Emily O'Brien
Inspiration for a large transitional master gray tile and stone tile porcelain tile freestanding bathtub remodel in Boston with white walls

This customer had just moved into a property in Chesham around eighteen months ago. During that time, they had completely renovated the property and in the process had pulled up the hallway carpet to discover a lovely Victorian tiled floor which appeared to be in good condition but very dirty. Period features like these can add a lot of value to a house these days and so they decided to investigate having it professionally cleaned and contacted me for a quote. Although I can give some indication of price over the phone you never know exactly what to expect so my preference is to visit the property a conduct a test clean. It’s a little trickier to do this now due to COVID-19 but using a combination of PPE, maximum ventilation and social distancing measures I was able to work on the floor. The tiles were in good order with no replacements needed so my focus would be removing carpet adhesive and ingrained dirt. The test went well, and I followed up with a quotation which was accepted, and a date arranged to do the work. I had worked out previously that the quickest was to deep clean the floor and remove the glue and any old seal was to apply Tile Doctor Remove and Go which as its name suggests is a coatings removed designed for Tiled floors. My method was to spray strong a dilution of Remove and Go onto the Victorian tiles and leave it to soak in for fifteen minutes. Then it was scrubbed in with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. The soil was rinsed off using a minimal of water and extracted with a wet vacuum. Once the floor had dried, I inspected the tiles and could see more work would be needed to get the white tiles really sparkling. For this I went over the floor using a 200-grit resurfacing pad using water to lubricate the process, I also used handheld burnishing blocks of different grits to do the edges. With this extra effort and another rinse with water to remove the soil the floor looked great, and so I left for the day so it could dry out ready for sealing. I came back the next day and started by taking moisture readings with a damp meter to ensure the tiles were dry and ready for sealing. This is important as you don’t want to apply sealer to a damp tile and old floors can suffer from damp issues due to the lack of a damp proof membrane. All was well with the floor, so I was able to move straight onto sealing which started with the application of a single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This is an impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the tile enhancing colour and adding protection. Once this had dried, I followed up with another seven coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which adds further protection and leaves a nice subtle sheen to the tiles. This product works really well on old Victorian Tiles like these and being water based it doesn’t leave a smell as it dries. Andrew Newstead South Buckinghamshire Tile Doctor

This beautiful Limestone kitchen tiled floor at a property in Peel Green was only a year old and, while it wasn’t in too bad of a state, the customer told me the floor had not been sealed properly due to issues with retaining moisture. The lack of an adequate sealer had allowed the Limestone to become duller over time after exposure to dirt and muck. It also had some more obvious marks and stains in some place and needed some grouting to be done around the corners and edges of the room. I travelled to the property in Peel Green, which is within the Greater City of Salford in Greater Manchester, to see what could be done to restore the condition of the tiles. Upon closer inspection of the tiles, I recommended to the customer that we proceed with the process known as burnishing, which we use primarily on Limestone, Marble, and Travertine. Burnishing, which involves the application of diamond encrusted burnishing pads, breaks down old sealers, gets rid of marks, stains and ingrained dirt, and gradually builds and evens out the polish on the tiles. I started burnishing the Limestone kitchen tiles straight away when I arrived at the property as it was a big area and would require lots of hard work to achieve the desired results within the space of a day. Our burnishing system consists of four diamond encrusted pads: Coarse, Medium, a Fine and Very Fine. Each pad was applied to the Limestone in sequence in tandem with a small amount of water to act as lubrication, gradually smoothing and polishing the surface of the tiles. After every pad, I also used my wet vac machine to remove any dirty water left on the floor and, after the Fine pad I rinsed the floor thoroughly to remove any dirt left on floor. I then left it to dry. When I was satisfied that the floor was completely dry, it was time to seal the Limestone tiles. However, I first went over the floor with Very Fine grit pad to provide a final polish before sealing. My choice of sealer was the impregnating Tile Doctor Colour Grow, a product which enhances the natural colours in the stone whilst also offering robust protection against dirt and stains. Remembering that the tiles had never been properly sealed, I applied plenty of sealer and left it to dry for 10 minutes. Following this, I carefully removed any excess sealer left on the surface with a dry cotton cloth. After sealing I went over the floor once final time with the Very Fine pad, just to smoothen things down and leave an exceptionally neat finish. When the job was finished, I gave the owner some tips and recommendations on the cleaning of the floor going forward and a complimentary bottle of neutral cleaner to get them started. The customer was very pleased with the finish, so much so that she opted and take up the Tile Doctor Maintenance Plan to keep the floor looking good for years to come! This involves popping round every 6-12 months to top up the sealer and give the floor a quick polish. Tony Olmet Greater Manchester Tile Doctor

