Q: A kitchen designer recommended soapstone countertops for my new kitchen. Do you have any experience with soapstone counters or even a soapstone sink? I've never heard of this material and wonder about it. Would you use it in your home?
A: Soapstone is a natural stone product that is quarried like marble or granite. It's a metamorphic rock that contains a relatively high amount of talc, which is why it's called soapstone. If you've ever had a chunk of talc in your hand, your first impression is that it feels soapy.
Knowing this, you should also know that soapstone, like talc, is somewhat soft, although it does exist in various grades or levels of hardness. The softest variety is highly prized for sculpting or carving. Harder soapstone has a higher amount of quartz in it and can be used for all sorts of things around homes, businesses or even labs. Soapstone's crystalline texture and composition make it nearly impervious to chemicals or most liquids, a great quality for a countertop.
You also can get soapstone sinks, but I would recommend that you take a look at some that have been in use for a good three to five years. See how they fare in everyday use. My guess is that you'll be surprised by what you see, especially if pots and pans have been bouncing around in the sink while they were being cleaned.
My current home in New Hampshire has soapstone counters in the kitchen, and I'm not a huge fan of them. The counters scratch easily, and to make them look good all the time you have to regularly coat them with greasy mineral oil. Even the fabricators of the stone talk about regular oiling to make soapstone counters look good.
I don't know about you, but I try to avoid products that require regular maintenance. I've never had to oil my granite tops; they shine each day with no care. Every five to 10 years I do apply a coat of clear sealer to the granite, but it's not greasy and it doesn't get on my clothes.
The best advice I can give you before making a decision as large as this is to do a test that should cost you less than $100. Go to a soapstone fabricator and buy a trivet. Get a big one, say, 16 inches square, and place it in a high-use area of your existing countertop.
Now, test it to death. Slide cans over it. Drop silverware on it. Use it as a cutting board if you've cut things on your counters in the past. Spill things on it like red wine, grease, etc., and let them sit for hours. See if the liquids soak in and stain the stone. Treat it just like you do your existing counters.
Also ask the local soapstone fabricator to tell you three places where soapstone counters have been in use for 10 years or more. Visit those places to see how the stone looks. Remember, many people love the look of soapstone that works hard each day. I'm just not one of them.
Tim Carter is a licensed contractor. To view previous columns or tap into his archive of information, go to www.askthebuilder.com. You can write to Tim Carter at P.O. Box 36352, Cincinnati, OH 45236-0352.
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Soapstone's story
Soapstone changes color as it ages, and, because it's a natural metamorphic stone, it almost always features veins of color that give the stone a distinctive look. When first quarried, the stone is gray, but it gets darker as it begins to oxidize. Soapstone countertops that begin gray can look a dark green when wet or oiled.
Also, when buying soapstone, only work with a supplier or fabricator you know who uses that stone. Low-quality marbles that look like soapstone may be substituted if you're not careful. Touch is a great way to test: Soapstone feels soapy; marble does not.
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