Generally the stones obtained after quarrying have a rough surface and are irregular in shape. The process of bringing the stones to a regular shape and required finish is known as dressing. The purposes of dressing are as follows:
- To set the stones in a regular shape and appearance.
- To prepare the stones for a suitable site for easy handling and transport.
- To make hammer-dressed surface, tooled surface, polished surface, rubbed surface or cut-stone surface to suit a particular stone masonry.
- To secure proper bedding in stone masonry.
Two types of dressing are in use, viz., quarry dressing and site dressing. Quarry dressing is one where the stones are dressed at the quarry and sent to the work site. Site dressing comprises of dressing the stones at the site to the specific size and type. Proper choice depends on the quality of labour at the quarry, distance of the quarry and work site, etc.
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