This deck, patio and equinox louvered roof give these homeowners an amazing space to entertain. Open louvers let in the light! Should rainclouds form, the touch of a remove closes the louvers for a watertight seal.

Glass Thassos was specified for an infinity swimming pool in Southampton, NY. For this project the surface was done in a fine sandblasted textured finish. The surface was the perfect texture that feels great on bare feet and provides sufficient traction on wet surfaces. The pavers used for this project are 48"x48"″ square. Custom grates, steps and pool coping. Glass Thassos is revolutionary new material, man–made from crystallized glass placed under extreme heat. A pure white surface is consistent throughout each piece. The material is harder than granite and has virtually no absorbency so it never requires sealing. It is an excellent substitute for white marble as each piece has crystals embedded which reflect light to create depth into the surface like marble. It is suitable for interior and exterior application and available in polished and sandblasted finishes.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours The second-largest and most developed of Georgia's barrier islands, St. Simons is approximately twelve miles long and nearly three miles wide at its widest stretch (roughly the size of Manhattan Island in New York). The island is located in Glynn County on Georgia's coast and lies east of Brunswick (the seat of Glynn County), south of Little St. Simons Island and the Hampton River, and north of Jekyll Island. The resort community of Sea Island is separated from St. Simons on the east by the Black Banks River. Known for its oak tree canopies and historic landmarks, St. Simons is both a tourist destination and, according to the 2010 U.S. census, home to 12,743 residents. Early History The earliest St. Simons Island Village record of human habitation on the island dates to the Late Archaic Period, about 5,000 to 3,000 years ago. Remnants of shell rings left behind by Native Americans from this era survive on many of the barrier islands, including St. Simons. Centuries later, during the period known by historians as the chiefdom era, the Guale Indians established a chiefdom centered on St. Catherines Island and used St. Simons as their hunting and fishing grounds. By 1500 the Guale had established a permanent village of about 200 people on St. Simons, which they called Guadalquini. Beginning in 1568, the Spanish attempted to create missions along the Georgia coast. Catholic missions were the primary means by which Georgia's indigenous Native American chiefdoms were assimilated into the Spanish colonial system along the northern frontier of greater Spanish Florida. In the 1600s St. Simons became home to two Spanish missions: San Buenaventura de Guadalquini, on the southern tip of the island, and Santo Domingo de Asao (or Asajo), on the northern tip. Located on the inland side of the island were the pagan refugee villages of San Simón, the island's namesake, and Ocotonico. In 1684 pirate raids left the missions and villages largely abandoned. Colonial History As Fort Frederica early as 1670, with Great Britain's establishment of the colony of Carolina and its expansion into Georgia territory, Spanish rule was threatened by the English. The Georgia coast was considered "debatable land" by England and Spain, even though Spain had fully retreated from St. Simons by 1702. Thirty-one years later General James Edward Oglethorpe founded the English settlement of Savannah. In 1736 he established Fort Frederica, named after the heir to the British throne, Frederick Louis, prince of Wales, on the west side of St. Simons Island to protect Savannah and the Carolinas from the Spanish threat. Between 1736 and 1749 Fort Frederica was the hub of British military operations along the Georgia frontier. A town of the same name grew up around the fort and was of great importance to the new colony. By 1740 Frederica's population was 1,000. In 1736 the congregation of what would become Christ Church was organized within Fort Frederica as a mission of the Church of England. Charles Wesley led the first services. In 1742 Britain's decisive victory over Spain in the Battle of Bloody Marsh, during the War of Jenkins' Ear, ended the Spanish threat to the Georgia coast. When the British regimen disbanded in 1749, most of the townspeople relocated to the mainland. Fort Frederica went into decline and, except for a short time of prosperity during the 1760s and 1770s under the leadership of merchant James Spalding, never fully recovered. Today the historic citadel's tabby ruins are maintained by the National Park Service. Plantation Era By the start of the American Revolution (1775-83), Fort Frederica was