To create a brushed finish, manufacturers gently brush the granite’s surface until it becomes textured and appears worn-in. Because of the brushing process, granite countertops with this finish are more porous in comparison to glossy polished granite. Like a honed finish, a brushed finish dilutes the color of the granite. Brushed finishes also require frequent sealing and are the most likely to become stained when they aren’t properly sealed and maintained. Dust and debris tend to accumulate in the uneven surface of brushed finish. So it needs more cleaning and maintenance. This material is first flamed instead of bush hammered. This term is sometimes used to refer to either a leather finish or a river washed finish.
A honed surface finish, the finishing process ends prior to the buffing stage. The result is a smooth surface without reflection. A perfectly honed granite finish is one without scratch marks. The finish remains flatter than a full gloss polish. Generally this finish is preferred for floors, stairs, or other locations where the presence of water might make a polished finish slippery, or where foot traffic may wear off a polished finish. Honed granite can be, and occasionally is, used for kitchen counter tops. Taking the high gloss polish off of the stone will decrease the depth of color, and depending on the type of granite, can make it more susceptible to surface staining. To create granite with a honed finish, manufacturers use coarser abrasives and stop grinding the stone before its surface becomes shiny, leaving it with a satin or matte appearance. Because honed granite is not reflective and shiny like a polished stone, it will not show all of the color and texture of the granite stone as well as a polished finish will. However, some homeowners prefer this more subtle appearance over the glossiness of polished granite. A honed granite countertop will be more porous than a polished granite countertop, which means that more frequent sealing will be necessary. Some honed granite colors tend to show the hand imprints more than the polished ones.
This finish is created by buffing the stone to slightly less than the highest level. The result is a smooth but dull appearance. A honed finish refers to any level that is less than polished and therefore encompasses many levels of dullness.
A flamed finish is created using an extremely hot flame. The heat stresses the material causing crystals to pop out. Flaming creates a very rough texture best used for exterior purposes only. A flamed finish is excellent for exterior walkways. Flaming can only be done on granites. It is similar to a Bush Hammered finish but has a more random textured surface that can be different for each type of granite depending on the crystalline make up of the stone. Most all granites can be flamed along with certain limestones and marbles.
A Flamed finish is produced when an intense flame is fired at the stone, causing the surface to burst and become rough. This finish is used primarily for exteriors applications where slip-resistance is extremely important. A flamed finish cannot be applied to all stones; however, most granite and certain hard limestone are preferred.
The leathered finish out stands the honed by giving a more sophisticated look to the stone. The leathering process closes the stone pores which helps it to become more stain resistant than the honed surface. A leathered finish retains the stone’s natural color, while the honing process washes out the natural color. A leathered finish also hides fingerprints and water spots better than a polished surface. A leathered finish is a newer style of finishing granite that has become increasingly popular in recent years. The density of its’ texture will vary depending on the type and composition of the stone, an act of mother nature which gives each material a unique color and appearance. This finish adds texture to the surface. Additionally, it closes the pores (compared to honing) and retains the color better than honing. While a leathered finish has a sheen to it, it is nowhere near as reflective as a polished surface. A good analogy would be that a leathered finish is like a matte finish on a photograph whereas a polished surface is like a glossy photograph. Please note that the amount of texture will vary from stone to stone and some stones will not leather (especially extremely uniform materials). Leathering is preferred to honing for blacks and other very dark materials. For example the amount of texture on Absolute Black is minimal and very fine grained, and the finish is much more uniform than honing Absolute Black. Leathering starts with a honed surface and adds texture, and is a completely different process than river washed.
"Leathering" is the process of texturing granite or marble to appear less glossy. This process amplifies the natural characteristics of granite or marble, resulting in an exquisite surface. It is easy to clean and maintain, as well as, pleasing to the touch - a perfect balance between style and practicality. A leathered countertop is a fresh and innovative way of adding a subtle elegance to your decor.
Imagine a Leather finish with a high polish and luxurious, saturated color. After Leathering "digs" out the softer areas of the stone, the Caress process then polishes the high spots of the slab and leaves the lower areas to a "high hone" similar to the Leather finish. Caress finish gives a lustrous look to the softer Leather finish and is an excellent choice for any application other than exterior paving subject to wet, slippery conditions.
A highly textured finish best used for external applications such as paving or walkways. Bush hammering will "grey out" or fade the color of the stone to an even greater extent than honing. The feel is rougher than leathering and more uniform. A bush hammered finish can be applied to virtually any stone more thick slabs. Now this Bush Hammered is not so common finishing. This finish is rougher than leathering and more uniform. This finish can be done to virtually with particular stones.
