Granite Brothers Guide to Soapstone Counters

Soapstone is one of the unique countertop choices here at Granite Brothers. It is a soft monochrome stone that has been used for centuries in many households across the world. Soapstone has a faint grey, greyish-green, or greyish-blue color, with white veins across the background, and swirls of white or quartz. It is quarried globally, mainly in America, Brazil, and Canada, with each location having its own unique style.

 

# Types

Soapstone comes in two main categories: artistic and architectural. You’ll want to focus on architectural soapstone for countertops, which is mainly available in grey, blue and green color themes.It’s monotone designs and color themes make it difficult to acquire from fabricators because of the large variety of names. The best way to find your desired slab is by seeing the available stock at local suppliers. A few common stones include:

• Barocca is a Brazilian stone with white veins across a consistent grey background.
• Black Venata is a Brazilian stone with veins and colored swirls across a dark-grey background.
• Porto Allegre has prominent veins against a blue-grey backdrop.
• Python is an Indian stone with simple patterns over a solid grey backdrop.

 

# Green Soapstone

• Belvedere boasts smoothness, strength, and resistance all at the same time, having a dark grey color with a hint of green.
• Fantasia has uniquely bold veins prominent over a grey-green backdrop even if untreated.
• Santa Rita is a Brazilian blue-green stone with a vein pattern similar to that of marble.
• Indigo is an Indian stone with a raw grey and green color.

 

# Black Soapstone

• PA is a dark soapstone, with little going on except for its matte color.
• Churchill is an American stone which gets its black color after oiling and waxing the natural grey background.

 

# White Soapstone

The name is a misnomer since White Soapstone is actually marble. It is called so because of its inverted colors and patterns resembling those of soapstone, which itself cannot be naturally white.

 

# Maintenance

Soapstone is both heat-resistant and a heat conductor. It is perfect for kitchen counters where hot utensils are common, and fireplaces to keep them cool under higher temperatures. It is not porous, making it resistant to stains, bacteria, and chemical damage and therefore useful for laboratory use. However, soapstone is less durable than granite, and scratches and chips easily. The marks can, however, be cleared simply by using a wet cloth for light scratches, and steel wool for deeper imprints. Specially prepared mineral oils are usually used in each case.

Soapstone gets a beautiful aged look over time because of its lighter tone. If you don’t prefer this, you can easily treat your counters with mineral oils to keep the stone a darker shade for over a year before it starts naturally aging. This is really useful since you can change your soapstone’s natural look yearly to various colors and tones according to the season, your preference or just for some change or pop.

 

# Cost

At Granite Brothers, high-quality soapstone counters go for $70-$80 per square foot with installation, a higher price than that of usual granite counters. Their slabs are also needed in much larger quantities, especially for kitchens where portion sizes for the slabs are difficult to get. If your supplier has slabs imported, this can up the cost of your soapstone counters significantly.

If you want to upgrade your home I will suggest you use our Natural or Quartz stones tops in your home, we offer the largest selection of countertops stones. Hurry and set up a free in-home consultation at Granite Brothers by calling 508-925-0431 no obligation free estimates. We will offer you premium quality, at an affordable price.We will deliver the best service in the industry and our clients are raving about working with us check out our testimonials. We also offer an excellent selection of Wholesale Kitchen cabinets and RTA cabinets in Massachusetts and take the opportunity of our Free Kitchen design when you purchase a new kitchen from us.