obsolete, and St. Simons was left largely uninhabited as most of its residents joined the patriot army. Besides hosting a small Georgia naval victory on the Fort Frederica River, providing guns from its famous fort for use at Fort Morris in Sunbury, and serving as an arena for pillaging by privateers and British soldiers, the island played almost no role in the war. Following the war, many of the townspeople, their businesses destroyed, turned to agriculture. The island was transformed into fourteen cotton plantations after acres of live oak trees were cleared for farm land and used for building American warships, including the famous USS Constitution, or "Old Ironsides." Although rice was the predominant crop along the neighboring Altamaha River, St. Simons was known for its production of long-staple cotton, which soon came to be known as Sea Island cotton. Between Ebos Landing the 1780s and the outbreak of the Civil War (1861-65), St. Simons's plantation culture flourished. The saline atmosphere and the availability of cheap slave labor proved an ideal combination for the cultivation of Sea Island cotton. In 1803 a group of Ebo slaves who survived the Middle Passage and arrived on the west side of St. Simons staged a rebellion and drowned themselves. The sacred site is known today as Ebos Landing. One of the largest owners of land and slaves on St. Simons was Pierce Butler, master of Hampton Point Plantation, located on the northern end of the island. By 1793 Butler owned more than 500 slaves, who cultivated 800 acres of cotton on St. Simons and 300 acres of rice on Butler's Island in the Altamaha River delta. Butler's grandson, Pierce Mease Butler, who at the age of sixteen inherited a share of his grandfather's estate in 1826, was responsible for the largest sale of human beings in the history of the United States: in 1859, to restore his squandered fortune, he sold 429 slaves in Savannah for more than $300,000. The British actress and writer Fanny Kemble, whose tumultuous marriage to Pierce ended in divorce in 1849, published an eyewitness account of the evils of slavery on St. Simons in her book Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838-1839 (1863). Another Retreat Plantation large owner of land and slaves on St. Simons was Major William Page, a friend and employee of Pierce Butler Sr. Before purchasing Retreat Plantation on the southwestern tip of the island in 1804, Page managed the Hampton plantation and Butler's Island. Upon Page's death in 1827, Thomas Butler King inherited the land together with his wife, Page's daughter, Anna Matilda Page King. King expanded his father-in-law's planting empire on St. Simons as well as on the mainland, and by 1835 Retreat Plantation alone was home to as many as 355 slaves. The center of life during the island's plantation era was Christ Church, Frederica. Organized in 1807 by a group of island planters, the Episcopal church is the second oldest in the Diocese of Georgia. Embargoes imposed by the War of 1812 (1812-15) prevented the parishioners from building a church structure, so they worshiped in the home of John Beck, which stood on the site of Oglethorpe's only St. Simons residence, Orange Hall. The first Christ Church building, finished on the present site in 1820, was ruined by occupying Union troops during the Civil War. In 1884 the Reverend Anson Dodge Jr. rebuilt the church as a memorial to his first wife, Ellen. The cruciform building with a trussed gothic roof and stained-glass windows remains active today as Christ Church. Civil War and Beyond The St. Simons Island Lighthouse outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 put a sudden end to St. Simons's lucrative plantation era. In January of that year, Confederate troops were stationed at the south end of the island to guard the entrance to Brunswick Harbor. Slaves from Retreat Plantation, owned by Thomas Butler King, built earthworks and batteries. Plantation residents were scattered—the men joined the Confederate army and their families moved to the mainland. Cannon fire was heard on the island in December 1861, and Confederate troops retreated in February 1862, after dynamiting the lighthouse to keep its beacon from aiding Union troops. Soon thereafter, Union troops occupied the island, which was used as a camp for freed slaves. By August 1862 more than 500 former slaves lived on St. Simons, including Susie King Taylor, who organized a school for freed slave children. But in November the ex-slaves were taken to Hilton Head, South Carolina, and Fernandina, Florida, leaving the island abandoned. After the Civil War the island never returned to its status as an agricultural community. The plantations lay dormant because there were no slaves to work the fields. After Union general