Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have worked in the Kitchen & Bath industry for 14 years. I sell all sorts of countertops: Granite, Quartz, Corian, Soapstone and laminate.
I've read a lot of comments on the granite and quartz materials. Generally they are both very durable products. The quartz does have the benefit of being non-porous, but in all the years I've been doing kitchens, I can't say that I've ever had a customer come back and tell me they would have never done granite. Up until the quartz products began to flood the market in the last 5-6 years, people didn't even question the maintenance or durability of natural stone, it was simply the only product in its class. Granite has a look that cannot be copied by manmade products. The veining and color varation create movement and interest that quartz cannot replicate.
I really think it all depends on the look that the homeowner is after, their choice in cabinetry, floor and backsplash finishes. Sometimes it just comes down to what colors are available in each product and what compliments your surface finishes best.
As for soapstone. That is a whole different product. It is the same stuff used in science labs years ago. Soapstone is something like 94% talc. It is extremely dense and also nearly completely non-porous. It comes in a couple of different color variaties, from greens to grey and blacks with either light or heavy veining. It is very important to purchase material from a reputable stone yard. I have seen poor quality soapstone of which the surface of the tops continued to pit. Soapstone has a very powdery look to it (it's talc remember). The majority of people have seen soapstone in its "oiled" finish. Yes, soapstone is one of the only stones that you actually apply oil to. The oil brings out the veining and darkens the stone. The material is softer than granite, but more dense. The edge profile is typically a squared edge, which you can actually clean up dings in it yourself with sandpaper. I have soapstone in my own kitchen and love it, but would not recommend it to for everyone. It is a high maintenance product in that you do have to oil it for it to look its best. Because the product is so dense, the oil does not penetrate very deeply. Contrary to what some people might think, the longer you leave the mineral oil on, it will not penetrate any deeper. As you use the tops and wash them, etc. the oil comes back out again and the stone begins to "powder" up again. I keep an rag soaked in mineral oil in a baggy under my sink. If I'm having company or want to spruce up the kitchen, I simply rub the surface with the rag and it looks beautiful. It doesn't last that long though, maybe 4 or 5 days with heavy use before I do it again. It isn't hard to do, but homeowner generally don't want to fool around with having to do that type of maintenance.
Also, you can install soapstone yourself, unlike granite. The size of the stone slabs are typically a maximum of 36x72 vs. 60x120" granite. Thus you have more seams in soapstone. It doesn't lend itself to a kitchen design with deep islands or angles. I actually had a template made of my tops, sent it to Vermont Soapstone where they fabricated the slabs and shipped them to me (you have to have access to a forklift to accept delivery though). I had a friend who was a carpenter put in my tops and mount the soapstone sink. It was very cost effective. You can also do your own cut out for drop in sinks or cooktops. A carbide big jigsaw blade will cut it. My installer used a 2 part epoxy for the seams which are very small, maybe 1/16".
Hope this helps anyone considering the above products.
Thank you. We're considering Vermont Soapstone for our kitchen and the info. you posted was helpful.
We are going with soap stone counter tops.. Over the past 16 years we have lovingly restored our 1904 1st generation Craftsman home. I do all my own work, but will allow pros to install the countertops. (way too heavy for me to handle on my own)
I just don't understand why anyone cares what other people think of their countertops? I just don't get that,,, whom are you pleasing? Yourself of your guests? Good Lord, if we had restored our home according to others likes or dislikes we'd be in some real psychological and architectural trouble. When we bought this home 16 years ago we understood we would be resurrecting it as a period piece, a period of architectural history that we are in love with and admire. My in laws are a bit puzzled that we aren't using granite or quartz. C'mon people, granite countertops will soon go the way of those avocado appliances, and soap stone is of the "period"
We are going with soap stone counter tops.. Over the past 16 years we have lovingly restored our 1904 1st generation Craftsman home. I do all my own work, but will allow pros to install the countertops. (way too heavy for me to handle on my own)
I just don't understand why anyone cares what other people think of their countertops? I just don't get that,,, whom are you pleasing? Yourself of your guests? Good Lord, if we had restored our home according to others likes or dislikes we'd be in some real psychological and architectural trouble. When we bought this home 16 years ago we understood we would be resurrecting it as a period piece, a period of architectural history that we are in love with and admire. My in laws are a bit puzzled that we aren't using granite or quartz. C'mon people, granite countertops will soon go the way of those avocado appliances, and soap stone is of the "period"
Yay for soapstone!
