Is Soapstone Good for Countertops

Although it has been used for countless years in a variety of applications, soapstone is often overlooked as a countertop material when designing or remodeling a kitchen, bath, outdoor kitchen, or other potential areas. While no material can fill every demand, soapstone possesses several natural advantages that make it a viable competitor to other countertop materials. Soapstone is chemically inert, resistant to heat, and durable yet also malleable. These qualities, combined with its beauty and ease of care, have made it a suitable option for multiple choices of use.

History has shown us that Native Americans, Unuits, Vikings, and even tribal people of Nigeria among others have used soapstone for centuries. With it they sculptured statues, cooktops, grave markers, weapons, and they especially used it for surrounding fire. Even today soapstone is commonly used for fireplace surroundings because of the density of the stone. It is more dense than granite, marble, or quartzite, and is one of the most heat resistant stones available.

Just What Is Soapstone?

Soapstone, also known as “steatite” or “soaprock”, is a natural stone quarried from the earth. It consists of more than 50% talc. It also includes other minerals like chlorite, mica, and carbonite. The soft, dry-bar-of-soap texture is what inspired the name “soapstone.”

There are two main categories of soapstone: artistic and architectural. Architectural soapstone has over 75% talc. It is very soft, and is used primarily for carving. Architectural grade soapstone has between 60% to 70% talc. It is used for countertops and other home features like sinks or fireplaces.

Soapstone is quarried in many places in the world, and these locations each provide unique slabs. The primary sources for countertop soapstone are Brazil, India, and America, found in the Appalachian range from Maine to Georgia with significant deposits in Vermont and Virginia. In fact, soapstone is one of the few natural stone countertops quarried in the U.S.

Advantages of Soapstone Countertops

Now that you know what soapstone is, let’s look at the advantages of soapstone countertops and compare them to other options you might be considering.

Natural Material

Soapstone countertops are 100% natural, primarily made of talc. They are cut from slabs of stone and shaped to form a smooth surface.

No other materials are added to the soapstone during processing. The result is a pure material directly from the quarry to your home.

Natural Appearance

Soapstone adds a feeling of warmth to a room. Its rich earthy tones have a lot of depth, and the stone takes on a soft, leathery texture after repeated oiling.

Since soapstone occurs naturally, each slab has a unique color and veining. The particular quarry the stone comes from can determine the overall look of a slab, but even slabs cut from the same area will vary in appearance.

Soapstone’s texture can also vary, and your soapstone countertops can have a smooth or rougher texture, depending on your preference.

Non-Porous

Soapstone is naturally non-porous, meaning it doesn’t absorb liquids. So unlike granite or marble, soapstone counters don’t need to be sealed.

If you spill something on soapstone, you can simply wipe the mess away. The stone will not absorb liquid from food, drinks, or cleaning sprays.

Sanitary

Thanks to its non-porous quality, soapstone is also naturally bacterial-resistant.

Materials like wood or granite can harbor moisture in their pores. These, in turn, become tiny breeding grounds for mold and bacteria. Once liquid seeps into the counter, it can be hard to remove.

Soapstone countertops are immune to this issue, which means less stress and lower health risks for you and your family.

Heat Tolerant

Thanks to its high density, soapstone is remarkably heat tolerant. You can safely place a hot pot or pan on your soapstone counter without causing burn marks, cracks, or any other damage to the counter.

In contrast, quartz is prone to heat damage. Direct contact with a hot pan can permanently damage quartz.

Stain-Resistant and Durable

Since soapstone is both non-porous and heat resistant, it also doesn’t stain easily. Liquids rest on the surface rather than soaking into the stone.

Also, soapstone countertops are non-reactive, meaning acidic materials such as wine or vinegar won’t damage the stone’s surface. These qualities combined make soapstone countertops durable and allow them to handle a lot of wear and tear.

Since soapstone is softer than materials like granite and marble, it’s more forgiving under stress. It’s more likely to dent than chip or crack if you accidentally hit it with a sharp, hard object.

Easy to Repair

Soapstone countertops are naturally malleable, and dents or chips can be sanded away. The counter will be left looking like new and the sanding process is much easier than it would be with a harder sealed material such as quartz.

If your soapstone countertop has minor scratches, you can hide them by applying a light coat of mineral oil. For more noticeable damage follow these steps:

• First use a piece of rough sandpaper to smooth out any scratches
• Then follow up by applying some water and rub it with fine-grade sandpaper or an electric sander
• After this, simply apply mineral oil in the area and let dry

Long-Lasting

Soapstone countertops have an incredibly long lifespan. A well-maintained soapstone counter can last many decades. Because of that, soapstone is an excellent investment and a reliable long-term option for your home.

Timeless Beauty

Soapstone’s soft, matte color is a big reason it’s so covetable. You see it most often on the grayscale, ranging from light gray to black; certain varieties can have white and gray veining. You can also find soapstone with blue and green undertones. Those rare finds tend to cost more than traditional black or gray, which are more common.

