Dry cast block with burnished surface and methods

Abstract

A block has a front face with a first surface of non-planar roughness including at least 10% and not more than 90% of the area of the front face. The front face includes a second surface that is even and generally planar, with at least 10% and not more than 90% of the area of the front face. In one example, the first surface is a split face, and the second surface is a burnished split face. In another example, the first surface is a molded face, and the second surface is burnished. Methods of making a block include molding, curing, in some implementations splitting, and then burnishing. Walls can be constructed from these blocks.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dry cast block comprising:
 a block body having a front face;   the front face including a first surface of non-planar roughness comprising at least 10% and not more than 90% of the area of the front face, the first surface being non-burnished;   the front face including a second generally planar surface comprising at least 10% and not more than 90% of the area of the front face, the second surface being burnished; and   the first surface having regions recessed in the front face relative to the entire second surface, and the entire first surface having no portion that projects beyond any portion of the second surface.   
     
     
         2 . The dry cast block of  claim 1  wherein the first surface is a non-burnished split face. 
     
     
         3 . The dry cast block of  claim 1  wherein the second surface is a burnished split face. 
     
     
         4 . The dry cast block of  claim 1  wherein the first surface is a non-burnished, molded, three-dimensional surface. 
     
     
         5 . The dry cast block of  claim 1  wherein:
 the first surface comprises at least 25% and not more than 75% of the area of the front face; and 
 the second surface comprises at least 25% and not more than 75% of the area of the front face. 
 
     
     
         6 . The dry cast block of  claim 1  wherein:
 the first surface comprises about 50% of the area of the front face; and 
 the second surface comprises about 50% of the area of the front face. 
 
     
     
         7 . The dry cast block of  claim 1  wherein:
 the block body includes a rear face opposite of the front face, opposite top and bottom faces extending between the front and rear faces, and opposite first and second side faces extending between the top and bottom faces and front and rear faces. 
 
     
     
         8 . The dry cast block of  claim 7  wherein:
 the front face and rear face are generally parallel; and 
 the top and bottom faces are generally parallel. 
 
     
     
         9 . The dry cast block of  claim 8  wherein:
 the block body includes at least one core extending through the top and bottom faces. 
 
     
     
         10 . A wall comprising:
 a plurality of molded dry cast blocks stacked together to form a wall, the wall having a front surface with an area;   the front surface of the wall having a first surface of non-planar roughness comprising at least 40% and not more than 60% of the wall area, the first surface being non-burnished;   the front surface including a second generally planar surface comprising at least 40% and not more than 60% of the wall area, the second surface being burnished; and   the first surface having regions recessed relative to the entire second surface, and the entire first surface having no portion that projects beyond any portion of the second surface.   
     
     
         11 . The wall of  claim 10  wherein:
 the first surface comprises about 50% of the area of the front surface; and 
 the second surface comprises about 50% of the area of the front surface. 
 
     
     
         12 . The wall of  claim 10  wherein the first surface is a non-burnished split face. 
     
     
         13 . The wall of  claim 10  wherein the first surface is a molded 3-dimensional textured face. 
     
     
         14 . The wall of  claim 10  wherein at least some of the blocks have parallel top and bottom faces. 
     
     
         15 . The wall of  claim 10  wherein at least some of the blocks have at least one core extending through top and bottom faces.