A bush hammer is a specialized stone-working hammer with a head that resembles a meat tenderizing hammer. Because the head of the hammer is usually small (about 1-2 inches square) it takes a long time to apply this finish to a large surface area. The result leaves the surface of the stone fairly smooth with small indentations. A bush-hammered finish can be applied to nearly all stones.
Similar in texture to the original "River Washed" finish in that it is a rough or stippled surface. That is where the similarity ends. The River Washed finish opened the pores of the stone making it more susceptible to staining and washed all of the color out of the stone, while in contrast the Tuscan closes the pores of the stone similar to a honed finish and retains more of the stone's color. It can be used for countertops though we recommend it for tops with limited usage i.e.. bar tops, powder room tops, etc. The deep texture would require more maintenance for kitchen surfaces. It also lends itself well to fireplaces and accents. The Tuscan is a brushed version of the Bush hammered finish and can only be applied to materials that can be bush hammered. We can NOT do a Tuscan finish on tiles
This is actually a style of finishes rather than a particular finish. Leathered, river washed, and tumbled finishes are all examples of an antiqued finish. A factory finish similar to a leathered finish is sometimes called an antiqued finish.
“Lapato” means “semi polished” in Italian and uses a type of polish which gives a semi polished look. The rough surface of the tile/slab is only shaved slightly
The Satin finish brings out more depth in this stone and provides a unique texture. During the finishing process, an epoxy resin is applied to the surface of the slab to fill in any natural pits, cracks or fissures that may exist in the slab. This does not affect the durability, maintenance or beauty of the stone. It is possible for some of the more minute pits that are too small to effectively hold the resin, to reopen during other finishing stages. However, this will not detract from the overall quality or appearance of the stone. As a natural stone product, it is recommended that this be sealed to extend its longevity.
Hydro Shield Granite has been specifically designed to protect granite countertops from daily wear. It is a hybrid coating that provides the protection of both a penetrating and topical seal. This dual protection provides revolutionary performance. Hydro Shield Granite does not change or distort the appearance of the surface. It is not a film so it will never chip, peel or discolor. It works by changing the molecular structure of the granite at the surface. It simply replaces the Oxygen molecules within the surface of the granite with Carbon molecules. The finished surface is extremely slick, helping the granite surface to stay cleaner longer. Hydro Shield Granite also protects the surface from damage and staining while still allowing the stone to breathe. Hydro finish is the innovative finishing which works on the stone material surface by using a high pressure water jet. The process allows maintaining the original colour of the stone, selecting the degree of roughness to best suit the intended application and having this surface treatment applied to any stone thickness these are just a few of the process advantages. The degree of erosion, achieved through the various pressures available, creates different surface finishes which become even more unique and eye-catching thanks to the colourful patterns of natural stones.
The water jet finish can be applied to our full range of Yellow Mountain granites. The most popular choices for exterior paving, cladding, wall caps and water features include Preto Carvaõ Basalt, Olive Black Granite, Dark Charcoal Grey Granite, Artesian Green Granite, Butterfly Blue Granite and Pepper Brown Granite. Both the color and character of granite are enhanced by a water jet finish, whereas percussive finishes (honed, adzed or lychee) tend to fracture the crystals or whiten the stone. Additionally, this texture results in an ideal coefficient of friction rating for pedestrian surfaces. The water jet (or “hydro”) finish is created by focusing an extremely high-pressure jet of water across the face of the stone. This erodes the surface, breaking crystals and opening the pores of the stone. The resulting texture is similar to a flamed finish, although not as dramatic and less destructive to the stone. The water jet finish is not successful on other stones other than granites. One of our more dramatic projects that incorporates the water jet finish is Myriad Gardens, a sizable botanical garden in Oklahoma City, that includes five large water features.
In sandblasting, a high-pressure jet of siliceous sand or steel shots is applied to the area to be treated. This treatment produces a smooth abrasion, leaving the material with a slightly scratched (but not rugged) surface. The colour tones and the veins are slightly dulled.
Our exclusive vintage finish blends in well with both modern and antique designs and its appearance is both attractive and durable. The resulting patina finish is highly recommended for kitchen environments.
Rigato is a machine finish that gives a linear pattern cut to the stone. This finish gives an added design factor when applied to a wall. All stones can have this finish applied to them.
This process entails passing a blowpipe that emits a high-temperature flame over the surface to be treated. The heat acts by blowing the crystals out as they suffer thermal shock, with an effect that is particularly evident in materials composed of minerals with various degrees of expansion, (such as the vast majority of granites). The resulting surface is rough, non-slip and generally faded in colour, thereby hiding defects and tone variations. Because of oxidation, yellow materials become orange or red.
