Hi Grady31,

I love soapstone and especially when combined with white cabinetry. Beautiful combination! While soapstone does require more up-front maintenance, its a incredibly durable material and has a very timeless look, imo.

Steve

Thanks. Would you use mineral oil to preserve it.

Lucky you! We ran out of $ after building our house so have had to settle for soapstone-looking laminate. Laminates have come a long way so it looks real from a distance, and even up close, it looks pretty good. I'd go with soapstone over granite.

We love our soapstone counters. They are warmer to touch than granite. I also love that we can put hot pans directly on them without discoloration. We installed soapstone 9 years ago and it still looks as good as new!

Hi Grady31,

Great advice so far here, I completely agree with Feeny's comment for using wax instead of mineral oil.

~Steve

We have a near by quarry that is still in production with some great deals. I use soapstone because it looks great, but also because you can use wood working tools to cut and shape it. It is after all the source for talcum powder and is very soft, but scratches are easy to eliminate with sand paper.

The mill is still up and running again in Suyler.
http://www.eastblueridge.com/page1/files/category-soapstone-in-virginia.html

I should add that in three years we have never had a scratch that required sand paper--not even close. Usually scratches disappear (that is, they become part of the patina) with just the wipe of a sponge. But soapstone wax or oil takes care of anything deeper.

Before we ordered our soapstone we brought home a sample piece and did all the damage to it that we could imagine occurring in our kitchen (knives, etc.). Then we put on a dab of wax and it all disappeared. That convinced us.

http://www.alberenesoapstone.com/why-alberene-soapstone/message-from-the-president

I have soapstone utility sinks in my basement--at least 90 years old. It is amazing how long the stuff lasts, even with lots of abuse.