Though our house was built in the 1990s, it's a classic "Low Country" style home. We modeled our kitchen renovation on a sort of "Downton Abbey/Biltmore Estates" kitchen look - utilitarian and sort of industrial, but turn of the 20th century industrial, if that makes sense. Soapstone was the natural choice and we LOVE it. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT.
Now that we've lived with it for several months, we're able to see the patina and the wear on it, and our hunch was right - the more you "use" it the better it looks! I love the tiny scratches and nicks that come with using those counter tops. That being said, if I wanted sleek, polished, flawless counter tops then soapstone would NOT be the right choice.
I love that you can abuse it, then just wipe it down and it never stains or pits. It's warm and velvety and fabulous. And NO SEALING Hot pan? Just sit it right down on that counter top. Spilled something? No worries - even if it's acidic - just wipe it off.
I have worked in the Kitchen & Bath industry for 14 years. I sell all sorts of countertops: Granite, Quartz, Corian, Soapstone and laminate.
I've read a lot of comments on the granite and quartz materials. Generally they are both very durable products. The quartz does have the benefit of being non-porous, but in all the years I've been doing kitchens, I can't say that I've ever had a customer come back and tell me they would have never done granite. Up until the quartz products began to flood the market in the last 5-6 years, people didn't even question the maintenance or durability of natural stone, it was simply the only product in its class. Granite has a look that cannot be copied by manmade products. The veining and color varation create movement and interest that quartz cannot replicate.
I really think it all depends on the look that the homeowner is after, their choice in cabinetry, floor and backsplash finishes. Sometimes it just comes down to what colors are available in each product and what compliments your surface finishes best.
As for soapstone. That is a whole different product. It is the same stuff used in science labs years ago. Soapstone is something like 94% talc. It is extremely dense and also nearly completely non-porous. It comes in a couple of different color variaties, from greens to grey and blacks with either light or heavy veining. It is very important to purchase material from a reputable stone yard. I have seen poor quality soapstone of which the surface of the tops continued to pit. Soapstone has a very powdery look to it (it's talc remember). The majority of people have seen soapstone in its "oiled" finish. Yes, soapstone is one of the only stones that you actually apply oil to. The oil brings out the veining and darkens the stone. The material is softer than granite, but more dense. The edge profile is typically a squared edge, which you can actually clean up dings in it yourself with sandpaper. I have soapstone in my own kitchen and love it, but would not recommend it to for everyone. It is a high maintenance product in that you do have to oil it for it to look its best. Because the product is so dense, the oil does not penetrate very deeply. Contrary to what some people might think, the longer you leave the mineral oil on, it will not penetrate any deeper. As you use the tops and wash them, etc. the oil comes back out again and the stone begins to "powder" up again. I keep an rag soaked in mineral oil in a baggy under my sink. If I'm having company or want to spruce up the kitchen, I simply rub the surface with the rag and it looks beautiful. It doesn't last that long though, maybe 4 or 5 days with heavy use before I do it again. It isn't hard to do, but homeowner generally don't want to fool around with having to do that type of maintenance.
Also, you can install soapstone yourself, unlike granite. The size of the stone slabs are typically a maximum of 36x72 vs. 60x120" granite. Thus you have more seams in soapstone. It doesn't lend itself to a kitchen design with deep islands or angles. I actually had a template made of my tops, sent it to Vermont Soapstone where they fabricated the slabs and shipped them to me (you have to have access to a forklift to accept delivery though). I had a friend who was a carpenter put in my tops and mount the soapstone sink. It was very cost effective. You can also do your own cut out for drop in sinks or cooktops. A carbide big jigsaw blade will cut it. My installer used a 2 part epoxy for the seams which are very small, maybe 1/16".