William T. Sherman's January 1865 Special Field Order No. 15 —a demand that former plantations be divided and distributed to former slaves—was overturned by U.S. president Andrew Johnson less than a year later, freedmen and women were forced to work as sharecroppers on the small farms that dotted the land previously occupied by the sprawling plantations. By St. Simons Lumber Mills 1870 real economic recovery began with the reestablishment of the timber industry. Norman Dodge and Titus G. Meigs of New York set up lumber mill operations at Gascoigne Bluff, formerly Hamilton Plantation. The lumber mills provided welcome employment for both blacks and whites and also provided mail and passenger boats to the mainland. Such water traffic, together with the construction of a new lighthouse in 1872, designed by architect Charles B. Cluskey, marked the beginning of St. Simons's tourism industry. The keeper of the lighthouse created a small amusement park, which drew many visitors, as did the seemingly miraculous light that traveled from the top of the lighthouse tower to the bottom. The island became a summer retreat for families from the mainland, particularly from Baxley, Brunswick, and Waycross. The island's resort industry was thriving by the 1880s. Beachfront structures, such as a new pier and grand hotel, were built on the southeastern end of the island and could be accessed by ferry. Around this time wealthy northerners began vacationing on the island. Twentieth Century The St. Simons Island Pier and Village opening in 1924 of the Brunswick–St. Simons Highway, today known as the Torras Causeway, was a milestone in the development of resorts in the area. St. Simons's beaches were now easily accessible to locals and tourists alike. More than 5,000 automobiles took the short drive from Brunswick to St. Simons via the causeway on its opening day, paving the way for convenient residential and resort development. In 1926 automotive pioneer Howard Coffin of Detroit, Michigan, bought large tracts of land on St. Simons, including the former Retreat Plantation, and constructed a golf course, yacht club, paved roads, and a residential subdivision. Although the causeway had brought large numbers of summer people to the island, St. Simons remained a small community with only a few hundred permanent residents until the 1940s. The St. Simons Island outbreak of World War II (1941-45) brought more visitors and residents to St. Simons. Troops stationed at Jacksonville, Florida; Savannah; and nearby Camp Stewart took weekend vacations on the island, and a new naval air base and radar school became home to even more officers and soldiers. The increased wartime population brought the island its first public school. With a major shipyard for the production of Liberty ships in nearby Brunswick, the waters of St. Simons became active with German U-boats. In April 1942, just off the coast, the Texas Company oil tanker S. S. Oklahoma and the S. S. Esso Baton Rouge were torpedoed by the Germans, bringing the war very close to home for island residents. Due in large part to the military's improvement of the island's infrastructure during the war, development on the island boomed in the 1950s and 1960s. More permanent homes and subdivisions were built, and the island was no longer just a summer resort but also a thriving community. In 1950 the Methodist conference and retreat center Epworth by the Sea opened on Gascoigne Bluff. In 1961 novelist Eugenia Price visited St. Simons and began work on her first works of fiction, known as the St. Simons Trilogy. Inspired by real events on the island, Price's trilogy renewed interest in the history of Georgia's coast, and the novelist herself relocated to the island in 1965 and lived there for thirty-one years. St. Simons is also home to contemporary Georgia writer Tina McElroy Ansa. Since Epworth by the Sea 1980 St. Simons's population has doubled. The island's continued status as a vacation destination and its ongoing development boom have put historic landmarks and natural areas at risk. While such landmarks as the Fort Frederica ruins and the Battle of Bloody Marsh site are preserved and maintained by the National Park Service, and while the historic lighthouse is maintained by the Coastal Georgia Historical Society, historic Ebos Landing has been taken over by a sewage treatment plant. Several coastal organizations have formed in recent years to save natural areas on the island. The St. Simons Land Trust, for example, has received donations of large tracts of land and plans to protect property in the island's three traditional African American neighborhoods. Despite its rapid growth and development, St. Simons remains one of the most beautiful and important islands on the Georgia coast.

