Dispelling the Myths about Soapstone

If you’ve ever held a sculpture made out of soapstone, it’s easy to remember the soft warmth that this stone emits. The reason this variety of soapstone is so easy to carve is because this particular grade possesses a high content of talc. While related, the nature of soapstone used for architectural applications has a much lower content of talc, enhancing the structural integrity and density of the stone.

For most of us, the first contact we had with soapstone may have been in chemistry class. Used in science laboratories for generations, scientists were well aware of the durability and forgiving nature of this natural stone. Unlike granite, marble, quartz or man-made composite surfaces, a soapstone countertop is chemically neutral, which makes it non-porous and virtually impervious to all types of products that may stain other surfaces. There’s no need to worry about spilt wine, olive oil, Soya sauce or a myriad of other culprits that will permeate many natural stones commonly used for countertops.