A bush-hammered and brushed effect is obtained by pounding the material surface mechanically or by hand with a specific multi-pointed tool. This method creates a rugged surface full of little grazes at the impact points, giving the surface a lighter colour. The surface becomes non-slip. This technique has been replaced by flaming and pressure water finishing which is a quicker and less expensive process.
A polished finish is created when a stone surface reaches it's most refined stage. It is buffed to the highest level possible, and the results are either a high shine or the actual highest level of shine that can be achieved naturally. This finish gives the stone a very elegant and rich look, providing it with a pinnacle depth of colour.
The split face finish is a result of the stone being cut by a guillotine that fractures the face and turns it to a rocky finish.
This finish is associated with materials that are layered and thus, when split, do so on a natural fault creating what is known as a natural cleft finish. Slates are the most common types of stone that can split naturally.
Polished - To smooth or brighten a surface increasing the reflective quality and luster by chemical or physical processes. Generally gloss levels should be + 90 as measured by a gloss meter. To achieve this, final polishing should have been done by latest Italian/ French machines using imported abrasives.
Buffing: Using a non-abrasive pad attached to a machine, which rotates the pad in a circular fashion over the stone, generally between 150-300 RPM. Polishing formulations containing micro-fine abrasive materials are used with buffing to produce a more reflective gloss on the surface of stone. Waxes are also used with buffing to enhance the gloss of polished stone.
Honed: To grind a surface with a high grit material to a uniform specification without producing a reflective surface.
Sawn - i.e. unpolished. It is not advisable to buy this way because : floor polishers do not give as good a polish as factory machine polishers. many defects are not visible easily before polishing.Calibration: To grind a surface with a high grit material to a uniform surface to maintain the thickness variation.
Gangsaw: To grind two sides of the stone surfaces with a high grit material to a uniform specification without producing a reflective surface.
Shade variation - Slabs / tiles should be sorted to ensure uniformity of shade. Normally, any colour can be sorted into three shades. Sorting is simple -just lay all the material on the floor and look from different directions.
Colour patches - These are darker or lighter patches or bands of single colours due to mineral localisation. Scratches: The marring of the surface caused by physical trauma such as small stones or sand embedded in shoes scraping across a marble floor.
Staining: The absorption of foreign pigments or oils into the porous stone causing discoloration.
Double color – Sometimes two different grain sizes occur in the same slab, giving the appearance of a double colour.
Free lengths: i.e. lengths varying randomly while width is constant are also very attractive. Choose the widths as per the expected floor area. Buy random lengths and cut at your site to fit.
Flatness Tolerances
A 4’ dimension in any direction on the surface shall determine variation from true plane, or flat surfaces. Such variations on polish, hone, and fine rubbed surfaces shall not exceed tolerances listed below or 1/3 of the specified joint width, whichever is greater. On surfaces having other finishes, the maximum variation from true plane shall not exceed the tolerance listed below or + 3 mm of the specified joint width, whichever is greater.
Polished, honed or fine rubbed finishes… + 0.5 mm
Sawn, Calibrated, 4-cut and 6-cut…. + 1 mm
Edges also can be chamfered / bevelled. Chamfering removes whiteness and chipped edges. This looks very good. Chamfering is a simple process in which a polishing brick is run at an angle of 45 ?.
Quality Details:
Polished Granite
a. One Side Fine Mirror Polished.
b. Gangsawn/Cutter side
c. Thickness variation is + 0.5 mm to 1 mm depending upon Tile/Slab.
The stone is available in a range of eight smooth and textured finishes:
WATERJET: a non-slip matt finish, produced by working the surface of the stone with high-pressure water jets
HONED: a smooth finish with a slight sheen, produced by using a polishing head.
SANDED: sawn stone slabs are coarsely polished: this removes saw marks and leaves a semi-smooth, regular finish.
CLEFT: with this traditional treatment the stone is riven along its line of cleavage to reveal the natural grain; this gives an undulating surface with great character.
GRITBLASTED: a high-pressure airline projects coarse-grained grit onto the top surface of the stone producing a finish similar to cleft, but available on slabs of greater size.
FLAMED: the top surface of the slab is burnt off, giving an irregular textured
FINISH TEXTURED: the top surfaces of sawn slabs are pneumatically tooled to produce a pitted or grooved surface.
We are continually developing the range of finishes and can supply sample cards showing all materials and finishes. If you require a specialised effect we will be happy to discuss with you how it can be achieved.
Golden Edges