This eclectic kitchen has Soapstone countertops! Thanks Granite Grannies for fabricating this project and providing us this photo! http://www.granitegrannies.com Look through our soapstone or other stone options: http://www.stoneaction.com Soapstone is a classic. Stone colors are available in dark gray to blueish or greenish gray with light or dramatic veining. Over a period of time as soapstone ages it achieves a beautiful patina. When treated with mineral oil the stone will darken. Soapstone is an ideal kitchen countertop choice because it never has to been sealed and has high heat resistant properties. Soapstone, although soft, is a very dense (non-porous) stone. Most people are surprised to learn it is more dense than marble, slate, limestone and even granite. Since soapstone is impenetrable and it will not stain. No liquid will permeate its surface. This is why through the years soapstone is widely used in chemistry lab countertops and acid rooms. If you love the dark beauty of granite and the light veining of marble, consider soapstone instead. It's durable, relatively low-maintenance, and has a lovely, old-world feel.

This eclectic kitchen has Soapstone countertops! Thanks Granite Grannies for fabricating this project and providing us this photo! http://www.granitegrannies.com Look through our soapstone or other stone options: http://www.stoneaction.com Soapstone is a classic. Stone colors are available in dark gray to blueish or greenish gray with light or dramatic veining. Over a period of time as soapstone ages it achieves a beautiful patina. When treated with mineral oil the stone will darken. Soapstone is an ideal kitchen countertop choice because it never has to been sealed and has high heat resistant properties. Soapstone, although soft, is a very dense (non-porous) stone. Most people are surprised to learn it is more dense than marble, slate, limestone and even granite. Since soapstone is impenetrable and it will not stain. No liquid will permeate its surface. This is why through the years soapstone is widely used in chemistry lab countertops and acid rooms. If you love the dark beauty of granite and the light veining of marble, consider soapstone instead. It's durable, relatively low-maintenance, and has a lovely, old-world feel.

This eclectic kitchen has Soapstone countertops! Thanks Granite Grannies for fabricating this project and providing us this photo! http://www.granitegrannies.com Look through our soapstone or other stone options: http://www.stoneaction.com Soapstone is a classic. Stone colors are available in dark gray to blueish or greenish gray with light or dramatic veining. Over a period of time as soapstone ages it achieves a beautiful patina. When treated with mineral oil the stone will darken. Soapstone is an ideal kitchen countertop choice because it never has to been sealed and has high heat resistant properties. Soapstone, although soft, is a very dense (non-porous) stone. Most people are surprised to learn it is more dense than marble, slate, limestone and even granite. Since soapstone is impenetrable and it will not stain. No liquid will permeate its surface. This is why through the years soapstone is widely used in chemistry lab countertops and acid rooms. If you love the dark beauty of granite and the light veining of marble, consider soapstone instead. It's durable, relatively low-maintenance, and has a lovely, old-world feel.

This eclectic kitchen has Soapstone countertops! Thanks Granite Grannies for fabricating this project and providing us this photo! http://www.granitegrannies.com Look through our soapstone or other stone options: http://www.stoneaction.com Soapstone is a classic. Stone colors are available in dark gray to blueish or greenish gray with light or dramatic veining. Over a period of time as soapstone ages it achieves a beautiful patina. When treated with mineral oil the stone will darken. Soapstone is an ideal kitchen countertop choice because it never has to been sealed and has high heat resistant properties. Soapstone, although soft, is a very dense (non-porous) stone. Most people are surprised to learn it is more dense than marble, slate, limestone and even granite. Since soapstone is impenetrable and it will not stain. No liquid will permeate its surface. This is why through the years soapstone is widely used in chemistry lab countertops and acid rooms. If you love the dark beauty of granite and the light veining of marble, consider soapstone instead. It's durable, relatively low-maintenance, and has a lovely, old-world feel.

