Stone and materials
- Natural stone: stone cut from a quarry, such as granite, quartzite, dolomite and marble. See countertop materials compared.
- Engineered quartz: a manufactured surface of crushed quartz bound with resin. Not the same as quartzite.
- Quartzite: a natural stone of fused quartz sandstone, harder than marble.
- Dolomite: a natural stone close to marble, a little harder and less reactive to acids.
- Mohs scale: a 1-to-10 scale of mineral hardness. Calcite, the mineral in marble, is 3; quartz is 7.
- Porosity: how much liquid a stone can absorb. More porous stone needs sealing more often.
- Silica: the mineral quartz. Its fine dust from cutting stone is a lung hazard; see installing prefab countertops.
Pieces and sizes
- Slab: a full sheet of stone as it comes from the quarry or factory, usually more than 9 feet long, cut to fit one job.
- Prefab: a piece cut to a standard countertop size with a finished front edge. See prefab vs custom.
- 2 cm and 3 cm: the two common thicknesses, about ¾ inch and 1¼ inches.
- Remnant: a leftover piece from a slab after a job.
- Backsplash: the strip of stone or tile on the wall behind the counter.
- Overhang: how far the counter extends past the cabinets, usually 1 to 1½ inches at the front.
- Run: one straight stretch of countertop.
Finishes and edges
- Polished: a glossy, reflective finish that shows the stone’s color most deeply.
- Honed: a smooth, matte finish. Hides etches and scratches better than polished.
- Leathered: a textured, soft-sheen finish.
- Eased edge: a square edge with lightly rounded corners. See edge profiles.
- Bullnose: a fully rounded edge. A half bullnose is rounded on top only.
- Mitered edge: two pieces joined at 45° to make the edge look thicker.
- Laminated edge: a strip of stone glued under the front edge to make it look thicker. It has nothing to do with laminate countertops.
Fabrication, installation and care
- Fabrication: cutting, shaping and finishing stone for a job.
- Template: an exact pattern of the cabinets, used to cut a custom top.
- Cutout: an opening cut for a sink or cooktop.
- Undermount sink: a sink mounted under the counter, so the stone edge shows around it.
- Drop-in sink: a sink whose rim rests on top of the counter.
- Seam: the joint where two pieces of stone meet, filled with color-matched epoxy.
- Sub-top: plywood under thin stone for support.
- Corbel: a bracket that supports a long overhang.
- Sealer: a liquid that soaks into natural stone to slow staining. See sealing stone countertops.
- Etching: dull marks where acid has eaten into marble or dolomite.
- Poultice: a paste that draws a stain out of stone. See removing stains.
- Thermal shock: a crack caused by heating one spot of stone much faster than the rest.
- A-frame: a sloped rack for carrying stone on edge. See hauling stone countertops.