Hope this helps anyone considering the above products.
This is really good information.
As the very happy owner of a kitchen with soapstone counter tops, I want to add one caveat. You do NOT have to oil it down in order for it to look good. If you want it to be darker or more lustrous, sure - oil it down (which isn't hard OR expensive - it takes just a few minutes with plain mineral oil). I occasionally do oil mine, because the beautiful veining in it shows up even more when it's oiled, but the veining is still apparent when it's not oiled, and oiling it doesn't do anything beyond the cosmetic.
There are various shades of soapstone - from very veined and pretty dramatic (for instance, ours has some green and white veining in it and it's pretty striking) to a very subdued gray. But all variations are of the same color - gray. So...if gray will work for you, then it's a great option. Otherwise, no bueno.
As you stated, it's basically talc, so the stone itself has a very velvety feel, which I love. It's a soft look vs a glossy, hard, polished look. It looks like a work station rather than a showroom floor. To me, soapstone works very well in industrial (either contemporary or retro) kitchens, as well as country or rustic. Though there are exceptions to every rule, I wouldn't think it would be the best choice for very polished, elegant kitchens. Soapstone tends to look GREAT with stainless steel appliances by the way.
Outdoor kitchen, 8 foot serving area and the bar table will get granite tops next week. So called exotics with some wild veins. The outdoor dining table is almost ten years old, a remnant from a bathroom remodel, an awesome oval which seats 9+.
All bathrooms will get granite as well.
This is #4 and #5 in granite but always slab. Nothing like baking on it.
your builder skirted the truth, no maintenance with granite is incorrect. Granite is a porous material and you MUST seal it once or twice a year or it will stain and/or harbor bacteria. Another negative about granite is alot of what is sold as granite really isnt. Granite is also brittle and susceptible to cracking.
Silestone, which is a quartz based countertop is just as beautiful and non-porous. That is a zero maintenance countertop highly resistant to damage. Quartz is in the top 5 of the hardest materials on earth.
I love the look of granite, but the fad is overtaking the truths.
Nope. I mean, that's what they SAY, but "they" say a lot of stuff. Once they get you into "no maintenence" granite, then they start jerking people around telling them big lies and BS to sell them the service of sealing the granite.
Granite IS "no maintenence" for all practical purposes, and the experts are lying. I also read a bunch of stuff about "sealing grout" too. The "sealer sellers" are also liars. Most people never seal their granite, and sure if you let a puddle of kool-aid or wine sit on the granite sure you might see the most minute amount of stain, but really does anyone ever notice? No. Bacteria, shmackteria.
However having said that, Silestone is the best, must beautiful material in the world. It's not the quartz, it's the epoxy binder that does the magic. The construction industry if full of liars and BS'rs and the "authorities" they quote (builders associations, and whatnot) are also liars and BS'rs. I remember when the greatest, best, most wonderful "new thing" in the industry was ALUMINUM WIRING. It was the "wave of the future" and all the experts extolled the virtues of aluminum wiring.
Then houses started spontaneously catching fire and burning down and people started dying.
All expert opinions in the construction industry are only a reference point. From there it's a matter of common sense as these people are in the pockets of the companies selling the materials and the services required. Don't get me started on Hardieboard and how the manufacturer claims you have to use their stupid, 3 times the cost of better, more useful screws that will actually countersink. This is not an area where an ignorant retail customer can blindly rely on the advice of an "expert", because many (but not all) of the experts are lying.
There is one thing I will say about granite over the man-made composite countertops: granite is a natural stone with the most interesting character. It has a kind of romance and charm that is not duplicated in synthetic products. To me - and this is just my opinion - it has a kind of elegance that polished marble or natural mahogany or burnished copper has that fake stuff doesn't quite duplicate. I like Corian and the quartz man-made countertops, but there is a certain richness to the cold, polished look of natural granite.
Careful there.
I still own 1 avocado-colored kitchen tool: food grinder.
Bought in 1970ish.
Works perfectly and I cannot find a replacement as it has a vacuum seal to stick it to the countertop (quartz in the current house).
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