This eclectic kitchen has Soapstone countertops! Thanks Granite Grannies for fabricating this project and providing us this photo! http://www.granitegrannies.com Look through our soapstone or other stone options: http://www.stoneaction.com Soapstone is a classic. Stone colors are available in dark gray to blueish or greenish gray with light or dramatic veining. Over a period of time as soapstone ages it achieves a beautiful patina. When treated with mineral oil the stone will darken. Soapstone is an ideal kitchen countertop choice because it never has to been sealed and has high heat resistant properties. Soapstone, although soft, is a very dense (non-porous) stone. Most people are surprised to learn it is more dense than marble, slate, limestone and even granite. Since soapstone is impenetrable and it will not stain. No liquid will permeate its surface. This is why through the years soapstone is widely used in chemistry lab countertops and acid rooms. If you love the dark beauty of granite and the light veining of marble, consider soapstone instead. It's durable, relatively low-maintenance, and has a lovely, old-world feel.

This eclectic kitchen has Soapstone countertops! Thanks Granite Grannies for fabricating this project and providing us this photo! http://www.granitegrannies.com Look through our soapstone or other stone options: http://www.stoneaction.com Soapstone is a classic. Stone colors are available in dark gray to blueish or greenish gray with light or dramatic veining. Over a period of time as soapstone ages it achieves a beautiful patina. When treated with mineral oil the stone will darken. Soapstone is an ideal kitchen countertop choice because it never has to been sealed and has high heat resistant properties. Soapstone, although soft, is a very dense (non-porous) stone. Most people are surprised to learn it is more dense than marble, slate, limestone and even granite. Since soapstone is impenetrable and it will not stain. No liquid will permeate its surface. This is why through the years soapstone is widely used in chemistry lab countertops and acid rooms. If you love the dark beauty of granite and the light veining of marble, consider soapstone instead. It's durable, relatively low-maintenance, and has a lovely, old-world feel.

This eclectic kitchen has Soapstone countertops! Thanks Granite Grannies for fabricating this project and providing us this photo! http://www.granitegrannies.com Look through our soapstone or other stone options: http://www.stoneaction.com Soapstone is a classic. Stone colors are available in dark gray to blueish or greenish gray with light or dramatic veining. Over a period of time as soapstone ages it achieves a beautiful patina. When treated with mineral oil the stone will darken. Soapstone is an ideal kitchen countertop choice because it never has to been sealed and has high heat resistant properties. Soapstone, although soft, is a very dense (non-porous) stone. Most people are surprised to learn it is more dense than marble, slate, limestone and even granite. Since soapstone is impenetrable and it will not stain. No liquid will permeate its surface. This is why through the years soapstone is widely used in chemistry lab countertops and acid rooms. If you love the dark beauty of granite and the light veining of marble, consider soapstone instead. It's durable, relatively low-maintenance, and has a lovely, old-world feel.

This eclectic kitchen has Soapstone countertops! Thanks Granite Grannies for fabricating this project and providing us this photo! http://www.granitegrannies.com Look through our soapstone or other stone options: http://www.stoneaction.com Soapstone is a classic. Stone colors are available in dark gray to blueish or greenish gray with light or dramatic veining. Over a period of time as soapstone ages it achieves a beautiful patina. When treated with mineral oil the stone will darken. Soapstone is an ideal kitchen countertop choice because it never has to been sealed and has high heat resistant properties. Soapstone, although soft, is a very dense (non-porous) stone. Most people are surprised to learn it is more dense than marble, slate, limestone and even granite. Since soapstone is impenetrable and it will not stain. No liquid will permeate its surface. This is why through the years soapstone is widely used in chemistry lab countertops and acid rooms. If you love the dark beauty of granite and the light veining of marble, consider soapstone instead. It's durable, relatively low-maintenance, and has a lovely, old-world feel.

