

PASCAL - SI unit expressing force per unit area (PSI is the English equivalent).

PATCH - Repair compound used to fill natural voids or to replace chips and broken corners or edges in fabricated pieces of dimension stone. Mixed or selected to match the stone in color and texture.

PATINA - The color and texture added to a surface by time and various allies.

PAVER - A single unit of fabricated stone for use as an exterior paving material.

PEDESTAL - A stone supporting structure or piece for a bust, column, statue, or vase.

PEDIMENT - The triangular face of a gable, if separated by entablature or molding from the lower wall and treated as decorative unit.

PENETRANT - A protective treatment that lines masonry pores; no film is formed on the surface.

PERFORATED WALL - One which contains a considerable number of relatively small openings. Often called pierced wall or screened wall.

PERM - The rate of vapor transmission of one grain per square foot per inch of mercury vapor pressure difference.

PERMEABILITY - The property of a substance which permits passage of water vapor; moisture vapor transmission.

PERPENDER - A stone extending through the thickness of a wall and finished on both ends.

PERRONS - Slabs of stone set on other stones serving as stops and arches in gardens.

PETROGLYPHY - Primitive stone carving.

PHENOCYRST - In igneous rocks, the relatively large and conspicuous crystals in a finer-grain matrix or ground mass.

PHENOL - A class of acid organic compounds used in the manufacture of epoxy resins, phenolformaldehyde resins, plasticizers, plastics and wood preservatives.

PICK & DIP - A method of laying brick with one hand and, with the other hand, dip enough mortar on a trowel to lay the brick. Sometimes called the Eastern or New England Method.

PICKED - Stone dressed using mason’s point

PIER - Solid stone support, smaller than and distinct from a column.

PILASTER - Engaged pier of shallow depth; in classical architecture it follows the height and width of related columns with similar base sod cap. In classical architecture, it follows the height and width of related columns, with similar base and cap.

PISCINA - In ecclesiastical architecture, a basin of stone or marble in which the challice is washed after the rite of the Eucharist.

PIT QUARRY - Below ground-level quarry.

PITCHED - Surface resembling rock-faced produced with pitching tool.

PITCHED STONE - Stone having arris clearly defined, face however is roughly cut with pitching chisel used along the line which becomes the arris.

PITCHING TOOL - Similar to large chisel but with blunt, not sharp, broad edge, about 6mm thick.

PLANER - Machine for planing moldings on to stone; machine used to reduce thickness and gauge stone; machine used to produce a machine finish on limestone.

PLASTER OF PARIS - A calcined gypsum in a hemihydrate state.

PLATE TRACERY - Tracery designs, usually simple and geometrical, cut through a thin slab of stone, as distinguished from a tracery proper, which is formed by mortared sections of molding.

PLINTHS - The lower square part of the base of a column. A square base or a lower block, as in a pedestal. The base block at the juncture of base-board and trim around an opening.

PLUCKED FINISH - Obtained by rough planing the surface of stone, braking or plucking out small particles to give rough texture.

PLUG AND FEATHERS - Tools used for splitting stone blocks.

PLUMB BOB - A shaped metal weight that is suspended from the lower end of a line to determine the vertical trueness.

PLUMB RULE - A narrow board with parallel edges having a straight line drawn through the middle and a string attached at the upper end of the line for determining a vertical plane.

PLYWOOD - Laminated wood in sheet form, with alternate laminations, changing direction of grain. Dimensionally unstable in the presence of moisture.

POINT - Chisel drawn nearly to a point.

POINT FINISH - A rough, tooled surface.

POINTING - The final filling and finishing of mortar joints that have been raked out.

POLISHED - The finest and smoothest finish available in stone, generally only possible on hard, dense materials. Or, a glossy finish which brings out the full color and character of the stone.

POLYESTER RESIN - A flexible, usually thermal setting resin formed by a polymerization process using a small amount of accelerator compound and used as an adhesive or to repair or fill certain stones.

POLYETHYLENE FILM - Plastic film sheet used for curing or as a cleavage or isolation membrane.

POROSITY - Ratio of pore space to the total volume of material expressed as a percent..

PORPHYRY - Igneous rock characterized by distinct and contrasting sizes of course and fine grained crystals. Used as a decorative building stone.

PORTLAND CEMENT - A hydraulic cement product obtained by pulverizing and calcimining a properly proportioned mixture of three minerals

POULTICING - Method of drawing soluble salts or stains out of stone by applying an absorbent such as clay or diatomaceous earth, mixed to a paste with water or cleaning solvent.

PREABRICATED MASONRY - Masonry fabricated in a location other than its final location in the structure. Also known as preassembled, panelized, and prelaid masonry.

