Sourcing Glossary
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Sourcing Glossary
Essential A-Z technical terminology for stone importers, architectural specifiers, contractors, and international trade buyers.
Ledger Stone (Stacked Stone Panel)
Pre-assembled modular stone panels composed of narrow strips of natural slate, quartzite, or sandstone glued together with high-strength resin. Ideal for rapid installation on interior accent walls and exterior facade cladding.
Quarry Split Face (Natural Cleft)
A rugged, textured surface finish achieved by splitting natural stone along its natural cleavage planes. Highlights authentic geological grain variations and offers superior depth for exterior feature walls.
Corner Panel (L-Shaped Corner)
Engineered 90-degree outer corner stone units designed to fit seamlessly around wall pillars, column wraps, and building corners, eliminating exposed joint seams.
Vein-Cut vs. Cross-Cut
Vein-Cut: Cutting natural travertine parallel to its bedding planes to reveal linear vein patterns.
Cross-Cut: Cutting perpendicular to bedding planes to create a cloud-like, uniform surface texture.
ASTM C97 Water Absorption
Standard laboratory test method determining percentage of water absorbed by natural building stone. Lower absorption rates (<0.5%) correlate directly with enhanced freeze-thaw durability and frost resistance.
Calibrated Thickness
The mechanical surface grinding process ensuring stone panels maintain an exact uniform thickness (e.g. 15mm ±1mm), significantly reducing thin-set mortar consumption during installation.