The home is designed to maximize the sun coming into the building all winter providing free solar heat and great daylight all winter. The heating system never comes on during the day in the winter. To keep the heat in, the home is highly insulated with 12” thick insulated walls, 18” attic insulation and spray foam air sealing to prevent air infiltration. The windows are designed for the orientation. The south windows have a high solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) to let the solar heat in the winter. The East, West and North windows have a very low SHGC to block the summer sun and prevent overheating. The south windows are shaded in the summer with retractable awnings.

This eclectic kitchen has Soapstone countertops! Thanks Granite Grannies for fabricating this project and providing us this photo! http://www.granitegrannies.com Look through our soapstone or other stone options: http://www.stoneaction.com Soapstone is a classic. Stone colors are available in dark gray to blueish or greenish gray with light or dramatic veining. Over a period of time as soapstone ages it achieves a beautiful patina. When treated with mineral oil the stone will darken. Soapstone is an ideal kitchen countertop choice because it never has to been sealed and has high heat resistant properties. Soapstone, although soft, is a very dense (non-porous) stone. Most people are surprised to learn it is more dense than marble, slate, limestone and even granite. Since soapstone is impenetrable and it will not stain. No liquid will permeate its surface. This is why through the years soapstone is widely used in chemistry lab countertops and acid rooms. If you love the dark beauty of granite and the light veining of marble, consider soapstone instead. It's durable, relatively low-maintenance, and has a lovely, old-world feel.

This eclectic kitchen has Soapstone countertops! Thanks Granite Grannies for fabricating this project and providing us this photo! http://www.granitegrannies.com Look through our soapstone or other stone options: http://www.stoneaction.com Soapstone is a classic. Stone colors are available in dark gray to blueish or greenish gray with light or dramatic veining. Over a period of time as soapstone ages it achieves a beautiful patina. When treated with mineral oil the stone will darken. Soapstone is an ideal kitchen countertop choice because it never has to been sealed and has high heat resistant properties. Soapstone, although soft, is a very dense (non-porous) stone. Most people are surprised to learn it is more dense than marble, slate, limestone and even granite. Since soapstone is impenetrable and it will not stain. No liquid will permeate its surface. This is why through the years soapstone is widely used in chemistry lab countertops and acid rooms. If you love the dark beauty of granite and the light veining of marble, consider soapstone instead. It's durable, relatively low-maintenance, and has a lovely, old-world feel.

This eclectic kitchen has Soapstone countertops! Thanks Granite Grannies for fabricating this project and providing us this photo! http://www.granitegrannies.com Look through our soapstone or other stone options: http://www.stoneaction.com Soapstone is a classic. Stone colors are available in dark gray to blueish or greenish gray with light or dramatic veining. Over a period of time as soapstone ages it achieves a beautiful patina. When treated with mineral oil the stone will darken. Soapstone is an ideal kitchen countertop choice because it never has to been sealed and has high heat resistant properties. Soapstone, although soft, is a very dense (non-porous) stone. Most people are surprised to learn it is more dense than marble, slate, limestone and even granite. Since soapstone is impenetrable and it will not stain. No liquid will permeate its surface. This is why through the years soapstone is widely used in chemistry lab countertops and acid rooms. If you love the dark beauty of granite and the light veining of marble, consider soapstone instead. It's durable, relatively low-maintenance, and has a lovely, old-world feel.

This eclectic kitchen has Soapstone countertops! Thanks Granite Grannies for fabricating this project and providing us this photo! http://www.granitegrannies.com Look through our soapstone or other stone options: http://www.stoneaction.com Soapstone is a classic. Stone colors are available in dark gray to blueish or greenish gray with light or dramatic veining. Over a period of time as soapstone ages it achieves a beautiful patina. When treated with mineral oil the stone will darken. Soapstone is an ideal kitchen countertop choice because it never has to been sealed and has high heat resistant properties. Soapstone, although soft, is a very dense (non-porous) stone. Most people are surprised to learn it is more dense than marble, slate, limestone and even granite. Since soapstone is impenetrable and it will not stain. No liquid will permeate its surface. This is why through the years soapstone is widely used in chemistry lab countertops and acid rooms. If you love the dark beauty of granite and the light veining of marble, consider soapstone instead. It's durable, relatively low-maintenance, and has a lovely, old-world feel.