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IS 1129:1972 is the Indian Standard (BIS) for recommendation of dressing natural building stones. This standard lays down recommendations and guidelines for the dressing of natural building stones used in construction. It describes various types of stone finishes (such as rock-faced, rough-tooled, fine-tooled, and polished) and guides the appropriate methods to achieve them for masonry work.
Recommendation of dressing natural building stones
EN 1469:2015CEN (European Committee for Standardization), Europe
HighCurrent
Natural stone products - Slabs for cladding - Requirements
Annex C provides a normative description of common surface finishes, which aligns with the core purpose of IS 1129.
ASTM C1528 - 18ASTM International, USA
MediumCurrent
Standard Guide for Selection of Dimension Stone
Serves as a guide that discusses finishes as a key selection criterion, similar to the recommendatory nature of IS 1129.
NSI DSDM 2022Natural Stone Institute (NSI), USA
HighCurrent
Dimension Stone Design Manual
Chapter 3 provides comprehensive, illustrated descriptions of stone finishes, serving as the de-facto industry guide in North America.
BS 5390:1976BSI (British Standards Institution), UK
LowWithdrawn
Code of practice for stone masonry
A contemporary code of practice covering broader stone masonry work, which included sections on dressing and finishes.
Key Differences
≠IS 1129 is highly descriptive and tool-focused (e.g., 'chisel-draughted', 'axed'), reflecting traditional hand-dressing methods. Modern standards focus on the final surface characteristic (e.g., 'honed', 'flamed', 'bush-hammered').
≠Modern finishes produced by advanced technology, such as 'Flamed' (thermal) or 'Water-jet', are absent from the 1972 Indian standard.
≠International standards like EN 1469 specify quantitative tolerance classes for flatness and thickness, whereas IS 1129 provides more general, qualitative or single-value limits (e.g., 'depressions not to exceed 6 mm').
≠IS 1129 is a standalone recommendation for dressing. Equivalent guidance in modern systems is often an integral part of a larger product specification (e.g., for cladding or flooring) rather than a separate document.
Key Similarities
≈Both IS 1129 and international standards categorize finishes along a spectrum from very rough (e.g., 'Pitched Face') to perfectly smooth and reflective ('Polished').
≈The fundamental concepts of a smooth matte finish ('Rubbed' in IS 1129, 'Honed' internationally) and a high-gloss finish ('Polished') are functionally identical across standards.
≈All standards recognize the purpose of dressing is to achieve a desired aesthetic appearance and functional surface (e.g., non-slip texture).
≈The concept of creating a flat, true border around a rougher face ('Chisel-draughted margin' in IS 1129) is a traditional technique still recognized in heritage and high-end masonry practices globally.
Parameter Comparison
Parameter
IS Value
International
Source
Smooth, Matte Finish
Rubbed Finish: Obtained by rubbing with coarse sand and water, then with finer sand, to achieve a smooth even surface without any gloss.
Honed Finish: A smooth, satin-like, non-reflective surface finish.
EN 1469:2015
High-Gloss Finish
Polished Finish: A mirror-like gloss obtained by rubbing with successively finer abrasives and finally with putty powder and felt.
Polished Finish: A finish which develops the full character and colour of the stone and is mirror-like.
EN 1469:2015
Coarse Textured Finish (Mechanical)
Hammer Dressed Finish: Surface is made approximately plain with a hammer.
Bush-hammered Finish: A textured surface with small pits, obtained by using a percussion tool.
EN 1469:2015
Coarse Textured Finish (Thermal)
Not Specified.
Flamed Finish: A rough-textured surface obtained by exposing the stone to a high-temperature flame.
NSI DSDM 2022
Linear Tooled Finish
Tooled Finish: Consists of making a series of grooves by a flat chisel, which are continuous and parallel.
Tooled Finish: A finish, usually consisting of parallel, concave grooves. The spacing of the grooves may be specified.
NSI DSDM 2022
Tolerance for Rough Face Projections
Pitched Face Stone: Projections beyond the pitch line shall not be more than 25 mm.
Not defined by a single value; specified per project via mock-ups and aesthetic requirements.
General Industry Practice
Tolerance for Fine Dressed Surface
Ashlar Fine Tooled: Depressions not to exceed 1.5 mm from a straight edge.
For cladding, flatness tolerance for a honed slab is typically ≤ 0.3% of the slab length, with a maximum of 2 mm.
EN 1469:2015
Joint Thickness for Fine Masonry
Ashlar Fine Tooled: Joints shall not be more than 3 mm thick.
Varies by application; typically 1.5 mm to 6 mm for cladding panels, specified by the architect.
NSI DSDM 2022
⚠ Verify details from original standards before use
Key Values0
No quick reference values available for this code yet.
What is the primary objective of dressing building stones?+
To shape stones to specific dimensions, provide a suitable finish, and ensure proper bedding joints for masonry construction.
What is a 'rock-faced' or 'quarry-faced' finish?+
A finish where the edges are chiseled to a straight line but the face is left with its natural rough quarry texture.
Are there different grades of tooled finishes?+
Yes, standard finishes range from rough-tooled (showing prominent chisel marks) to fine-tooled (fairly smooth with faint marks) depending on architectural and structural requirements.