Why not use actual Soapstone?

I have considered it, but I‘m concerned about the maintenance/upkeep, and the softness of the stone, etc. I also don’t live nearby any stone yards, so I cannot conveniently choose my slabs like I would want to with natural stone.

I’ve loved having the zero mainenance of quartz I’ve used in the past; I’m hoping this color gives me a similar look to natural soapstone!

Do you have any experience with natural soapstone?

Soapstone was always used for chemistry lab countertops. There is no maintenance. Of course you use a cutting board, but I always used one on Formica and the walnut counters that were in this house when we bought it. The only reason to oil soapstone is the darker look, but it doesn’t last. The fact that you would have to reapply oil should be the big clue that soapstone isn’t absorbing anything. In our previous house we had soapstone for thirteen years. My husband cooks, we often had fourteen for dinner parties (they all did final cooking in my kitchen), our grandchildren cooked on it, and it looked brand new when we sold the house 13 years later. Sometimes I would wipe on oil(takes about as much time as washing any other countertop) and wipe off the excess. The oil makes it look darker, but doesn’t actually affect the soapstone. Obviously when we bought our current house, soapstone was my choice. Four years later, I couldn’t be happier. I never oil it ( stoped oiling the previous one after a year or two) because I love no maintenance. I don’t want manufactured diamonds for jewelry and I don’t want fake soapstone for my kitchen!

IMO soapstone requires very little maintenance and always better than plastic for counters and that includes quartz and corian . Soapstone is used in labs where all kinds of stuff hits it and still looks awesome get the real thing .

We put soapstone in our last kitchen and are puting it in the house we are building. It requires next to no maintenance, although you can oil it if you like the look - nwe do, so our cleaners oiled our counters when they came every other week. It’s gorgeous and literally indestructible.

A good yard will send you photos - it’s a big enough expense to be worth driving a few hours for if you have to. I chose our slabs from photos, and they were true to those when they arrived in town. If they hadn’t have been, I could have sent them back to Seattle for a couple of hundred bucks. Yards hate shipping stone around - they take really good photos.

Thank you for all of the info on natural soapstone!

I should clarify that when I say I’m worried about maintenance, I mean I want a nice deep black color without having to oil it ever ever, let alone regularly, which is the main reason for my choice.

I‘d really love to see photos of the quartz if anyone out there has used it! thanks!

I‘m considering using this same xountertop. did you install it and do you like it? i would love your feedback

OOPs old post .