RACK: A metal grid that is used to properly space and align tiles.
Raised grain -- a roughened or fuzzy condition on the face of the wood flooring in which the dense summer wood is raised above the softer spring wood, but not torn or separated.
RAKE or RAKE LINE: The inclination from a horizontal direction.
RANDOM SHEARED -- Texture pattern created by shearing the higher loops and leaving the others unsheared.
rays, wood -- strips of cells extending radially within a tree and varying in height from a few cells in some species to four inches or more in Oak. The rays serve primarily to store food and transport it horizontally in the tree. On quarter sawn Oak flooring, the rays form a conspicuous figure, sometimes referred to as flecks.
Rebar --A deformed steel unit used for reinforcing poured material.
REBURLING--(See BURLING)
RECEPTOR: Waterproof base for a shower stall.
Recess --A depression in a flat surface.
Reducer strip -- a tear drop shaped molding accessory for hardwood flooring, normally used at door ways, but sometimes at fireplaces and as a room divider. It is grooved on one edge and tapered, or feather, on the other. Various lengths are available.
Red Jasper - An opaque, mostly red stone; sometimes with a few dark veins running through it. The red in Red Jasper is more of a rusty color than a brick red.
REED -- A part of the loom consisting of two horizontal bars connected by thin parallel metal strips between which the warp yarns pass. It serves to keep the warp yarns separated from each other, and the distance between the side edge threads even. The reed, also, beats up or forces close together the weft yarns in the operation of weaving.
REFERENCE LINES: A pair of lines chalked on a substrate that intersect at 90 degree angle and establish the starting point for plotting a grid of layout lines to guide in accurately setting tile.
Reglet --A continuous groove cast or cut into a unit to receive flashing.
Reinforcing Rebar --placed into a Cast Stone unit during the manufacturing process to augment the unit during handling or to enable it to carry a structural load (i.e. lintel).
Relative humidity -- ratio of the amount of water vapor present in the air to that which the air would hold at saturation at the same temperature. It is usually considered on the basis of the weight of the vapor but, for accuracy, should be considered on the basis of vapor pressures.
Relief --Raised or depressed ornamentation.
REMNANT -- The remainder of a roll of carpet, generally described as being a standard width and under 9 feet in length.
REPEAT -- The distance from a point in a pattern figure to the same point where it occurs again, measuring lengthwise of the fabric.
Reprise --An internal corner of a profiled unit.
RESILIENCE -- The ability of a carpet fabric or padding to spring back to its original shape or thickness after being crushed or walked upon.
RESIST PRINTING -- Placing a dye resist agent on carpet prior to piece dyeing so that the pile will not absorb color in certain areas according to a predetermined design.
RE-STRETCH -- Techniques for removal of puckers and wrinkles after original installation
RETURN: The ending of a small splash wall or wainscot at right angles to the major wall. An external corner of a profiled unit.
Reveal --The side of an opening (as for a window) between a frame and the outer surface of a wall.
Rhodochrosite - Similar to a pink Malachite. A medium to light pink opaque stone with cream or creamy-pink banding.
Rhodonite - A pink, opaque stone. Medium pink to kind of dusty rose, often with black inclusions.
Rift sawn -- lumber (primarily hardwood) in which the annual rings make angles of 30 degrees to 60 degrees with the surface of the peace. (A.k.a. Bastard sawn)
Ring porous -- a group of hardwood in which the pores are comparatively large at the beginning on each annual growth ring and decrease in size, more or lesser abruptly, toward the outer portion of the annual growth ring. The large pores are spring wood and the smaller pores are summer wood.
Rock Crystal - see Clear Quartz.
RODDING: A method of using a straightedge to align mortar with the float strips or screeds. This technique also is called floating, dragging or pulling.
Rose Quartz - a pink transparent stone, sometimes leaning toward translucent, or with inclusions. The untreated stones are usually a very pale pink. Most of what's available has been dyed to enhance the color, resulting in a petal pink.
ROUGHING IN: The act of preparing a surface by applying tar paper and metal lath (or wire mesh). Sometimes called "wiring".
RUBBER TROWEL: The rubber trowel used for grouting. A nonporous synthetic-rubber-faced float that is mounted on an aluminum back with a wood handle. This trowel is used to force material into tile joints, remove excess grout and form a smooth grout finish.
RUBBING STONE: A carborundum stone that is used to smooth the rough edges on tile.
RUNNING BOND: Stretchers overlapping one another by one-half unit, with vertical joint in alternate courses.
Rustication --An incision cast around the outer edges of a unit to produce a shaded affect.