Disadvantages of Soapstone Countertops

A soapstone counter isn’t all beauty and warmth. Soapstone is finicky in ways that could frustrate you if you don’t have the patience or interest in keeping it looking its best.

Vulnerable to Scratches and Dents

Because of its inert softness, soapstone shows knife marks and other scratches if you chop food directly on its surface. Even a dropped glass or can of food can result in a dent or nick. If seeing such an imperfection would annoy you, you might not want to see it on a big kitchen island where damage is likely to happen. You could save it for a lower traffic area, like an edge countertop.

Requires Oiling

Soapstone requires oiling when it is installed, and needs to be re-oiled regularly (once a month the first year) for the first few years. This isn’t expensive or involved (you just use mineral oil from the drugstore) but it’s a task that has to be done.

Soapstone eventually gets saturated with mineral oil, at which point it requires less frequent oiling. But it still needs to be kept up with in order to look its best.

Ages Inconsistently

Soapstone develops a patina that darkens its color and results in a more matte appearance over time. The natural patina can form unevenly if you don’t treat the soapstone properly.

Areas that see more use, such as the space around the sink or stove, will darken quicker than lower traffic areas. To keep the color even, you may need to treat the countertop more in less used areas.

Visible Seams

Each soapstone slab will have a unique pattern of veins, making it impossible to find two perfectly matched slabs, so there will be visible seams when two slabs meet.

Expensive

Soapstone is more expensive than wood, concrete, quartz, and in some cases granite and marble.

Soapstone Countertop Maintenance

Soapstone is a relatively low maintenance option since its lack of porousness means that it does not need to be resealed annually the same way that marble or granite does. Soapstone can easily be cleaned easily with common abrasive household cleaners such as Ammonia, Windex, vinegar, and bleach since they will not seep into the surface of the material and cause damage.

Soapstone will scratch easily, as we’ve already established, but scratches can be removed easily by using sandpaper and mineral oil.

And as we discussed, mineral oil must be applied regularly to help preserve its natural appearance and prevent discoloration.

Overall, soapstone is a low-maintenance option that does not require the same effort and financial investment that other natural materials often need.

Types of Soapstone

Architectural soapstone comes in three major color varieties: gray, blue, and green. Because soapstone is so much more consistent in color than granite, it does not really have consistent names across suppliers. You will see many names floating around, but these are often given by the specific importers to distinguish between their varieties, and will not be helpful when looking for a specific type of soapstone.

The best way to find a slab you like is to ask local fabrications to show you what they have in stock. In other words, start with what is available instead of trying to find something you saw online or in someone’s home.

That said, here are a few common names, and their colors. Just remember, the easiest way to look for soapstone is to focus on gray, green or blue soapstone.

Gray Soapstone

• Barroca Soapstone: From the Mariana region of Brazil, this light gray soapstone turns black with sparse white veining after mineral treatment.
  
• Black Venata Soapstone: This soapstone is a beauty: lovely charcoal gray with white veining. It also comes from Brazil.
  
• Porto Allegro Soapstone: A light blue-gray Brazilian soapstone with strong veins.
  
• Python Soapstone: Raw gray color with subtle patterning. It is quarried in India.

Green Soapstone

• Belvedere Soapstone: A unique, hard Brazilian soapstone, this has a slicker surface and greater resistance to scratches or nicks. It falls in the category of green soapstone with a dark, subtle, grayish-green color.
  
• Santa Rita Soapstone: This is a traditional Brazilian soapstone with strong veins and marble-like patterns on a blue-green background.
  
• Fantasia Soapstone: Light-gray Fantasia Soapstone features bold white veining throughout prior to treatment. Once treated, the veins dominate to the foreground, giving the Brazilian mined soapstone dramatic appearance.

Black Soapstone

• Churchill Soapstone: Churchill Soapstone is quarried in Virginia at the Alberene quarry, which has been open since 1883. It is a classic soapstone gray with simple veins. When oiled or waxed, this variety can have a rich black color.
  
• PA Soapstone: A lot of people think that PA Soapstone is from Pennsylvania because of its name, however, it is from Brazil. The PA comes from Pinheiros Altos where the quarry is located. PA Soapstone is a darker kind of soapstone with white lines. It looks amazing when mineral oiled because the stone gets even darker and contrasts dramatically with the white pattern to make a visual statement.

The Bottom Line

A soapstone counter isn’t for everyone. It scratches easily and has an unpredictable patina plus it requires regular oiling. But if that doesn’t bother you it could be the best countertop for your kitchen (outdoor also) or bathroom.

Not only is soapstone beautiful, but it’s also heat resistant and relatively low maintenance. It has a lived-in, comfortable look and feel unlike other trendier, more polished stone surfaces.