PREASSEMBLED UNITS - Two or more stones combined into a single unit by use of epoxy resins, steel framing or concrete backing.

PRECAST - Having received its final form before introduction into a structure, as in precast concrete slabs.

PREDELLA - Platform surrounding an altar.

PRESSURE RELIEVING JOINT - An open horizontal joint below the supporting angle or hanger located at approximately every floor line and not over 15 ft. apart horizontally, and every 20-30 ft. vertically, to prevent the weight from being transmitted to the masonry below. These joints are to be caulked with a resilient nonstaining material to prevent moisture penetration.

PRISM - A small assemblage made with masonry units and mortar and sometimes grout. Primarily used to predict the strength of full scale masonry members.

PRODUCER - One who quarries stone.

PROFILE - The outline of the exposed face of a cross section.

PROFILE MACHINE - Machine for cutting moldings on to stone.

PROJECTIONS - Refers to the pulling out of stones in a veneered wall to give an effect of ruggedness. The amount each stone is pulled out can vary between ¼" and 1 ½"; stones are either pulled out at the same degree at both ends or sometimes one end is pulled out leaving the other flush with the majority of veneer.

PUMICE - An exceptionally cellular, glassy lava, resembling a solid froth.

PUNCH - Chisel drawn to a narrow blade used for roughing process.

PYRITE - The natural sulfides of certain metals. The most common is iron pyrite, which is iron disulfide, a brittle mineral that is brassy yellow in color with greenish-black streaks.

QUARRIED STONE - Stone which has been extracted from the earth by means of man power and machines.

QUARRIER - One who extracts natural stone from a quarry.

QUARRY - The location of an operation where a natural deposit of stone is removed from the ground.

QUARRY BLOCK - Generally a rectangular piece of rough stone as it comes from the quarry, frequently scabbed (dressed) or wire-sawed for shipment.

QUARRY RUN - In building stone, unselected materials within the ranges of color and texture available from the quarry that is the source.

QUARRY SAP - Natural moisture in stone deposits and freshly quarried stone.

QUARTER ROUND - A molding having a profile of one-quarter of a circle

QUARTZ - Silicon dioxide occurring in colorless and transparent or colored hexagonal crystals and also in crystalline masses. One of the most common minerals, the chief constituent of quartz-based stone and granite.

QUARTZ-BASED STONE - This stone may be either sedimentary in formation or metamorphic.

QUARTZITE - A compact granular rock composed of quartz crystals, usually so firmly cemented as to make the mass homogeneous. The stone is generally quarried in stratified layers, the surfaces of which are unusually smooth, and the crushing and tensile strength are extremely high. The color range is wide. Or, a silver-gray, metamorphic sandstone formed in exceedingly hard layers. In some deposits, intrusion of minerals during the formation process created unusual shades of brown and gold.

QUARTZITIC SANDSTONE - A metamorphic sandstone consisting of quartz grains cemented with silica, but not as hard as quartzite. Geologically, it is an intermediate rock between sandstone and quartzite.

QUEEN CLOSURE - A cut brick having a nominal two-inch horizontal face dimension.

QUICKLIME - Calcium oxide which is crushed limestone that has been calcined.

QUIRK MITRE JOINT - An external corner formed by two stone panels, at an angle with meeting edges mitered and exposed portion finished.

QUIRT - A groove separating a bead or other molding from the adjoining members.

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

RABBETT - A groove cut into the surface along an edge so as to receive another piece similarly cut.

RACKING - Stepping back successive courses of masonry.

RAKE - An angular cut on the face of stone.

RAKED JOINT - A mortar joint formed by removing the mortar a given depth from the face of the masonry.

RAMP - The concave bend of a handrail where a sharp change in level is required, as at the post of a stair landing.

RAMPANT - An arch or vault which springs from one level of support and rests at the other side on a higher level.

RANDOM - A stone pattern where joints are web-like.

RANDOM ASHLAR - Masonry of square or rectangular stones with neither vertical nor horizontal joints continuous and installed without patterns.

RANDOM MASONRY - That in which the course heights vary in size.

RANGE - A course of any thickness that is continued across the entire face. All range courses need not be of the same thickness.

RANGE OF COLOR - The extent of variation of color, shade, markings, texture, veining, and other characteristics of dimension stone, usually defined by using a number of samples or a mock-up.

REBATED KERF - An additional cut that countersinks a kerf from to the back edge of another piece of stone for the purpose of additional anchor clearance. It is not a gauged cut. If used for a bearing surface, must be shimmed to allow for tolerance in the cut,

RECEPTOR - Combined floor and curb used as the bottom of showers.

