Hewn stone is natural stone that has been dressed and worked into blocks with straight, even faces and sharp edges. The word comes from “hewing”, working stone with chisel and hammer. Hewn stone stands in contrast to rough rubble stone: with hewn stone the faces are deliberately worked so that the blocks fit tightly against one another.
Application
- Facades — as facing work in the form of blocks (for example bluestone or sandstone)
- Building components — sills, lintels, cornerstones, string courses and steps
- Ornament and detail — profiled mouldings, keystones and decorated facade parts
- Restoration — reproducing existing natural-stone components on listed buildings
Working
Stonemasons give the face various finishes, each with its own texture and light effect:
- Tooled — parallel grooves made with a batting chisel
- Bush-hammered — a grainy surface made with a bush hammer
- Polished — ground smooth and glossy, especially with hard stone types
- Sawn or ground — a flat, matt finish
The choice of stone type determines workability and durability. Soft stone such as some sandstones is easy to hew but more susceptible to weathering; hard stone such as granite is durable but laborious to work. Hewn stone is laid or set in mortar, with attention to the correct joints.
Related terms
- Natural stone
- Bluestone
- Rubble stone
- Natural stone finishes
- Tooling
- Bush-hammering
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