Soapstone Kitchen Countertops and Bathroom Vanity Tops

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Attic

Electrical

Environment/Health

Soapstone bathroom vanity tops. Soapstone kitchen countertops

DISADVANTAGES
Soapstone scratches easy. Light scratches can be easily removed. Deeper scratches can be removed as well, as explained above, but remember, after each scratch removal the soapstone countertop surface will become more uneven.

One of many soapstone
patterns and colours available

Soapstone Kitchen Countertops and Bathroom Vanity Tops

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Soapstone bathroom vanity tops. Soapstone kitchen countertops
Most people, who choose soapstone for their home, fall in love with soapstone. Soapstone has a unique silky smooth texture. Its natural honed finish gives this stone a timeless elegance and beauty unlike any other.
Soapstone is a quarried stone. There are two types, artistic soapstone which has very high talc content and is used for carving such as Inuit art carvings. Architectural soapstone also known as “Steatite” is a harder denser stone used for countertops and sinks and is comprised of a variety of minerals including chlorite, dolomite, magnesite and talc. The majority of our architectural soapstone is quarried in Brazil.
Soapstone is a non-porous stone making it completely resistant to stains and bacteria. It is inert and will therefore withstand extreme temperature without harm to the stone. There is no need to treat Soapstone with chemical sealants and you can use any cleaning product without fear of damaging your stone.
Soapstone is a very forgiving stone and requires minimal maintenance. Because it is softer than other stones, it will scratch. Light scratches are easily removed with a little mineral oil. Deeper scratches are also easily removed with a light sanding and a touch of mineral oil. Unlike other stone, Soapstone will not show finger prints!
Soapstone comes in shades of gray with various amounts of veining.
If left alone, the stone will darken with age developing a natural patina. For those who prefer a consistent dark surface, mineral oil or dry wax can be applied periodically to accelerate the darkening process.

Soapstone has a unique silky smooth texture. Its natural honed finish
gives this stone a timeless elegance and beauty unlike any other

The above information and image courtesy of Greensville Soapstone Company

MAINTENANCE
Soapstone was popular with early colonial settlers in North America. It is a unique material in the fact that acid and alkaline compounds will not affect it like granite, marble or slate. And, it has been proven highly durable under long-term heavy use conditions. No regular maintenance is required for your soapstone vanity top or kitchen countertop. Soapstone, unlike granite or marble, is non-porous and nothing can get down into the stone. Do nothing and and soapstone will darken over time.
Mineral oil.
Applying mineral oil, (available in any drugstore) every few months will darken the soapstone countertop to an almost black colour. The beauty of sandstone is that you can restore the countertop to its natural soft grayish blue colour by sanding using a light grid sandpaper or electric sander. WARNING. Use a flat sander and never a beltsander
Sealers.
If you want to speed up the darkening process you can apply a sealer. There is also a water based sealer available that will not darken the surface but preserves the natural soft grayish blue colour of soapstone. The sealer should be reapplied annually.
Stains.
If a stain gets on the stone, remember it is only on the surface and not in the stone. You can rub it out with a dry paper towel or use a light grid (300-400) sandpaper. The sanded stone will return to it's original gray-blue color. If the soapstone counter has been treated with a sealer, it should be reapplied.
Sratches.
The deeper the scratch, the lower number grit sand paper you'll want to start with. 80 Grit sandpaper is pretty rough and will sand quite a lot of soapstone quickly. As the scratch is sanded out, you will want to graduate to a higher grit sand paper (220), and eventually to a fine grid of 300-400 for a finish that will basically match the original finish. After sanding is complete, top off the repaired area with a little mineral oil or sealer.