RECESS - A sinkage in a wall plane.

RECRYSTALLIZED LIMESTONE - A limestone in which a new pattern of crystallinity has pervasively replaced the crystal orientation in the original clastic particles, fossils, or fossil fragments, and interstitial cement.

REEDED - Reversed fluted.

REGLET - A narrow, flat molding of rectangular profile to receive and secure flashing.

REGRATING - Removing the surface of stone in place by some dressing method to clean by exposing fresh stone.

Reinforced Masonry - Masonry constructed with steel reinforcement embedded in such a manner that the two materials act together in resisting forces.

REINFORCEMENT - A fabrication technique often called "rodding"; refers to the strengthening of unsound marble and limestone by cementing aluminum or stainless steel rods into grooves or channels cut into the back of a stone unit. Another method of " reinforcement" is the lamination of fiberglass to the back of tile units.

RELIEF or RELIEVE - Ornament in relief. The ornament of figure can be slightly, half or greatly projected.

RELIEVING ARCH - One built over a lintel, flat arch, or smaller arch to divert loads, thus relieving the lower member from excessive loading, also known as discharging or safety arch..

REPOINTING - Raking out, refilling, and finishing joints with new mortar.

REPRISE - Inside corner of a stone member with a profile other than a flat plane.

REREDOS - The screen behind an altar, usually richly treated in stone.

RESTORATION - Work performed, including cleaning, repair, and finishing, to return the stone to its original character, finish, and condition.

RETAINING WALLSTONE - Stones which have multiple widths and thicknesses, used as a self-supporting wall with no back-up.

RETARDING AGENT - A chemical admixture to mortar or grout that slows setting or hardening.

RETEMPERING - To moisten mortar and re-mix after original mixing, to the proper consistency for use.

RETICULATED WORK - Stone surface hand dressed to show a netlike or veinlike raised pattern. Also, a wall built of square pieces set diagonally, with the joints showing a netlike pattern.

RETURN - The right angle turn of a wall, molding, or other horizontal projecting member.

RETURN HEAD - Stone facing with the finish appearing on both the face and the edge of the same stone; as on the corner of a building.

REVEAL - The depth of stone between its outer face and a window or door set in an opening; the reveal is at 90 degrees to the front face.

RIFT - The most pronounced direction of splitting or cleavage of a stone. Rift and grain may be obscure, as in some granites, but are important in both quarrying and processing stone.

RIPRAP - Irregular shaped stones used for facing bridge abutments and fills; stones thrown together without order to form a foundation, sustain walls, or minimize soil erosion. Also used for rustic stepping stones and patios.

RISE - Refers to the heights of stone, generally used in reference to veneer stone.

RISER - The vertical member between treads of a stair.

RISING DAMP - Ground water that travels upward through a masonry wall by means of natural capillary action.

RIVEN - Split along natural cleavage planes, describes surface finish.

ROCK - An integral part of the earth’s crust composed of an aggregate of grains of one or more minerals (‘stone’ is the commercial term applied to quarry products).

ROCK (PITCH) FACE - This is similar to split face, except that the face of the stone is pitched to a given line and plain, producing a bold appearance rather than the comparatively straight face obtained in split face.

ROCKED FINISH - An edge that is spalted from both sides, leaving a bubbled appearance.

RODDING - Reinforcement of a structurally unsound marble by cementing reinforcing rods into grooves or channels cut into the back of the slab.

ROMAN ARCH - Semi-circular arch with all stone pieces being wedge shaped.

ROSE WINDOW - A circular stone window fitted with carved tracery.

ROUGH SAWN - A surface finish accomplished by the gang sawing process.

ROUGHBACK - Outside cut-slab, having one side sawed and the other rough, from a block that has been gang sawed.

ROUGHING OUT - A preliminary stone cutting or carving process, removing the bulk of unwanted material.

ROWLOCK - A brick laid on its face with the end surface visible in the wall face. Frequently spelled rolock.

RUBBED FINISH - Mechanically rubbed for smoother finish; may have slight scratches.

RUBBING STONE - Abrasive stone that is used to smooth the edges of stone tile.

RUBBLE - A product term applied to dimension stone used for building purposes, chiefly walls and foundations and consisting of irregularly shaped pieces, partly trimmed or squared, generally with one split or finished face, and selected and specified within a site range.

RUSTIC - Generally local stone, that is roughly hand dressed, and intentionally laid with high relief in relatively modest structures or rural character. Also, a grade of building limestone, characterized by coarse texture.

RUSTICATED - Emphasized joints, recessed or beveled, which are cut or formed in stonework.

RUSTIFICATION - Recessing the margin of cut stone so that when placed together a channel is formed at each joint.